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Penn State could mimic Michigan’s College Football Playoff run, but James Franklin isn’t Jim Harbaugh

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Penn State could mimic Michigan’s College Football Playoff run, but James Franklin isn’t Jim Harbaugh


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  • Penn State gives off 2023 Michigan vibes. Put it this way: Jim Harbaugh could win a national title with this Penn State team.
    What about James Franklin?
  • Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman describes Orange Bowl opponent Penn State as ‘talented, disciplined, tough.’ All true.
  • James Franklin’s history in big games might explain why Penn State has longest odds of winning national championship among CFP semifinal teams.

College football’s bards mused this playoff lacked a dominant team, like 2019 LSU or 2020 Alabama, although Ohio State sprints closer to resembling those past juggernauts.

What about 2023 Michigan, though? Anyone guilty of being the Wolverines’ doppelganger? You know, that team that went undefeated a year ago, but doesn’t garner the same respect as some recent champions from the SEC? (Michigan’s cheating might have something to do with that.)

Look inside the Big Ten to spot a potential Michigan 2.0.

I give you Penn State.

Let’s tour the Nittany Lions:

∎ Bruising defense, equipped with dudes who wreak havoc and live in the opponent’s backfield.

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∎ Two splendid running backs, one as good as the other.

∎ A pass attack that highlights a tight end suited for the NFL.

Stop me if this sounds familiar. Should I keep going? OK.

∎ A veteran quarterback enjoying a career-best season.

∎ Dependable offensive line.

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∎ Efficient in the red zone.

Who’s this sounding like? It’s sounding like 2023 Michigan.

Penn State can replicate Michigan if James Franklin shakes past

A key difference is that Michigan enjoyed undefeated distinction, while Penn State lost to Ohio State and Oregon.

Another difference? Penn State employs no one in a cheap disguise stealing the opponent’s signs.

But, the absence of a Connor Stalions doesn’t much influence Penn State as much as the presence of James Franklin. His baggage in big games introduces an overdose of doubt toward the Nittany Lions.

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Why do sportsbooks give Penn State the longest odds of winning the national championship? Franklin’s paltry performance in games of magnitude, like Penn State’s Orange Bowl matchup with Notre Dame on Thursday, must play a factor.

Ohio State fans grumble about Ryan Day’s flops, but Day’s shortcomings mostly center on one opponent. He stinks against Michigan, but you won’t find Michigan in this playoff.

In the absence of their kryptonite, Day and the Buckeyes emerged stronger in the postseason. Day never has faced his Cotton Bowl adversary, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, but he’s a combined 8-0 against the two coaches opposite Ohio State on the bracket, Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and Penn State’s Franklin.

Day beat Franklin for the sixth consecutive time in November, when his Buckeyes emerged from Happy Valley with a 20-13 victory. A game that started with the Nittany Lions building a 10-point lead ended with Franklin shouting at a heckling fan while the coach exited the field.

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As good as Penn State looked in its first two playoff victories, those results didn’t reverse Franklin’s narrative in marquee games. No one would mistake SMU for Notre Dame. No blue blood runs in Boise State’s veins, only blue turf.

Examination of Penn State’s playoff victories, though, reveals shades of Michigan.

“It’s a very talented, disciplined, tough football team,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said of Penn State. “Very creative offense. Utilizes a bunch of different personnel, a bunch of different formations. Going to force you to be extremely disciplined.”

That’s not coach-speak. Freeman accurately described Penn State, and facing Franklin’s squad will be a lot like looking in the mirror for Notre Dame.

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THREE KEYS: Breaking down the Notre Dame-Penn State matchup

UNSTOPPABLE: Penn State tight end Tyler Warren is unique weapon

Notre Dame the type of team that beats James Franklin

Here’s the quiet part no opposing coach would say out loud: Franklin shrivels against opponents of Notre Dame’s stature. He becomes a bespectacled turtle upon sight of a big dog. He’s pitiful against top-five teams and the biggest brands.

Penn State fans won’t need this reminder, but for the rest of us, consider Franklin’s Penn State record against these opponents:

vs. Ohio State: 1-10

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vs. Michigan: 3-7

vs. Michigan State: 5-5

vs. SEC opponents: 2-4

Franklin avoided embarrassment by smashing SMU and handling Boise State. He’d earn respect by beating Notre Dame.

Trust Penn State in Orange Bowl means trusting James Franklin

Jim Harbaugh performed woefully bad in the postseason before winning the national championship. You don’t win the big game until you do. Michigan’s khaki king never won a College Football Playoff game until he burned his blaze of victories last season, not stopping before he’d left for the NFL.

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Kirby Smart and Dabo Swinney are college football’s only active coaches to have won national championships, meaning that no matter who’s celebrating on Jan. 20 in Atlanta, a coach will have captured his first national title.

Could it be Franklin? The team’s makeup indicates yes. It’s not the most complete left in the bracket – looking at you, Buckeyes – but Penn State resembles 2023 Michigan, and 2023 Michigan would contend in this tournament.

Previously, I’ve labeled Penn State a light beer version of 2023 Michigan, but there have been plenty of games this season in which the Nittany Lions played like a full-bodied brew, and there’s nothing watered down about Penn State’s superstar tight end Tyler Warren or defensive menaces Abdul Carter and Kobe King.

Put it this way: Harbaugh could win a national championship with this Penn State team.

I like the team. I just don’t entirely trust the coach.

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Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.





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Legal experts question University of Michigan’s role after charges against former HC Sherrone Moore

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Legal experts question University of Michigan’s role after charges against former HC Sherrone Moore


WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. – Former Michigan Wolverines head football coach Sherrone Moore appeared in court Friday on charges of stalking, home invasion, and breaking and entering, just days after being fired from his position.

The 39-year-old coach, who has no prior criminal history, was terminated by the university on Wednesday following an investigation that uncovered evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

According to prosecutors, the charges stem from an incident that occurred after the victim, a University of Michigan staff member, ended her relationship with Moore on Monday (Dec. 8).

Following the breakup, Moore allegedly made numerous unwanted calls and texts to the victim.

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The situation escalated on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2025, when Moore allegedly forced his way into the victim’s Pittsfield Township apartment.

Prosecutors say he grabbed kitchen utensils and threatened to take his own life, allegedly telling the victim, “My blood is on your hands.”

“The totality of the behavior is highly threatening and highly intimidating. She was terrorized, your honor,” a prosecutor told the court during Friday’s arraignment.

Defense attorney Joseph Simon pushed back on prosecutors’ claims that Moore could be a threat to public safety.

“My client’s 39 years old, with zero prior criminal history, zero prior contact with the criminal justice system in any fashion,” Simon stated.

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Attorney Todd Flood, who practices both criminal defense and civil litigation, said the fallout within the university could continue depending on when the organization was first alerted about the relationship and how university athletic officials first responded.

“What did they know, when did they know it, and what did they do about it when they found out? Those are going to be the three major questions,” Flood said.

“The university could possibly have some culpability there, that they didn’t put a stop to this,” noted Flood, adding that the victim may have grounds to pursue action against both the university and Moore.

Flood said the stalking charge against Moore likely stems from a documented pattern of harassment.

“When there is a position where he is harassing, either via text messages, harassing via telephone calls, social media content, or showing up at a place where he doesn’t belong,” Flood said. “Those stalking charges are ones where you can show that pattern of conduct.”

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“He’s ultimately going to probably plead this case out, under some sort of either misdemeanor, or something that gives probation,” Flood said.

Moore posted his $25,000 bond Friday.

As part of his bond conditions, he must wear a GPS tether, undergo mental health treatment, and have no contact with the victim.

He is scheduled to appear in court in person on Jan. 22.

–> Jim Harbaugh talks Sherrone Moore’s firing, arrest after former Michigan football understudy posts bond

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What we’re hearing in Michigan football coach search: News, rumors

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What we’re hearing in Michigan football coach search: News, rumors


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With the firing of Sherrone Moore on Wednesday, Dec. 10, Michigan football is on the hunt for a new head coach.

It’s extremely late in the hiring cycle, with nearly every Power Four squad with an opening already having made a hire. But the Wolverines’ maize-and-blue brand could be strong enough to restart the coaching carousel, with several established coaches considered potential candidates for the U-M job.

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It’ll be athletic director Warde Manuel’s call on the hire (with the usual inputs from donors and regents), despite rumors swirling on social media of his firing.

Here’s the latest on the Michigan football coaching search:

A former Notre Dame QB as Michigan football’s next head coach?

It’s possible.

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Michigan football is reportedly interested in talking to Rees, according to Cleveland.com, who starred as a quarterback at Notre Dame. He moved up the coaching ranks fast, getting his big break as offensive coordinator with Notre Dame in 2020, where he served in the role for three years before moving to Alabama to be the offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide in Nick Saban’s last year. He has spent the last two years with the Browns, first as a passing game specialist and then as offensive coordinator this year.

Rees also reportedly talked to Penn State before the Nittany Lions landed on Iowa State coach Matt Campbell.

It’s an interesting proposition, as Rees is seen as an up-and-coming young coach, but it can be wonky trying to hire NFL coaches into the college game due to the schedule. But in this circumstance, it just might work. The Browns are out of playoff contention so their season should drag out, and Michigan is in a position to wait longer than normal because early signing day for recruits is over and the transfer portal won’t open until January.

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It’s early.

Michigan still has time to make a case.

But according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, there’s “no indication” that Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, one of the hottest names in connection to the Wolverines, has an interest in taking the job in Ann Arbor.

DeBoer, who has Alabama in the 12-team College Football Playoff, was also briefly connected to Penn State earlier this offseason and quickly shot that down.

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But never say never in college football in 2025.

If Michigan is looking to swing big for its third head coach in four seasons (or seventh, if you count the interims who served during Moore’s and Jim Harbaugh’s suspensions), the Free Press’ Tony Garcia broke down four big names, including a couple with established ties to Ann Arbor, one who couldn’t quite beat the Wolverines and another who’s the darling of the college football world.

Check out that list of candidates here.



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Bullough’s back: Ex-linebacker to be Michigan State co-defensive coordinator

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Bullough’s back: Ex-linebacker to be Michigan State co-defensive coordinator


A fan-favorite Spartan is coming back as an assistant coach.Max Bullough, a former MSU linebacker who has spent the past two seasons coaching linebackers at Notre Dame, is coming back to East Lansing to be a co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Bullough confirmed in a biography change on X (formerly Twitter).

The move is a promotion for Bullough, who was a linebackers coach at Notre Dame the past two seasons. Bullough will serve alongside incumbent MSU defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, who The Detroit News confirmed last week is staying on Pat Fitzgerald’s first staff in East Lansing. Fitzgerald replaced Jonathan Smith, who went 5-19, 4-14 Big Ten in two seasons.Bullough, 33, played for Michigan State from 2010 to 2013, under head coach Mark Dantonio and defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi. He played immediately as a freshman and appeared in 53 college games, logging 284 tackles, eight sacks and three interceptions.

He missed his final game — the 100th Rose Bowl against Stanford in 2013 — because of an unspecified violation of team rules. He never spoke publicly on the issue, though he was asked at the NFL Combine.Michigan State went 42-12 in Bullough’s four seasons with the Spartans, and 25-7 in Big Ten play, including the conference title in 2010 and 2013.After a brief NFL career with the Houston Texans and, in 2018, a stint on the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad, Bullough got into coaching. He served as grad assistant for Cincinnati in 2019 under Luke Fickell, Alabama from 2020 to 2022 under Nick Saban (winning the College Football Playoff in his first year) and Notre Dame under Marcus Freeman in 2023. Freeman kept Bullough on as his linebackers coach last year, a season in which the Irish made it to the national championship game before losing to Ohio State.

Earlier this season, Bullough went viral in August for a video of him describing his detail-oriented approach during fall camp, citing knee bend and square tackling “when the s—‘s hard.”

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Notre Dame finished the season 10-2, on a 10-game win streak, when it was left just outside the College Football Playoff bracket. Freeman and his team opted out of a bowl game, after terse words on the snub from AD Pete Bevacqua.Bullough coached a number of NFL draft picks in his career, including Dallas Turner (Minnesota Vikings), Christian Harris (Houston Texans), Henry To’oTo’o (Houston), Drew Sanders (Denver Broncos) and Jack Kiser (Jacksonville Jaguars).

Bullough won’t be the first in his family to coach at Michigan State. His grandfather, Hank, was an MSU guard and linebacker who won a national championship in 1952. Hank was also a well-regarded assistant coach on Duffy Daugherty’s staff from 1959 to 1969, including the national title teams in 1965 and 1966. He then went onto a pro coaching career that included stops with seven teams, including a head coaching tenure with the Buffalo Bills from 1985 to 1986.

After a year as the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator in 1993, he finished his coaching career with a homecoming to Michigan State, where he was an assistant on George Perles’ final team. He died in 2019.

cearegood@detroitnews.com

@ConnorEaregood

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