With its once-promising season in freefall, Penn State fired coach James Franklin Sunday, opening unavoidable speculation that the school in Happy Valley will target alum and current Nebraska coach Matt Rhule as Franklin’s successor.

A walk-on linebacker for Penn State in the 1990s, Rhule played for legendary coach Joe Paterno. He’s also a close friend of current PSU athletic director Patrick Kraft, who hired Rhule as head coach at Temple.

On Sunday, Kraft relieved Franklin of his duties. Penn State began the season as the No. 2 team in the Associated Press poll but experienced a sudden collapse following a double-overtime loss to Oregon.

The Nittany Lions lost 42-37 at previously-winless UCLA the following week, then returned home to lose 22-21 to Northwestern, making almost certain th

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