The Penn State Football Report Card: College Football Playoff Edition

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State coach James Franklin traded his blue Nike winter hat for a Fiesta Bowl cap following the Nittany Lions' 38-10 win over SMU on Saturday. Penn State didn't deliver a best-case game in the first round of the College Football Playoff, and outsiders continued to wonder whether the Mustangs belonged in the playoff field or at Beaver Stadium. But Penn State moved onto a Fiesta Bowl game vs. Boise State by insulating itself from narrative talk and making its own statements.

"I don't care what anyone says about me, my team, or my coach," Penn State quarterback Drew Allar said. "At the end of the day, our process is our process. The only things that matter are the ones
that are in the building day to day and know what's going on behind the scenes."

In front of the cameras, Penn State on Saturday played a flawed but largely effective game, one highlighted by an opportunistic defense, a second-half commitment to the run and a freshman quarterback's debut. Here's the Penn State football report card, with an eye on the team's future in the College Football Playoff.

OFFENSE: B

The Nittany Lions didn't have their best day but were excellent in second-half moments. Allar admitted to an uneven game. He didn't see the field particularly well and missed some targets. He also didn't make any SMU mistakes, which was plenty considering the defense's performance. Where Penn State shined offensively was in its second-half run game. Coach James Franklin described Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen (a combined 160 yards and three touchdowns) as "violent," which covered the line and tight ends as well. The interior road-graded in the second half. Tyler Warren (a quiet four catches) ran an SMU defender through the end zone. At this point, Penn State's receivers (only two caught passes) are what they are. The Nittany Lions will go as far as their run game and Warren take them. Bonus points for getting freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer his first action of the season — and for letting him get the first interception out of the way.

DEFENSE: A

Franklin thought Penn State played its best half of defense all season vs. the Mustangs. They intercepted three passes (returning two for touchdowns), pressured quarterback Kevin Jennings relentlessly and allowed just 2.5 yards rushing per carry. Once they adjusted to SMU's first-series tempo, the Nittany Lions dictated it. The defensive line imprinted itself on the Mustangs, making its three sacks seem like many more. Dani Dennis-Sutton (1.5 sacks) and Abdul Carter were terrors off the edge. Zane Durant and Coziah Izzard overpowered inside. Yes, Dom DeLuca and Tony Rojas' pick-sixed SMU out of the game, but that defensive line forced the issue. Bonus points to safety Zakee Wheatley, who helped derail SMU's potential touchdown drive in the first quarter.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B-

Conditions affected the kickers most, with punter Riley Thompson averaging 36 yards per attempt and kickoff special Gabriel Nwosu sending one out of bounds. Ryan Barker made a difficult 40-yard field goal into the North end zone. Among the game's underrated plays was the sneak onside kick Penn State recovered in the third quarter. Weather didn't dictate return coverage, though, which lapsed.

COACHING: A

Defensive coordinator Tom Allen could be Penn State's secret weapon in the postseason. The Penn State sideline looked chaotic during SMU's opening drive, but Allen guided from the booth with a calm hand. He also quickly reshaped Penn State's coverages to frustrate Jennings. Franklin provided a glimpse at Penn State's postseason ethos, going for a 4th-and-1 from his 19-yard line in an attempt to kickstart the offense. The play didn't work, but Franklin insisted the idea did. "I'd call it again," he said after the game. You've been warned.

OVERALL: A-

Penn State is going to fight the big-game narrative until it reaches at least the playoff semifinals. But you can't break narratives by losing. Did Penn State deliver a big win Saturday? Absolutely. This was the first playoff game in program history, one for which the progam and its fans have bled since 2016. To win by 28 points, the largest margin of the four first-round games, at home in front of a full building commanded attention and built a playoff base that the Nittany Lions will take to the Fiesta Bowl.