The end of 2024 will be the end of the college football season for either Penn State or Boise State. On New Year’s Eve, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time from Glendale, Arizona, the Nittany Lions will square off against Boise State in the 12-team College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
The Nittany Lions (12-2) had an easy time of it against SMU last Saturday afternoon. They feasted on the Mustangs like they were a lowly MAC team. The only difference is State didn’t cut a big check for the pleasure of getting a beat down. The final score of 38-10 might have surprised some PSU fans. It didn’t surprise the players, who were at the top of their game.
The next game will be played at the site of the Fiesta Bowl, which Penn State and Boise State have fond memories. It was where the Lions won the 1986 national championship and where the Broncos upset Oklahoma 43-42 in overtime.
So, despite the higher seed going to Boise State, the Broncs won’t get a chance to host a playoff game on the famous blue turf.
The duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen gained 160 of Penn State’s 189 yards. Not surprisingly, the Lions will need to duplicate that effort against a stout Boise State defense that has allowed 115.4 yards per game. While Penn State might have the luxury of keying on Boise’s All-World running back Ashton Jeanty (2,497 yards), it remains to be seen if the Broncos can afford to pay too much attention to either Singleton or Allen. If they somehow neutralize one or both, they’ll have to account for Tyler Warren – and as a last resort – Drew Allar.
As good as all of the above are, you’re only as good as your next game. Something tells me that the Nittany Lions will be hearkening back to the tradition of past teams and how they shut down the likes of Marcus Allen and Hershel Walker. It will not be easy to stop Jeanty. Combining speed and power, Jeanty averages an insane 192 yards per game. He scored 29 of the team’s 42 rushing touchdowns and averages 7.3 yards per carry.
Boise State (12-1) scores an average of 39 points a game and gives up 21 points per contest. Compare that to Penn State’s average of 33 points scored per game and 15.93 points allowed. As they say, something has to give. With respect to Jeanty, if he rips off even one long gainer (his season-best is 77 yards), he can throw a monkey wrench into defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s game plan.
Penn State will have to be vigilant on defense and relentlessly aggressive on offense to have a chance to advance to the semifinals between the winner of Georgia and Notre Dame (Saturday, Jan. 1 at 8:45 p.m.)
Third-seed Boise State’s only loss is to top-seed Oregon (37-34) way back in September. Penn State lost to Oregon 45-37 in the Big Ten Championship on Dec. 7. The Nittany Lions also lost to Ohio State, 20-13, but when Ohio State lost to Michigan, Penn State punched its ticket to Indianapolis.
The Broncos, which played in the NAIA as late as 1969, early in Joe Paterno’s tenure as Penn State head coach and didn’t become an NCAA Division I (FBS) team until 1996, earned a berth in the CFP by virtue of winning the Mountain West Conference championship. Penn State, the sixth seed, was an at-large selection.
