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Boise State will be watching this matchup closely.

Starting at noon EST today, No. 6 Penn State and No. 11 SMU (Southern Methodist University) are going toe-to-toe in a first-round College Football Playoff matchup that will determine who advances to the CFP quarterfinals against the Broncos.

Ahead of the game, Drew Allar’s 11-2 Nittany Lions suffered their second loss of the season at the hands of the undefeated No. 1 seed Oregon Ducks in the Big Ten Championship. While that may have been demoralizing, they’ll have the advantage this time around since they’re playing at their home Beaver Stadium in University Park.

“We’re glad and fortunate to be home,” head coach James Franklin said in a press conference. “We’ll take it.”

Like Penn State, Kevin Jennings’ 11-2 Mustangs also lost a heartbreaker in the ACC title game. On Dec. 7, No. 12 Clemson upset SMU by a score of 34-31, snapping the team’s nine-game win streak.

All that’s in the past now, though. The only thing that matters is who wins this first-round matchup that sends them to the quarterfinals.

If you want to witness this knockout battle live, here’s everything you need to know about the Penn State vs. SMU College Football Playoff game, from start time and channel, to how to watch for free.

Penn State takes on SMU in the College Football Playoff today, December 21, at 12:00 p.m. EST.

Penn State vs. SMU will air on Max and TNT, so if you have cable or use an antenna, just flip the channel to either of those options around 12:00 p.m. EST and you’ll be set.

If you don’t have cable, the only way to stream Penn State vs. SMU for free is to use a live TV streaming service with a free trial.

We recommend DIRECTV Stream, which offers a five-day free trial for new subscribers. When the trial is over, you’ll pay $86.98/month and gain access to over 90 live channels including ESPN, ABC, and TNT (where other CFB and Bowl games will air this season).

While Sling TV doesn’t offer a free trial, you’ll save a lot of money on a whole month of streaming rather than just five days free.

Sling TV’s Orange plan includes ESPN, and right now, you can get 50% off your first month. Instead of $40, you’ll pay $20 and get access to nearly the entire CFB Playoff and Bowl schedule before the second month payment starts.

In addition to today’s game airing on TNT, you can also stream it on Max, which starts at $9.99/month and comes with live sports included in every subscription.

If you are outside of the US or unable to watch Penn State vs. SMU in your region, consider a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Whether you’re traveling or living abroad, using a VPN allows you to stream live TV and your favorite shows and movies using your usual streaming services, without any restrictions. A VPN lets you change the IP address on your device so that you can access your favorite apps and websites whether you’re in the UK, Canada, Mexico, or anywhere in the world.

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The cutthroat matchup will be played at Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA.

Mark Jones, Roddy Jones and Quint Kessenich are the broadcast team calling the Penn State-SMU playoff game.

The first playoff round continues today with two more Round 1 games. For a closer picture, here’s who you can expect to see should you tune in today or the next few weeks.

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