Could Penn State be headed to the Rose Bowl?

Penn State currently ranks behind both Ohio State and Michigan with just under a week remaining until the College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six Bowls are decided. The Wolverines are likely headed to the playoff, but following Tuesday night’s announcement of the updated poll, the Rose Bowl may have a decision to make.

With the Nittany Lions moving up three spots to No. 8 overall, and Ohio State dropping down to No. 5, most believed that the Buckeyes were likely headed to Pasadena. Of course, Ryan Day’s team could still make the playoff if schools like TCU or USC lose in their respective conference championship games, but even if they don’t, it may not matter.

On Wednesday evening, The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel and Nicole Auerbach reported that the Rose Bowl committee is seriously considering Penn State over Ohio State. The Buckeyes played in the game last year, beating Utah in a thrilling 48-45 game that was decided in the final minutes.

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The Big Ten champion or second-ranked team has played in the Rose Bowl every year since the creation of the College Football Playoff, but according to the Rose Bowl’s website, there is a clause allowing them to choose a different team if they rank within “several spots” of the higher ranked school.

“If the next-highest ranked team is in a ‘cluster’ of teams, meaning there is another team or teams from the same conference ranked within several spots of each other, the Tournament of Roses will select the team from that cluster that will result in the best possible matchup for the Rose Bowl game.”

The report says that Tournament of Roses officials met on Wednesday to discuss the possibility. In addition to last year’s game, Ohio State also played in the game following the 2018 season, defeating Washington 28-23. Penn State’s last appearance was in 2016 when the Nittany Lions lost a heartbreaking game against USC in the final minutes.

This also comes shortly after The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy included Penn State in the Rose Bowl in his latest projections earlier today. McMurphy is arguably the most plugged in reporter in the country when it comes to the bowls, consistently breaking news throughout his career on which teams are expected to participate in each game.

Below is what McMurphy wrote earlier today.

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“Let’s cut to the chase. I’ll start with my Big Bang Theory. The Granddaddy of Them All could have the biggest impact on this year’s bowl lineup with one simple choice: No. 5 Ohio State or No. 9 Penn State.

“Other bowl projections out there — I know you only read mine, but let’s pretend you know others exist — have the Rose Bowl taking the higher-rated Buckeyes. This actually makes sense. All along the thinking was the Michigan-Ohio State winner to the College Football Playoff and the loser to Rose Bowl.

“Luckily, I have no sense.

“I’m projecting the Rose Bowl takes Penn State instead of an Ohio State team that would have been making its second consecutive Rose Bowl trip (both off losses to Michigan) and third appearance in five years. The Granddaddy of Them All wants some new blood and goes with the Nittany Lions.

“Why is this significant?

“Because it sends Ohio State to the Orange Bowl against the ACC champion. And because the Big Ten is playing in the Orange Bowl, it triggers a little-known clause that allows the ReliaQuest Bowl (formerly known as the Outback Bowl) to get the No. 1 choice of available ACC teams in place of its Big Ten team.”

Penn State won’t officially know where it’s headed until 3 p.m. Sunday evening. The College Football Playoff will be announced on ESPN at 12 pm eastern time Sunday, with the New Year’s Six Bowls announced a few hours later.