Penn State Head Coach Understands Notre Dame's College Football Playoff Setup

James Franklin gets why Notre Dame agreed to not be eligible for a bye in the College Football Playoff

Jul 24, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Every couple of weeks this off-season it seemed another national college football reporter came to the realization that Notre Dame isn't eligible to receive a first-round bye in the expanded College Football Playoff.

It's spoken as if it should come as a surprise to the nation and that Notre Dame should be upset by it.

Here's the thing about not getting a bye: it's exactly what Notre Dame wanted.

Penn State head football coach James Franklin spoke at Big Ten media day Wednesday and spoke about Notre Dame's unique setup in regards to the College Football Playoff.

“I’ve seen so many things about Notre Dame not having a bye as part of their requirements with the playoff. They do have a bye. They don’t have a conference championship game. That’s their bye.”

Notre Dame Wanted Exactly This

It's understandable why Notre Dame wanted the College Football Playoff to be set up this way.

Sure, the first-round bye will never be attainable but a home playoff game in Notre Dame Stadium certainly would be.

Imagine a team like LSU or Ole Miss coming to South Bend, Ind. in mid-December for a playoff game.

If you're an honorary Subway Alum that has never experienced South Bend in the dead of winter, do yourself a favor and never do so. It's the kind of weather Mother Nature herself can't even find a way to love.

Heck, November's are bad enough that USC has long refused to play at Notre Dame Stadium past the middle weekends of October.

Sure, another Midwest team could be the opponent, but chances are strong Notre Dame would have a decided home field and weather advantage in such a game.

Notre Dame Football's Desire for the No. 5 Seed

Notre Dame obviously doesn't play in a conference championship game so has an automatic bye week preceding its first-round playoff matchup.

Assume Notre Dame takes advantage of an advantageous schedule this year and goes 12-0. In all likelihood the Irish get the coveted No. 5 seed and their path to the College Football Playoff semi-finals is as simple as this:

1. Beat the top-ranked Group of Five program in Notre Dame Stadium in mid-December
2. Win a neutral site bowl game against the lowest-seeded team of the four major conference champions.

It isn't a guarantee but it's difficult to think the Big Ten and SEC aren't almost automatically going to be seeded with the top two spots, regardless of record.

So Notre Dame gets to play a probable Utah, Florida State, or Clemson type program for a spot in the final four instead of a likely Big Ten or SEC power.

James Franklin can clearly see this and gets why Notre Dame's former athletic director Jack Swarbrick helped create this setup.

Nick's Quick Take: Franklin spot-on, said what isn't usually said

There wasn't a single word or breath by James Franklin that was incorrect regarding his comments.

The only reason this is attention worthy is because he spoke about Notre Dame in a way that most figures won't discuss it.

It wasn't that he was calling them out, he was instead giving a detailed thought on some of the flaws of the current College Football Playoff setup.

Notre Dame is a small part of that in Franklin's eyes and it's understandable why.

Franklin also made it clear that nobody is to blame more for the negatives that come from losing a conference championship game than the money-hungry conferences themselves.

I've never been a fan of the idea of watering down college football's regular season, which the College Football Playoff has already done and will continue to do, but the intrigue with all of it is undeniable.

Notre Dame-Penn State Rivalry Memories

Classic College Football: The Snow Bowl

#8 Notre Dame survives at home against #22 Penn State after they go for the win with a 2pt conversion. (1992) pic.twitter.com/pRAKOa61G4

— The Get Back Coach (@TheGBCoach) June 26, 2023

It was by no means James Franklin's intention but hearing a Penn State head football coach talk about Notre Dame can't help but bring back memories of the old rivals.

Penn State and Notre Dame have met in football 19 times in a dead-even series.

Nine up, nine down, and one tie for both iconic programs.

The series brought plenty of memories, including current Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden scoring the go-ahead touchdown to beat Notre Dame in 1990.

No memories are stronger for Notre Dame fans than those from the final game of the series that was played each year from 1981-1992. The "Snow Bowl" went down to the final seconds with Notre Dame escaping in dramatic fashion.

Home-and-home series between marquee programs are becoming more rare by the day but one with Penn State would be very near the top of my list of home-and-home's I'd again like to see Notre Dame play in.

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