Penn State found out its path to a potential national title Sunday afternoon — and it’s about as good as the Nittany Lions could have expected for a team playing in the first round, with an opening-round game against SMU at Beaver Stadium on Dec. 21. What will it take for the Nittany Lions to win it all, and who would they have to beat to do it?

Big Ten schedule was announced on Wednesday. We break down the Nittany Lions' path back to the Big Ten championship game and the College Football Playoff.

Next up in our Grand Tour of the College football playoff: the Penn State Nittany Lions. A good, balanced team that may or may not be cursed to never win a big football game every again. Let's break it down.

Penn State is favored by more than a touchdown against SMU, which was the last team to get in the College Football Playoff field.

Penn State will host SMU in a first-round game of the College Football Playoff, pairing the new era of college football with one of the game's best known atmospheres at Beaver Stadium. The playoff game will kick off at noon ET on Dec. 21 as part of a two-day playoff festival four days before Christmas.

The Nittany Lions look to start a run to the college football championship with a first round College Football Playoff matchup against SMU.

Penn State, the No. 6 seed in the CFP, will face No. 11 seed SMU next Saturday at Beaver Stadium. If the Nittany Lions take care of business, they’ll face No. 3 seed Boise State on New Year’s Eve in the CFP quarterfinals at the Fiesta Bowl.