James Franklin seemingly calls out Notre Dame in CFP discussion: 'Everybody should be in a conference'

James Franklin was asked straight up if the College Football Playoff seeding is good as it’s currently constructed.

So while he didn’t say anything crazy, Franklin did mention how the CFP should be able to pick from a pool of teams that are on an equal playing field. That starts with equal conference games and everyone being able to play for a conference championship. So, Notre Dame doesn’t fit that mold among the current playoff teams.

Franklin explained further during ESPN’s rankings reveal show Sunday.

“To be honest with you, I haven’t spent a whole lot of time thinking about this,” Franklin said of how the seeding should work. “I mean, we just got done playing the No. 1 team in the country, and we’re getting ready for the playoffs now, but I think the whole model needs to be looked at. 

“But then if we do that, it’ll give nothing for you guys to talk about, because this creates great dialogue for you guys to discuss and argue. But I think the biggest thing is you want to get the 12 best teams in the playoffs. That’s the obvious statement.” 

As Franklin pointed out, there’s no perfect way (it seems) to get the best 12 teams in the playoff. Then again, this is only the first year of the 12-team bracket.

“But also, I think there’s some tie-ins and things like that that make it challenging for that to happen,” Franklin said. “Also, everybody should be in a conference, and everybody should play a conference championship game right now, you guys are trying to make a decision. I say you guys, but the College Football Playoff’s trying to make decisions and not everything is equal. 

“Everybody should be playing the same number of conference games. Everybody should be in a conference, everybody should be playing a conference championship game, or not playing a conference championship game. I think that would really help, just that would be a good starting point.”

Despite Franklin’s suggestion, the Nittany Lions actually got the No. 6 seed after losing the Big Ten Championship Game. Penn State is one seed above Notre Dame (No. 7) in the bracket.

The only way the two teams would actually play each other in the playoff is if Franklin’s squad and the Irish both make the semifinals.

While it’s not the perfect system, and perhaps it never will be, we’ll have to wait and see how the first edition shakes out in 2024.