What bowl game will Penn State go to?
The Nittany Lions' remarkable rise into the Top 10 has them on the verge of a major postseason destination.
But exactly where they will end up is still cloudy with only one game to play.
Numerous possibilities still exist as they prepare for their first Big Ten Championship Game Saturday night in Indianapolis.
Does Penn State barrel its way into the College Football Playoff final four? Does it take a potential nine-game winning streak to California or accept a consolation prize in Texas or Florida?
Of course, first things first. A lot will be cleared up by the Lions' outcome against Wisconsin in Lucas Oil Stadium.
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About 12 hours later, the college football world will begin to learn where their teams will play for the holidays. Tune into ESPN's college football show at noon Sunday, where they will announce the four playoff teams within the hour.
They also expect to reveal the participants in the other major bowl games — the "New Year's Six" games, including the Rose Bowl — before 3 p.m. All other bowl games should be announced by early evening.
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Here are the Lions' most likely postseason possibilities:
Rose Bowl, Jan. 2, Pasadena, Calif.: This is the most likely destination with a Penn State win Saturday. If Top Five Clemson and Washington also win this weekend, the Lions may be shut out of the playoffs. At that point, the Rose Bowl must take the Big Ten Champion. The Lions likely would play USC or Colorado from the Pac-12.
Peach Bowl, Dec. 31, Atlanta: The Lions must beat Wisconsin and also probably get some help from underdogs to qualify for the College Football Playoffs and land here. If Colorado upsets Washington and/or Virginia Tech upsets Clemson, the Lions, Colorado and Michigan would be in good shape to grab this spot. The likely opponent would be undefeated Alabama.
Fiesta Bowl, Dec. 31, Phoenix: This is the other playoff semifinal with the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds. To land here, the Lions must win the Big Ten Championship and probably need both Clemson and Washington to lose this weekend. That would open up two playoff slots, giving the Lions a chance to position themselves higher.
Cotton Bowl, Jan. 2, Arlington, Texas: A likely destination if the Lions lose to Wisconsin. This major “New Year’s Six” bowl contains a twist: The Lions would be locked into playing the highest-rated non-Power Five team, such as undefeated Western Michigan. Everything gets messy, though, if WM loses and Temple and/or Navy win this weekend.
Orange Bowl, Dec. 30, Fort Lauderdale-Miami: Another possibility if the Lions lose, especially if Michigan gets picked for the Rose Bowl or the College Football Playoffs. Or if Temple gets that Cotton Bowl bid. Committee members don’t want a Lions-Owls re-match, in Texas, no less. That’s why PSU could play here against an ACC team like Louisville or Florida State.
Outback Bowl, Jan. 2, Tampa, Florida: Probably the least likely fall-back option for the Lions. This would take a Lions’ loss combined with Wisconsin and Michigan moving ahead – just not too far in the playoff pecking order. A familiar destination for Penn State fans against an SEC opponent such as Florida.