As we approach the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, experts nationwide are anticipating some exciting first-round pairings. Regarding Penn State in particular, FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt forecasts that the Nittany Lions will compete against Tennessee in Happy Valley. While it would definitely be fascinating to witness Penn State take on an SEC opponent at […]
As we approach the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, experts nationwide are anticipating some exciting first-round pairings. Regarding Penn State in particular, FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt forecasts that the Nittany Lions will compete against Tennessee in Happy Valley.
While it would definitely be fascinating to witness Penn State take on an SEC opponent at Beaver Stadium in late December, this situation predominantly hinges on the outcome of the No. 3 Nittany Lions facing No. 1 Oregon in the Big Ten Championship game on Saturday. Currently, Oregon is favored by 3.5 points over Penn State.
Here is Klatt’s most recent CFP Bracket projection:
- No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Penn State – winner faces No. 1 Oregon
- No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Notre Dame – winner faces No. 4 Arizona State
- No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Georgia – winner faces No. 2 Texas
- No. 11 Alabama at No. 6 Ohio State – winner faces No. 3 Boise State
No matter how the situation unfolds, this season signifies the first chance the Nittany Lions have had to contend for a national title in the College Football Playoff era. Under head coach James Franklin, who has been with Penn State for 11 seasons, he boasts an overall record of 99-40 and a bowl game record of 4-5, with his sole Big Ten conference championship coming in 2016.
