Both Marcus Freeman and James Franklin have already made history. The current coaches of Notre Dame and Penn State respectively, the two will face off Thursday night in one of the two college football playoff semifinal contests at the Orange Bowl. No matter which team wins, that head coach will be the first Black man to coach in a national championship game. If he wins, then he’s made even more history. It’s already been a remarkable year to date for Freeman and Franklin, as both of them at one time faced severe questions about whether they should even remain as coaches of their teams through the season.
Freeman, in his third season, was ripped nationwide after Notre Dame lost to Northern Illinois in the second week of the season. When Freeman was later quoted saying “this loss might have been the best things to happen to us,” there were many who thought he’d simply lost it. But what Marcus Freeman did was rally his team to 12 straight wins, most by double digits. Freeman has developed a team powered by a super running game. The 23-10 Sugar Bowl victory over SEC champion Georgia was Notre Dame’s first major bowl victory in 31 years. Freeman doesn’t want to be pictured as a crusader for racial equality. “Your color shouldn’t matter. Your evidence of your work should,” he said, before later adding, “This isn’t about me. I want to make sure that’s clear.” Yet Freeman, whose name s being prominently mentioned for possible NFL head coaching spots, showed his leadership this week in the wake of the horrific New Orleans tragedy. In an unusual move on Wednesday — day before a playoff game — he permitted his players three hours to meet with their family members here in the city. In times of tragedy, Freeman said he wanted to bring comfort to his players and their parents. He also addressed the rumors about leaving by telling the Associated Press ““I love this place, I love these guys, I love 18 – 22-year-olds,” Freeman said. “The impact you can make on young people is so special. I don’t know what it’s like in the NFL, right? I spent one year there, and I don’t know what that life is like. This is the life I’ve been coaching for 15-16 years now, and it’s a joy.”
It’s been mostly great seasons at Penn State since James Franklin arrived there in 2014. Unfortunately, the few games they have lost have all been big ones. Franklin is 3-17 against the AP Top 25 and 1-12 against top-5 teams. Whether at home or on the road, favorites or underdogs, Franklin’s Penn State teams just haven’t won the critical games needed to make the jump from really good to being a champion. Te cries for his firing grew even louder in the wake this ear of losses at home to Ohio State and then Oregon in the Big 10 title game. But now, after wins over Boise State and Iowa, he’ll face Note Dame with a chance to finally end all talk that he can’t handle strategic decisions in tight games.
The Nittany Lions have looked strong in big wins over SMU and Boise State. Of course, some Franklin media critics are saying he’s benefited from the fact he wasn’t pressured in either game because Penn State was obviously deeper and stronger.
But he has beaten the teams he had to defeat, and now Penn State is one step from history, just like Notre Dame. Hopefully Franklin and Freeman will enjoy the moment, then come out and do everything in their power to advance one more time.
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