Penn State’s College Football Playoff hopes are all but gone after the White Out loss to USC, and the bowl picture is starting to come into focus.
The 31-23 defeat left the Nittany Lions staring at a season that looks far less like a playoff chase and far more like a fight to simply reach six wins. The chance to bounce back from adversity and ride a manageable Big Ten path disappeared with the loss, and the season’s lack of a clear identity continues to hang over the program.
ESPN’s Football Power Index now gives Penn State a 0 percent shot at reaching the College Football Playoff. The Nittany Lions still have a 15.3 percent chance to win out from here, up from roughly 11 percent, but ESPN also lists them at 0.0 percent to make the national title game.
The Athletic’s view has shifted just as sharply. After projecting Penn State as a No. 8 through No. 11 seed during the first three weeks of the season, the outlet now has the Nittany Lions at less than 1 percent to make the playoff.
If the postseason is going to mean something for Penn State, it may have to come through a non-playoff bowl. Sports Illustrated projects the Nittany Lions to Tampa for a New Year’s Eve meeting with Florida in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
CBS Sports has Penn State headed to Charlotte for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, where the opponent would be Virginia Tech and a familiar collection of names: James Franklin, Ethan Grunkemeyer, Luke Reynolds and the rest of Virginia Tech’s roster.
In Other News...
Vanderbilts Next Two Games Just Put Bowl Hopes Under Pressure
The next stretch of Vanderbilts schedule carries real weight as the Commodores try to steady a season that opened with promise but has since hit a rough patch. Arkansas comes to Nashville for a 6 p.m. CT kickoff, and the timing matters because Vanderbilt is still working to reset after dropping three straight following its 3-0 start.
The SEC also announced a night game against Kentucky on Oct. 24, setting up another important test in the middle of a crowded finish. With Alabama and Tennessee still to come at home, plus road trips to Kentucky, Mississippi State and Florida, Vanderbilt does not have much margin left if it wants to stay on a bowl path. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Suddenly Has A Troubling Roster Issue Off The Field
A week of off-field uncertainty grew more serious for Vanderbilt when wide receiver Kayleb Barnett was arrested and the school moved quickly to separate him from the football program. The situation landed hard because it wasn't just a depth-chart matter, but a broader issue of conduct and standards for a team trying to keep its focus on the field.
Barnett had been charged with aggravated assault by strangulation, identity theft and false identification, and Vanderbilt said he violated team and university standards in removing him from the program. He posted bond afterward and is scheduled to appear for a court hearing on Nov. 13, leaving the Commodores with a troubling roster issue still playing out well beyond football. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Suddenly Has A Quarterback Depth Problem Behind Jared Curtis
Vanderbilts quarterback room took a hit in the game against Ole Miss when Blaze Berlowitz went down after helping lead a touchdown drive. He had been part of the offenses plan for the night before suffering the injury, and the Commodores now face an even thinner group behind starter Jared Curtis.
Berlowitz is set for surgery Monday on the broken collarbone, leaving Vanderbilt to sort out the backup picture in the short term. That job now falls to Whit Muschamp or Jack Elliott, a reminder of how quickly depth can become a concern in a position group where one injury can reshape the pecking order. [Read more 🡒]