I guess James Franklin isn’t planning on vacationing with Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly this offseason. Per USA Today, Franklin voted top ranked Notre Dame (12-0) fourth behind Alabama (12-1), Georgia (11-2), and Florida (12-1) on his ballot in the final regular season edition of the USA Today Coaches Poll. While two other coaches did vote Alabama ahead of Notre Dame, Franklin is the only coach to vote Notre Dame lower than second in the poll. Franklin voted his 8-4 Commodores (finished unranked) 16th.
Not that I think Brian Kelly really cares what James Franklin thinks, but you can bet on Kelly using part of the next month to remind his team about the perception held by some that they cannot play with SEC teams heading into their showdown with SEC champ Alabama on January 7th in Miami.
