Penn State Sports Magazine
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many schools eager to see the field ex- panded to 12 teams in the coming years in the hope of breaking the duopoly that Alabama and Clemson have established by combining to win five of the past six national championships. If the playoff field does expand to a dozen teams, Penn State would seem- ingly be one of the biggest beneficia- ries. The Nittany Lions have yet to make their first playoff appearance, but they've gone into bowl season ranked in the top 12 of the CFP poll four of the past five years. Franklin sees those accomplishments as assets that help build interest in the program and open doors in recruiting. But there are no assurances that the success will continue, and even if there were, the program's goal is not simply to play in big games. Its goal is to play in the biggest games. "We've been in three New Year's Six bowl games in the past five years and have done some great things," Frank- lin said. "But at the end of the day, it's about championships, it's about getting to Indianapolis and it's about being able to compete for a national championship." ■ Some juicy new nonconference matchups are coming in the not-too-distant future for Penn State. In August, the Big Ten formally announced an alliance with the Pac-12 and ACC, and one of the key components of the partnership is a plan for teams in those three leagues to play nonconfer- ence games against each other in the coming years. With that in mind, let's rank the five most exciting potential matchups that this alliance could bring for the Nittany Lions. 5. Miami There's plenty of history to reference when it comes to this series. Penn State fans of a certain age will have fond memories of a 14-10 victory in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2, 1987, a win that earned the Nittany Lions their second national champion- ship. These two programs have met 13 times, but not since 2001. Under head coach Manny Diaz, the Hurricanes had a solid season in 2020 and entered the 2021 campaign ranked 14th in the Associated Press poll, though that ranking took a hit following a 44-13 loss to Alabama. 4. Oregon Our first Pac-12 representative on this list is the reigning conference champion and the league's flagship program, at least over the past decade or so. Oregon reached the national title game in 2015 and has made back-to-back New Year's Six bowl appearances the past two seasons, topping Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl in 2019 and falling to Iowa State in the Fiesta Bowl last year. This would be a new matchup for Penn State fans to enjoy. The Lions have played the Ducks only four times and have never been to Eugene. 3. Florida State Penn State has never played a regular-season game against the Seminoles, one of the most decorated programs in the ACC. This new alliance might change that. Penn State last met Florida State in 2006 in the Orange Bowl, where the Nit- tany Lions scored a thrilling 26-23 victory. Penn State has only taken on the Seminoles three times, with the series tied, 1-1-1. 2. USC Here's another storied program that could find its way onto Penn State's schedule in the com- ing years. The Trojans entered the new season ranked No. 15 in the AP poll and are looking to claim their first Pac-12 championship since the 2017 season. Penn State has met the Trojans in its past two trips to the Rose Bowl. 1. Clemson Ultimately, the choice for the most exciting potential matchup for Penn State seems clear cut. Clemson has participated in the College Football Playoff in the past six seasons, appearing in four national title games and winning two of them. The Nittany Lions and the Tigers have only met once before, a 35-10 Clemson victory in the 1988 Citrus Bowl. For Penn State fans and college foot- ball fans in general, this would be a thrilling clash. — David Eckert These Potential Matchups Could Enliven Future PSU Schedules The Big Ten's alliance with the ACC and Pac-12 could send the Nittany Lions to play in Clemson's famed "Death Valley" in the years to come. PHOTO BY ACTIONSPORTS/123RF.COM