Start your 2022 off right with the first football game of the new year as Penn State and No. 21 Arkansas meet in the Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. There is no better day on the college football calendar and no better way than to start it with a classic Big Ten-SEC matchup.
The Nittany Lions have played what’s felt like two different seasons in 2021. They began the year with five straight wins, including victories over Wisconsin and Auburn that helped propel the Lions to No. 4 in the AP Top 25. That’s as high as they’d climb, though, as a loss to Iowa began a three-game skid that included losses to Ohio State and — most surprisingly of all — Illinois at home in nine overtimes. The Lions lost five of their last seven games to finish the regular season at 7-5 overall and 4-5 in the Big Ten.
Arkansas has been a streaky team itself. The Razorbacks started 4-0 with upset victories over Texas and Texas A&M before dropping their next three games to get to 4-3. The Hogs would recover by winning four of their last five, with the lone loss being a 42-35 defeat on the road against Alabama. Their 8-4 mark overall and 4-4 record in conference were good enough for a third-place finish in the SEC West.
This Outback Bowl meeting will be the first between the schools. That might be a surprise considering how many times the Big Ten and SEC run into one another during bowl season, but don’t forget that Penn State didn’t join the Big Ten until 1993 and Arkansas wasn’t a member of the SEC until 1991.
Penn State vs. Arkansas: Need to know
Both teams will be without key players: It’s a reality of bowl season now. Non-playoff games often see key players sit out to prepare for the NFL Draft while other players hit the transfer…
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