Even when James Franklin wants to support a former colleague, he can’t get the proverbial Wolverine off his back.

Franklin was spotted in Omaha while watching his former employer Vanderbilt play Michigan in the College World Series Monday night. He was apparently decked out in Vandy black and gold while cheering on good friend and head baseball coach Tim Corbin, whose team is playing for its second national title, against his divisional foe.

It didn’t take long for Michigan fans to find Franklin and bring up his history of struggles against the “Champions of the West.” Of course, the Wolverines routing the Commodores in game one didn’t do Franklin any favors.

Was it really James Franklin or Keegan Michael Key pretending to be James Franklin?

— Dave Scroggins (@davemscroggins) June 24, 2019

Wasn’t the Michigan Stadium Music Man enough?! Let the man eat his peanuts and Crackerjacks in peace!

Even the Vanderbilt third base coach’s rally-killing decision to send a runner late in the game was somehow traced back to Franklin’s play call, which always makes for long-hanging fruit for opposing fans.

Franklin’s cameo also made for one strangely entertaining Michigan message board that features a couple of Muppets songs.

There isn’t a whole lot that Penn State fans can do to defend themselves or their coach’s spotty record against Michigan other than take a page out of the Wolverines’ own playbook and insist on recalling how good things once were.

So here’s Saquon Barkley running for a 69-yard touchdown at the 2017 White Out. We know Don Brown remembers.