Sweet 16: Hypothetical 16-team College Football Playoff
By Brad Weiss
The Penn State Nittany Lions played like a different team the second half of the season, running off eight straight wins after their blowout loss to Michigan. Quarterback Trace McSorley developed a never-say-die attitude, leading the Lions to some huge victories along the way. Running back Saquon Barkley, who should be a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy next season, did most of the damage in this one, as Penn State throttled Oklahoma State by the score of 30-14.
The game was not as close as the score would indicate, as Penn State got out to a 21-0 lead and never looked back. Mason Randolph hit James Washington twice for scores late in the fourth quarter, when the Lions had pretty much called off the dogs. The Cowboys came into the game as winners of seven of their last eight games, although they suffered a bad loss at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners the week before.
For Penn State, they move on to the Elite Eight, where they which is an incredible accomplishment considering how bad the program looked early on in the year. Head coach James Franklin may have saved his job with the team’s late-season run, and he has a ton of talent returning for next season. Oklahoma State will be tough to handle next year, as Randolph will return for his senior season fresh off a 4,000-yard junior year.