Controversial college football host rips Penn State as it zeros in on CFP-caliber coach

Controversial college football host rips Penn State as it zeros in on CFP-caliber coach originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The college football spectrum has gone haywire over the last several days, especially with Lane Kiffin departing Ole Miss for LSU right before the start of conference championship week.

A team still in limbo is the Penn State Nittany Lions, as they fired James Franklin midseason. With Franklin recently accepting the head coaching vacancy at Virginia Tech, the Nittany Lions are still in search of their next leader.

Josh Pate, a particularly polarizing and controversial college football podcaster whose work has been featured in On3, Yahoo Sports, ESPN and CBS Sports, among others, is displeased ast the way Penn State has gone about its search.

“The Penn State coaching search continues,” Pate said on "Josh Pate’s College Football Show." “Everyone else has hired a coach. Ole Miss didn’t even know their job was open until today. They already filled theirs. I mean, I don’t really know where we are. I really don’t know where we are.

Pate took it a step further, utilizing a grim outlook to suggest the state of affairs in State College isn't where it should be as the offseason, and a bowl bid at 6-6, approaches.

“I will tell you this: This search feels lost. It has for a while," Pate added. "It feels lost to me. I say that with some hesitance, because you just never know. Pat Kraft could be duping everyone and he could have a home run, grand slam, like turn-the-world-on-its-ears mystery candidate and he’s going to unveil it and everyone, including me, has to say, ‘Wow, big apologies to Pat Kraft.’ I don’t think that’s where we are, but maybe that’s where we are.”

According to Pate, however, a name to watch is BYU Cougars coach Kalani Sitake should he want to depart for a bigger role at a prominent program.

“I have no clue how advanced their talks have been with him," Pate said. "I have no idea if he’d be a fit. He’s never lived close to that part of the country. He’s never recruited over there. It could be oil and water, it could be a great fit, I have no idea. I don’t even know how interested he is. I am pretty sure he would want to coach in the Big 12 Championship Game this week.”

Pate suspects more intel is going to surface following the Big 12 Championship, which will see the Cougars play the Texas Tech Red Raiders at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Kickoff is set for noon ET on ABC.