DeLuca went from walk-on to captain with the Nittany Lions. 'You can't help but love Dom,' Penn State DC Tom Allen said.

These are arguably the top 10 Penn State plays of this season going into the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Boise State Tuesday night in the Fiesta Bowl:

Penn State made a decisive early move against SMU last week, leaving its offense on the field for a pivotal 4th-and-1 attempt from its own 19-yard line. The conversion fell short, primarily because of a misplayed snap, and the Mustangs took over down 14-0 in prime position to reframe the game.

For all of James Franklin's success at Penn State -- and he's had plenty of it -- there's been a prevailing narrative that the 11th year coach cannot deliver in crucial moments. The ironic moniker "Big Game James" has been thrown around to ridicule his efforts against top competition,

After Penn State easily dispatched SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff, the Nittany Lions face off against Boise State on New Year’s Eve in the first quarterfinal matchup before the triple header on New Year’s Day.

For the first time in program history, Penn State is moving on in the College Football Playoff. The (6) Nittany Lions punched their ticket to a showdown against (3) Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal on Dec. 31 with a dominant 38-10 win against (11) SMU on Saturday.

The Nittany Lions' offensive stars discuss the buzz, and the grind, of readying for the Broncos and their 15th game of the season.