James Franklin was named one of eight finalists for the George Munger Award, presented to college football’s top head coach, on Tuesday.

If Franklin wins the award, he’d be the third Penn State coach to receive this honor alongside Bill O’Brien and Joe Paterno. However, Paterno’s recognitions were stripped away after his firing from Penn State.

The recognition as a finalist came after Franklin led Penn State to an 11-1 regular season record and its first Big Ten Championship appearance since 2016. More recently, the Nittany Lions dominated SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff in a 38-10 victory. The win also marked Franklin’s 100th as at Penn State’s helm.

The team will now travel to Arizona to play Boise State in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Wednesday, December 31, where the winner will advance to the Orange Bowl.

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Dillon Williams

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