With that in mind, here's what's next for each of the College Football Playoff first-round losers as they set their sights on the offseason. Tennessee: Get receiver help. While th

On paper, there are a lot of reasons to view this game a lot closer than the spread. For one, SMU’s 5-2 record against winning teams (wins over Louisville, Duke, Pitt, TCU and Boston College) actually feels a little more impressive than Penn State’s 3-2 record in the same category (wins over Illinois, Bowling Green and Minnesota).

This is the very first college football playoff appearance for both programs. James Franklin’s Nittany Lions have been a mainstay in the postseason, playing in a bowl game every year since he was hired 2014 outside of the COVID year. However, this is the first time the stakes have been this big.