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Nick Saban jokes about James Franklin’s commissioner suggestion during coach’s GameDay appearance
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Nick Saban has obviously heard James Franklin’s recent comments about the Alabama coaching legend, in a hypothetical world, becoming a commissioner of college football, because the Penn State head coach believes the sport needs one.
While Franklin was preparing for the Nittany Lions’ College Football Playoff quarterfinal clash with Boise State, he spoke out about how having someone like Saban to oversee the sport would be just the perfect thing. And the needed thing.
Well, after Franklin led Penn State to a 31-14 victory over the Broncos in Tuesday night’s game at the Fiesta Bowl, he appeared on ESPN’s College GameDay on Wednesday morning to talk about the big win. And, because Saban is now an analyst on GameDay, he shot back, in a joking manner of course, about Franklin’s suggestion with a suggestion of his own.
“You know, James, congratulations on a great win. I just wanted to ask, does this put you one step closer to being the commissioner of college football?” Saban asked as the guys on the GameDay crew and Franklin erupted in laughter.
All jokes aside, Franklin talked again about how Saban would be the perfect man for the hypothetical job. Franklin explained that Saban’s impact on a sport that “nobody is running” right now is that global, and that the ship that is college football needs some direction.
Meanwhile, Franklin will start preparing his team for the CFP semifinals on Jan. 9 at the Orange Bowl against the winner of Wednesday night’s Georgia-Notre Dame battle at the Sugar Bowl.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
