What bowl are Penn State’s players hoping for? Here’s what they said — and how they can get there
Penn State linebacker Cam Brown won’t learn what bowl his team is headed for until Sunday — but the senior already knows what he wants to hear during ESPN’s Selection Day.
“Honestly, I want to go back to the Rose Bowl,” he said after the 27-6 win over Rutgers. “That’s my goal. I started there; might as well end there, right?”
The No. 10 Nittany Lions, who last appeared in the Rose Bowl in 2017, ended their season at 10-2 overall and missed the Big Ten title game, meaning they no longer control their postseason fate. Penn State’s destination won’t be decided until after the conference championships are played Saturday, and after the College Football Playoff committee releases its final rankings Sunday.
Brown, much like five of his teammates who were interviewed for this story, still plans to follow the news and the games of this week. “I’m a college football fan, so I’m going to be watching and pay attention either way,” he said. But there’s one main reason he wants to return to “The Granddaddy of Them All” — and it has nothing to do with tradition.
“Definitely because of what happened last time,” said Brown, who played in the Rose Bowl as a freshman and lost 52-49 to USC. “We got to redeem ourselves.”
Added offensive lineman Steven Gonzalez: “Whichever one we get invited to, we’ll play hard. But it’d be nice to get back to the Rose Bowl and try to get a win.”
Projections for Penn State’s future bowl are all over the map, but most appear to be in the Nittany Lions’ favor so far. Of the six media experts who posted predictions by noon Monday, three picked out the Rose Bowl while the Orange Bowl, Citrus Bowl and Outback Bowl were the other selections.
The most prestigious bowls, of course, are both the Rose and Orange — which are New Year’s Six bowls.
“Obviously being to a New Year’s Six bowl for the third time in four years would be incredibly special,” punter Blake Gillikin said. “A lot of people don’t get to go to a bowl game, much less multiple New Year’s Six bowls.”
If Ohio State thumps Wisconsin, the Nittany Lions boast a strong claim to the Rose Bowl. If the Badgers earn that berth instead, the Orange Bowl is a possibility if Penn State leap-frogs Alabama in the rankings and remains ahead of Florida.
Most players said they’d be happy with either destination. But count linebacker Micah Parsons among those who has a preference.
“Yeah, I’d rather be in L.A.,” he said, referring to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. “I got family out in L.A., a lot of people out there. So that’d be nice. Rose Bowl — historic; it’d be a great one.”
Nothing is certain quite yet. If the Buckeyes lose, a New Year’s Six bowl would likely be out of the question for Penn State. The Badgers also have the potential to get a better berth than Penn State even if they lose and keep it close. A lot of scenarios remain at play, which is why six media outlets projected four different bowls for the Nittany Lions.
Defensive tackle Robert Windsor said he’s trying to take it all in stride this week. He’ll be paying close attention — “I’m excited to see where I’ll be going for my last bowl game,” the redshirt senior said — but doesn’t much mind whether he’s playing in Florida or California.
“It doesn’t matter where,” he added. “I want to play the best team.”
Gillikin echoed that sentiment, saying he just wants to play “someplace warm.”
“So the Pinstripe Bowl is out of play, which is good,” Gillikin said with a laugh, referring to the annual game that takes place in Yankee Stadium. “So Florida, California — that’s all good for me. ... We’ll be happy wherever we go.”
The Big Ten championship, which will have a direct impact on Penn State’s future bowl, will take place 8 p.m. Saturday on FOX. The CFP committee’s final rankings, and the accompanying bowls, will be announced from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday on ESPN as part of Selection Day.
