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Penn State fan rooting guide for conference championship weekend: What do the Lions want?

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•12/01/23•

GregPickel

Conference championship weekend is here. Penn State is not involved in it on the field, of course. That’s because the No. 10 Nittany Lions are 10-2, which includes a loss to Big Ten East division champ Michigan. However, just because the team is in State College and not Indianapolis this weekend does not mean it is completely out of the game. In fact, the next two days of results will go a long way toward deciding where head coach James Franklin’s team ends up in the postseason.

Here is what the Lions, and their fans, should be rooting for this weekend.

Conference championship weekend schedule

The games will be played over two days.

Fri., Dec. 1

7 p.m. ET — New Mexico State vs. No. 24 Liberty (-10.5) in the Conference USA title game (CBS Sports Network)

8 p.m. ET — No. 5 Oregon (-9.5) vs. No. 3 Washington in the PAC-12 title game (FOX)

Sat., Dec. 2

Noon ET — Oklahoma State vs. No. 7 Texas (-14.5) in the Big 12 title game (ABC)

Noon ET — Miami of Ohio vs. No. 23 Toledo (-7.5) in the MAC title game (ESPN)

3 p.m. ET — Boise State (-2.5) vs. UNLV in the Moutain West title game (FOX)

4 p.m. ET — No. 25 SMU vs. No. 22 Tulane (-3.5) in the AAC title game (ABC)

4 p.m. ET — No. 1 Georgia (-6.5) vs. No. 8 Alabama in the SEC title game (CBS)

4:00 p.m. ET — Appalachian State vs. Troy (-6.5) in the Sun Belt title game (ESPN)

8 p.m. ET — No. 14 Louisville vs. No. 4 Florida State (-2.5) in the ACC title game (ABC)

8 p.m. ET — No. 2 Michigan (-23.5) vs. No. 16 Iowa in the Big Ten title game (FOX)

What is Penn State rooting for?

First, let’s set the scene with a quote that is now a year old. With Big Ten teams posturing for a spot in the Rose Bowl last season, James Franklin was asked to weigh in how important playing in a New Year’s Six bowl game is.

“You want to try to go to the biggest game you possibly could go to,” Franklin said. “I think there’s been stuff that’s been put out, if they go to a 12-team model, like everybody’s saying is going to happen, how many times you’d have the chance to be in that.”

“But yeah, I think it’s still important to go to the biggest and the best games you possibly can in the postseason. And whether that is a New Year’s Six bowl game, or whatever. There’s still value in it.”

Penn State wants to play in a NY6 game. The best chance for that to happen this year as conference championship weekend begins is for the games to go as expected. Favorites winning will keep the Lions at No. 10. The Hawkeyes keeping it close with Michigan could help from a resume perspective. But, that should not matter either way.

What would matter in a potential disaster scenario for Penn State’s NY6 chances, however, would be Iowa winning and Oklahoma State upsetting Texas. Each Power Five champ must get a New Year’s Six slot. The Hawkeyes nor Cowboys are taking a New Year’s Six spot with a loss. But, one or both winning would send them and their opponent (in all likelihood) into the New Year’s Six mix. That would be bad news for the Lions, as they would likely end up in the Citrus Bowl. Other Power Five title games could play a role, of course. But, it’s not as big of one as the Big 12 and Big Ten title games have.

Thus, a weekend that goes as or almost entirely as expected will give Penn State the best path to a New Year’s Six bowl for the second year in a row.



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