by Kyle Golik
Thirty years ago, arguably one of Penn State’s greatest teams went undefeated and was uncrowned during the 1994 season. Thirty years later, a not-so-perfect Penn State team set a program record with wins (13) and is one game away from the National Championship Game in Atlanta. Penn State improved to 8-0 all-time in the Fiesta Bowl with a 31-14 win over Boise State.
Some will question Penn State’s place among the nation’s elite programs due to their road to the Orange Bowl. At the end of the day, Penn State still had to take care of business.
The last time Penn State finished in the nation’s Top 4 was in 2005 when they finished No. 3 behind Southern California and Texas.
James Franklin opened his postgame comments summarizing the achievements the 2024 team has accomplished together as well as a first in program history, “Just a couple of things I’ll say, 13 wins, first time in program history. Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton both surpassing 1,000 yards in the same season. First time we’ve ever had two 1,000 yard rushers in the same season since joining the Big Ten. Then 34 wins over the last three years. We’re very, very proud of that. Consistency is hard to do, and our guys have done a great job at it.”
While the Nittany Lions have achieved some all-time highs in program history, there are those who are skeptical about Penn State’s place in college football’s pecking order and will instantly scrutinize the opponents they faced to reach the Orange Bowl.
Newly minted Power 4 status SMU Mustangs, who played in the ACC Championship Game, looked not-ready-for-prime-time in Beaver Stadium on December 21. The Group of 5 member Boise State, who was powered by Heisman Trophy runner-up running back Ashton Jeanty, had 104 rushing yards on 30 carries against Penn State, and received a No. 3 seed amongst the highest ranked conference champions.
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Many will scrutinize Boise State’s schedule, but even through their slate, the Broncos were tied entering the Fiesta Bowl with Penn State nationally with 6.6 yards per play on offense. Boise State finished second nationally to Vanderbilt with the fewest turnovers committed and ranked in the Top 10 in fewest sacks allowed and fewest tackles for loss.
At some point, you’ve got to give credit where it is due for the Broncos being a good football team, and that is why they were rewarded with the seed they achieved.
For now Franklin isn’t looking ahead to the Orange Bowl and the Sugar Bowl matchup between Notre Dame and Georgia, “Honestly, I want to enjoy this Boise win and this Fiesta Bowl win for a couple hours. We’re going to enjoy the new year. We’re going to enjoy this win for a couple hours, and then obviously we’ll start to get a little bit of a head start on these teams. But obviously, two great programs. Won a bunch of games. History, tradition, talent, coaching. At this point in the season, you’re going to play really good people, and we’re excited about that opportunity. But tonight, we want to enjoy this for a couple of hours. There will be plenty of time, and hours, to get focused on those next opponents.”
When I asked Franklin at Big Ten Media Days about falling short of elite status, Franklin said in his answer, “You’re talking about a program that can win 10 or 11 games and people are not happy or satisfied.” The lack of satisfaction from those who were not happy was due to not beating the Michigans and Ohio States of the world. Vicariously through those defeats they were not obtaining elite status in a system where perfection had to be achieved to be elite. It was always said, when the College Football Playoff expanded, Penn State would be one of the major beneficiaries and that has played out exactly this season.
Earlier in the season, Franklin said of wide receiver Omari Evans‘ journey to becoming an impact player on the Penn State offense, Evans also had a 38-yard touchdown reception against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, “Everybody’s journey is different. And we used to quote all the time, ‘comparison is the thief of joy.’ Run your race, and I know you guys got to see it.” With Penn State’s journey, it will be different than those who play in the Peach, Rose, and Sugar Bowls, and there is nothing wrong with it. Each team had to take care of business and not have their resume scrutinized. Penn State earned its place in; the question lies in whether they can make it to Atlanta and vie for something the program hasn’t competed for since 1986.
