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James Franklin previews Cotton Bowl matchup with Memphis
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Penn State is gearing up for a third New Year’s Six Bowl appearance in the past four seasons.
The bowl slate was announced on Sunday with the Nittany Lions picked for a Cotton Bowl showdown with Memphis. Penn State missed out on the Rose Bowl as Wisconsin claimed that bid. However, the Dec. 28 showdown with the Tigers will be Penn State’s third New Year’s Six Bowl under head coach James Franklin. The 2016 Rose Bowl and 2017 Fiesta Bowl were the other two.
Memphis enters the game as the highest-ranked Group of 5 team out of the American Athletic Conference. The Tigers have a 12-1 record but will also be dealing with the departure of Mike Norvell who is leaving to take the head coaching position at Florida State.
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Following Sunday’s announcement, Franklin previewed the upcoming bowl game via a conference call. Audrey Snyder with The Athletic shared Franklin’s comments:
https://twitter.com/audsnyder4/status/1203802521715847168?s=20
One particular topic Franklin touched on was the idea that some Penn State fans may be upset that the Nittany Lions missed out on the Rose Bowl. Here’s what Franklin had to say on that subject:
https://twitter.com/audsnyder4/status/1203803508803325954?s=20
RELATED: Committee chair Rob Mullens explains what sent Wisconsin to Rose Bowl over Penn State
Franklin also touched on the news of his contract extension and why the official terms haven’t been released yet:
https://twitter.com/audsnyder4/status/1203804000178573312?s=20
https://twitter.com/audsnyder4/status/1203806406895448065?s=20
When it comes to the Cotton Bowl, kickoff against Memphis is slated for Dec. 28 at 12 pm EST. Coverage will be on ESPN.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.