The two will meet in the College Football Playoff semifinals with the winner becoming the first Black head coach to reach the college football title game.

Either Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman or Penn State’s James Franklin will become the first Black coach to compete for a college football national championship.

As James Franklin prepares for the Orange Bowl, the Nittany Lions head coach reflected on how two Black head coaches can impact the future.

One head coach will make history by winning the Orange Bowl on Thursday. When Penn State-Notre Dame goes final in the College Football Playoff semifinal either James Franklin or Marcus Freeman will become the first Black head coach to lead a team into the FBS National Championship game.

College football will see its first Black head coach guide his team to the national championship game at the highest level of the game with either Penn State’s James Franklin or Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman.

The winner of Thursday's semifinal will become the first Black head coach to advance its team to a national title game.

The Orange Bowl lights will blaze against Miami's night sky as James Franklin and Marcus Freeman pace the sidelines Thursday, both focused on the same goal.

Penn State’s James Franklin and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman are the first nonwhite coaches to reach the playoff semifinals. Hiring shifts suggest they won’t be the last.

Penn State's James Franklin and Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman have broken ground as the first Black head coaches to lead teams to the CFP. Both understand the historic nature of their matchup.

James Franklin and Marcus Freeman are each enjoying banner seasons leading their respective programs. On Thursday night, Franklin's Penn State team will take on Freeman's Notre Dame squad in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Orange Bowl.