Notebook: Penn State hands SMU 38-10 loss in CFP first round
Nittany Lions are heading to the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Eve.
Penn State had white hats on moments after their 38-10 defeat of SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff, a matchup between two conference runner-ups that was controlled by PSU completely. SMU never led in this game, and it was evident from the first quarter that they may not be ready to handle Beaver Stadium in December.
Those white hats had the word “Fiesta” branded across them, and that’s the next destination for this Nittany Lions team. Penn State is heading to the Fiesta Bowl for the eighth time in program history, the first since 2017, and more importantly, the first time as part of a path to the National Championship game.