Penn State was unable to corral Oregon’s offense in the Big Ten Championship though, allowing 496 total yards while dropping a 45-37 decision to the then undefeated Ducks. The Nittany Lions eviscerated SMU in the first round of the CFP Playoff,

The disparity in turnaround time might have been even greater if not for Sugar Bowl officials and the City of New Orleans agreeing to move up the rescheduled kickoff.