Marcus Freeman's hairline gets a comical shoutout from Penn State HC James Franklin

James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions are set to compete in the Orange Bowl against Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Thursday. It is a semifinal matchup in the College Football playoff with huge stakes on the line.

Ahead of the game, a press conference was held on Wednesday with both James Franklin and Marcus Freeman attending. Both coaches were asked questions about the game, their preparation and what fans should expect from their teams.

However, not every moment of the press conference was serious. There was a moment of levity when James Franklin spoke about Marcus Freeman and complimented him on his hairline.

"I mean look at the hairline on this guy. I'm envious of his hairline in many ways," Franklin said. "But Marcus has done a phenomenal job and obviously he is the leader of one of the most storied programs in college football."

Franklin went on to speak about the respect he has for Freeman and what he has done at Notre Dame:

"So much respect for him and his career and his staff. He has great staff, great leadership, just like we do at Penn State now. I think his comments about the decision making and the leadership and the courage to make these decisions, I feel the same way."

James Franklin looks to win a national championship after more than a decade coaching Penn State

James Franklin is one of the longest-tenured head coaches in college football. He was hired by the Penn State Nittany Lions before the 2014 season and has led the team ever since. Since his arrival, the Nittany Lions have had some success in the Big Ten, but have not reached a national championship Game.

The best season for Franklin and his Nittany Lions came in 2016 when they won the Big Ten Championship. However, even in that successful year, they were not able to win their bowl game, losing the Rose Bowl 52-49 to USC.

This season, despite losing the Big Ten Championship Game 45-37 to Oregon, they have gone on a deep playoff run. They defeated SMU 38-10 in the first round and then Boise State 31-14 in the quarterfinals. With a win over Notre Dame, they would advance to the national championship game. They have not won a national title since 1986.