What a day in Happy Valley. With Penn State not just playing in their first ever College Football Playoff game, but doing so in front of a crowd north of 106,000 people inside of Beaver Stadium, the 6th seeded Nittany Lions overwhelmed and dominated 11th seeded SMU 38-10. With the win, James Franklin earned his 100th victory as Penn State's head coach, the Nittany Lions tied their single season program record for victories with 12, and they have set up a Fiesta Bowl matchup in the CFP quarterfinals with 3rd seeded Boise State.

Despite a sluggish offensive start, it did not take long for the Nittany Lions to start to flex their muscles. Penn State's 28-0 halftime lead was the largest halftime lead in a postseason game in program history, and the largest shutout halftime lead in College Football Playoff history. Again, this was a game Penn State grabbed by the throat early and they never let go.

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