NCAA Football

Penn State lost the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30.
Penn State also played the game without four of its top players and saw a handful of other stars play only in the first half.
In this week's edition of the Penn Stated podcast, hosts Donnie Collins (The Scranton Times-Tribune) and Sam Fremin (The Citizens Voice) review the 38-25 defeat at the hands of Ole Miss at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta with an eye toward the game's greater meaning. With Nittany Lions fans frustrated by the performance, it's worth asking: Does a game played without Olu Fashanu, Chop Robinson, Kalen King and Johnny Dixon -- and with Curtis Jacobs, Adisa Isaac and Caedan Wallace playing just about a half -- tell us anything about what the Nittany Lions really were in 2023?
Also, and perhaps most importantly, does it have any meaning for 2024? Or is it, as one of the hosts suggested, a glorified exhibition that ranks ahead of only the Blue-White Game in importance among games played in the last calendar year?
In a landscape where opt-outs have become a major storyline outside of the College Football Playoff, does losing a New Year's Six game mean anything at all, really?
Donnie and Sam also discussed the theme of the season further, the apparent lack of development of the wide receiving corps, which didn't record a catch in the Peach Bowl until the fourth quarter. The hosts discuss that position, and even got some breaking news during the recording about a top transfer target committing to the Nittany Lions who could have a major impact on the position next year.
All that, and more. Including pressing discussions on...

• Hypothetically, would the Penn State fans who want to move on from James Franklin as head coach be welcoming to a replacement who might be eager to take the job, Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin?
• Why would the College Football Playoff even consider putting a Group of Five team in the 12-team championship tournament if they fall outside the top 12 in the rankings?
• Who will win the national championship?

To contact Donnie, drop an email at dcollins@scrantontimes.com, or send him a message on Twitter @PennStateTT.

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