Welcome to the College Football Playoff, folks.

Penn State football and SMU will play in Beaver Stadium for each program’s first-ever playoff appearance. Both teams are coming off disappointing conference championship games. The Nittany Lions fell to Oregon 45-37 and the Mustangs lost to Clemson 34-31 off a game-winning field goal.

Penn State is over a touchdown favorite against SMU, and our staffers think Penn State will be booking a ticket to Glendale, Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl.

Fernando Martinez Ruiz De Esparza (13-0): Penn State 31, SMU 20

Folks, this is it.

The Nittany Lions will finally make their first College Football Playoff appearance where they face a good SMU team. This is James Franklin’s best chance to win a big game, and it will be interesting to see if he can get the job done.

Despite the loss against Oregon in the Big Ten Championship, Penn State played well as it outgained the Ducks and put a lot of points against a talented Oregon defense. I understand that losing Beau Pribula is going to hurt this team, but the offense still has a lot of playmakers to cause trouble to SMU’s defense. If Penn State’s defense recovers from that horrid performance in its last game and the offensive firepower like Tyler Warren plays well, this team is destined for the Fiesta Bowl.

As for SMU, this team is no joke. It deserved to make the playoffs and will be coming into this matchup very motivated to recover from their last loss in the ACC Championship against Clemson. The Mustangs have a lot of firepower on offense in quarterback Kevin Jennings and running back Brashard Smith. This offense can cause a lot of problems for a Penn State defense that showed a lot of vulnerabilities against Oregon. SMU can upset the Nittany Lions.

However, there are too many factors in favor of Penn State. With this game in Beaver Stadium in front of a White Out atmosphere and cold weather on the horizon, I just think it will be too much for SMU to overcome. The Nittany Lions win this game and will head to Arizona to take on Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.

Michael Siroty (11-0): Penn State 27, SMU 17

SMU is not a bad team by any means and despite flying under the radar for a lot of Penn State fans, I think it’ll put up a good fight. However, not only will it be cold, but Penn State has been tested through the last few weeks of the season, and I think it’ll handle business. A slow start is what I expect, but the Nittany Lions will eventually win by 10 and advance to the quarterfinals. 

Cooper Cazares (12-0): Penn State 28, SMU 16

Penn State was so close to knocking off Oregon in the Big Ten Championship. The biggest question is can they replicate the offensive production in the playoffs? I want to hope so given the defense was picked apart by the Ducks in Indianapolis. This game is going to be closer than people think but the Lions roll to the quarters. 

Jamie Lynch (11-2): Penn State 45, SMU 18

Give me the College Football Playoff. Give me Beaver Stadium in December. Give me the Penn State Nittany Lions to win and cover.

I cannot wait for this game. I have waited a long time to watch the blue and white in the playoffs and to have the opportunity to watch it live will be a thrill.

On paper, Penn State has a better roster when compared to SMU. This doesn’t always guarantee a win, but I think the physicality of Penn State’s defense, combined with the cold weather and crowd noise, will be enough for the Nittany Lions to limit Kevin Jennings and the Mustang offense.

I will admit, I am still a little concerned after hearing that Beau Pribula entered the transfer portal and won’t be available for the duration of the playoffs. The Penn State offensive line will need to continue to do a good job of protecting Drew Allar so the loss won’t become a major factor. I am intrigued to see if Ethan Grunkemeyer will be involved in Andy Kotelnicki’s scheme.

Whatever the case, I think the team from Happy Valley will be ready to shut down the underdogs from the south. Win, and let’s get this fiesta started in Glendale.

Dillon Williams (3-0): Penn State 35, SMU 21

This is a very interesting matchup. Personally, I think that the weather and crowd environment will be a huge factor in this game. I’ve seen reports that SMU is trying to prepare themselves for their environment but simply put, there’s no replicating the Beaver Stadium environment.

On a football aspect, SMU is a very talented team, led by their star quarterback Kevin Jennings. SMU also has a great defense, particularly when it comes to stopping the run. With that being said, I expect Penn State to air the ball out against the Mustangs and jump out to an early lead.

I’m expecting a huge game from Mackey Award winner Tyler Warren as well as a great overall performance from Drew Allar. Penn State is going to make the home fans happy when they win by two scores and advance to the Fiesta Bowl.

Charlie Pegler (1-1): Penn State 41, SMU 17

Drew Allar is him. Abdul Carter is him. Tyler Warren is him. That’s really all I’ve got.

We’re the better team and we will show it on the field come Saturday at noon. SMU for sure has some raw talent, but welcome to the big league ponies. We Are!

Nolan Wick (12-1): Penn State 34, SMU 24

Although both offenses are capable of putting up a ton of points, I’m going with a close nail-biter that goes Penn State’s way.

Simply put, home-field advantage is going to be critical. A White Out with below-freezing temperatures, even if it’s at noon, should make SMU uncomfortable. However, the Mustangs are good enough to make this a fight, and they could even win if Penn State’s defense plays like it did against Oregon.

I envision the defense being much-improved, but Kevin Jennings, Brashard Smith, and Co. are good enough to make noise. But at the end of the day, Penn State’s ability to avoid chaos, especially at Beaver Stadium, will be too much for them to overcome.

CJ Doebler (12-1): Penn State 34, SMU 17

I think Penn State gets its first College Football Playoff win in its first-ever College Football Playoff game this Saturday. Kevin Jennings and the SMU offense are going to present a different type of offense than the Nittany Lions have seen this year, but it shouldn’t be an issue with Penn State’s monster defensive line.

The offense will get rolling against the Mustang defense, and I don’t think the shortened quarterback room will have any effect on the offensive scheme. If anything, I think it will just add another element of surprise similar to that of the first few times the Pribula package was used.

Book the flight to Phoenix, folks.

Mitch Corcoran (12-1): Penn State 27, SMU 17

I think this will be a competitive game in the first half. I can see both sides struggling off the start, and it will probably be 10-7 Penn State at halftime. However, I think the Nittany Lions will have a strong second half and win their first-ever College Football Playoff game.

SMU’s offense will be a problem for Penn State, but the Mustangs’ offense is turnover-prone. I think they make some mistakes and I expect the Nittany Lions to play clean football. I am also not too impressed with SMU’s defense and expect Penn State to put up a lot of yards and points.

This won’t be an easy game by any means, but I think Penn State is more talented and has the better overall team.

Joe Lister (11-2): Penn State 34, SMU 25

Penn State is better at football.