Could Penn State's James Franklin finally make it to the College Football Playoff in 2024?

Head coach James Franklin's Penn State Nittany Lions are coming off a second consecutive season with 10 or more wins but failed to qualify for the College Football Playoff.

With that being said, could next season see the first-ever 12-team playoff and Penn State make its first appearance in the College Football Playoff?

On the latest edition of “RJ Young's No. 1 College Football Show,” host RJ Young explained why he's cautiously optimistic the Nittany Lions will break through.

“I would say tentatively, hit, because there are 12 teams to make the cut. I think Penn State, USC and the runner-up in the Big Ten Championship Game still have some room to get there. Also, Penn State has a huge advantage in not having divisions anymore,” Young said of whether Penn State will make the playoff in 2024. “What held Penn State back was having Ohio State and Michigan in the same division. There were years when Michigan State happened to not be good, but there were also years when Michigan State was absolutely good. And yet Penn State can't reach the promised land of the College Football Playoff. Not because they're not good, but because they're not better than Michigan or Ohio State. And it's a four-team playoff.”

“I think they have a chance to be one of the best three or four teams in the Big Ten Conference. We'd probably prioritize the best four teams in the Big Ten Conference over the best four teams in the ACC, because right now we're more focused on the Big Ten than the ACC or the Big 12.”

Under the new format, the top five teams in the conference standings will advance to the playoffs, with the top four receiving a first-round bye and then a seven-team wild-card berth.

The Nittany Lions were a team that performed well on both ends of the floor last season. Their offense averaged 215.0 passing yards (5th in the Big Ten Conference), 185.2 rushing yards (1st), 400.2 total yards (2nd) and 36.2 points per game. Their defense allowed just 153.6 passing yards (3rd), 69.7 rushing yards (1st), 223.3 total yards (1st) and 11.4 points (3rd) per game.

In his first season as Penn State's full-time starting quarterback, Drew Aller passed for 2,631 yards, 25 touchdown passes, and two interceptions while completing 59.9% of his passes at 136.9%. He also rushed for 206 yards and four touchdowns, while the one-two running backs of Kaitron Allen and Nicholas Singleton combined for 1,654 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground, with Singleton catching 26 times for 308 yards and two scores.

So, what went wrong?

Penn State lost to Ohio State 20–12, allowing just 240 total yards and extending their losing streak against the Buckeyes to seven. They also lost to Michigan 24–15, allowing just 238 total yards and extending their losing streak against the Wolverines to three. The Nittany Lions then lost to the Ole Miss Rebels 38–25 in the Peach Bowl.

Hit or miss: Is Penn State a CFP team?

Young believes Aller will be key to Penn State making a breakthrough in 2024.

“[Franklin’s] “Drew Aller needs to get in shape. If you're a Penn State fan, you're not going to be happy with the way we talk about Drew Aller because, as I know, you know he's got the quality, you know he's got the talent. He's got it all, he's got the drive to go out there and do it, but he just doesn't look like the guy that can get it done,” Young said. “He's got a cannon arm, but he's not accurate. And yet they were afraid to let him throw the ball down the field.”

For next season, the Big Ten will welcome USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington into the conference and create an 18-team league that doesn't feature a West-vs-East format to determine which teams will play in the conference title game. Oregon is the only Big Ten newcomer that Penn State will not face in 2024, nor will it play Michigan.

Penn State hasn't won a Big Ten championship since 2016 and is 88-39 under Coach Franklin (2014-present) with five seasons with 10 or more wins.

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