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With their win against Maryland on Saturday, Penn State officially became bowl eligible. After opting to stay home for the bowl season at the end of the pandemic-ridden 2020 season, it is likely the Nittany Lions will return to the bowl season in the 2021 season. But with three games still to be played, Penn State’s bowl trajectory could still be considered flexible.
A quick glance at some of the updated bowl projections following Week 10 are suggesting Penn State is lining up to play in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee against an SEC opponent. It may not be the most glorious bowl destination that Penn State fans were envisioning a month ago, but Nashville could end up being a pretty fun trip, especially if the Nittany Lions are paired up with a program like Arkansas or Ole Miss, as projections from various outlets are currently forecasting.
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Kyle Bonagura of ESPN has Penn State taking on Arkansas in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30. Bonagura is not alone in that prediction. Jerry Palm of CBS Sports also has Penn State facing the Razorbacks in Nashville. Brad Crawford of 247 Sports also has Penn State playing in the Music City Bowl, although Crawford has Lane Kiffin, Matt Corral and the Ole Miss Rebels representing the SEC in the game instead of Arkansas. Watching Penn State’s defense against the Ole Miss offense would be a fascinating battle, but the game could easily turn into a bit of a shootout.
ESPN’s other bowl prognosticator, Mark Schlabach, has Penn State heading to a different bowl game, one that is familiar to James Franklin and the Nittany Lions. Schlabach has Penn State heading to the Pinstripe Bowl to take on Virginia on Dec. 29.
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There is still hope for Penn State playing in a New Years Day bowl game, although not a New Years Six bowl game. Steven Lassan of Athlon Sports has Penn State heading to the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1 to face off with former Penn State quarterback Will Levis and the Kentucky Wildcats.
Penn State still has three games left to play in the regular season, and picking up wins in the final three games would dramatically change Penn State’s bowl outlook. Wins in the last three games would include wins against Michigan and Michigan State, which would likely see Penn State rocket back up the rankings despite having three losses. But winning out would move Penn State up the Big Ten bowl pecking order.
Of course, going 3-0 in the final three weeks will be easier said than done. Penn State is a small favorite at home against Michigan in Week 11 and a road trip to Michigan State in the final week of the regular season will not be easy.
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