Penn State has finished off the regular season at 10-2 and will spend this weekend waiting to see how conference title games shake out. Once they do, the Nittany Lions will know Sunday evening where they’re headed for postseason play. Be that Arizona, Texas or Georgia, it stands to reason Penn State will have yet another interesting postseason destination and dancing partner. Here are a few bowl projections from around the web. Plenty of parity still.
College Football News, ESPN: Washington in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1
A rematch of the 2017 meeting, nobody would have thought these two teams would ever end up being conference foes but here we are. Washington, which joins the Big Ten in 2024, is as much fun as it gets in college football this season and Penn State would get a crack at a truly marquee win if it could come away with a victory on the other side of the country. The only worry here is if if quarterback Michael Penix would sit out in favor of staying healthy ahead of the NFL Draft process should Washington miss the playoffs and end up in the Fiesta Bowl. One bridge at a time though. This might be less special of an opportunity because of future Big Ten schedules, but can’t argue with the Huskies’ quality this season.
ESPN: Texas in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 29
Texas will never be a boring brand to tangle with and the Longhorns would certainly travel well for an in-state clash. Penn State didn’t move the needle as much at the Cotton Bowl last time around but it’s safe to say that Texas would get fans on a plane far more than Memphis did a few years ago. The Longhorns are one of the few teams in Penn State’s potential bowl future of the last few weeks that aren’t a future opponent, and that’s always a point in their favor. Texas could very well enter the game as the Big 12 title winner and Quinn Ewers at quarterback would pit two top prospects against one another. Not to mention a once Buckeye against a hopeful Buckeye-cracker in Drew Allar.
CBS Sports, Action Network, Bleacher Report: Tulane and Missouri in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30.
Tulane is ranked No. 17 in the nation, a quality program and a team that won’t be as easy to beat as some fans might think — just ask USC last bowl season. That being said, it’s hard to deny that among the teams Penn State could play in a bowl that Tulane lacks the inherent excitement level that other programs possess. The Peach Bowl would be a first for Penn State and playing in Atlanta would be a nice change of pace for the Nittany Lions, but there’s no question that put up against the like of Texas, Washington or Missouri that Tulane isn’t the same sort of draw to the average fan.
Missouri is in the final stages of a great season and would be a fun wrinkle in the usual SEC teams Penn State faces in these bowls. Maybe not as much name recognition for fans but a better option than Tulane on that front.
