Before the Nittany Lions faced off against the Fighting Irish for a spot in the national title game, Penn State head coach James Franklin spoke candidly about Notre Dame's non-conference appearance.
Notre Dame is one of three teams in the FBS that play an independent schedule, but the expansion of the College Football Playoff has led Franklin to believe all teams should be in the conference.
It didn't hurt that Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman was next to him in a joint press conference Wednesday. Franklin shared his thoughts.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Penn State Nittany Lions Head Coach James Franklin vs. Boise State Broncos vs. Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. (Mark J. Revillas/Imagn Images)
“That should be consistent across college football,” Franklin explained via ESPN. “This is not a criticism of (Freeman) or Notre Dame, but I think everyone should be in the conference. I think everyone should play in the conference championship game, and if not, no one. I don't think we should play a conference championship game. I think everyone should play the same number.'' Conference games. ”
Franklin noted that the Nittany Lions advanced to the Big Ten Championship Game, but lost to the Oregon Ducks, who were selected as the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The Ducks lost to Ohio State and will now play Texas for the other spot in the national title game.
Penn State played one more game than Notre Dame, making CFP a large seventh-seeded team.
Penn State defeats Boise State and advances to the CFP semifinals. Ashton Jeanty falls short of rushing record
So as more teams enter the playoffs, Franklin is calling for all teams to play the same number of games and belong to a conference.
But Notre Dame has stuck to the independent position that has been part of its identity for decades. Other Fighting Irish teams play in the ACC, the conference with which the football programs have scheduling agreements.
There are also differences between conferences. For example, SEC teams only play eight conference games, while the Big Ten plays nine before the conference championship game.
Franklin likes the SEC's eight-game conference schedule.
Penn State head coach James Franklin speaks with officials during the second half of the College Football Playoff first round game against SMU on Dec. 21, 2024 in State College, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Barry Rieger)
“I wasn't a math major at East Stroudsburg, but when it comes to playing another conference game, just the numbers are going to make things more difficult,” said former SEC coach Vanderbilt. said Franklin, who was a coach at the school.
“We need someone to see the big picture.”
The CFP's selection process was already ridiculed in the first year of the expanded playoffs, with teams like Alabama being excluded. Franklin wants to ensure consistency due to the different schedules and believes that will be difficult for the selection committee.
“How do you empower the people in that room to make really important decisions that affect the landscape of college football, where you can't even compare apples to apples or oranges to oranges?” Franklin wonders. I thought. “I think that would be very difficult.”
Freeman recognizes what a great deal of pride his program's independence comes with, but he also knows his team can use the conference championship weekend to rest and recuperate, and is ready for the playoffs. Before heading there, he said it was a luxury only Notre Dame afforded him.
Penn State Nittany Lions Head Coach James Franklin vs. Boise State Broncos vs. Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. (Mark J. Revillas/Imagn Images)
Asked if he had an opinion on the matter, Freeman said: “I'm just a guy who's like, 'Tell me what you're doing and let's go.' Then we can move forward.” I answered. We now know that (Notre Dame athletic director) Pete Bevacqua and the Notre Dame administration will continue to make the decisions that are best for our program. ”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The Capital One Orange Bowl between Penn State and Notre Dame opens Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Follow sports coverage on Fox News Digital's X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
