Where will Penn State go bowling, and who would coach if Franklin leaves?

ALTOONA, Pa. -- Could the Rose Bowl possibly still be in play for Penn State? Well, the answer is yes, even if it is unlikely because a number of things would need to happen for that possibility to play out.

It's a gigantic IF, given the schedule, but if Penn State wins out, there's a scenario where the Nittany Lions actually could end up in the Rose Bowl.

Let's get a show of hands: How many people think Penn State will win out, with home games left against Michigan and Rutgers, then a road trip to Michigan State?

Probably not many of you.

At this stage, I'm thinking the Lions will finish 8-4. That would mean a win over Michigan and a loss at Michigan State. That seems to be the most likely scenario.

At 8-4, my prediction is in line with many other bowl prognosticators -- the Outback Bowl. That would pit Penn State against an SEC team, and there are two I would really like to see.

First, a matchup against Will Levis and Kentucky. That might not be a sexy matchup to some. But I would love to see what Levis could do against his former team, and would love to be able to talk with him during bowl buildup about all the particulars of why he left and the transfer portal process for quarterbacks.

Oh, and obviously, I want to talk about Levis' disgusting eating habits of putting mayonnaise in coffee and eating bananas with the peel on. All of that is just wrong and gross.

The other SEC team I'd like to see Penn State face is Ole Miss, led by standout quarterback Matt Corral and kooky coach Lane Kiffin. It would be cool to see the Lions' secondary go up against that kind of explosive passing attack.

As for the Rose Bowl, a bunch of things would need to happen for the Lions to go there.

First, Ohio State would need to win out and go to the College Football Playoff. That's a given.

Iowa probably needs to lose again in the regular season, because the Hawkeyes (7-2) beat Penn State and, if they lose in the Big Ten title game, likely would be selected to the Rose Bowl ahead of the LIons. Now, that's not a given, however, because if Penn State beats both Michigan teams, there's a chance it could be ranked ahead of Iowa in the CFP rankings if both have three losses.

Beyond those things, there are too many unpredictable factors to really bother with at this point.

If Penn State beats Michigan and goes into the Michigan State game at 8-3, we'll dive further into the Rose Bowl possibilities then.

For now, I'm sticking with 8-4 and the Outback Bowl.

WHO WOULD COACH BOWL GAME?

OK, so now this question must be considered, because if James Franklin takes the USC or LSU job, it's extremely doubtful that he would stick around and coach Penn State in the bowl game. He would need to get to his new job and dive right into recruiting.

Now, one possible exception there could be if Penn State is in the Rose Bowl. That is such a prestigious game that Franklin could decide to remain with the Lions for the bowl. You just never know.

At this point, I'm about 55-45 that Franklin will leave, to go to USC. And we're less than three weeks away now from having a whole lot more clarity on that issue.

For the sake of discussion, if Franklin does leave, which one of his assistant coaches would take over as interim head coach for the bowl game?

The obvious answer would be defensive coordinator Brent Pry. But what if Franklin needs Pry to join him at the new job as soon as possible? And that's if Pry even plans to join Franklin at all, as opposed to either staying at Penn State with the next coach or going out to try and find a head coaching job of his own.

If Pry wouldn't be available, the best guess for interim bowl coach would be Terry Smith, the cornerbacks coach and associate head coach. He would make the most sense, given his experience at Penn State.

HANSARD ISSUES APOLOGY

Penn State defensive lineman Fred Hansard posted an apology on social media Monday for this dirty hit on the sideline against Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa.

You can read Hansard's apology below.

We hope to find out Tuesday afternoon from Franklin if Hansard received any kind of internal discipline.

BIG TEN HONORS DOTSON, BROWN

Two Penn State players were honored by the Big Ten as players of the week Monday following Saturday's 31-14 win at Maryland.

Wide receiver Jahan Dotson was co-Offensive Player of the Week, sharing the award with Purdue's Aidan O'Connell. Dotson set a Penn State record with 242 receiving yards while catching 11 passes with three TDs.

Safety Ji'Ayir Brown was named Defensive Player of the Week. He an interception that he returned 87 yards for a TD, plus a fumble recovery in the red zone.

PODCAST: Check out our podcast discussion below about Penn State's bowl possibilities. Cory Giger is joined by Sports Illustrated's Mark Wogenrich.