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For years, Penn State has been the poster child for the 12-team College Football Playoff. Or rather, Penn State was the example given to explain need for the expanded Playoff and why increased access is important.
No undefeated program would have qualified for the 12-team field more often than the Nittany Lions over the past decade, had the bracket been set up the way it is now instead of a four-team invitational. Penn State was always close, but not close enough. The Nittany Lions have had great seasons – but not championship-caliber ones. Blame Ohio State. Blame Michigan. Honestly? Blame the system too.
With the barriers to entry removed, it was no surprise that Penn State not only made the first 12-team field, but entered the bracket as the second-highest ranked team. The Nittany Lions were the sixth seed in what turned out to be the easiest draw in the first two rounds of the postseason. Penn State dispatched SMU and Boise State with relative ease.
Penn State ran business against Boise State
Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry react to Penn State’s 31-14 victory over Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, analyzing the evolution of Penn State’s offense and previewing their next challenge, the Orange Bowl matchup with Notre Dame.
Here comes the hard part.
James Franklin and his Nittany Lions are just two wins away from a national championship. But they’ll have to get through Notre Dame and the winner of Texas-Ohio State to do it, no easy task. They open against the Irish in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night in the first of two national semifinal games.
This is the stage on which Penn State sought to stand. These are games that count more than others, especially for a coach who is 1-14 against AP top five teams during his tenure. Boise State and SMU were ranked ninth and 10th by the CFP selection committee. Notre Dame was fifth.
This is an opportunity for Franklin to change the narratives surrounding him and his program. This is a chance for Notre Dame or Penn State to prove they belong among college football’s most elite.
Much ink has been spilled over the Irish, who beat Georgia in the quarterfinals to earn their biggest postseason victory in decades. Ohio State and Texas have been considered the national championship favorites since August. Of the four teams left in position, Penn State, which has the best chance to win, has been the least talked about.
But here are the Nittany Lions, rounding into form at exactly the right time as they try to win the program’s first state championship since . Coach of Notre Dame Marcus Freeman knows that.
“This is a very disciplined, hard-nosed football team, a very creative offense that uses a lot of different personnel, a lot of different formations,” Freeman said. “He’s going to make you be extremely disciplined in terms of your eyes and adjustments in terms of defensive football. I think their tight end, (Tyler) Warrenhe is one of the best players in the college football era, regardless of position.
“Both of their full-backs are extremely good players, and both are threats from home. They are powerful runners, they have speed, good balance, they are tough. I think they are extremely talented players, and the quarterback is playing as well as he has all season.”
Although all this is true – Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen are both 1,000-yard rushers and quarterbacks Drew Aller had some sensational moments against Boise State – those facts also raise questions about the way the first-year offensive coordinator is handling Andy Kotelnicki calls games. Sometimes it feels like it gets too cute and sly instead of just relying on running when it works well. But it’s also the offense that brought Penn State to the brink of a trip to the national championship game.
“The creativity we want, and that’s a big reason why he’s here,” Franklin said. “Explosive plays, which are typically related to creative plays. … When it works, everyone thinks it’s a great decision. Double pass to Tyler Warren to return it — if it didn’t work against USC, they’d be like, ‘Oh, God, they tried to get too cute,’ right?
“For us, we work on these things. We want to be aggressive. We want it to be just part of our identity; that’s what we do. And I think that creates a lot more headaches for the defensive coordinator and the defensive staff trying to prepare for these things.”
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
Last season, Penn State ranked 97th in the nation in plays from scrimmage that went at least 20 yards (with 47). This year, the Nittany Lions rank 20th (with 72 such plays).
“That’s probably the biggest difference in our offense this year, explosive play,” Franklin said. He said that’s why he hired Kotelnicki from Kansas in the first place.
Penn State has had an elite defense filled with future pros for years — and this year’s unit is no different, led Abdul Carterwho hopes to be healthy enough to play in Thursday’s semifinals. The difference between a very good season and a special one has to come on the offensive side of the ball. Coaching is also critically important.
The Nittany Lions have posted double-digit wins in six of Franklin’s 11 seasons at Penn State. They have never won 13 games in a season before. But number 14 is the most important, both because it is next and because it is big.
And that’s what this expanded playoff is all about. More teams can participate, but what you do when the lights are at their brightest is still the most important. It’s time for Penn State to step into the spotlight.
