The confetti has cleared the turf of New Orleans’ Superdome as Notre Dame adjusts its focus toward the Orange Bowl, where it will face Penn State on Thursday. The national championship game is suddenly only a win away for two blue-blood programs which have, for years, fallen just short in the College Football Playoff era.
James Franklin and Marcus Freeman have never coached a game of this magnitude. And both have the prowess and roster talent to get the job done in Miami and ultimately win the title. With a match between two of the nation’s most historic brands and most talented overall teams, there’s a surplus of intriguing notes entering the week of prep.
With Orange Bowl press conferences set to commence on Friday, what are the top storylines during preparation for this highly anticipated national semifinal contest?
BARRIER SET TO BROKEN
Regardless of which team wins, history will be made on Thursday night. James Franklin and Marcus Freeman each have the opportunity to break a notable barrier in college athletics. There is guaranteed to be a Black head coach in the FBS national championship game for the first time ever.
“I don’t usually talk about this publicly, but my goal is to be the first African-American football coach to win a college national championship,” Franklin said on HBO’s “24/7 College Football” in 2019. “That’s something that’s very historic. I spend very little time talking about it because my job is to help the players reach their goal. But that’s, hopefully, something we can do together.”
This is something that will certainly be discussed when Franklin and Freeman address the media on Friday. Freeman was already asked about the opportunity in front of him after his Fighting Irish defeated Georgia, 23-10, on Thursday night.
“You’re very grateful. It’s a reminder that you are a representation for many others and many of our players that look the same way I do,” Freeman said postgame. “Your color shouldn’t matter. The evidence of your work should.”
ABDUL CARTER INJURY STATUS
There’s nothing more notable, as it pertains to Penn State’s roster, than the health of arguably its best overall player. Abdul Carter was this year’s Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He was a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy. And he’s expected to be selected within the first 10 picks of the upcoming NFL Draft. But Carter’s status for the Orange Bowl is in question.
Carter sustained a left arm injury in the second quarter of a 31-14 win over Boise State on Tuesday. After visiting the medical tent, he returned for a play and then went back to the tent. He did not play again against the Broncos. Carter’s arm was wrapped and motionless during the second half and the postgame celebration.
“Abdul’s going to do everything in his power to try to get back. If he’s able to go, I know he’ll go,” Franklin told ESPN’s College GameDay on Wednesday morning. “We’ll get him checked out and make sure everything’s OK. I just saw him walking from breakfast, and he looks great and his attitude is great. But I just don’t have a ton of information for you right now. We’ll get back and get some more information and find out quickly. The little extra time helps, too.”
JEREMIYAH LOVE INJURY STATUS
Penn State isn’t the only team with a key player that sustained an injury in the quarterfinal. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, who leads the team with 1,076 rushing yards and 18 total touchdowns, injured his knee in Thursday’s Sugar Bowl. Love has dealt with a nagging injury since a win at USC on Nov. 30, and then an illness in a first-round victory over Indiana.
Love took just six carries for 19 yards against the Bulldogs. If he’s healthy, Love is one of the most dynamic offensive weapons in college football, especially for a team that runs a ground and pound offense. Love is just the latest on a list of notable Fighting Irish — including cornerback Benjamin Morrison and lead pass rusher Rylie Mills — who have sustained injuries this season.
“I asked Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love about his injured knee after the Sugar Bowl. He said he tweaked it like he did at USC,” On3’s Tyler Horka posted on X after the Sugar Bowl. “Love seemed to recover well after that but he has less time to do so now. Still, asked if he’ll be good for the Orange Bowl, he gave a confident nod. Yes.”
AL GOLDEN FACES HIS ALMA MATER
Al Golden was once on the receiving end of a game-tying touchdown that helped lift Penn State over then-No. 1 Notre Dame in 1990. He’s now the defensive coordinator of the Fighting Irish, whose defense has tormented opponents throughout the year. A decade after interviewing for the head coaching job that ultimately went to Franklin, Golden will face his alma mater.
Golden currently leads the nation’s No. 2 scoring defense, No. 4 pass defense and No. 6 defense in yards per game. This has all come despite losing key pieces in Morrison and Mills. The Nittany Lions scored a season-low 13 points the last time they faced a defense that even remotely resembled Golden’s.
KAYTRON ALLEN RESURGENCE
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen took 17 carries for a season-high 134 rushing yards against Boise State. His final tally would’ve been even greater if a 50-yard rush in which he trucked a defender for extra yardage wasn’t called back due to a hold. Allen couldn’t be breaking out at a better time ahead of an Orange Bowl that will likely be won in the trenches.
Notre Dame hardly allows explosive pass plays. In fact, it ranks tied for second nationally in opponent pass yards per attempt, so running the football will be essential in paving a path for the Nittany Lions. Opponents understand the greatness of the Fighting Irish pass defense and have averaged 35.8 rush attempts per game against them.
With a banged up defensive line, Penn State should look to Allen and leading rusher Nick Singleton to handle a bulk of the offensive workload against a defense that ranks No. 32 nationally with 127.9 rushing yards allowed per game.
