Penn State Football: Bowl Projections for the Nittany Lions

The Penn State Nittany Lions are 8-1 heading into the final three weeks of the 2011 season. The Nittany Lions currently sit atop the Big Ten Leaders Division and are No. 12 in the BCS rankings.

Penn State still has three major hurdles to finish the year: Nebraska at home in Week 11, and Ohio State and Wisconsin are both away to finish the season.

If the Nittany Lions beat Wisconsin they will receive a Big Ten championship berth. If Penn State can win all, or two, of these games they will have a legitimate shot at a BCS at-large bid.

The Nittany Lions have a very tough final stretch.

If they play their game, they will finish the season strong en route to a Rose Bowl berth. If they falter, they could be left to fight it out in the Gator Bowl.

Here are five potential postseason destinations for the Nittany Lions:

Gator Bowl

Penn State would probably have to lose their final three contests to land in the Gator Bowl.

Three losses would land them behind Ohio State in the division, but would keep them ahead of Illinois in the final standings.

This would surely be a disappointment for Penn State. After an 8-1 start, landing in an average bowl game against the No. 6 team out of the SEC is far from exciting.

Florida, Auburn and Mississippi State are all potential opponents depending on how the SEC shakes out. Any of these teams would provide a challenge for the Nittany Lions.

This is the worst-case scenario at this point.

Outback Bowl

A third-place finish in the Big Ten would land Penn State in the Outback Bowl.

The Nittany Lions should lock up third place with one victory over their final three weeks.

The Outback Bowl would pit the Nittany Lions against the No. 3 or No. 4 team from the SEC. Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State and Auburn could all fall into that category.

Penn State would still be disappointed with an Outback Bowl berth, but it could be worse. A miserable offense makes it tough to win games regardless of defensive prowess.

The Nittany Lions' ability to get it done relying on their defense is impressive. A third-place finish is not a bad thing with all things considered in Happy Valley.

Capital One Bowl

The Capital One Bowl is usually a very intriguing matchup. The game pits the No. 2 teams from the Big Ten and SEC against one another.

The Nittany Lions would face a stiff test in this game. LSU and Alabama will, more than likely, find themselves in BCS bowl matchups. However, teams like Georgia, South Carolina and Arkansas would still give Penn State everything they could handle.

The Capital One Bowl is nothing to look down upon. A second-place finish in either the Big Ten or SEC is very respectable.

A berth into this game would be a success for an overachieving Nittany Lion squad.

Rose Bowl

The Rose Bowl is steeped in tradition. It is an honorable destination for the top squad from the Big Ten and the top team from the Pac-12.

Penn State will need to win the Big Ten championship in order to get to Pasadena.

If Penn State does land in the Rose Bowl, its opponent is still uncertain. Stanford and Oregon are both still in the thick of the BCS fight. That picture will be more clear after the Ducks and Cardinal face off in Week 11.

A Rose Bowl berth would be a huge triumph for Penn State. The Nittany Lions have battled injuries and quarterback issues all season.

Finding their way into this historical matchup would be impressive.

Sugar Bowl

A Penn State berth into the Sugar Bowl would require an at-large berth, and probably a little help from other top BCS teams.

Penn State will need to get to the Big Ten championship and lose to get to New Orleans. However, another loss would give the Nittany Lions two on the season.

Depending on how the season finishes, two losses could leave Penn State on the outside looking in, in terms of the BCS picture.

The Nittany Lions would most likely face Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. At this point, the Tide are not in the title game and would most likely wind up in New Orleans.

Penn State needs help to get here, but it is not out of the question. Either way, the Nittany Lions would face very stiff competition in this game.