No. 6. Penn State Nittany Lions
11-2 (8-1 Big Ten regular season)
What’s next: vs. No. 11 SMU at State College, Pa., Dec. 21, noon ET
Head coach: James Franklin (11th season, 99-41 overall at Penn State, 123-56 overall as head coach)
About Franklin: Penn State gets pounded for a poor record against quality competition. Franklin is 1-13 against teams ranked in the top 10 after the Big Ten Championship game loss to Oregon and 1-16 overall as a head coach at the FBS level.
Resume
If a game can be counted as a quality loss, there was ample optimism from the Penn State side after taking Oregon into the final minute of a 45-37 loss on Saturday night. But the Nittany Lions are 1-2 this season against teams in the Top 25 despite being 5-0 on the road and their two losses are to playoff teams in the Ducks and Ohio State.
Road to Atlanta
To reach the national title game, Penn State has to contend with No. 11 SMU in the first home postseason game in program history. Boise State (12-1) has a first-round bye and awaits the winner.
Postseason history
Franklin is 6-6 in bowl games in his career, which also counts going 2-1 at Vanderbilt, and he’s never piloted Penn State to consecutive postseason wins. His next victory would be his all-time best 12th in a season. The Nittany Lions are first-time participants in the College Football Playoff. They won national championships under Joe Paterno in 1982 and 1986.
Names to know
TE Tyler Warren
Warren projects as a first-round draft pick in the NFL if he bolts Penn State after a breakout season with 88 receptions for 1,062 yards and six touchdowns, plus four rushing touchdowns.
QB Drew Allar
Allar accounted for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) and 280 yards (226 passing, 54 rushing) against Oregon, but his decisions and delivery in critical moments have heaped criticism on the 6-foot-5 junior. He threw a pick to end Penn State’s final drive on Saturday, and the Ohio State loss, 20-13, was due in part to a pair of drives that didn’t yield points despite first-and-goal situations.
DL Abdul Carter
A 10-sack season only reveals part of Carter’s value. He’s one of the best all-around defensive players in the Big Ten because of his motor, leadership and athleticism. He was in on 60 tackles this season, a lofty number for a down lineman.
LB Kobe King
The Big Ten’s talent at linebacker is traditionally noteworthy and King fits the mold of LBU. A fourth-year junior asked to wear many hats, King has 72 tackles and three sacks.
–Field Level Media
