Penn State dismissed James Franklin on Sunday after losses to Oregon, UCLA and underdog Northwestern, absorbing about $45 million in buyout costs. AD Pat Kraft is seen focusing on two Big Ten front-runners with local ties: Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, whose team just won at Oregon and is 17-2 midway through Year 2, and Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, Kraft’s former Temple colleague. Cignetti’s buyout is $13 million before Dec. 1 and $10 million after; Rhule’s is $5 million. Other options include Duke’s Manny Diaz, Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea and Iowa State’s Matt Campbell.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.