- Penn State fully embarrassed SMU in the quarterfinals, defeating them 38-10.
- Boise State had a CFP first-round bye after winning the Mountain West at 12-1.
- This will be the very first matchup between these two squads in their team history.
The first CFP quarterfinal is a New Year’s Eve Fiesta Bowl between two title contenders. Our Penn State vs Boise State prediction highlights a clash between RB Ashton Jeanty and Penn State’s top defense.
Penn State Faces Tough Test
Coming off of their blowout win over SMU, Penn State enters this game favored to win by 11 points. They are closer to the top of the pack than many expect, but don’t expect Boise State to be as much of a pushover as SMU. The strides taken by QB Drew Allar this season are notable and will be key for the Nittany Lions. If their offense is humming, they can go step-for-step with Jeanty and their defense can be the difference maker. However, if Allar and the offense struggles, Jeanty will run right past them.
Boise State Relying on Jeanty
Heisman finalist Ashton Jeanty rushed for just under 2,500 yards and 30 TDs this season, while averaging 7.3 yards per carry. He also sat in the second half of a few blowouts, making his numbers even more impressive. While Jeanty was snubbed for the award, he successfully carried Boise State to their first ever CFP appearance. The Broncos are a capable team across the board, but will be heavily relying on Jeanty to pressure a very strong Penn State defense. They need him to rush for 200+ yards.
Penn State vs Boise State Prediction: Broncos Snag Win
I went back and forth on this one for a while. Both of these teams are underrated. My initial instinct was to assume a similar result as the Penn State vs SMU game, but I think that’s a trap. Boise State was far more deserving of a CFP bid than SMU, who had no business being in the field after losing to Clemson. The difference maker is of course Ashton Jeanty. I don’t see Penn State slowing him down.
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