Does Penn State football have the easiest path to a national title? What fans, experts said
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College Football Playoff
Penn State has clinched a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time since its inception in 2014. Find all of our coverage here as the Nittany Lions look for a path to a potential national title.
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Dozens of Penn State fans stumbled out of sports bars on Happy Valley’s South Allen Street on Saturday night, with some mumbling about Penn State’s rotten luck after losing the Big Ten title and others sharing thoughts on James Franklin that can’t be republished.
Those fans likely felt differently by Sunday afternoon.
The Nittany Lions fell to Oregon 45-37 in the Big Ten championship game, losing out on a bye in the College Football Playoff in the process. But they earned the No. 6 seed in the 12-team playoff and drew what many believe is the easiest path to a national title for a first-round team.
The Nittany Lions will take on No. 11 seed SMU at noon Dec. 21 at Beaver Stadium and, if PSU wins, it’ll take on Boise State in the quarterfinals (i.e. Fiesta Bowl) at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 31.
Here’s what fans, reporters and analysts across the country had to say about Penn State’s draw:
CDT reporter Halie Kines contributed to this story
This story was originally published December 8, 2024 at 3:59 PM.
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