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The first round of the College Football Playoff took place last week, and a lot of people were disappointed with the results as there were a lot of blowouts. Now, the quarterfinals are set, and there are supposed to be some terrific matchups as the teams that originally had byes will be in action. One of those teams that got to rest in the first round is the Boise State football team, and they will be taking on Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Eve.
With this new College Football Playoff format, Boise State was able to earn an automatic bid into the field as they were the highest-ranked non-power four team. They were also one of the four highest-ranked conference champions, so they got a bye in the first round. The Broncos have a difficult first matchup against a good Penn State team.
Before we talk more about this matchup, let's take a deeper look at both Penn State and Boise State.
Penn State was dominant in the first round
The Penn State football team did not earn a bye in the first round of the College Football Playoff, and they instead had a home game against SMU. The Nittany Lions had a crazy crowd behind them at Beaver Stadium, and that made things incredibly difficult on the opposition. Penn State cruised to a first round win.
A lot of people were wondering how Penn State would fare in their first CFP game because of James Franklin and his big game struggles. There were no issues in the first round, but the game was also one that the Nittany Lions were expected to win comfortably.
Boise State has a lot of doubters heading into this game
Boise State was good enough to earn a bye in the CFP, but there aren't a lot of people picking them to win this game. The spread is heavily favoring the Penn State football team. The Broncos have had an incredibly impressive season, however, and the Nittany Lions need to be prepared to take on a very good team.
The Broncos finished the year with a 12-1 record as they went 11-1 in the regular season before winning the Mountain West title game. The only loss that this team suffered was on the road against #1 Oregon, and they really should've won the game. The Broncos had a late lead in that game, but some special teams blunders cost them and they lost a heartbreaker on the road.
Boise State isn't a power four team, and they seem to have too many people doubting them ahead of this Fiesta Bowl matchup. The Broncos are going to come into this one with a chip on their shoulder because of it, and it will be exciting to see them in playoff action.
The Broncos will need to play a great game if they are going to come out with a win in this one. Here are three predictions for the Fiesta Bowl:
Ashton Jeanty will score two touchdowns
The big story surrounding the Boise State football team this year was the play of running back Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty had a historic season that we rarely see from a RB, and he did go to New York as a Heisman finalist. He didn't win the award, but he is definitely a top player in college football. Jeanty will need to have a big game for Boise State to have a chance, and he will do just that as he will score two touchdowns.
Maddux Madsen will throw two interceptions
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One reason Penn State was able to dominate their first round game against SMU was turnovers. The Mustangs put themselves in good positions early in the game to be in it, but two pick-sixes in the first half put them well behind 8-ball. The turnover battle is crucial in big games like this, and the Nittany Lions will win it in the Fiesta Bowl as Boise State QB Maddux Madsen will throw two picks.
Penn State will win a close one, 34-28
Penn State is a big favorite in this game, but Boise State is going to keep it close. Yes, the Broncos aren't a power four team, but they still looked like one of the best teams in the country all year long. The Broncos didn't just get in the playoff because they were the highest-ranked non-power four team, they were ranked in the top-12 regardless. It will be a good game, but the Nittany Lions will win 34-28.
Penn State and Boise State will kick things off in the Fiesta Bowl at 7:30 ET on New Year's Eve from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and the game will be airing on ESPN. Penn State is currently favored by 11.5 points.
College Football Playoff quarterfinal preview
The first round of the College Football Playoff was a bit disappointing, but the quarterfinal round should provide some more excitement. Here is a rundown of what will be going down on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Quarterfinal action in the CFP will begin with this matchup in the Fiesta Bowl as six seed Penn State and three seed Boise State will kick off at 7:30 ET on New Year's Eve.
New Year’s Day action will get started with five seed Texas taking on four seed Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. The Sun Devils got a bye in round one while the Longhorns took down Clemson at home. The Peach Bowl will kick off at 1:00 ET and Texas if favored by 13.5 points.
Game three of the round will be a great one as the top seed in the playoff, Oregon, will square off with eight seed Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. This is a rematch of one of the best regular season games of the year. The Buckeyes and Ducks will kick off at 5:00 ET.
The final game will go down in the Sugar Bowl between two seed Georgia and seven seed Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish took down Indiana in round one while the Bulldogs got a bye. This should be a good one as the Bulldogs are favored by two points. The two teams will kick off at 8:45 ET.
Hopefully the quarterfinal round provides some more excitement than round one, and it’s looking like it will.
