Urban Meyer addresses James Franklin’s postgame interaction with Penn State fans

Urban Meyer was surprised at James Franklin’s postgame interaction with fans simply because he was allowed to get close to the stands.

Franklin got into it with some fans who were critical after Penn State’s 20-13 loss to Ohio State. Franklin eventually asked for their names and the fans in question walked away.

To be fair, Meyer understood Franklin’s emotions but said he always had a crew with him to escort him right to the tunnel.

“I’m surprised they let him get there,” Meyer said on The Triple Option. “I always had two people with me that would never let me (get close) because I’d lose my cookies on a person. James is not wrong. You’re a human being. You get someone that swings at you swing a little harder back. However, his people should have never let him get over there and just keep walking him in. So there’s accountability all the way around. You know, head coaches, you can say, head coaches get paid a lot of money. I get that. 

“But when media people take unwarranted shots at people, you’re still a human being. So, yeah, I think people are gonna jump all over him and all that. I’m not. He’s a grown man. Grown man don’t need to be talked to like that or you’re gonna have to answer for it. I think the people should never let him get close to that scenario.”

Meyer said Franklin had the right to defend himself in that scenario. He just wished it didn’t come to that incident.

“You get personal with someone, you got a right to defend yourself, so I think he should avoid that situation altogether and never even get close to that,” Meyer said. “And that’s to me, I’d meet with administrators and say, never let that happen. And then also I’d find out who that human being was … Once again, I guess you buy a ticket for a couple hundred bucks, you can say the team stinks and all that, but you go after someone, you’re not welcome in that stadium anymore. You got to go. 

“So I think it’s a two way street. And I changed over the years on that. I mean, once again, I’m an older guy. Now if someone takes a swing at you, you swing back.”

Penn State fell to 7-1 on the season with its first loss of the season. Franklin’s team is still ranked No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Realistically, the team still controls its playoff destiny, but not for the Big Ten title.