CFP head tells ESPN that Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl won't swap kickoff times, dates

The College Football Playoff won't swap kickoff dates and times for the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl to give Notre Dame more time between games.

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey had asked the CFP if it would be possible to switch up the schedule because Notre Dame will have a shorter turnaround than Penn State heading into next Thursday's Orange Bowl. The Fighting Irish's quarterfinal game in New Orleans was postponed by one day because of a deadly terror attack.

“We’re not going to flip the games,” CFP executive director Rich Clark told ESPN on Friday. “The concession we made with the athletic directors was to start the Sugar Bowl earlier — an 18-hour or so delay.

"We slipped the game 18 hours to ensure we could provide safety and security for teams, coaches, staffs, fans and others involved. NOLA and Sugar Bowl officials were amazing.”

Notre Dame advanced with a 23-10 Sugar Bowl win over Georgia on Thursday. Penn State played in the Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday night, beating Boise State 31-14.

Sankey told ESPN on Thursday that he had asked if swapping the schedule would be doable.

“This is not an SEC-related issue; it’s for both teams,” Sankey said. “I also know that the communities have dates, they have plans, there are stadium availability issues that can arise."

Texas and Ohio State will play in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10. Clark cited the difficult logistics of changing the schedule.

“Logistics are very complicated, disruptive to the other teams involved that have schedules in place, especially Texas and Ohio State,” he said. “Fans have made arrangements already, and this creates issues for them. There’s more, but these are some of the major points.”

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Penn State tight end Khalil Dinkins (16) celebrates after the Fiesta Bowl College Football Playoff game against Boise State, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Penn State head coach James Franklin celebrates after the Fiesta Bowl College Football Playoff game against Boise State, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Penn State players celebrate after the Fiesta Bowl College Football Playoff game against Boise State, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Fans leave the Caesars Superdome after the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — The Cleveland Browns have fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and offensive line coach Andy Dickerson following their 3-14 season, a person familiar with the decisions told The Associated Press on Sunday.

Dorsey and Dickerson were informed of the moves in the aftermath of the team's 35-10 loss in Baltimore on Saturday, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team hasn't made an announcement.

Dorsey and Dickerson were in Cleveland for just one season.

Cleveland's offense struggled under Dorsey, who was fired last season by the Buffalo Bills. The Browns scored more than 20 points in only three games and the unit was plagued by injuries.

Dickerson had replaced Bill Callahan when he joined his son Brian's staff in Tennessee.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski is scheduled to address the media later Sunday. He is expected to be retained along with general manager Andrew Berry.

Dorsey played quarterback for the Browns — one of the 40 the team has started since 1999. He was hired to restructure Cleveland's offense around quarterback Deshaun Watson. But things didn't click and Watson wound up rupturing his Achilles tendon and playing in just seven games.

Watson went 1-6 and failed to throw for at least 200 yards in any game. After Watson got hurt, Dorsey took over play-calling duties from Stefanski.

Replacing the respected Callahan was going to be tough for any coach. The Browns' running game never got going under Dickerson's direction and Cleveland's O-line gave up 66 sacks, although some of those were on the QBs.

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FILE - Andy Dickerson, Cleveland Browns offensive line coach, talks with Michael Dunn (68) during an NFL football training camp practice in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Thursday, July 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

FILE - Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey watches as players warm up before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)