Welcome back to our weekly series tracking some of the bowl/CFP picks for Penn State football following each game, This season, we will follow ESPN, Yahoo, and CBS Sports, with occasional bonus picks from other publications.
Yahoo Sports:
Bowl/CFP Seed: CFP; 3rd seed
Location: Pasadena, CA
Date: January 1st, 2026
Opponent: Winner of Illinois-Texas
CBS Sports:
Bowl/CFP Seed: CFP; 2nd seed
Location: Pasadena, CA
Date: January 1st, 2026
Opponent: Winner of Georgia-Oregon
ESPN: Bonagura/Schlabach
Bowl/CFP Seed: CFP; 2nd seed/CFP; 3rd seed
Location: Pasadena, CA
Date: January 1st, 2026
Opponent: Alabama Crimson Tide (winner of either 6 v. 11 or 7 v. 10 game)
Guest Picker:
Bowl/CFP Seed: CFP; 3rd seed
Location: Pasadena, CA
Date: January 1st, 2026
Opponent: Winner of Illinois-Texas
Bowl/CFP Seed: CFP; 1st seed
Location: Pasadena, CA
Date: January 1st, 2026
Opponent: Winner of LSU-Arizona State
It’s honestly pretty shocking to me that all of the major outlets selected agree on the destination for the CFP. I would be ecstatic with a top-three seed, and would be shocked if the Nittany Lions had the first seed (sorry…).
Just a few days until the season kicks off!
