Penn State bowl projections: Where are the two-loss Nittany Lions slotted now?
Penn State is out of the College Football Playoff race. Is it still in the New Year’s Six mix? A new round of bowl projections answers that question ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Rutgers. Kickoff is set for Noon ET on Fox Sports One. The Lions have two regular season games left before learning what bowl game they will play in. The program has been projected to land in a New Year’s Six bowl since the season started. But, which one seems to change weekly, and that is the case again this week. Read on for the latest expert bowl projections ahead of Week 12 of the college football season.
Penn State bowl projections ahead of Week 12
Mark Schlabach, ESPN: PSU vs. Alabama in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30.
Kyle Bonagura, ESPN: Penn State vs. Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1.
Andy Staples, On3: Dropped PSU out of his New Year’s Six projections.
Jerry Palm, CBS Sports: PSU vs. Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30.
College Football News: PSU vs. Washington in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1.
Athlon Sports: PSU vs. Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30.
Saturday Tradition: Penn State vs. Ole Miss in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1.
Brett McMurphy, Action Network: PSU vs. Tulane in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30.
The Athletic: PSU vs. Texas in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 29.
Craig Meyer, USA Today: PSU vs. Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30.
Where will the Lions end up?
We still believe this team will go to a New Year’s Six bowl game. But, as Meyer of USA Today points out, it’s no guarantee.
“After its loss to Michigan, Penn State barely hangs on to a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl.” Meyer writes. “The Nittany Lions fell to No. 12 in the most recent Coaches Poll and are likely to experience a similar drop in Tuesday’s playoff rankings release.
“With only 12 spots available for New Year’s Six bowls — one of which goes to the highest-rated Group of Five team, currently No. 23 Tulane — Penn State is out of that group, but several of the teams ahead of it have challenging roads that could hand them another loss.”
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We join him in saying the Peach Bowl is the Lions’ most likely landing spot ahead of the final two games of the regular season.
“Well, certainly James Franklin, I know James, he’s a first class guy, quality guy,” Peach Bowl President and CEO Gary Stokan told BWI this week. “So I know his program, and I’ve been up to Penn State a few times to see them play. I know it’s a first-class program. I don’t know the AD. But I have dealt with James, and I know he’s a quality guy.
“When you look at the resumes of teams, having lost to number one and number three, nobody has the quality of losses as Penn State when you look at the teams that are in the Top 12 Top 13, whatever it is. Great defense. Obviously, their offense has struggled a little bit with the recent, you know, announcement of changing offensive coordinators. But yeah, quality team, quality program, great brand, and we’ve never had Penn State. So, it’d be a pleasure to host the Penn State team, coaches, administration and fans.”
