Sometimes in sports, the great players and coaches find motivation in even the smallest things. That's what happened before Notre Dame's 27–24 win over Penn State in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night.
Just a day before, Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman and his Nittany Lions counterpart James Franklin attended a joint news conference in the lead-up to the College Football Playoff semifinal. During the presser, the elder Franklin, in what seemed like a lighthearted manner, asked the 38-year-old Freeman how old he was, then jokingly complimented his hairline. Later on in the press conference, Franklin firmly stated that independent schools, such as Freeman's Notre Dame, should play in a conference.
