The quarterfinal round of the first 12-team college football playoff gets under way tonight in Glendale, AZ. TPR dives into the top transfers to watch for in each matchup as the nation’s top eight remaining teams take center stage. (Odds via ESPN Bet)
No.6 Penn State vs No.3 Boise State (+11.5), at the Fiesta Bowl, 12/31, 7:30 EST on ESPN
For the Nittany Lions:
A sold-out whiteout game in Happy Valley assisted Penn State’s first round domination of SMU, defeating the Mustangs 38-10. Now, entering their quarterfinal matchup with the upstart Broncos, the Nittany Lions are favored by three more points. Although SMU managed to slow down Mackey Award Winner Tyler Warren, who went for just four catches for 33 yards, three interceptions thrown by Kevin Jennings, with two of them being pick sixes sealed their fate. On the defensive side, the starting cornerback duo of AJ Harris and Jalen Kimber transferred to Penn State this offseason. Kimber, a Florida transfer who started his career at Georgia, totaled four tackles in the victory. Harris started his career at Georgia and tallied two tackles for the Nittany Lions in the first round.
For the Broncos:
“Please count us out.” This mantra motivates a Boise State squad that dominated each of its regular season opponents aside from a three-point loss at No.1 Oregon. Despite this, they enter their quarterfinal matchup as double digit underdogs. Ashton Jeanty, the second-place finisher in the Heisman Trophy race, rushed for an astonishing 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns. From the portal, Cam Camper transferred to Boise from Indiana last season. The 6’3” senior leads the team in receptions and yards with 55 and 837 respectively.
