Penn State Football: Predicting 2019 bowl game destination

How can Penn State football receive an invitation to the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, or Cotton Bowl? Here’s a prediction for where the Nittany Lions will go.

Penn State’s pipe dream of making the College Football Playoff might be over, but the Nittany Lions still have a very good chance of making a New Year’s Six bowl. Penn State currently has its eyes set on the Rose Bowl, but the Nittany Lions are also contenders for the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl.

The Nittany Lions came in 10th in the College Football Playoff rankings for the second consecutive week, but this week they are ranked ahead of Alabama and Auburn. With several more teams facing a loss in the conference title games, it won’t be a surprise if Penn State finishes better than 10th in the final rankings.

The most likely scenario is that Penn State will be heading to the Rose Bowl when championship week is all said and done. In a pretty cut and dry scenario, if Ohio State takes care of business against Wisconsin, then the Nittany Lions should get an invitation to Pasadena, Calif. Since generally the Rose Bowl takes the best Big Ten team not part of the College Football Playoff, another loss for Wisconsin should be enough for Penn State reach the Rose Bowl.

However, if Wisconsin manages to beat Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game, then Wisconsin would make it to the Rose Bowl (assuming they don’t receive a surprise invitation to the College Football Playoff).

If Wisconsin heads to Pasadena and only one SEC team makes the College Football Playoff, then Penn State would most likely get an invitation from the Cotton Bowl. In order for that to occur, the Nittany Lions would have to be one of the two top ranked remaining teams, but in that strange scenario, Penn State almost definitely would be the top ranked remaining team.

Championship Week Rooting Interest 

Put simply, Penn State fans want teams ahead of the Nittany Lions to lose and Ohio State to win.

1. Ohio State vs. Wisconsin, Big Ten Championship Game

Root for Ohio State to win big here. Even a close win from the Buckeyes should be enough to get Penn State to the Rose Bowl, but we don’t want it to get messy. A blowout win for Ohio State means an easy decision for the Rose Bowl Committee.

2. Georgia vs. LSU, SEC Championship Game

Root for Georgia in this one. If Wisconsin pulls off the upset of Ohio State, then Penn State will need the SEC to get two teams into the College Football Playoff in order to make the Orange Bowl. If both of those fail, then the Cotton Bowl will be the consolation prize for the Nittany Lions.

Bowl Game Prediction

My prediction is that Penn State will make the Rose Bowl and play the Oregon Ducks. I figured this prediction out by a couple simple factors. If Utah beats Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game, which I believe it will, and if LSU handles Georgia in the SEC Championship, then the Utes will most likely be heading to the playoff. Thus, the next ranked Pac-12 team will be 10-3 Oregon.