PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. — James Franklin held a Penn State helmet and posed for a picture alongside Boise State’s Spencer Danielson. Between the two coaches was the coveted Fiesta Bowl trophy.
Franklin and Danielson are at different points in their careers, they run programs on opposite sides of the country and play in two incomparable conferences. Nonetheless, they’re competing for a chance at a national championship. And a win on Tuesday will put one of them just two victories away from the top of the collegiate mountain.
Franklin was asked about how much it costs to fund a College Football Playoff team, whether he’s heard from Nick Saban since campaigning for him to become the sport’s first commissioner and more during Monday’s press conference, his final before the Nittany Lions’ quarterfinal matchup with the Broncos. Here’s everything Franklin discussed.
Opening statement
Franklin: “First of all, Spencer [Danielson] has done a phenomenal job at Boise. I’ve been a fan of the university and the football program for a long time. Spencer has done a phenomenal job. I love to see schools and athletic directors and administrators promote from within when they have an opportunity, and you’ve done a phenomenal job at a special place.
“We were fortunate to get a home game. I think that played a factor. You guys were able to get a bye. I think those are the two things that everybody in college football were working for, either a bye in week one or a home game. We were able to get a home game against a really good SMU opponent who we had a lot of respect for on film.
“First quarter, we kind of worked through some things, but then were able to get it going. Our fans played a role in it, as well. But our kids just played well. A lot of coaches, I think, across college football were talking about where we were in our season, a four-game season, and we didn’t really approach it that way. It’s really a one-game season.
“65 plays on offense, 65 plays on defense is about what we’ve been averaging; about 24 on special teams. We better approach each one of those reps like they’re gold. Our guys did a really good job of that and obviously played well.
“It’s not very often in a playoff game you’re able to get your backups in the game in the fourth quarter, which for us and our quarterback situation was important. That was valuable as well. We’re just trying, as you mentioned, to keep that momentum going, which we’re going to need against a really good Boise football team.”
What is Penn State’s player payroll?
Franklin: “Great question. I can’t really get into that, and it’s not that I wouldn’t want to. It’s just hard. The way this system is set up right now, there’s no real way to track that. The information that you see out there or if an athletic director or somebody is willing to report it, there’s no real way to track it. I think Boise’s situation is probably a little bit different, and I think you guys know our situation has been a little bit different in those areas. I can’t really speak on that.
“I’m not one of these guys that feel like you should have a strong opinion if you don’t have all of the information, or most of the information, and I don’t have enough true valuable credible information to make that type of statement. I think there’s things that we see out there on social media. How credible that information is, I’m not sure. But I just spend a ton of time on our roster and our guys, and making sure they’re having a great experience. Give ourselves the best chance to go out and win as many games as possible.
“We’re working hard at it and trying to raise as much money as we possibly can to put our program and our university in the best position to be successful. I can’t really speak on anything more than that.”
Has Nick Saban reached out with support to become CFB commissioner?
Franklin: “I have not heard from Nick [Saban]. They obviously did a game at our place this year and came to practice. We sat down in my office and had good conversations. Obviously, I was in the SEC when he was in the SEC. I know Nick and have an amazing amount of respect for him.
“I actually think Chris Petersen would be another good candidate. Another guy that I thought of was Dave Clawson, a really smart guy that did a really good job everywhere he’s been. Won at a ton of different places. As you can imagine, it’s not like I’m spending a ton of time on this. I got asked the question and I just kind of answered. But I think Coach Peterson would be another really, really good example or person that could, I think, really represent college football as a whole, which is what I think we need.”
What do you make of the rise of young college coaches?
Franklin: “First thing is, I probably don’t have a lot of years left, is what you’re saying. (Laughter). No, I think it’s good. To me, at the end of the day, whether it’s age or whether it’s experience or whether it’s diverse candidates, you just want people in the job that have earned it and that are qualified. And sometimes, I think, really good candidates have been overlooked, because they’re young. Candidates have been overlooked for a ton of different reasons.
“I think sometimes we get into a tendency of reusing former head coaches that have done it before, because it’s a safe hire and you’re not going to be ridiculed or criticized for going out and hiring a guy who’s been a head coach before at a couple of different places. When maybe, you really feel like you got a great defensive coordinator on your staff that is prepared and ready for the opportunity. I think we all tend to do that sometimes. You try to make the safe hire, rather than the best hire.
“To me, I think it’s a positive. You see it in the NFL. You see it in college football. Obviously, guys like Spencer have earned this opportunity. Then once he was able to get his foot in the door and get in that seat, he’s run with it, which I think will create other opportunities for other guys, just like I’m trying to create opportunities for guys as well.”
How do you balance preparation for Ashton Jeanty with the rest of the offense?
Franklin: “The first thing that we all try to do as coaches is you’re trying to figure out who are the issues in the game; or what are the issues in the game? Then how can you limit their impacts. Obviously a running back like him, everybody all year long has gone into it with the same plan, and no one’s stopped him. But I think that’s where you’ve got to start.
“Whether you’re a defensive guy and you’re trying to make people one-dimensional, or you’re an offensive guy and you’re trying to make a team play in a style that they don’t want to play in, that’s what we all try to do. That’s kind of where it starts.
“But I think the running back position, just like the quarterback position, they get a ton of credit, and deservedly so. He’s earned that. But Ashton will tell you, just like every other running back, if you don’t have an offensive line in front of you, if you don’t have a great offensive coordinator that’s calling the plays and taking advantage of your skill set, that he’s not nearly as successful as he is right now.
“Obviously, we’ve got a great example of that. I want to be careful of how I say this, because I don’t want to be disrespectful to anybody. But our guy, Saquon Barkley. He’s in a great situation with the Eagles, my hometown team, and is flourishing right now. Part of it is because he’s playing behind a great offensive line, and maybe the best offensive line coach in the history of the NFL, or at least part of that conversation, Coach Stout [Jeff Stoutland].
“I think Ashton is a great example, and obviously he’s done it. I’ve talked all week long about the craziest stat I ever heard is 1,900 yards after contact. It’s impressive. But obviously, most importantly, they’re in this position because they’ve got a great team. Obviously he’s a focus point, but they’ve got a great team.”
Similarities between how you and Spencer Danielson run your programs?
Franklin: “Obviously I’m just getting to know Spencer [Danielson], and what he’s done in a short period of time as a head coach has been really impressive. Really, kind of how you described it — took over a program at a challenging time. Both D-II guys. Now, I did go to East Stroudsburg, which is like the Harvard of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, which I take a lot of pride in.
“But I do think his point is a good one. When you’re a Division II coach and a Division II player, a lot of the things that maybe our team takes for granted, or the staff takes for granted, we don’t. When you’re a Division II guy, you kind of have to do it all. I think there’s a lot of value in that. There’s not 75 coaches; there’s eight. And you’re doing everything from lining the fields to coaching the guys.
“I remember I used to fill soda machines up on campus in the morning when I worked at Kutztown and the players made fun of me, kind of going to class, talking trash as they walked by. But I think humility is such an important part of our job in serving others, right? When you’ve been a Division II guy and kind of had to work your way up the ladder, I think you learn a ton from that. Again, I think the humility is a huge aspect for all of us.
“But I’m looking forward to getting to know Spencer better. I’ve gotten to know him fairly well through guys on his staff that I have a ton of respect for. Then just watching him on film. I don’t care what people say, your team is a reflection of you. They do it with class. You listen to their players speak, you watch how they conduct themselves on tape, you look at how hard they play.
“I think it’s the best compliment you can get as a coach is that your players play hard and they do it the right way and they do it with class. And they represent not only him, but the university the right way and the community the right way. I think that’s more challenging than it’s ever been when these young people got people pulling at them from every direction.
“This is just really kind of the start of our relationship. We’ll have a heated, passionate, competitive game, but hopefully we’ll have an opportunity to visit more and get to know each other. I’m a big fan of Victor Santa Cruz as well. We stayed in touch over the years. He came and visited us as well at Penn State. But he works with good people and for good people, and I feel like I’ve done the same throughout my career.”
