Penn State football picked up a 31-14 win over Boise State in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl to advance to the Semifinals of the College Football Playoff, and James Franklin made an appearance on College Gameday to discuss the game. When Nick Saban got to ask a question, he started with a playful one.
“You know James, congratulations on a great win, and I just wanted to ask, does this put you one step closer to being the commissioner of college football?” Nick Saban said on the broadcast.
"James, congratulations on a great win … does this put you one step closer to being the commissioner of college football?"
Nick Saban had jokes for James Franklin 🤣 pic.twitter.com/bHfbNBD5wM
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) January 1, 2025
Coming into the game, James Franklin said that Saban should be the commissioner of college football, so Saban was responding in a bit of a playful way. Franklin rolled with the question nicely, continuing to endorse Saban, but coming back with a bit of a joking answer himself.
“Coach, you can keep trying to avoid this all you want, and I know ESPN and those guys don't want to lose you, but I just think your impact on college football and your global understanding of what we need is important,” Franklin said. “And right now no one's running it, so right now I'm going with you. If you tell me to stop I'll start pushing Chris Peterson.”
Article Continues BelowLater on, Pat McAfee backed Franklin's recommendation to be the commissioner.
You NEED to be running College Football Coach
NOT ME 😂😂 #CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/FlxlrtKIzP
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 1, 2025
The world of college football and college athletics, in general, is a lot different than it has been in the past with the introduction of NIL and the transfer portal. Many coaches have expressed a desire for more guardrails to be put in place.
For now, Penn State will wait to see their next opponent, which will be the winner of the Allstate Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame. That game is viewed as basically a coin flip, and Penn State football will likely feel like it has a good shot at winning against either team to advance to the national championship.