The College Football Playoff semifinals kick off tonight with a clash of blue-blood programs as Penn State takes on Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. Richard Johnson, co-host of the Split Zone Duo podcast, joined Mike Golic Jr. and Mike Golic Sr. on Thursday’s edition of GoJo and Golic to break down who has the edge.
Notre Dame is a 1.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook and with these two historic programs set to battle tonight, you would think most of the talk leading up to this game would be about their 9-9-1 head-to-head record. However, much of the attention has been given to James Franklin’s comments about uniformity within college football and how each team should be in a conference. GoJo asked Johnson, who is boots on the ground in Miami, to take us through some of the sights and sounds, including that press conference. What is the tone like? Johnson shared that the hot topic around this game is the significant injuries. On the Notre Dame side, you have injuries to defensive lineman Riley Mills, and tailback Jeremiyah Love. He added he tried to get Riley Leonard to dish on if Love was going to be wearing a brace, but Leonard, being a pro’s pro, kept his mouth shut. For Penn State, Abdul Carter’s arm injury was sustained against Boise State. To Johnson’s point, it is Week 19 of the season, so expecting anyone to be 100% is farfetched.
In terms of the press conference “interaction,” Johnson thought the situation was interesting given that the reporters were asking questions that both could answer and you got to see the difference in their personalities. He explained that Franklin has a big personality that can suck the air out of the room, while Freeman is more reserved. There were moments during the press conference where Freeman’s competitive fire would show ever so slightly and it could be something to follow in the game tonight.
.@RJ_cfb on the tension between Head Coaches during yesterday's Orange Bowl Press Conference
"James Franklin has such a big personality, so gregarious, that he can take up the oxygen in that setting because Marcus Freeman is relatively a little more reserved.
But you can kinda… pic.twitter.com/KzMf9t3rhP
— GoJo and Golic (@GoJoandGolic) January 9, 2025
Press conference drama aside, make no mistake about it — this game will come down to what is done on the field. With both teams having similar ground-and-pound running styles, Johnson expressed that this should be a close game, where the deciding factor will come down to the small things you do in the margins to be victorious. With that in mind, he gives the advantage to Freeman. He described Franklin and Penn State as getting too cute and overthinking in key moments. He shared the example of how, in the Boise State game, they had been running it down Boise State’s throat, but on 4th down the Nittany Lions opted for a trick play instead. Johnson wonders why Penn State didn’t just to hand it to a running back and get the first down. Johnson highlighted Freeman’s ability to excel in-game management, noting an instance when Notre Dame ran the punt team off, got Georgia to jump offside, and burned another five minutes off the clock. Johnson added that it’s situational football like that which makes Freeman stand out and explains why he’s reportedly been on the radar of some NFL teams.
What does @RJ_cfb think could be the deciding factor in Notre Dame-Penn State?
“My big thing with this is because I think it is going to be a close game, the small things that you do in the margins to win close games. I take Marcus Freeman over James Franklin. I think James… pic.twitter.com/kPRX6B3S1Q
— DraftKings Network (@DKNetwork) January 9, 2025
Another key factor is the passing game. Mackey Award winner Tyler Warren is incredible, but what else can Penn State do to get their passing game going? Johnson shared that for Notre Dame, throwing isn’t their strength. If Love is only 50-70%, it puts more pressure on Riley Leonard. Ultimately, Notre Dame must lean on complementary football to win this game, which he believes they can.
Much of the criticism surrounding Penn State and Franklin is that they can’t win the big one. Johnson said that an Orange Bowl win tonight would likely calm things down for Franklin and the Nittany Lions. Further, Notre Dame needed a big win over Georgia last week to prove themselves in a major game, and they delivered. For Penn State, he reckons it’s the same story under Franklin — they beat the teams they’re supposed to, like SMU and Boise State, but they struggle against peers at their level. Tonight presents another opportunity for Penn State to get over that hurdle.
Watch or listen to the full show below and tune into GoJo and Golic weekday mornings from 8-10 a.m. ET on DraftKings Network! See more about how to watch DraftKings Network here.
AUDIO
Hour 1: Orange Bowl Preview — Freeman vs. Franklin Presser, Predictions and Addressing Popular Notre Dame Haters
VIDEO
Watch GoJo and Golic every weekday on Samsung TV Plus, Roku, Xumo Play, Google TV and DraftKingsNetwork.com from 8 to 10 a.m. ET. The show is also available via audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Mike Golic Sr. on X at @golic and Mike Golic Jr. on X at @mikegolicjr.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information
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