Penn State football will end 2024 either advancing in the College Football Playoffs or watching its season end. Boise State stands in between a semifinal spot and the Fiesta Bowl trophy for Drew Allar and company.

Drew Allar’s College Football Playoff debut wasn’t the best game of his Penn State football career. It also wasn’t his worst But in the end, the Nittany Lions’ punishing run game, combined with a pair of pick-sixes, was more than enough for Penn State to defeat SMU 38-10 and take its first step toward a National Championship.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar scrambles from an SMU defender during the first quarter on Dec. 21, 2024. Joe Hermitt | [email protected] Joe Hermitt | [email protected]