The James Franklin era in Blacksburg began as any Virginia Tech fan would have hoped, with blowout wins over VMI and Old Dominion. The Hokies needed to send an early-season statement against inferior competition, and they did.
Now, things are going to get tougher from here on out against Power 4 Conference foes. After the 44-21 win over the Monarchs at Lane Stadium on Saturday afternoon, Franklin met with the media to discuss the 23-point victory. Meanwhile, in typical Penn State fashion, the Nittany Lions media and fanbase live and breathe everything Franklin says while at Virginia Tech. That continued after a win over ODU.
Penn State media still hangs on every single word James Franklin says
While the Hokies were running the Monarchs out of Blacksburg in a rout, Penn State was struggling to beat Temple, 27-9, in Philadelphia. After the Nittany Lions beat the Owls, Joe Smeltzer of Nittany Sports Now tweeted a Franklin comment from his press conference while chasing down Matt Campbell for quotes at Lincoln Financial Field. It’s a very bizarre thing to do, but clearly he was looking for some type of engagement. He got it.
James Franklin after Virginia Tech’s win over Old Dominion.“A lot of fanbases complain about 12 o’clock games. Not our fanbase.”
— Joe Smeltzer (@joesmeltzer775) September 12, 2026
Franklin made the comments in his postgame press conference, but why would Smeltzer care or tweet about it after the team he is covering beat Temple? As you can imagine, it didn’t take Penn State fans long to comment, and this one might have been the best reply…