Indianapolis— Although No. 3 Penn State didn’t beat No. 1 Oregon Saturday night, one PSU star feels his squad is just as good.
After the 45-37 loss which cost Penn State the Big Ten championship, RB Nicholas Singleton was asked if he feels Penn State is just as good as Oregon, despite the result.
“Yeah, for sure, 100%,” Singleton, who ended the night with 105 yards on 10 carries plus a receiving touchdown, told reporters.
Penn State RB Nick Singleton was asked if he feels PSU is as good as Oregon after its 45-37 loss.
“Yeah, for sure, 100%.” pic.twitter.com/mFUbS0g7Bb
— Joe Smeltzer (@joesmeltzer775) December 8, 2024
So why didn’t Penn State get the job done?
For Singleton, miscues were a big reason.
“We can’t make mistakes against a team like that,” Singleton said. “That’s one of Coach Franklin’s messages. Turnovers, whatever. You can’t do it against a team like that. That’s going to cost us.”
THE MISTAKES
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: Penn State QB Drew Allar
PSU had 65 yards worth of penalties. Oregon only had 24.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.PSU turned the ball over twice— both on interceptions thrown by Drew Allar.
Oregon didn’t turn it over.
In a game where the margin of error is so small, those things are massive, and PSU coach James Franklin knows that better than most.
PSU fell behind 28-10 in the second quarter and never fully caught up.
“We just made it harder than it needed to be in the first quarter of the game,” Franklin said in his postgame presser. “And it’s hard to do that against this type of opponent.”
THE GOOD NEWS
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: Penn State TE Tyler Warren
One of the beauties of the 12-team College Football Playoff from PSU’s end is that Penn State is a virtual lock to be in. Another beauty is that PSU could meet Oregon again at some point. If it does, Franklin, Singleton and company know the mistakes that plagued them Saturday in Indy cannot resurface.
PSU finds out its Playoff fate Sunday at noon. The final College Football Playoff selection show will be on broadcast on ESPN.
