Penn State must win again to silence doubters and more of what they're saying
STATE COLLEGE — Penn State is being discussed locally and nationally following a decisive 38-10 win over SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The Lions’ created 21 points off of three Mustangs’ turnovers and ran for 180 yards against one of the nation’s best statistical rush defenses.
“Kind of summarizing the game, maybe the best performance on the defensive side of the ball that I’ve seen in a half,” Lions coach James Franklin said. “You talk about three interceptions, two for touchdowns, that’s why you recruit linebackers that play running back. That was phenomenal. Took a little bit of time for our offense to get going. But obviously once we did, did some great things. Specifically, got the run game going, which was important for us.”
Here’s a look at what the media is saying about Penn State on Sunday morning.
The pressure is still on Penn State after clearing first CFP hurdle
That’s the take of CBS Sports’ Will Backus. The Lions won as an 8.5-point favorite at home against the second-lowest seeded team in the CFP. It’s true that it took care of business. But now, it will be expected to win again when it faces Group of Five representative Boise State. They meet in the quarterfinals at the Fiesta Bowl.
“The perception is that the Nittany Lions should handle this game with relative ease and continue on to the semifinal,” Backus writes.
“Franklin generated some much-needed goodwill by handling business against SMU. Coming up short in a winnable quarterfinal game, and fumbling Penn State’s best path to heights that it’s never been in the modern era, would quickly dispel that.”
How can the Lions beat Boise State?
David Hale of ESPN asks that question now that the Nittany Lions and Broncos will meet at 7:30 p.m. ET on New Year’s Eve.
“It’s unlikely Penn State can completely run back the blueprint for beating SMU, as it’s not often a defense is gifted so many big plays by the opposing quarterback. But, the basic framework for a win should look a good bit like what the Nittany Lions did in Round 1,” he writes. “It’s no secret Boise State’s magic is created by tailback Ashton Jeanty, so if Penn State can force the game into Maddux Madsen’s hands instead, there’s reason to think it can cash in on some QB mistakes, just as it did against SMU. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Jeanty has faced his share of stacked boxes this season, so not only does Penn State need to game-plan to stop Jeanty on defense, but Abdul Carter, Dani Dennis-Sutton & Co. have to actually bring down the Heisman Trophy runner-up before he can escape into space.”
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Penn State defense shows it’s capable of making a CFP run
Johnny McGonigal of PennLive focused on the Penn State defense. It held SMU to just 58 rushing yards and 253 total yards. It also had three sacks, three turnovers, and 11 tackles for loss.
“Now, it’s worth acknowledging the difference between Oregon and SMU,” he writes. “The Mustangs cruised through an ACC slate with blowout wins over Stanford, Cal, Virginia and Pitt. Oregon is the last undefeated team in the country and a well-oiled machine. SMU was the last at-large team in the CFP field. Oregon is the type of team Penn State will have to beat to win the national title.
“But the way in which Penn State went about its business on Saturday — with a heightened sense of discipline and tenacity, containing Jennings while attacking the Mustangs with a killer instinct — it’s hard not to think this defense is capable of being the driving force on a CFP run.”
Final word
This week, it goes to Audrey Snyder of The Athletic:
“As the discourse surrounding whether or not SMU deserved to be in the Playoff presumably rages, give credit to Penn State for, like it’s done all season, winning a game it’s supposed to win,” she writes. “The fact that this game was effectively over at halftime with a 28-0 lead is a reminder of just how dominant Penn State can be. Yes, SMU made a ton of mistakes, but Penn State’s defense was relentless and the Nittany Lions took advantage.
“There is still much more Penn State can do, too. If the offense hits a similar level that we saw in the Big Ten title game against Oregon — when it had 523 total yards — then this team can’t be dismissed as a national title contender.”