After the first set of College Football Playoff rankings for the 2024 season earlier this week, a potential trip for the Penn State Nittany Lions to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans to play No. 2 Georgia on Wednesday, Jan. 1, in the CFP semifinals put Hoppel in a holiday mood.

Of course, the matchup with the Bulldogs evokes magical memories of the 1983 national title when Penn State knocked off Georgia, 27-23, in the Sugar Bowl behind an MVP performance by Nittany Lion quarterback Todd Blackledge.

“The diving catch by Greg Garrity will always stand out in my mind,” said Hoppel of that memorable game. “It was also the second year in a row that Penn State played against the Heisman trophy winner.”

In Nittany Lion lore, the diving catch is just known as “The Catch.” Penn State’s defense had just snatched an interception and Blackledge stepped back and launched a bomb for a 47-yard play-action pass to wide receiver Gregg Garrity, who laid out for a diving touchdown catch to give Penn State a commanding 27-17 lead.

Photo courtesy of PENN STATE ATHLETICS
Georgia running back Herschel Walker is bottled up by a stout Penn State defense.

The Bulldogs scored late but the deficit was too much to overcome, giving Penn State its first national crown.

“Herschel Walker was a god in college football that year,” Hoppel added of Georgia’s legendary running back who went on to shine in the pros. “I remember all of the hype being about him, and Curt Warner having the better game.”

Yes, Curt Warner outdueled Hershel Walker, running for 177 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Nittany Lion defense held Walker to 103 yards with his longest gain just 12 yards.

Chad Kauffman, of Mifflintown, doesn’t have many memories of the game. But he still owns some Sugar Bowl memorabilia.

“I still have a plague on my office wall that my dad bought and I think we have a magnet on one of the filing cabinets of same,” Kauffman explained.

Photo courtesy of PENN STATE ATHLETICS
Penn State quarterback Todd Blackledge (14) talks to head coach Joe Paterno during the 1983 Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans.

First, Penn State, seeded sixth in this year’s 12-team field, would have to win a playoff opener against No. 10 Notre Dame at Beaver Stadium.

The Nittany Lions haven’t faced the Fighting Irish since 2007 when they rolled to a 31-10 victory. Penn State running back Austin Scott ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns as the Nittany Lions overcame an early pick six by quarterback Anthony Morelli.

The final postseason bracket will be released by the CFP Selection Committee on Sunday, Dec. 8, on ESPN.

Until then, Nittany Lions fan will see how the final four regular season games play out. Penn State hosts Big Ten newcomer Washington today in the annual White Out game.

The Nittany Lions then travel to Purdue and Minnesota before hosting Maryland in the season finale.

“I wouldn’t think, but you never know,” said die-hard Penn State fan Brian Heckert, of Reedsville, of Penn State maintaining its spot in the CFP.

“Other people are having visions of Sugar Bowls, but I’m still having nightmares of going up the middle three times.”

Heckert was referring to Ohio State’s goal-line stand against the Nittany Lions to preserve a 20-13 victory last week.

Can Penn State win out? Probably, he added.

“Do I think they are winnable games? Yes, but three of the four are trap games,” Heckert explained.

“I think Washington is better than people think,” Heckert said. “Minnesota has really improved, and Maryland will come up here and play hard.”

Four Big Ten teams are currently projected for the 12-team playoff.

Ohio State is seeded fifth and hosts No. 12 Boise State in its postseason opener. The winner of Ohio State-Boise State would meet No. 4 Brigham Young in the Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 31.

Indiana, the eighth seed, travels to No. 7 Tennessee in the current projections. The winner of Indiana-Tennessee gets top-ranked Oregon in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

No. 5 Texas and No. 11 Alabama tangle in an SEC matchup, with the winner facing No. 3 Miami in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1.

The first team out of the field is Southern Methodist, with Texas A&M being the second team out, the CFP committee stated.

The Orange Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 9, and Cotton Bowl on Friday, Jan. 10, will host the CFP semifinals in 2025.

The 2025 CFP National Championship will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.

Games are won and lost on the field and not on paper — with the polls.