As the halfway point of the college football regular season quickly approaches, all the talk around Penn State football is still on the new 12-team College Football Playoff.

In the new playoff format, the four highest-ranked conference champions will receive a bye in the first round and move to the quarterfinals. Teams seeded No. 5 through No. 8 will host the first round at their home stadiums while teams seeded No. 9 through No. 12 will travel for the first round. The first four games will take place on December 20 and 21.

The Nittany Lions sit at No. 4 in the AP Poll, the highest they’ve been ranked since 2021 thanks to a 5-0 record. Penn State will travel to the West Coast on Thursday to take on USC on Saturday, October 12.

Analysts have the Nittany Lions slated to play in the first round of the playoffs, both hosting and going on the road.

Joel Klatt of FOX has the Nittany Lions visiting Knoxville, Tennessee, to take on No. 8 Tennesee. Penn State has lined up against Tennesee five times in the past and won three of those games. The last time these two teams met was in the Outback Bowl in 2007 when Penn State won 20-10.

Tennesee was ranked No. 4 before its loss to unranked Arkansas in week six. The Volunteers have scored at least 50 points in three of their first five games. Their only ranked win was away at No. 18 Oklahoma.

ESPN gave two projections, both involving Penn State home playoff games. Mark Schlabach predicted Penn State hosting a No. 7 vs. No. 10 matchup against Tennessee. Kyle Bonagura had the No. 6 Nittany Lions hosting No. 11 Boise State.

Jerry Palm of CBS Sports had Penn State going on the road to Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa, to take on No. 8 Iowa State. The Nittany Lions and the Cyclones have never met.

Iowa State is 5-0 through the first six weeks of the college football season. The Cyclones don’t have a ranked win yet but are tied with Kansas State as the favorites to win the Big 12.

Sports Illustrated’s Nick Shepkowski and USA Today’s Erick Smith have Penn State staying in Happy Valley to welcome Miami. Shepkowski had Penn State ranked No. 8 hosting No. 9 Miami. Smith had the Nittany Lions advancing to a quarterfinal matchup against Texas.

The Hurricanes and the Nittany Lions have played 13 times throughout the years. Penn State leads the series 7-6 with its last win coming in 2001. The two teams last met in the postseason in 1987 in the Fiesta Bowl. Penn State won 14-10.

The Hurricanes are undefeated in the 2024 season. They do not have any ranked wins but don’t lack in signature games. Comeback wins against Virginia Tech and Cal in primetime games are high points of the year so far for the Hurricanes, who are the favorite to win the ACC.

Andy Staple of On3Sports predicted for Texas A&M to come to Happy Valley to take on the Nittany Lions in a No. 6 vs. No. 11 game. The Nittany Lions are 3-1 all-time against the Aggies with their last win coming in 2007.

Texas A&M is No. 16 and holds a record of 5-1 with its only loss against No. 11 Notre Dame. The Aggies best win is against No. 21 Missouri.