After crawling back to a 3-5 record after the worst start in program history, Penn State football is officially in the bowl conversation.

Although the glamorous New Year’s Six bowls and Big Ten titles of year’s past aren’t in the cards this year, the Nittany Lions may still have something to play for in late December. Most college football analysts predict that Penn State will end up in either the Duke’s Mayo or Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Sporting News’ Bill Bender, and CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm all predict Penn State to play in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Bender and Palm believe the Nittany Lions will play N.C. State in this bowl, while Schlabach thinks Virginia Tech is a more likely option.

The Duke’s Mayo Bowl will kick off at noon Wednesday, December 30 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. This would be the Nittany Lions’ first time playing in this bowl.

Another projected location is the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura believes Penn State will play West Virginia in the bowl, while 247 Sports’ Brad Crawford projects TCU as the Nittany Lions’ opponent.

The Guaranteed Rate Bowl will begin at 10:15 p.m. on Saturday, December 26, at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. This bowl, which has undergone many name changes, has never featured the Nittany Lions.

Before going bowling, Penn State needs to take care of Illinois this weekend at Beaver Stadium. The “Champions Week” matchup will kick off at 5:30 p.m. on FS1.