Penn State and SMU carry the weight of history into their CFP debuts. They're both trying to shed it
Penn State and SMU head into the College Football Playoff with the weight of history on their shoulders
By WILL GRAVES
Published - Dec 20, 2024, 12:41 PM ET
Last Updated - Dec 20, 2024, 12:41 PM EST
DaQuan Jones remembers the chaos. The uncertainty. The sanctions. The aftermath.
How could he not? He and the rest of his Penn State teammates — those that stuck around anyway — lived through it.
Jones was a sophomore defensive lineman in the fall of 2011 when the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal brought one of college football's bluebloods to its knees and sent revered coach Joe Paterno into exile.
It felt like a tipping point.
