Wolverine Digest

'Quit begging': Former Wolverine takes shot at James Franklin, Penn State

James Franklin used his time at Big Ten Media Days to advocate for every team being in a conference and playing the same number of conference games, but not everyone was receptive to his argument.
Chris Breiler|
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This year's Big Ten Media Days event was dominated by discussions surrounding the evolving landscape of college football. Topics like the transfer portal, NIL deals, expanded playoffs, and conference realignment were at the forefront. When Penn State head coach James Franklin had his moment with the media, he used it as an opportunity to argue that every program should be required to play in a conference. And he has a point.

In the current format, teams in Power 4 conferences face a grueling road to the College Football Playoff. But independent programs, like Notre Dame, often avoid the same level of competition—most notably by skipping conference championship games.

Notre Dame's 2024 schedule illustrates Franklin's concern. Its three marquee matchups—Texas A&M, Florida State, and USC—ended last season with a combined 17-21 record. Other ND opponents included teams like Navy, Army, Purdue, and Northern Illinois (which handed Notre Dame its only loss of the regular season).

Some critics viewed Franklin's comments as a deflection, particularly since it was Notre Dame who knocked Penn State out of the CFP last year in the Semifinal game. Even former Michigan star Jourdan Lewis took a jab at Franklin, saying he should "quit begging" and "coach a winning program."

Still, while Franklin has struggled to win on college football's biggest stages, his stance on conference fairness is hard to dismiss. Until change comes, there will always be debate about which teams are most deserving when it comes to postseason play. And at the end of the day, the selection process will remain in the hands of the CFP committee—and not always reflective of true competitive balance.

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

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