A weekend rollercoaster of emotions for SMU fans, but the National Championship dreams are still alive. The Mustangs officially clinched a spot in the College Football Playoffs. NBC 5’s Keenan Willard caught up with fans.
The 106,572-seat Beaver Stadium, aka "Happy Valley," awaits the SMU Mustangs in the first round of the expanded College Football Playoff on Saturday.
The host venue, the second largest venue in the Western Hemisphere, is as notorious as any in the landscape of college football — home to the Penn State Nittany Lions.
A proud, tradition-rich football program, the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten in 1993 after years of success as a college football independent.
They’ve earned the Big 10 conference championship four times over the last three decades since joining the league, but the program still awaits its return to the very top of the college football landscape as national champions.
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Here's more to know about the two-time national champions ahead of Saturday's playoff game against SMU:
Who is Penn State's quarterback this season?
Drew Allar, 20, is the Nittany Lions' starting quarterback.
In 2024, Allar threw for 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a career-best 161.2 passer rating while leading Penn State to an overall record of 11-2. (the same record as the Mustangs).
Everything you need to know about the College Football Playoff
The expanded, 12-team event begins this weekend on four college campuses across the country. Over the next month, 11 games will be played to determine the national champion.
Perhaps more impressive was Allar's sophomore campaign where he threw for 25 touchdowns against just two interceptions.
He projects to be a first-round quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Who did Penn State beat in 2024?
The Nittany Lions best wins this season came during consecutive road contests at USC and Wisconsin. The team's one win over a ranked opponent came in late September when Penn State beat then No. 19-ranked Illinois at home, 21-7.
Who did Penn State lose to this year?
A Nittany Lion critic would be quick to point out the team lost its two hardest games — at home against Ohio State on Nov. 2 and vs. Oregon in the Big 10 championship game earlier this month.
What is Penn State's path to the national championship?
The Nittany Lions got the proverbial "dream draw" this year with home game against the last team in the field, plus a potential quarterfinal matchup against the Mountain West champion (see: No. 3-seeded Boise State).
If James Franklin's squad collects wins against each SMU and Boise State, then they will be looking at the national semifinals against either Georgia or the first-round contest between Indiana and Notre Dame being played Friday night.
How to watch SMU vs. Penn State in the College Football Playoff
TNT will broadcast the game from Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. Kick-off is 11 a.m. CT.
SMU-Penn State prediction
The Mustangs hang around and make this interesting, reaffirming the committee's decision to have them as the last team in the field.
Despite the kind sentiments to head coach Rhett Lashlee and his squad, the road test proves too much in this first-round contest.
The pick: Penn State 31, SMU 24
