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The first ever 12-team College Football Playoff is almost here. The regular season is done, conference champions have been crowned and the field is set. This is a major change in college football that fans have been excited for, and on December 20th, the playoff will get underway. Things will start with first round games being on the campus of the higher-seeded teams. This is the first time that playoff games will be played on campus, and one of them will be at Beaver Stadium as Penn State will be playing host to the SMU football team.
Both Penn State and SMU played in their conference championship games last weekend, and both of them lost in heartbreaking fashion. The Mustangs lost on a last second 56-yard field goal, and Penn State threw an interception on their final drive of the game as they looked to send things into overtime.
Before we talk more about the Penn State football team and this matchup, let's take a deeper look at both of these team's seasons.
Penn State finally made the College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams was huge for teams like Penn State. The Nittany Lions have been good under James Franklin, but they have always had issues getting past Michigan and Ohio State. The Wolverines and the Buckeyes were the top dogs in the Big Ten that would win the conference and get into the playoff.
This year, Penn State still lost their two biggest games of the season, but they were able to finally qualify for the College Football Playoff because of the expansion. The Nittany Lions are 11-2 with losses to Ohio State and Oregon, and they will host a first round game in the playoff.
Obviously it was a disappointment for Penn State to lose in the Big Ten title game, but it actually helped the Nittany Lions with their draw. Had they won, they would've gotten a bye, but they would've had to play Ohio State or Tennessee in the quarterfinals. Now they get a home game against SMU, and if they win, they get to play Boise State. This draw worked out great for the Nittany Lions.
SMU had a very successful first year in the ACC
The SMU football team didn't win the ACC in year one, but they came very close. The Mustangs cruised through their conference schedule this season and they finished with an undefeated record in conference play. Most people expected them to take Clemson down in the ACC title game, but Dabo Swinney and the Tigers showed that they still have some left in the tank.
SMU couldn't get it done in the ACC title game, but this has still been a wildly successful season. The Mustangs finished the regular season with an 11-1 record and they made the College Football Playoff. They have a chance to make this special season even better if they can find a way to go on a run.
The Mustangs have a big opportunity in front of them, but this one thing could hurt their chances.
SMU hasn’t been battle tested
One thing that could hurt the SMU football team in the College Football Playoff is that they haven’t been battle tested this year. The ACC just isn’t as strong as the Big Ten and the SEC. It’s just not. Beaver Stadium is one of the toughest places to play in the entire country, and the Mustangs have to go in there in the first round. It won’t be easy, and they haven't played anywhere like that this year.
SMU didn’t have to play Miami or Clemson during the regular season. They have zero wins against teams currently ranked in the top-25. SMU lost to the one team they played that is currently ranked. The Mustangs haven’t shown anything that suggests they can win at Penn State.
Penn State and SMU will kick off at noon ET on December 21st from Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania, and the game will be airing on TNT and streaming on Max. The Nittany Lions are currently favored by nine points.
College Football Playoff preview
December 20th is when the College Football Playoff will officially get underway, and this one is going to be a lot of fun. The playoff has expanded from four teams to 12, so that means we get more football and a longer season. Let's take a look at what the playoff will look like this year.
The first game of the College Football Playoff will go down on a Friday night in South Bend, Indiana as seven seed Notre Dame will be hosting 10 seed Indiana. The battle for the Hoosier state. Both of these teams are sitting at 11-1, and the Fighting Irish are favored by 7.5 points. This one will kick off 8:00 ET and the game will be airing on ABC/ESPN.
Up next will be this game that we have already discussed between six seed Penn State and 11 seed SMU. There will be a white out in Happy Valley for the first ever College Football Playoff game featuring the Nittany Lions.
The afternoon game on the 21st will feature five seed Texas and 12 seed Clemson. The Tigers will be hitting the road to take on the Longhorns, and they are big underdogs. This game will kick off at 4:00 ET and it will be airing on TNT and streaming on Max. Texas is favored by 11 points.
The final game of the first round will take place under the lights in Columbus. Eight seed Ohio State will kick off against nine seed Tennessee at 8:00 ET, and the game will be airing on ABC/ESPN. The Buckeyes are expected to take that one as they are favored by 7.5 points.
We have four other teams that have not been discussed yet as the top four seed received byes into the quarterfinals. One seed Oregon will play the winner of Tennessee and Ohio State on New Year's Day in the Rose Bowl. Two seed Georgia will play the winner of Notre Dame and Indiana on New Year's Day in the Sugar Bowl. Three seed Boise State will play the winner of Penn State and SMU on New Year's Eve in the Fiesta Bowl. Lastly, four seed Arizona State will play the winner of Clemson and Texas on New Year's Day in the Peach Bowl.
This is a College Football Playoff format that we have never seen before, and it is going to be a fun one.
