This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/OldCoaly on 2024-12-31 15:42:03+00:00.

I wrote this post for the first round and enjoyed it, so I’m back with some second round histories and storylines. First, Penn State vs Boise State

These teams have never played each other, however they are both very familiar with the Fiesta Bowl. Boise State is 3-0 in the Fiesta Bowl. Many CFB fans fondly remember the 2007 Fiesta Bowl where the Broncos upset the Big 12 champion Oklahoma Sooners. Boise State entered the game undefeated but was only ranked 9th going into bowl season. They were not respected as they should have been, a lesson we thankfully learned from (except for the times that we didn’t). This was one of the most notable upsets in the history of college football and helped to change some perceptions about teams and competition outside the power conferences.

To many this wild game was the start of the best calendar year of college football ever. You can see the highlights here . I won’t spoil it more than I have because if you haven’t seen the creativity Boise State used to win, you need to watch. Also, watch what happened after the game ended. In my opinion, you cannot call yourself a college football fan if you don’t know about this game.

Penn State also has a great history with the Fiesta Bowl. They are 7-0 in it, by far the best record for the bowl. Their most notable game was in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, on January 2, 1987. This game arguably set in motion the process that led us to the current 12 team playoff. Let me explain.

Penn State had a great 1985 season. So did Miami. They were ranked 1st and 2nd going into bowl season. Both teams were independent so they were not bound to any bowl game by winning a conference. They were invited to NY6 bowl games that year and both accepted before the final rankings had come out. In 1986 they were both once again, very good. The Fiesta Bowl had been rising in prestige since its founding in 1971 and saw a great opportunity. They did not have any conference tie-ins and chose to set up a de facto national championship game. Penn State and Miami had previously both won National Championships by being ranked 2nd and invited to play the top team in that team’s NY6 bowl. PSU beat Georgia in the 1983 Sugar Bowl, and Miami beat Nebraska in the 1984 Orange Bowl. This concept of setting up a national championship game deliberately with no concern for conference ties was rare. PSU and Miami, as independents, were in a great position to play for a championship and bowl executives were careful not to repeat the mistake from the previous year of not bringing them together.

Both teams accepted the invite to the Fiesta Bowl. While the Fiesta Bowl was normally played as the earliest game on New Year’s Day this time it was moved to primetime on January 2nd so it would not compete with other games for attention. It did not disappoint with viewership. Labelled as “Good vs Evil” it was possibly the most-viewed college football game ever at the time, with 21.9 million homes tuning in. As for the quality of the game all those people watched, that’s a different story.

I mentioned Penn State is 7-0 in Fiesta Bowls. They won this game. Most of the stats would suggest otherwise. Miami outgained PSU 445 yards to 162. Penn State only had 5 completions and 8 first downs. This game should not have been a win for Penn State, or even close, based on their offensive performance. But their defense stepped up. Penn State benefitted from 7 Miami turnovers. They intercepted Heisman winner Vinny Testaverde 5 times. Miami had the ball on 2nd and goal with 45 seconds to play at the Penn State 5 yard line. Testaverde got sacked. On 3rd down he threw an incompletion. On 4th and goal Penn State linebacker Pete Giftopoulos intercepted the pass, ending the game and winning a national championship for the Nittany Lions.

The popularity of this game, despite it’s sicko nature, likely led to reforms over a decade later and the introduction of the BCS system. PSU’s 12-0 1994 team not having a chance to play for a title also likely played a role.

So PSU and Boise State are both undefeated in the Fiesta Bowl, someone has to lose their zero.

One final storyline is of RB dominance. Boise State currently has the best RB (and best player if you ask me) in the country in Ashton Jeanty. He needs 132 yards to beat the record held by Barry Sanders of 2,268 yards in one season. He’s up against the best rushing defense he’s faced yet. Sanders is rooting for him.

Penn State has a great tandem but in the NFL PSU alum Saquon Barkley is 101 yards away from Eric Dickerson’s regular season record of 2,105 yards. He faces his former team, the New York Giants, in the last game of the year. I cannot tell you how excited half of the PSU fanbase is for this. Eric Dickerson is most definitely not rooting for him.

Let me know any other cool facts or stories about this matchup if you know some.