Will Penn State Football Finally Break Through to The Playoff? Josh Pate Weighs In

The 2024 college football season is finally here. In just a few days, Penn State Football will head to Morgantown, West Virginia, to take on the Mountaineers in a rematch from the last season in Happy Valley, which favored the Nittany Lions 38-15.

West Virginia will be looking for revenge this time on its home turf, and this game is one of a few Penn State will have to win if it wants a chance in the new 12-team playoff.

Penn State is a challenging subject to discuss on the national stage because it is a team that wins every game it’s supposed to but usually fails in the big games. That’s why it has never made the playoffs.

However, with the 12-team expansion, the Nittany Lions set themselves up for a great chance to see the postseason, and one national media host has high hopes for them.

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Pate State Bullish on Penn State Football

Penn State Football, Abdul Carter — Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)

Josh Pate from 247sports and CBS thinks this year’s Penn State Football team has a great chance of making the playoffs and finishing with a 10-2 record.

Pate even thinks that Penn State’s best-case scenario is to go undefeated because the most challenging game they play is against Ohio State at home, which is very winnable. Their three most brutal road games are against USC, Wisconsin, and West Virginia, and the Nittany Lions should be the better team in those games.

Right now, the Nittany Lions only have two opponents inside the Top 25: USC and Ohio State, so Pate is picking them to win ten games this upcoming year.

Penn State has not beaten Ohio State since 2016, so it is still challenging to ask them to do it even though they are home and could slip up on the road somewhere.

Pate thinks a 10-2 record is good enough to make the playoffs, but he is curious if it will be good enough to make the Big Ten title game.

MORE: Drew Allar Listed Among Big Ten’s Premier Quarterbacks by Top Analyst

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Daniel Fisher

Penn State Football Reporter at NittanyCentral

Fisher covers Penn State Football for NittanyCentral. In addition to his work for NittanyCentral, Fisher also writes for a few other sports outlets: Gridiron Heroics, where he covers college football and the NFL, and Stadium Rant, where he is a head editor and covers all major and college sports.

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