James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions easily got past their first test in the College Football Playoff. The Nittany Lions defeated the SMU Mustangs by a score of 38-10.

It was a dominant, balanced effort by the Nittany Lions. The defense forced 3 turnovers, including 2 pick-6s, and allowed the Mustangs to gain just 253 total yards of offense. On offense. the Nittany Lions racked up 325 total yards and had a mostly mistake-free day.

SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings never looked comfortable with the raucous Penn State crowd. Ultimately, the turnovers and lack of success on 3rd downs put the Mustangs in a hole they were never able to dig out of.

The win was Franklin’s 100th as the head coach of Penn State. Franklin now owns a 100-41 record in Happy Valley and only the legendary Joe Paterno and Rip Engle have more wins as HC of Penn State.

The win also secured Penn State’s first 12-win season since 1994. The 2024 season is the 6th season in which Franklin has led the Nittany Lions to double-digit wins.

Now, Franklin has to prepare his squad for a trip out west. The Nittany Lions are set to take on the No. 3 seed Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl. Boise State earned a first-round bye after winning the Mountain West, so the team will have ample time to prepare for the Nittany Lions.

If the opening round is any indication, this Penn State defense will be a tough task for the Broncos. The Broncos, of course, are led by star RB Ashton Jeanty, who was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy this season.