Even after Saturday’s deflating loss to the UCLA Bruins, there’s still a chance at the College Football Playoff for the Penn State Nittany Lions. Penn State has lost two games this season and will likely need to win the remainder of its regular season games to have any shot at the playoff following the surprising loss to the Bruins.
The offense wasn’t the issue for the Nittany Lions
Penn State’s offense still looked CFP worthy in Saturday’s loss, but the Nittany Lions’ defense couldn’t get off the field and allowed Bruins’ QB Nico Iamaleava to score five total touchdowns, which proved to be too much to overcome for Drew Allar and the rest of the Penn State offense.
The offense struggled for much of Penn State’s double overtime loss to Oregon and while the group scored just seven points in the first half, they converted big play after big play in the second half to get back in the game. As a whole, UCLA will have to improve mightily to get back into CFP contention but even during Saturday’s loss, it was apparent they had the talent to do so.
Updated College Football Playoff odds for Penn State
Nittany Lions Wire writer Kevin McGuire laid out Penn State’s chances to make a CFP run following the consecutive dejecting losses.
According to ESPN’s updated Football Power Index, following the results of Week 6, Penn State has just a 2.4% chance to reach the 12-team College Football Playoff. A total of 43 teams have a higher percentage of making the College Football Playoff, including East Carolina, James Madison, and Kansas. For a team that came into the season with a top-two ranking and national championship expectations, to be listed behind that trio of schools when it comes to playoff odds before the fall colors fully take over throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is unforgivable,” McGuire wrote. “Penn State will take a good look in the mirror this week and give us all an indication of whether or not this team is ready to fight the rest of the way or not this week when the Nittany Lions host Northwestern. Will they come out angry, or will it be more of the same we have seen every game this season with a sluggish offense unable to take control early on? More importantly, what will the defense do after its worst showing in years?”
What changes could be made to Penn State football?
Who knows what the ramifications will be for Penn State if they fail to make a late season run, could it result in head coach James Franklin being fired? The coach has become notorious for his struggles in big games but it’s hard to ignore the amount of success the program has had under Franklin.
Penn State didn’t throw the game away, UCLA took it
It wasn’t a sharp performance from Penn State on Saturday but they didn’t give away the game either. UCLA didn’t force a turnover or have huge plays on special teams, they controlled the pace and let the Nittany Lions get into desperation mode. Penn State opted to kill the clock at the end of both halves, if they were more aggressive in those opportunities perhaps they win the game and have a much better shot at the CFP.
Does Penn State’s schedule lighten up?
It doesn’t get much easier than UCLA in the Big Ten Conference but next the Nittany Lions will face another bottom-feeder in Northwestern. Penn State will need a win against the Wildcats before facing Iowa on the road, followed by Ohio State and Indiana before ending the regular season with three winnable games against Michigan State, Nebraska and Rutgers.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Penn State still has a shot at College Football Playoff, but odds tumbled after UCLA loss
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
