Orlando, Fla. – In the high-stakes world of college football, where multi-million dollar contracts and fervent fan bases reign supreme, the price of mediocrity is steeper than ever. Mike Bianchi, in his latest column, argues that Penn State's staggering $50 million investment in parting ways with James Franklin has sent shockwaves across the coaching landscape, particularly intensifying the pressure on coaches like Billy Napier at Florida and Mike Norvell at Florida State.

Bianchi points out that James Franklin, by most reasonable standards, achieved considerable success at Penn State. He inherited a program reeling from devastating NCAA sanctions in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal and painstakingly rebuilt it into a national contender. Under Franklin's leadership, Penn State consistently competed for Big Ten titles and produced NFL stars like Saquon Barkley and Micah Parsons, players whose names became synonymous with college football excellence.

However, despite these accomplishments, Penn State ultimately decided that Franklin's performance wasn't enough to justify his hefty salary and the program's aspirations. The decision to essentially pay Franklin $50 million to leave sends a clear and unambiguous message to other universities and their coaches: good is no longer good enough. The expectation is now sustained excellence, consistently vying for national championships.

This heightened expectation, Bianchi argues, places immense pressure on coaches like Billy Napier and Mike Norvell. Both coaches are currently navigating challenging rebuilds at storied programs with demanding fan bases. Napier, at Florida, is tasked with restoring the Gators to their former glory after several seasons of underperformance. Similarly, Norvell is working to revive Florida State, a program steeped in tradition but striving to regain its place among college football's elite.

The financial commitment Penn State made to move on from Franklin serves as a stark reminder to both Napier and Norvell that patience has its limits. While both coaches have shown flashes of promise and are actively recruiting top talent, the pressure to deliver tangible results – conference titles, College Football Playoff appearances – is mounting. The bar has been raised, and the margin for error has shrunk considerably. In the eyes of impatient boosters and performance-driven athletic directors, $50 million is the new benchmark for what constitutes an unacceptable outcome, leaving Napier and Norvell feeling the heat more than ever before.