Penn State Head Coach James Franklin press conference at Fiesta Bowl vs Boise State
Penn State head coach James Franklin and his Nittany Lions have landed in Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Franklin spoke at a morning press conference on Sunday to preview the game with the media. You can hear the entire press conference embedded below or on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel.
Penn State is the sixth seed in the game against the fourth-seeded Boise State Broncos, and despite that, the Nittany Lions are the betting favorite heading into the game. Penn State ended the season as the fourth-ranked team nationally, but the Broncos earned the at-large conference champion slot as the fourth-highest ranked conference champion, earning the bye and the higher seed.
Franklin previews Penn State vs. Boise State
Franklin spoke briefly with the media assembled in Arizona to discuss the matchup with Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl and his team’s progress since the victory over SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Part of the difficulty in understanding the comparative strengths and weaknesses of the Broncos is the team’s Mountain West schedule. Not all of the film available translates to Penn State’s talent and level of competition.
However, Franklin was asked about a game with Oregon that Boise State narrowly lost in the second week of the 2024 season.
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“When you talk about respecting our opponent, that’s the only game you’ve got to watch. They went to Oregon, which is a tough place to play. They went to Oregon and not only played well and lost by three but had the lead for significant parts of the game,” Franklin said.
“It don’t take a whole lot more than watching that game. But for our players and our staff, when you share a common opponent, you’re able to watch that game and make some parallels; there’s a ton of value in that.”
More Fiesta Bowl Coverage
Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated for more in-depth Fiesta Bowl coverage, including game previews, articles, and columns from the Blue White Illustrated staff. We’ll also preview Tuesday’s game on the BWI Live show, which airs Monday at 10 a.m. on YouTube. We’ll kick off game day with coverage on the site throughout the day, leading up to the 7:30 kickoff.
Join the Penn State Football Tailgate Show, airing at 4:30 on the BWI YouTube Channel. We’ll give you an in-depth breakdown of what Penn State needs to do in order to beat Boise State and advance to the Semifinals of the College Football Playoff. Then, join us for our extensive postgame coverage after the 2024 Fiesta Bowl to end the year!
