When Ioane, a native of the Seattle area, de-committed from the University of Washington, Collins suggested he speak to Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein. Ioane wound up committing to the Lions in February 2022.

For the first time in program history, Penn State is moving on in the College Football Playoff. The (6) Nittany Lions punched their ticket to a showdown against (3) Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal on Dec. 31 with a dominant 38-10 win against (11) SMU on Saturday.

Of the first-round games, Penn State is the second-biggest favorite on the board. The Nittany Lions are favored by more than a touchdown (-8.5), which ranks second to Texas (-12). Although no accumulating snow is expected, temperature at kickoff could hover in the 20s with wind also concern.