Penn State head coach James Franklin once again criticized Notre Dame’s independent status at Big Ten media days.
“Everybody thought I was slighting Notre Dame [before the Orange Bowl]. I’ve been saying that for 10 years!”
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— Jack Soble (@jacksoble56) July 24, 2025
After what transpired between Notre Dame and Penn State in last years College Football Playoff, you’d think that the Nittany Lions head coach James Frankin wouldn’t have much to say about the Irish’s independence.
Well, that wasn’t exactly the case, as during the Big Ten Media days he was asked about playing eight or nine conference games, and again was critical on its freedom without directly being asked about Notre Dame. Franklin brought it up on his own, as it seems like he’s harboring a bit of anger towards the Irish months after seeing his team lose to them.
The Nittany Lions coach talked about having conversations in the SEC when he was coaching Vanderbilt about changing the number of conference games, and randomly decided to take a jab at the Irish, saying “everybody should be in a conference. I said that last year in a press conference before we played Notre Dame, and everybody thought I was slighting Notre Dame. I’ve been saying that for 10 years.”
Franklin believes that the comparison between other teams and the Irish aren’t the same, but its about body of work as opposed to winning a conference title. Ohio State didn’t win the Big Ten last year, but they proved they were the best team, and the Irish gave them their toughest challenge during the CFP run.
Let’s compare schedules, as Penn State has three ranked games inside its conference schedule, while the Irish have two without being affiliated. Franklin’s argument that the committee isn’t able to properly compare…
Source link : https://fightingirishwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/fighting-irish/football/2025/07/25/james-franklin-notre-dame-football-independent-penn-state-big-ten-media-days/85368262007/
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Publish date : 2025-07-25 10:04:00
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