Update: As of Sunday afternoon, [December 4th] Penn State is expected to land at the Rose Bowl with Michigan and Ohio State both headed to the playoffs.
Penn State football finds itself very likely headed to a New Year’s Six bowl game this year, a fitting end to a 10-2 regular season that saw the Nittany Lions roll past nearly everyone on the schedule. A blowout loss to Michigan and a close loss to Ohio State kept this season from being something truly special, but after Penn State won just 11 games over the previous two years, getting back into double-digits is a vast improvement. Away from the field making a New Years Six bowl also means coach James Franklin will earn an extra $300,000 up from his $200,000 bonus for simply making a bowl game.
For fans who enjoy the ever changing world of bowl projections, the end of the year means the bowl window narrows greatly, especially for teams like Penn State, ranked No. 8 in the nation in the AP Top 25 [the latest College Football Playoff rankings are set to be released Tuesday night] and with far fewer middle to lower level bowl options on the table. In turn the Nittany Lions might be set to make a return trip to a familiar land, and could see a familiar face in the stands when they do.
Action Sports Network, Sports Illustrated, 247 Network, CBS, ESPN: Cotton Bowl against Tulane
At this point the stars are aligning pretty heavily towards the idea that Penn State will be making a return trip to Dallas to play in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Tulane boast a 10-2 record and is ranked No. 18 in the country. That being said, it’s safe to save the Green Wave isn’t the most exciting or eye-grabbing bowl opponent out there. The Cotton Bowl gets the benefit of selecting two at-large teams with no conference restrictions and this has often been the home of non Power 5 team of the year. Penn State played a fun game against Memphis just a few seasons ago, but between no bowl during COVID, a loss to Arkansas last season and Tulane this year, Penn State fans are still itching for a game to really sink their teeth into. Unfortunately for Penn State the Nittany Lions are the odd man out this year with Clemson, Alabama, Tennessee and Ohio State all still in the mix for bowls outside of the College Football Playoffs.
If Penn State were to be passed over by the Cotton Bowl, the Nittany Lions would likely end up in the Citrus Bowl or Orange Bowl.
