what bowl is penn state going to this year
Penn State head coach James Franklin and Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops meet the press n Dec. 31, 2018, the day before the Citrus Bowl. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com
STATE COLLEGE — A week ago, Penn State was firmly in the mix for a spot in the College Football Playoff with an unblemished record. And while the Nittany Lions are still a contender despite their first loss of the year at Iowa, they're on the outside looking in, according to the latest round of bowl projections from college football analysts.
Penn State is ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll with a 5-1 record. There's a long way to go after the loss to No. 2 Iowa, especially with No. 6 Ohio State, No. 8 Michigan and No. 10 Michigan State remaining on the schedule.
But here's where analysts and observers have Penn State slotting into the postseason picture through six games in 2021.
Kyle Bonagura, ESPN: Outback Bowl (Jan. 1 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.)
Analysis: Bonagura has Penn State facing off with Ole Miss out of the SEC in the Outback Bowl. This would be a potentially fun matchup, given that Lane Kiffin's Rebels score a lot of points while also giving up plenty themselves. Ole Miss has plenty of impressive athletes on its roster, including quarterback Matt Corral.
Read more : 'I learned we're fighters': No. 7 Penn State faces latest test in rebounding from first loss at No. 2 Iowa
Mark Schlabach, ESPN: Vrbo Citrus Bowl (Jan. 1 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.)
Analysis: Penn State vs. former Nittany Lions quarterback Will Levis and Kentucky? Now that would be an intriguing matchup. Levis transferred to Kentucky this offseason and has the Wildcats off to a 6-0 start and a No. 11 national ranking. This matchup doesn't quite have the same novelty, given that these two teams played in his game three years ago with Kentucky beating Penn State, 27-24.
Jerry Palm, CBS Sports: Rose Bowl (Jan. 1 at Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.)
Analysis: Palm has Penn State facing Oregon in the Rose Bowl, which the two teams met in back after the 1994 season. The Nittany Lions downed the Ducks, 38-20, in that game. Oregon notched a signature win at Ohio State earlier this season but stumbled its last time out at Stanford. For what it's worth, Palm has Penn State as the No. 5 team in his College Football Playoff projection.
Read more : Penn State storylines for the bye week: What's next for James Franklin's 5-1 team after the Iowa loss?
College Football News: Outback Bowl (Jan. 1 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.)
Analysis: This matchup is projected to be Penn State vs. Florida, and the Nittany Lions defense against the Gators offense would be a fun one. These two teams last met after the 2010 season in this game with Florida scoring a 37-24 win over Penn State. The Nittany Lions have lost all three games against the Gators.
Brad Crawford, 247Sports: Rose Bowl (Jan. 1 at Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.)
Analysis: Like Palm, Crawford has Penn State-Oregon in the Rose Bowl. The Nittany Lions were last in the Rose Bowl after the 2016 season when they lost that thriller to USC.
Read more : Big Ten Power Poll: Buckeyes ascend, Lions descend, Hawkeyes pretend, Wolverines trend | Jones
Brett McMurphy, Action Network: Vrbo Citrus Bowl (Jan. 1 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.)
Analysis: McMurphy's projection has Penn State as four-point favorites over Ole Miss, which would be an interesting number.
Jim Tomlin, Saturday Tradition: Vrbo Citrus Bowl (Jan. 1 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.)
Analysis: Another pick for the Citrus Bowl, though this projection has Penn State facing Arkansas. The Razorbacks have been a feel-good story early this year, even with two straight losses, including a thrilling 52-51 defeat against Ole Miss over the weekend.
Read more : No. 7 Penn State enters bye week on heels of season's first loss: 'We have two weeks to get better now'
Daniel Gallen covers Penn State for PennLive. He can be reached at dgallen@pennlive.com . You can follow him on Twitter , Instagram and Facebook . Follow PennLive's Penn State coverage on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram and YouTube .
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what bowl is penn state going to this year
Source: https://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/2021/10/penn-state-bowl-projections-nittany-lions-still-in-mix-for-new-years-day-games-after-first-loss.html
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