FOX analyst slams Penn State football’s B1G title performance, questions legitimacy of playoff berth

Penn State football is looking to finish off its best regular season since 2008 by capitalizing on this year’s College Football Playoff expansion. But while the Nittany Lions hope to make waves in the first 12-team playoff in the sport’s history, some in the national media spent the weekend questioning whether the program even belongs in the postseason.

At the end of Saturday night’s loss in the Big Ten Championship Game against top-ranked Oregon, FOX national college football analyst RJ Young took to social media to highlight the Nittany Lions’ poor track record against top five teams over the last quarter century. According to Young, Penn State football has only one win against AP top-five teams since 2000, with the program losing 12 consecutive matchups against such opponents.

But after the latest loss to the Ducks, Young openly wondered if the Nittany Lions deserve a spot in this season’s College Football Playoff. “Y’all really think this [the program’s record against top-five teams] is gonna change if you put Penn State in the CFP,” Young wrote on X.

1. Penn State is 1-24 vs. AP top-5 opponents since 2000.

2. Penn State is 1-14 against AP top-5 teams under James Franklin (lost 11 straight)

3. Penn State has lost 12-straight to top-5 opponents.

4. Y'all really think this is gonna change if you put Penn State in the CFP.

— RJ Young (@RJ_Young) December 8, 2024

Falling in an early 28-10 hole to Oregon on Saturday night, Penn State launched a furious second-quarter comeback to put the title tilt within striking distance. However, the Nittany Lions could not fully erase the Ducks’ margin, falling 45-37.

But now that they find themselves in the field, the Nittany Lions’ path to a National Championship is among the most reasonable in the entire bracket.

The Blue and White will host SMU in the first round of the inaugural 12-team playoff. If it wins its opening-round playoff game, Penn State will be off to face Boise State in Glendale for the Fiesta Bowl. The winner of that game will face either Indiana, Notre Dame, or Georgia with a national title berth up for grabs.

Kickoff in the first-round of the College Football Playoff between Penn State football and SMU is set for noon on December 21 in Beaver Stadium.

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