Penn State bowl projections: Where are the Lions slotted ahead of Week 3?
Penn State football is 2-0 and the No. 7 team in the country before Week 3 of the college football season. The Nittany Lions head to unranked Illinois this week. The Fighting Illini were once seen as a team who could win the Big Ten West, which gave them enormous postseason aspirations. However, after a loss by double-digits against Kansas last week, head coach Bret Bielema’s side has tumbled in the latest bowl projections. Head coach James Franklin’s team, on the other hand, continues to be in the New Year’s Six mix after a 63-7 stomping of Delaware at Beaver Stadium.
“I think we’ve been really well balanced for the first few games. I think we take pride in that,” Lions quarterback Drew Allar said after the win over the Blue Hens. “There are times where we might have to run the ball and we have to sometimes throw the ball. I think we’re going to be able to do that well, so I think it’s just really taking advantage of what the defense is going to give us because the defense can’t take away everything on the field that’s how football works.
“They’re always going to be giving up something, so we just have to be keen to what they are giving up and take advantage of that as much as possible.”
We have rounded up the latest Penn State postseason projections below ahead of the Nittany Lions’ clash with the Fighting Illini at Noon ET inside of Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill., on FOX.
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Penn State bowl projections before Week 3
Mark Schlabach, ESPN: PSU vs. Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 29.
Kyle Bonagura, ESPN: Penn State vs. Washington in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1.
Jerry Palm, CBS Sports: PSU vs. Alabama in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30.
College Football News: Penn State vs. North Carolina in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30.
Athlon Sports: PSU vs. Notre Dame in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30.
Saturday Tradition: Penn State vs. Washington in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1.
Brett McMurphy, Action Network: PSU vs. North Carolina in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30.
What to make of the Nittany Lions’ latest bowl projections
Before anyone else says it, we will do it for you: Yes, it’s insanely early to be projecting the postseason. But, where a team is at now offers, at the very least, a glimpse at how it is viewed nationally. And, Penn State is clearly well-regarded even if it has yet to enter the College Football Playoff projections after two weeks. It can take another step toward entering that conversation this week. The Lions are a two-touchdown favorite at Illinois.
