Nittany Lions ready to learn location of next bowl game
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LEWISTOWN -- Hold the sugarplums, Penn State Nittany Lion football fans have visions of Peach, Cotton and Fiesta bowls dancing in their heads.
Despite a disappointing loss to Michigan, Penn State is still expected to land a New Year's Day bowl with victories over Rutgers and Michigan State to wrap up the season. Most college football experts are expecting that to happen.
The only question is who will they play and where?
USA Today and ESPN project Penn State heading to the Fiesta Bowl to face future Big Ten foes Washington or Oregon.
The Fiesta Bowl is a fun game and Washington and Oregon are interesting opponents in any other year than right before joining the Nittany Lions' schedule on a regular basis. That being said, beating either of these teams would be a feather in the cap of a Penn State team looking to say that it can still beat the league's best.
Washington is on the Nittany Lions' schedule at Beaver Stadium in 2024, and the Ducks don't make the visit to Happy Valley until 2025.
That also seemed to be the overwhelming destination of choice for local Penn State fans. "Probably the Fiesta," said Brian Rothrock, of Lewistown. "(Penn State) played in the Cotton a few years back, 2019 if I remember."
The Bleacher Report has the Nittany Lions bound for the Cotton Bowl against Alabama. The Crimson Tide continue to lurk outside the College Football Playoff Top 4. Alabama is headed to the SEC title game, but it isn't expected to make the field.
CBS and ESPN's second pick have Penn State traveling to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl to face Alabama,
Tulane or Ole Miss.
Experts say the Peach Bowl has been the slight favorite to send the Nittany Lions an invite this postseason; it has just been a matter of who the opponent will be. Don't overlook the Green Wave, who beat USC in last year's Cotton Bowl.
Penn State fan Brian Heckert, of Reedsville, said it would be sweet to see the Nittany Lions go to Georgia for bowl season. "I hope they go to the Peach Bowl because a Penn State team has never played in that bowl," Heckert explained. "It would be cool if they played Alabama."
Any of these destinations would suit Penn State fan Garth Espigh of Milroy just fine. "I would say my order would be ... first - Peach because they haven't played there in quite some time, second - Fiesta because Penn State has never lost in the Fiesta and third - Cotton," Espigh said.
"But that could all change depending on the opponent," he added.
Kevin Lyter, of Thompsontown, also preferred the Nittany Lions to be Fiesta Bowl bound. "They've never lost in that game and have beaten some great teams, including that 1986 Miami team."