Penn State,Michigan State

Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark celebrates 49-18 win over Michigan State on Nov. 22, 2008, giving the Lions their last Big Ten title and trip to the Rose Bowl. JOE HERMITT/The Patriot-News

(PennLive/Joe Hermitt)

Bowls like buzz. The people who run them don't necessarily want the highest ranked team or the one with the best metrics or the one with the most logical claim to their game.

They want the one the most people are excited to watch.

And that's why I believe Penn State has edged in as the current frontrunner for the "Granddaddy of Them All," the Rose Bowl.

The folks in Pasadena are not constricted to any particular process when it comes to choosing their representative from the Big Ten this year. They can pick the highest-ranked available team but are not limited to such. They can pick a team with a better Big Ten record but don't have to. They may have whomever they want.

And the results of last weekend went a long way toward clearing the path for Penn State to its first trip to Pasadena in eight years if it can win its last three games - at Indiana, at Rutgers and against Michigan State.

Because Nebraska was not just beaten at Ohio State but humiliated 62-3, the Cornhuskers, with an equal 7-2 record to PSU's, would seem to have been swept aside.

All that remain to contend with the Nittany Lions are Ohio State (8-1) and Wisconsin (7-2).

And, without getting into the nitty-gritty, it's this simple: If Michigan beats OSU in Columbus and then beats Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship in Indianapolis, you would think Penn State would make as good a candidate as anyone. That's the scenario Nittany Lion fans should be pulling for.

Now, let's get into the arcane stuff:

With three games still left in the regular season, the Badgers (4-2 Big Ten) are now the most logical candidate to win the West. They've already beaten Nebraska (4-2) and will play Minnesota (4-2) in Madison on Nov. 26. Iowa (3-3) has been herded out of their way by Penn State's 41-14 rout on Saturday. And until that game with the Gophers, Wisconsin need beat Illinois at home and win at Purdue next week. Not hard.

As for the East race, PSU would prefer Michigan to emerge. That's assuming the Wolverines subdue the bruised Hawkeyes on Saturday in Iowa City. Of course, if Michigan is somehow upset at Iowa, then we get into a situation in which Penn State can actually play in Indianapolis itself - if Ohio State then beats Michigan in Columbus.

We won't deal with that here simply because it's so unlikely; the Wolverines are 20-point favorites over the Hawkeyes.

If Michigan does complete its trips through Columbus and Indy unbeaten, it certainly will advance on to the College Football Playoff. The Rose Bowl would then be choosing from among Ohio State with two losses, Penn State with two losses and Wisconsin or any other West division candidate with at least three.

Now, forget PSU's head-to-head upset of Ohio State and the fact that PSU did not meet Wisconsin and think just as a promoter: The other two candidates would be sitting on a loss in their final games. Penn State would be riding an 8-game winning streak. The other two candidates would both have been to Pasadena more recently (OSU vs Oregon in the post-2009 game and Wisconsin three times in 2011-13). Penn State would be riding a huge wave of fan support and interest with a totally unexpected visit.

I think a lot depends on the tenor of that OSU-Michigan showdown. If Michigan wins convincingly, it's all the better for Penn State. There's also a viable scenario where Ohio State wins narrowly and both the Buckeyes and Wolverines could enter the College Football Playoff. That would all but clinch PSU's Pasadena ticket.

Regardless, even if the Rose (Jan. 2) is not the destination, Penn State would very much be in the picture for some "New Year's Six" bowl, the participants of which are chosen by the bowls and the CFP committee. The other three in play this year, those not involved in the CFP (the Peach and Fiesta host the national semis), are:

The Orange Bowl (Dec. 30 in Miami); the Cotton Bowl (Jan. 2 in Arlington, Texas); and the Sugar Bowl (Jan. 2 in New Orleans). The Sugar has a Big 12-SEC match agreement. So, the Orange and Cotton are the only conceivable New Year's Six destinations for PSU beyond the Rose.

After the Rose gets first dibs on available Big Ten and Pac-12 entrants, the Orange will get the ACC champ and fill in its other slot with either an SEC or Big Ten rep. And the Cotton then scoops up two at-large entrants, one of which will certainly be the highest-ranking mandated "group of 5" entry from one of the minor conferences. That could be Western Michigan, San Diego State, Boise State or someone we aren't even considering right now.

The Big Ten had three entrants in the New Year's Six last year when Michigan State qualified for the CFP semi in the Cotton, Iowa was invited to the Rose and Ohio State to the Fiesta.

The next CFP rankings are released tomorrow night (Tuesday) at 7 p.m. With Texas A&M (No. 4 last week), Nebraska (No. 10) and Florida (No. 11) all having all lost convincingly, Penn State (No. 12) can expect a ranking of no worse than No. 10 tomorrow. The Nittany Lions are certainly in New Year's Six territory if they win out.

So, while the Lions have some business to attend to, if they keep their eyes on the prize and get just a little help, that prize could be a scented bouquet or something else just as sweet.