Penn State Nittany Lions College Football Pregame Quote, 12/29/2024

Q. I know you guys aren’t doing this. But do you think there’s any danger in a Big Ten powerhouse like Penn State looking at Mountain West in terms of, like, strength of conferences or whatever, when you play against Boise State?

DOMINIC DELUCA: I mean, at the end of the day, it’s the College Football Playoff. You have to be a great team to get into these situations. It doesn’t matter who they are playing. If it’s a high school team, an NFL team, I will take it the same way. They are a great team, and we have a great running back and a great offense. I’m excited to play.

Q. What do you think of the format of this playoff? You have to win four times to get to the playoffs. Is that something that’s going to take time to get used to?

DOMINIC DELUCA: I think it will take some time to get used to it. It will be week 15? The 15th game. That’s a lot of games. That’s the most games I have played even in high school. I didn’t even play 15. It’s a long season, but you have to keep your body healthy and recover every day. I can get back to you at the end of the season for that.

Q. Do you ever allow yourself to look at the bracket and say, we got SMU out of the way and now we have this game? Do you kind of look and say, who will we potentially play next?

DOMINIC DELUCA: Not really. I try to focus on who we are playing each week. If I’m looking ahead, I’m not locked in or focused. I’m looking at what strengths they have.

Q. Do you watch the CFP games to see what these teams are like and what they are about?

DOMINIC DELUCA: Yes, I grew up a huge fan of watching these games, all the bowl games. I always loved going to them. I tried going to some when I was younger and just watching them.

Q. It’s crazy to think you are playing at New Year’s time, which is the standard time, and now these games are going deep into January.

DOMINIC DELUCA: The next game is the 14th, and the national championship is the 20th. I’m pretty sure the winter workouts are the week after the nationals.

I think just going through the season and keeping your body healthy is huge.

Q. I wanted to ask you guys; you didn’t have a week off like Boise State did. Do you think that helped or hurt you guys as you prepared for this opportunity?

DOMINIC DELUCA: I feel like it helped. I see it as we have more time. I’m seeing it as I’m locked into the next day and focusing on what I need to focus on.

Q. You guys got off the plane last night and the excitement has set in. How do you feel?

DOMINIC DELUCA: We are excited. We know this is a business trip, a one game season at this point. You win, you go on; you lose, you go home.

Q. (Question about Ashton Jeanty.)

DOMINIC DELUCA: The way he makes something out of nothing. He gets hit in the backfield and makes a 25-yard gain. He’s a great back. I love watching him all season and to be able to play against him this week is cool.

Q. And thoughts on him being the runner-up for the Heisman trophy?

DOMINIC DELUCA: I thought he was one of the greatest players in college football. I feel like he had a great year. Just being able to bring his team this far into the playoffs is huge. Just going up against him this week is going to be awesome.