Penn State is one of 12 teams hoping to make a run for a national championship in the College Football Playoffs. The Nittany Lions must defeat SMU first, though.
SMU, the No. 11 seed in the CFP, will host Penn State, the No. 6 seed. Both of these teams lost their conference championship games and finished 11-2. SMU lost to Clemson at the last second in the ACC championship, while Penn State lost to No. 1 Oregon in the Big Ten title game.
In the days ahead, there will be a ton of articles, podcasts, and other content announcing Penn State’s CFP first-round matchup with SMU. Here’s a brief overview of what you should know, though.
DIRECTIONS FOR WATCHING
Date: December 21, Saturday
Time: noon
Location: Beaver Stadium
TNT/Max for TV and streaming
ODDS FOR BETTING
As stated by FanDuel Sportsbook.
Spread: -8.5 for Penn State
Moneyline: SMU (+250); Penn State (-315).
Above/Below: 53.5 points
PARTICIPANTS TO VIEW
(In parenthesis are the player’s jersey number.)
Tyler Warren of Penn State (44),For SMU’s defensive staff as well as the fans, Warren is the best player to watch. Warren forms a line across the field. You name it: Wildcat quarterback, tight end, receiver, etc. The most important chess piece at Penn State is Warren.
SMU running back Brashard Smith (1): Smith is a dual-threat who switched from receiver to tailback upon his transfer from Miami. In all, he has 18 touchdowns and 1,573 scrimmage yards (1,270 rushing, 303 receptions).
DE at Penn StateAbdul Carter, age 11:With 19 1/2 tackles for loss, he ranks third nationally, demonstrating how successful Carter’s transition from linebacker to defensive end has been. There’s a reason the unruly junior is a top-10 projected NFL draft pick.
Jared Harrison-Hunte, DL, SMU (81):Harrison-Hunte is a major factor in the Mustangs’ No. 4 run defense in the FBS. According to Pro Football Focus, the Miami transfer has the second-highest defensive tackle grade in the CFP field.
DATA TO BE Aware OF
(Ordering out of 134 FBS clubs.)
Offense scoring: SMU: 38.5 ppg (6th); Penn State: 33.6 ppg (25th)
Yards per play: SMU: 6.36 (26th); Penn State: 6.81 (6th).
Defense scores: SMU: 20.8 ppg (27th); Penn State: 16.4 ppg (8th).
Allowable yards per play: SMU: 4.65 (T-9th); Penn State: 4.65 (T-9th)
ADVANTAGES
Penn State: This is a well-rounded team with players who can win in a variety of ways. Along with Ohio State and Notre Dame, Penn State is one of three teams in the field that rank in the top 10 nationally in terms of both offense and defense yards per play.
SMU: The Mustangs have a potent attack that ranks sixth in the FBS in terms of both plays of 20 yards or more (72) and scoring (38.5 points per game).
DEFECTS
Penn State: A recurring theme has been slow starts. Six of the Nittany Lions’ 13 games this season have ended in a tie or a loss at the half. They lost to Oregon and Ohio State in those contests, going 4-2. When playing elite teams, you can’t place yourself in a bad position and expect to win.
SMU: Only one team that is presently in the top 25 of the committee has been defeated by SMU. The Mustangs turned the ball over six times during their victory over Duke in overtime. With 21 turnovers, SMU has the second-highest total of any club in the league (Texas has 22).
Stories by
Johnny McGonigal
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