This is the SMU Mustangs' first year at a Power Four conference and they proved that they belong by being the top team in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the regular season with a 10-2 record. If it weren’t for a late special teams blunder, they may have completed an unlikely comeback in their ACC Championship game against the Clemson Tigers.
Their reward in the end is a berth at the College Football Playoff and a date with the Penn State Nittany Lions, who are also licking their wounds after losing the Big Ten Championship game in heartbreaking fashion to the Oregon Ducks.
The game will be played at Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA as the opener for TNT’s triple header at noon ET on Saturday. The winner will face the No. 3 Boise State Broncos in the next round at the Fiesta Bowl.
Can SMU beat Penn State?
While this may be the first year of SMU in the big leagues, they proved that they are no pushovers as they went 8-0 in conference play. Leading their attack is dual-threat quarterback Kevin Jennings, who completed 66% of his passes (227/344) for 3,050 yards and 22 touchdowns while also being the team’s second-leading rusher, racking up 379 yards on the ground and adding five touchdowns.
Running back Brashard Smith will also be key on their offense as he is their leading rusher with 1,270 yards on the season and six games where he rushed for more than 100 yards.
On the other side is Penn State who is being led by a two-headed rushing tandem of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. They both carried the bulk of the rushing attack this season, going for a combined 1,660 yards and 13 touchdowns. Drew Allar has proven to be reliable as well this season under center, throwing for 2,894 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Coach James Fraklin will be feeling the most pressure on the team, as his struggles with ranked opponents are well-documented. He might be feeling the heat in his coaching seat.
Who is favored to win the SMU vs Penn State game?
FanDuel, BetMGM and DraftKings all have the same lines with Penn State going in as an 8.5 favorite. The over/under is set at 53.5 which indicates a possible shootout between two relatively dynamic running offenses. The money line is set at -330 for Penn State and +260 for SMU.
How many national championships does SMU have?
The Mustangs have won three national championships in their history, winning them in 1935, 1981 and 1982. This was during the time when national champions were named by panelists. Notably, this is the Mustangs' first appearance in the College Football Playoff.
How many national championships does Penn State have?
The Nittany Lions have won two national championships in their history with theirs coming in 1982 and 1986. They only recognize those two as their championships because they were unanimous or near-unanimous selections in those years, but they could lay claim to as many as seven national titles. This year is also the Nittany Lions’ first appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Who do you think will win when the SMU Mustangs take on the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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