James Franklin explains how Penn State can be set up for success in 12-team College Football Playoff

James Franklin sees a lot of opportunity for Penn State in the 12-team College Football Playoff this season.

For Franklin, his team has never made the playoff despite winning the Big Ten back in 2016. The Nittany Lions had two losses that season, missing out on the four-team bracket.

But a 12-team bracket means a longer season and it seems like Franklin preached the right message about the playoff this year.

“Yeah, I think you know, for us, we’ve been talking a lot to our team about understanding the difference of a possible 17 game season,” Franklin said on Big Ten Network. “Like you better understand what that means. And then not only okay, what are we going to do to get into the playoffs? 

“But what can we do to get into the playoffs and be in an advantageous situation? A bye (in the first round) or whether it’s a home game in Beaver Stadium to start (the postseason), you want to put yourself in the best position possible to not just make the playoffs, but put yourself in an advantageous situation so you can be successful in the playoffs.”

This isn’t the first time Franklin mentioned the playoffs this season and how it impacted Penn State.

Franklin opened up about the new dozen-team field and its impact on the Nittany Lions during an interview with Joel Klatt on Big Noon Conversations. He thinks that it’s something that helps his team greatly as it allows more access. 

In turn, it gives more programs a better sense that they had a great season like they did.

“I agree with you. I mean, obviously, whether it was the year we won the conference championship and didn’t get in? Or years that we had really good years? It’s interesting,” Franklin said. “Things have changed so much, right? You go to The Rose Bowl and The Rose Bowl is not a part of the playoffs. It doesn’t seem as big of a deal where, when we grew up? You’re going to The Rose Bowl! I mean you just had a phenomenal year.”

Penn State is 88-39 (.693) over Franklin’s decade in University Park. However, due to their division and just the four-team field, their seasons ended up having a cap on them.

Expand it and, in hindsight, you’ll see that the Nittany Lions would have made six of the last eight with them going 74-27 (.733) overall.