A Penn State football fan guide for those who enjoy large bowl games like Fiesta, Cotton, or Peach
Would you like to watch Penn State football play in the biggest bowl game ever?
Then, on Saturday, during conference championship weekend, support the favorites. Encourage the continuation of the current situation by rooting for Texas to defeat Oklahoma State in the Big 12 and Michigan to defeat Iowa in the Big Ten.
If that occurs, Penn State ought to be eligible for one of the three New Year’s Six games, which are bowl games that fall just below the four-team College Football Playoff.
If the CFP committee raises the Nittany Lions to No. 10 in the final rankings, as predicted, they will essentially confirm that scenario on Tuesday night, maintaining their lead over Oklahoma and Ole Miss, two other two-loss teams. The bowl pairings and playoff teams will be revealed on Sunday afternoon.
As one of the “top” 12 teams available, the Lions have a great chance of earning a bid to the Peach, Cotton, or Fiesta bowls if that ranking holds true. That would ensure a postseason match in a lavish NFL stadium with the maximum amount of prestige and tradition associated with the postseason.
It would present the chance for exciting, high-profile matches against Texas, Alabama, Washington, Oregon, or possibly even the nation’s top-ranked team, Georgia. They might also be paired with Tulane, who is currently the required Group of 5 representative.
Additionally, a New Year’s Six location and opponent would very likely give Penn State’s NFL Draft-eligible players more motivation to participate in the game, if not to repeat their opt-out departure for the Outback Bowl from a few years prior.
At minimum, be aware that the outcome of the conference championship games on Friday and Saturday won’t significantly impact whether the 10-2, idle Lions advance to the Peach, Cotton, or Fiesta.
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aside from two situations.
Oklahoma State (No. 20) and Iowa (No. 17), two lower-ranked teams, could be the spoilers. If either team pulls off the upset this weekend and advances Penn State to the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida, they will automatically be considered for the New Year’s Six. That New Year’s Day game would see the Lions take on an SEC team, most likely Ole Miss.
At least based on betting lines, that doesn’t seem likely: Texas is a 14-point favorite over the Cowboys earlier that day in Arlington, Texas, while No. 2 Michigan is a 23-point favorite over Iowa on Saturday night in Indianapolis.
Under head coach James Franklin, the Lions should win their fifth New Year’s Six bowl in the previous eight seasons if those favorites hold true.
Penn State football: chaos and congestion during the New Year’s Six
In terms of matchups, this is the most crowded and unpredictable bowl season in the four-team playoff structure—the tenth and final one.
As the weekend approaches, there are still four unbeaten teams in the running for the playoffs, three of them with formidable obstacles to overcome: versus one-loss Georgia Washington vs. Alabama; one-loss Oregon and Florida State, without their injured quarterback, take on Louisville, a two-loss team.
Only the site and opponent of Penn State’s game will determine its place in the New Year’s Six. If Texas, Georgia, or Alabama don’t make the playoffs, it might play one of the top college football teams in the nation, Alabama.
The Lions’ only unlikely matchup is the New Year’s Six Orange Bowl due to its stringent tie-ins. It has to be against an ACC representative (non-playoff Florida State or Louisville/N.C. State) and the top-ranked non-playoff team from the Big Ten, SEC, and Notre Dame.
