Report: James Franklin, Penn State Fire OC Mike Yurcich After Loss to Michigan

The Penn State Nittany Lions only managed 238 yards of offense—including just 74 yards through the air—and 15 points against Michigan on Saturday. It was another disappointing performance against a top conference rival after a 20-12 loss to Ohio State in October.

Those performances were reportedly the final straw for offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, and according to Greg Pickel of On3.com, Penn State fired him on Sunday.

Yurcich, 48, served as Penn State's play-caller and quarterbacks coach dating back to the 2021 season.

Head coach James Franklin was critical of the game plan following the loss to Michigan, perhaps foreshadowing Sunday's move.

"We've got to do a better job of calling a game to allow our quarterback to get into rhythm," he told reporters. "That is critical. We've got to find easy completions for a quarterback to get into rhythm. That's what everybody does. We've got to do a good job of that. And then on top of that, although there weren't sacks, there were too many pressures and there were too many times where we were not creating separation."

The Nittany Lions have churned through offensive coordinators during Franklin's 10 years on the job:

The question now, however, is when the spotlight will fall on Franklin himself.

He's 4-16 against Michigan and Ohio State during his time in Happy Valley, and his reputation as a coach incapable of winning the biggest games—and as an excellent recruiter who struggles with the Xs and Os aspect of the job—felt solidified after Saturday's performance against a Michigan program without the beleaguered Jim Harbaugh:

"We've lost to the No. 1 and the No. 3 team in the country, that's not good enough," Franklin told reporters after the loss. "We have to find ways to win those games."

Penn State has four seasons with double-digit wins under Franklin and appears headed for a fifth. It won't be enough to get them into this year's College Football Playoff, however.

Granted, 10-win seasons may become a bit more palatable for Penn State in the future, when the playoff format expands from four teams to 12. The counterpoint, of course, is that the addition of USC, Oregon, Washington and UCLA is about to make the Big Ten an even tougher slog.

So Franklin needs to get the offensive coordinator appointment right. If not, he may find himself on the chopping block next.