Rivalries make college football great, especially when coaches go out of their way to stoke the fire between fan bases.
Penn State's James Franklin didn't just stoke a fire on Saturday, he poured an entire jug of gasoline on it.
Following Penn State's 33-14 win over rival Pittsburgh on Saturday in Happy Valley, Franklin laid a verbal smackdown on the Panthers.
"I know last year beating us for them was like the Super Bowl," said Franklin during the post-game press conference, referencing Pitt's 42-39 win over the Nittany Lions in 2016. "This was just like beating Akron for us."
Oh, snap.
Now, the odds of Franklin being sincere with these comments are somewhere between "yeah right" and "whatever," but that is one quality burn. I mean, I feel sorry for Akron getting caught in the crossfire, but that's going to happen sometimes.
Plus, it's all worth it if it takes this rivalry up a notch, and it's hard to imagine Pitt won't take this one personally.
Pitt and Penn State will play again next season at Heinz Field on Sept. 8. You might want to circle it on the calendar.
