Timing is everything — on the football field, where a blitz pickup by a running back can mean the difference between a long touchdown pass and a concussed quarterback, or in life, where the person you go on to spend 75 years with might not have given you a second glance at the bar if she hadn’t just been dumped by her boyfriend.
Penn State’s timing, while not exactly ideal in the fourth quarter against Ohio State this fall, could wind up being not that bad at all in future seasons — placing them “On The List” instead of arguing with the CFP bouncer outside the velvet ropes. In other words, yes, it would have been nice for the Nittany Lions if the decision to expand the playoff field from four teams to 12 had taken effect this month instead of 2024, as they would have been comfortably in the field.
As it stands, their chances of securing a spot in the top 12 going forward seem as good as most for several reasons, though the line will likely remain quite slim and subject to movement.
