Will Penn State Go to a Bowl Game? Does it Want to?

Michigan on Tuesday canceled its upcoming game against Ohio State, ending a rivalry streak that dates to 1918. It also guaranteed that just four teams can complete the Big Ten's regular-season schedule.

Penn State is among them, and coach James Franklin is proud of that, especially considering his team began the season 0-5.

"There's been some cracks [in the program] that have been exposed through this pandemic, but there's also been tremendous resiliency," Franklin said. "And I know this sounds strange, and I don't want this to be misinterpreted, but I'm also proud of that. I'm proud of how we have battled a lot of adversity and a lot of challenges."

Penn State, which is scheduled to host its Senior Day on Saturday against Michigan State, joins Indiana, Rutgers and Iowa as the only teams that can play a full eight-game regular season in the Big Ten. The other 10 teams have had games canceled, with Wisconsin and Maryland so far missing three games each.

Further, it's possible that Indiana's game Saturday against Purdue could be disrupted, as Purdue canceled practice Tuesday "to evaluate the results of recent COVID-19 testing," according to a release.

What happens after that remains in flux. Franklin said that the Big Ten has not contacted programs about possible Championship Week scenarios beyond the title game, which is scheduled for Dec. 19 at Lucas Oil Stadium. The conference had announced plans for crossover games between Big Ten teams but has provided no further details.

As it stands now, Penn State's potential crossover opponents could be Illinois, Purdue, Minnesota or Wisconsin, depending on how the regular season concludes.

Regarding a potential bowl game, Franklin called that "hard to predict." The NCAA removed any record requirements for bowl eligibility, meaning Penn State could receive an invitation at 4-5. This week, CBS Sports' Jerry Palm projected Penn State to play North Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30.

But will Penn State players and coaches even want to prepare for and play a bowl game, knowing it means being separated from their families and friends at Christmas? That's another question Franklin and several players saved for later, though the head coach praised his team's ability to avoid the opt-out decisions dotting other college football teams.

"There have been some really good examples of this team sticking together, of this team battling back at a time when other programs aren't, with guys tapping out or opting out and those types of things, and our guys haven't done that," Franklin said. "They've continued to battle, and I think that's a good sign about who our program is and what we've built here. And I also think it's going to be the same things that we're going to use to work through this and to get back to having the success we had the four years before. I think that's really important."

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