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Penn State Football: 3 possible 2019 bowl game scenarios

By Shane Lunnen

STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 30: Tyler Rudolph #21 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates with teammates after recovering a kick against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the second half of the game at Beaver Stadium on November 30, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 30: Tyler Rudolph #21 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates with teammates after recovering a kick against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the second half of the game at Beaver Stadium on November 30, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

2. Orange Bowl

Jumping up a notch into a New Year’s Six bowl would be nice for Penn State. With the College Football Playoff semifinals being the Fiesta and Peach bowls, it takes away more at-large spots. However the Orange Bowl with its tie-in is still a possibility.

The Orange Bowl has a locked in agreement with the ACC. If the conference’s champion qualifies for the playoff this year, the next highest ranked ACC team will head to the bowl. If Clemson wins the ACC, they most certainly will head to the playoff leaving the runner-up Virginia heading to the Orange. If Virginia somehow scores the upset, they will still head to their first ever Orange Bowl so the Cavaliers are pretty much locked in.

The ACC team’s opponent is the highest ranked available team from the Big Ten, SEC or Notre Dame. This of course excludes the Big Ten and SEC champions and if either of those champions qualify for the playoff, it also excludes the next highest ranked teams in those conferences. They would be obligated to the Rose and Sugar Bowls.

For Penn State to end up in the Orange, they would have to finish ranked behind Wisconsin but ahead of most likely both Alabama and Florida.

Coincidentally, if the Lions end up facing the Cavaliers in the Orange Bowl, it will be somewhat of a rematch of their 2012 meeting in Charlottesville, a 17-16 Penn State loss. Virginia cancelled the 2013 game in Happy Valley in favor of playing Oregon instead and the two teams have yet to reschedule.

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