Penn State's Latest College Football Playoff Projections

The Penn State Nittany Lions continue to be popular picks to make the 2024 playoff field.

Penn State fans cheer on the Nittany Lions in the fourth quarter of a Big Ten football game against Illinois. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here's a fun Penn State football statistic to interpret however you wish. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Penn State is the only FBS team to start each of the last four seasons with a 4-0 record. What does it mean for a team that's still looking for its first College Football Playoff invitation? It's a combination of Penn State's consistency, its preparedness and, certainly, its friendly non-conference schedule. Penn State has won 21 consecutive nonconference games dating to 2016.

The seventh-ranked Nittany Lions reached their latest 4-0 record with a 21-7 win over Illinois to begin the Big Ten season. Penn State is a 28-point favorite this week over UCLA, according to DraftKings, before heading into the teeth of its Big Ten schedule. As a result, the Nittany Lions remain a consistent pick to reach the College Football Playoff. Here's a look at what the national analysts are projecting with regard to Penn State.

First, the ESPN College Football Power Index ranks Penn State at No. 8 and gives the team a 60.5-percent chance to make the 12-team field. Only six teams have higher percentages: Texas, Alabama, Ohio State, Tennessee, Georgia and Miami. Meanwhile, all 13 of ESPN's analysts project Penn State into the playoff.

Elsewhere, ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura have Penn State in the field as well. Both project Penn State playing a road game as the No. 9 seed: Schlabach has Penn State heading to Oregon, Bonagura pits the Nittany Lions vs. Georgia.

At The Athletic, Stewart Mandel's bracket puts Penn State on the road at Tennessee for a first-round game against the sixth-seeded Volunteers.

The Action Network's Brett McMurphy projects a Penn State home game at Beaver Stadium against Oregon in an 8-9 game.

Jerry Palm of CBS Sports has a unique 8-9 game as well, with ninth-seeded Penn State visiting Iowa State of the Big 12.

The On3 Massey Ratings picks a Big Ten game in Eugene, Oregon, between Penn State and the eighth-seeded Ducks.

Brad Crawford of 247Sports, who exhaustively picks the entire bowl field, adds another vote for Penn State vs. Georgia in Athens as an 8-9 game.

At College Football News, the Nittany Lions are the 11th seed, which earns them a trip to Notre Dame for a first-round game.

In the meantime, Penn State hosts UCLA on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET on FOX.

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Penn State on SI is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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