Rival coach explains why Notre Dame football's playoff picture is an advantage
As the Notre Dame football team gets ready for the 2024 season and fall camp before it, all the discussion about expectations revolves around the Irish in the playoffs.
While most people are just excited about having a real chance to make the playoffs, there are others who are a bit annoyed that no matter what Marcus Freeman and company do, they won’t get a first-round bye. Those byes only go to teams in the Power 4 conferences.
James Franklin was asked about the idea that Penn State could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the CFP expanding to 12 teams.
— Tom Orr (@TomOrr4) July 25, 2024
This answer went to some interesting places. You don't normally hear a coach talk about another team like Franklin does about Notre Dame here. pic.twitter.com/LFg9PBXzMe
Don’t count Penn State head coach James Franklin among those who feels sorry for Notre Dame football. He believes the Irish actually do have a bye. It’s called, not having to go to a conference championship game. He believes that’s a real advantage for Freeman’s team.
Rival coach has a bit of jealousy about Notre Dame football not being in a conference
Franklin espoused his views during the Big Ten Media Days.
“I've seen so many things about Notre Dame not having a bye as part of their requirements with the playoff,” Franklin said. “They do have a bye. They don't have a conference championship game. That's their bye.”
He went on to explain how he views Penn State needing to prepare for the playoffs that’s quite a bit different than what Notre Dame is having to do.
“How do we get ourselves in a position to have a bye? If not a bye, how do we put ourselves in the best position to have a home game in Beaver Stadium, which would be an advantageous position with those elements at that time of the year.”
“So that's our focus. How do we get into the playoffs? And then not only that, how do we put ourselves in the most advantageous position so we can make a run and a run that could be up to 17 games?”
To some degree, Notre Dame football shares that concern with Penn State. But it does feel as though Franklin thinks the Irish are in a better situation. And he’s not totally wrong.