As August begins, our itch for college football is growing uncontrollably. Penn State opened fall camp on Monday and programs around the country are hitting the practice field with the hope of having a successful season in the fall. For Penn State, the goal is to rebound and be more of a player in the Big Ten title race than the past two seasons have netted. But with the start of fall camp comes updated bowl projections from some of college football’s finest experts.
Bill Bender of The Sporting News took some time on Monday to provide his fresh batch of bowl projections for the upcoming college football season, including a possible bowl destination for the Nittany Lions. Unfortunately, Bender doesn’t see Penn State playing in the College Football Playoff or a New Years Six bowl game. Bender doesn’t even see Penn State laying in a traditional January 1 bowl game.
Instead, Bender’s bowl projection for Penn State has the Nittany Lions heading to Nashville, Tennessee to play in this season’s Music City Bowl on Dec. 31. Bender’s bowl projection for The Sporting News pairs Penn State up against LSU from the SEC in the Music City Bowl, which would make for a fun New Years Eve matchup.
Penn State has never played in the Music City Bowl, although the game had bowl tie-ins with the Big East, ACC, and SEC for the majority of its history. The Big Ten, replacing the Big East, had a four-year stint with the Music City Bowl from 2002 through 2006 before being replaced by the ACC. The Big Ten and SEC are paired up against each other in the Music City Bowl in a contract that spans from 2020 through the 2025 season.
Head coach James Franklin is no stranger to the Music City Bowl, of course. In 2012, Franklin coached Vanderbilt to a 38-24 victory over NC State in the Music City Bowl to finish with a top 25 ranking for the Commodores. Franklin’s successful 2012 season with Vanderbilt helped fuel his candidacy to become Penn State’s next head coach following Bill O’Brien’s departure to the NFL.
Purdue won last season’s Music City Bowl with a 48-45 victory in overtime over Tennessee. Penn State opens the 2022 season on Thursday, September 1 at Purdue.
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