James Franklin tempers expectations regarding Abdul Carter's CFP semifinals status

Penn State fans dreaming of a run to a national championship are on pins and needles regarding the injury status of star defender Abdul Carter. Head coach James Franklin likes his edge rusher's mentality but is not sure if he'll be able to suit up in his team's College Football Playoff battle with Notre Dame.

Pressuring Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard will be a key for the Nittany Lions in the semifinal. Carter is unquestionably the team's top edge rusher. He led his defense with 11 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss this season. He's also widely projected to be a top-10 pick in this year's NFL Draft on the back of his ability to harass opposing quarterbacks.

That's why everyone associated with Penn State has been holding their collective breath after watching him leave their opening CFB game with Boise State with what looked to be a left arm injury. Franklin's policy over not releasing injury updates about players who are not ruled out for the season has largely kept everyone in the dark about Carter's status in the aftermath of their win over the Broncos.

James Franklin leaves mystery with Abdul Carter's status for CFP semifinal

The fiery head coach did go on record this week as saying that Carter has a "great mentality" about his injury and that he doesn't see anything stopping him from playing against Notre Dame. In the same media availability, he also asserted that it's "too early" to know if his star defender will recover in time to play.

Ultimately, Franklin's comments adhered to his philosophy of not giving anything away. He understands that he and his team have nothing to gain from clarifying Carter's status before kickoff. Penn State can benefit from keeping Notre Dame in the dark. Forcing them to prepare for Carter's pressure on the outside is a good tactic for Penn State even if he's not able to participate.

Nittany Lion fans should not expect to know anything definitive about Carter until kickoffs. Franklin's gamesmanship will keep everyone guessing until then.