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Wisconsin Badgers: Top five coaches in the Big Ten

By Tanner Nestle

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 30: Head coach Paul Chryst of the Wisconsin Badgers cheers during the 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 30: Head coach Paul Chryst of the Wisconsin Badgers cheers during the 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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3. James Franklin – Penn State

GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 30: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions walks down the sidelines during the first half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl against the Washington Huskies at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 30: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions walks down the sidelines during the first half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl against the Washington Huskies at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Franklin ripped the hearts out of Badger fans two years ago when his Nittany Lions stormed back for the win in the Big Ten Championship. It’s not something that’s easily forgotten. Since taking over at Penn State in 2014 he hasn’t had a losing season, and has won 11 games each of the last two years. Franklin is starting to recruit at an elite level too. It may be safe to say Penn State is officially back.

The reason Franklin is ahead of Harbaugh and Dantonio on this list is simple. The last two years Franklin has kept his team in the national spotlight, for good reasons, while the other two have had major hiccups along the way. Very few programs have seen the all-around success that Penn State has in the last two years. It’s won a conference championship, but was left out of the College Football Playoff for Ohio State in 2016, and just barely missed last year after two tough losses to Ohio State and Michigan State.

Franklin lost his offensive coordinator, Joe Moorhead, to Mississippi State this offseason along with his best playmakers on offense and a large chunk of his defense. Having to replace all of that talent on the sidelines and on the field won’t be easy. If anybody can do it, it’s Franklin. He’s helped take Penn State from the depths of college football hell and made it into one of the most attractive programs in the nation. Almost nothing can be beyond him.

He split with Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State each of the last two years, so he knows what it’s like to beat them. He also draws Wisconsin for the first time since the 2016 Big Ten Championship in 2018. There will be plenty of opportunities to prove himself this year and put Penn State on the national stage once again.

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