The college football world was rocked on Sunday when Penn State head coach James Franklin was fired just six games into a season that was supposed to include yet another march deep in the playoffs. In the process, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were indirectly affected in several ways. Chief among those ways was that head coach Marcus Freeman immediately entered the conversation as a possible replacement.
It is unlikely that Freeman would actually leave South Bend for Happy Valley. However, he's one of the best coaches in the sport today, and the Nittany Lions will almost certainly want to make a splash with the next hire.
Freeman has long been thought of as someone who won't leave the Notre Dame Fighting Irish unless it's for Ohio State. Still, one has to wonder if going somewhere like Penn State and coaching in the Big Ten might be attractive enough. One would hope the answer to that question is no, but it's impossible to know for sure until Penn State hires someone else.
Notre Dame gets first shot at Kemon Spell
The more positive fallout from James Franklin's firing is that the Irish now get the first shot at the recent Penn State decommitment, running back Kemon Spell. The 2027 prospect announced he'd reopened his recruitment on Sunday, not long after Penn State canned Franklin.
Even before the decommitment, Spell planned a visit to see Notre Dame take on USC this Saturday night. Before, it was a chance to get him to waver more on his commitment; now, it's a chance to really get their foot in the door for the best back in his class.
More Notre Dame Fighting Irish news
- When the Irish do face off against USC on Saturday, the Trojans will be down two starting running backs. Eli Sanders (who the Trojans expect to miss the rest of the year) and Waymond Jordan (who will miss at least this weekend) suffered injuries in Saturday's win over Michigan.
- USC is now the only future Notre Dame opponent ranked in the AP Top 25. The voters ranked them No. 20 in this week's poll, thanks to a 5-1 start punctuated by the 31-13 victory over the Wolverines.
- Notre Dame hockey is off to a rough start to the early season. They lost both games of a weekend tournament, first against Arizona State (5-3) and then against Quinnipiac (7-2). The Irish will open their home season against St. Lawrence at 7 p.m. on October 16.
- The Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's soccer team kept its unbeaten streak alive as it defeated SMU on Sunday afternoon in a 3-0 victory. ND's 11-match win streak is the longest in the country this season. They're now 12-0-1 on the season and 7-0 in the ACC. There are three more matches in the regular season, with the next one coming in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech on October 23.