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P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >> PLAYOFF FAST FACTS SEMIFINAL ROUND Both semifinals will take place on Dec. 29, 2018. The Cotton Bowl Classic and Orange Bowl will play host to this year's games, with the early game kicking off at 4 p.m. and the late game at 8. ESPN is set to air both games. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME The title game will kick off at 8 p.m. ET, Jan. 7 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. ESPN will provide TV coverage. BIG TEN PLAYOFF RECORD 2-2 BIG TEN PLAYOFF HISTORY Ohio State won the inaugural College Football Play- off in 2014, defeating Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, 42-35, and Oregon in the championship game, 42-20, behind a 246-yard rushing performance by Ezekiel Elliott. Since then, the Big Ten has made two appearances in the CFP and has lost those games by a combined margin of 69-0. In 2015, Michigan State represented the Big Ten after defeating Iowa to claim the league title. The Spartans fell to even- tual national champion Alabama, 38-0, in the Cotton Bowl. In 2016, Ohio State re- turned to the playoff but was shut out by Clemson, 31-0. The Tigers went on to claim the national title with a victory over Alabama. The Big Ten didn't qualify for the playoff last year, as conference cham- pion Ohio State was fifth in the CFP rank- ings coming out of the Power Five championship games. NEXT SEASON The Peach and Fiesta bowls will serve as the semifinal sites for the 2019-20 College Football Playoff. Both games will take place Dec. 28, 2019. The championship game will be Jan. 13, 2020, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. over and ask him to do other things for us." But with so many other contenders vying for the spot, that might not be necessary. Of those contenders, the one who may be most familiar to Penn State followers is Hilling. A native of Ukraine who came to the United States six years ago as an adoptee, he attended Hollidaysburg High, about an hour's drive southwest of State College. Hilling had played soccer as a child and had an aptitude for kicking that helped him adapt to American football. As a senior at Holli- daysburg, he hit 10 of 12 field goal tries and 46 of 46 PATs. Earlier this summer, he starred for Pennsylvania in the Big 33 Classic, kicking two field goals including a 56-yarder that was the longest in the all-star game's six-decade history. "He has a very strong leg, which was evi- dent in seeing the field goal he made in the Big 33 game," Galiano said. "One of his other strengths is that Vlad is a phenomenal young man, and he is a guy who's very comfortable and pressure doesn't get to him." A year ago, the Nittany Lions had the worst field goal percentage in the Big Ten, as Davis hit only 9 of 17 attempts. His 52.9 percent success rate (Maryland was the only other conference team that was below 70 percent) didn't prevent the Lions from winning 11 games. But their inability to convert from makeable distances added some drama to the season. In the Fiesta Bowl, for instance, Davis missed a 45-yard attempt that would have given the Nittany Lions a 10-point lead with 34 seconds remaining. They still won but needed one more defensive stand to hold on. If the offense takes a step back this fall with Saquon Barkley, DaeSean Hamilton and Mike Gesicki off to the NFL, the need for improved field goal accuracy becomes more acute. Which means that Hilling and his fellow kickers will have to be on top of their game, a process that begins in practice. "What I need to see from him is exactly what I need to see from the other guys," Galiano said. "When you get an opportunity to go perform, make the most of your oppor- tunity. Those guys are going to decide who becomes the starter. It will be very clear, be- cause somebody is going to separate himself and win the job." ■

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