James Franklin and Urban Meyer are two sides of the same coin. Outwardly, they have different personalities and approaches to the game, but inwardly, they have the same fire and determination to make a difference on the football field. They are the thorn in each other’s side, perhaps the fiercest competition and best gauge of success that the other has.
However, that doesn’t mean that they’re all right with being compared to each other. In fact, at the Big Ten Media Days in Chicago, a reporter asked Franklin if he “had a little bit of Urban Meyer” in him. Franklin, who is usually charismatic and welcoming in interviews seemed a little taken aback, even irritated at the question.
He quickly got his footing back and laughed while he responded, “I’m not trying to be anybody else but James Franklin, and I am very comfortable doing that.”
While many probably appreciated that he was trying to distance himself from Ohio State’s now iconic coach, even the most biased of fans can’t deny the similarities between the two. Let’s start with the most obvious, taking a team from rags to riches.
When Ohio State hired Meyer in 2012, they were struggling. They had just come off their first losing season in more than 20 years in addition to the sanctions placed on them by the NCAA for infractions in late 2010. They desperately needed help; enter former SEC power coach Meyer, who would turn the program around in just one year. Since being hired in 2012, he’s lost only three games. In his total career, he’s lost only 26 out of 159 contests. He is truly an excellent coach that has the ability to win, despite any circumstance thrown at him.
When Bill O’Brien left in 2013, Penn State fans everywhere panicked. The man who had held the school together through one of its darkest times was leaving; betrayal was the choice word flying around during the initial period of uncertainty after his departure. When Franklin was hired, everyone’s fears were relieved. With his tagline of “dominate the state, dominate the region,” the man who brought Vanderbilt to a competitive level would be the one to bring Penn State back to its former glory. High hopes for Franklin are flying – while with the Commodores for three seasons, he led them to three straight bowl game appearances, a first for the SEC’s only private university, and posted the school’s third nine-win season. Franklin is also an excellent coach – a man who can take a team that has no expectations of winning and get them to a national ranking.
A lot of teams have good coaches though, so what makes Meyer and Franklin so good and so well-matched against each other? The answer is recruiting. Both men are able to build strong, versatile teams.
Franklin effectively threw down the gauntlet at the Big Ten Media Day in August when he pledged to “dominate the state” through recruiting. He made it very clear that he would be getting some of the top players in the nation, whether they were from Pennsylvania or not. He has no qualms about reaching out to young men from outside his region as well, a threat to the Ohio State recruiting staff, who are comfortable with sweeping through Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Northeastern regions of the country to put together a team that will terrorize anyone who dares to challenge them.
Ohio State has had 23 recruits through the last three cycles, and each class has brought in at least one five-star prospect. Penn State is looking to beat that. Both universities target many of the same recruits, but it is the Nittany Lions who have brought in 18 hard commitments for the 2015 class, 14 of whom are four-star. Franklin might not like to be compared to Meyer, but those are pretty similar numbers.
Now that the NCAA has reinstated all of Penn State’s scholarships, Franklin and what he has called the “most aggressive recruiting staff in America” have room to work and expand the team. He will almost undoubtedly continue to reach out across the region and into territory that Penn State has not traditionally tapped into, areas in which Ohio State at least has a presence, if not a firm grasp. Both universities will continue to battle it on in the recruiting field for a long time to come.
Both Franklin and Meyer are accustomed to playing ruthless football, having both spent time in the SEC with football coaching legends like Nick Saban, Les Miles and Steve Spurrier, but they also understand that trust and respect is a huge part of leadership. It is not uncommon for a team to praise their coach, but the utmost respect that Meyer and Franklin command from their respective teams, fans, and universities is a testament to their character. They have an electric presence that draws a crowd and keeps them interested.
All in all, Meyer is probably the better coach right now. He is more established and has proven that he is a highly talented coach at Ohio State. That doesn’t mean that Franklin should be counted down and out; he also has the ability to go far and do great things at Penn State. The future of both coaches will be fun to watch, no matter how similar or dissimilar they claim to be.
