Book the flights to Miami, folks.

Penn State football defeated Boise State 31-14 in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff Tuesday night and are this year’s (last year’s?) Fiesta Bowl champions.

Penn State awaits the winner of the Sugar Bowl, between Georgia and Notre Dame, in the Orange Bowl with a spot in the national championship on the line.

Tuesday’s game, though, wasn’t always smooth sailing, leading to a lot of takes for our football writers to break down.

James Franklin Won A Big Game (Again)

CJ Doebler: After the win over SMU in the first round, I was on the fence. A 38-10 win felt more like the UCLA matchup in early October than a College Football Playoff game. The Fiesta Bowl, though, is a different story. It’s a New Year’s Six bowl, there’s a trophy presentation, and Penn State is now one of four teams still playing football.

This moment felt bigger, and the Nittany Lions delivered.

Mitch Corcoran: Every win in the playoffs is a big win because it keeps your season alive. I’m not going to tell you Boise State was an elite team, but Penn State played well and won comfortably.

Nolan Wick: Yep, Franklin just won his second big game in a row. After trouncing SMU, the Nittany Lions defeated the Broncos by three scores. Both are big games because they’re playoff games, but the implications of winning the Fiesta Bowl are bigger. Penn State is an undisputed top-four team in America now, and it’s clearly comfortable in big settings right now.

Phil Trautwein Deserves More Recognition

CJ: Absolutely. The Nittany Lions are allowing 1.27 sacks per game and, after losing three starters since last year, haven’t been the liability some thought they would be. Boise State got to Drew Allar four times during the Fiesta Bowl, but both running backs ran wild behind the front lines and combined for 221 yards on the ground. Being a bully up front will pay dividends for Penn State as they continue through the tournament.

Mitch: I really like what he did with the offensive line this season after losing three starters to the NFL a season ago. Nolan Rucci turned was a big pickup from the portal, especially after Anthony Donkoh got hurt.

The line didn’t always look its best against Boise State, especially against the blitz. The Nittany Lions gave up four sacks the nation’s No. 2 sack defense. However, on a few of Allar’s touchdown passes, he had all day in the pocket, and Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton were running wild all night long.

So, overall, I think Trautwein has done an excellent job this season.

Nolan: Trautwein has worked wonders during his time at Penn State, especially with player development. For example, he turned a three-star Olu Fashanu into a first-round draft pick, and Donkoh, who has a similar build, already looks like a budding star at right tackle. The offensive line has generally played well this season, and it’s a testament to Trautwein’s coaching ability after losing three starters to the NFL and Donkoh to injury against Minnesota.

The Running Backs Are The Offense’s Largest Asset

CJ: While Tyler Warren has been a force for most of the year, the running back room complementing him makes the Nittany Lions a lot more whole. Allen led the backs with 134 yards while Singleton finished with 87 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown run that ended up being the dagger.

There were flashes of a passing game against Boise State, but Penn State’s success is going to come down to Warren and the backs.

Mitch: Correct. Warren has been the best player on the offense, but he’s just one player. Allen and Singleton are the largest asset because they are two fantastic running backs who have been playing at the top of their games recently.

Running an offense becomes easier when you have two backs who can run for over 220 yards and a touchdown in the playoffs.

Nolan: Allen and Singleton have taken this offense to another level as of late. It’s not just that they’re good, but their playing styles give opponents headaches. That’s on top of dealing with Warren and Allar’s capabilities. The duo’s performances give Penn State another way to beat you.

The Defense Had Its Best Performance Against The Broncos

CJ: Ashton Jeanty ended his season ranked second all-time among running backs with 2,601 yards. Penn State held him to his lowest rushing total this year as he finished with 104 yards on the ground and no touchdowns with a long of 26.

Boise State didn’t see many talented defenses this season, but against Oregon, Jeanty ran for 192 yards and added three touchdowns as the Broncos took the Ducks to the brink. Take a bow, Tom Allen.

Mitch: For sure. The defense held the nation’s leading rusher and Heisman runner-up Jeanty to a season-low 103 yards and no touchdowns. Maddux Madsen picked apart the secondary a few times, but in the end, the defense still forced three interceptions, two fumbles, three sacks, and nine tackles for loss.

Nolan: Penn State’s limitation of Jeanty was quite impressive. The defensive performances over the last two games have been perhaps the best this team has had in a long time — two pick-sixes and holding the Heisman runner-up to his lowest rushing total of the season over the last two matchups is a promising sign of what may come.

Playcalling Is Still An Issue

CJ: I’m not a Division I football coach, but there were a few times I questioned decision-making during the Fiesta Bowl. However, it was better than Ohio State, and I think it will become less suspect in the Orange Bowl now that the Nittany Lions have two playoff wins under their belt.

It’s hard to criticize when the offense put up 31 points and 387 total yards.

Mitch: The third down play calling was questionable, to say the least. There were a few missed opportunities, and I felt the offense went away from the run when Boise State was struggling to stop it.

As CJ said, we aren’t Division I football coaches, or coaches at any level for that matter, but it felt like the offense could have capitalized on more opportunities with better play calling.

Nolan: In my humble opinion, passing on 3rd-and-1 in the second half, along with a few other decisions, wasn’t great. I’ve seen worse calls, but like CJ and Mitch said, it’s hard to criticize the offense given that performance.

Chuck Losey Has The Greatest Mustache Known To Man

pic.twitter.com/NQAoRyEPDM

— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) January 1, 2025

CJ: Yes.

Mitch: Yes.

Nolan: Yes.