If you’re tired of watching Sean Clifford be Penn State’s quarterback, well, it looks like you’ll have to do it during the team’s bowl game.
Clifford played his last game at Beaver Stadium this past Saturday and quarterbacked Penn State to a 35-16 win over Michigan State on Senior Day.
In an era where its not uncommon for college football player to opt out of bowl games, Clifford has no intention of doing that.
“I am playing in that game,” Clifford told reporters after the Michigan State game. “You can count on me to play in that game, yes.”
Although Clifford is taking life day-by-day, he’s excited for what will be his last college game.
“I think it’ll be a lot of fun,” Clifford said. “I have some hopes on a bowl game or two. But we’ll see.”
It’s not clear what game(s) Clifford was referring to, but Penn State’s chances at a New Year’s Six bowl skyrocketed Saturday. Of the 10 teams that came into the day ranked ahead of Penn State, four of them; No. 9 Oregon, No. 8 Clemson, No. 5 LSU and No. 2 Ohio State, lost.
“It seemed like college football was kind of crazy today,” Clifford said. “So we’ll see how that plays out.”
Clifford’s decision to opt in to whatever bowl game Penn State plays in shouldn’t come as a surprise.
He won’t be going high in the 2023 NFL Draft, and players who opt out usually are doing so to focus on the draft. Some of Clifford’s teammates weren’t ready to commit just yet. Neither Ji’Ayir Brown or PJ Mustipher has made a decision on playing in the bowl. Brown and Mustipher will be out of eligibility after this season, and the bowl will be their last game at Penn State should they decide to play.
Clifford is 1-1 in bowl games as Penn State’s starting QB. He quarterbacked Penn State to a win in the 2019 Cotton Bowl against Memphis, but he and Penn State couldn’t get the job done against Arkansas in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day, 2022. A win in this year’s bowl game would be a sweet ending for Clifford.
