Meet the Referee: Who's Calling the Penn State-Boise State Fiesta Bowl Showdown?

On December 31st, at 7:30 PM ET, a significant matchup is set to take place in the Fiesta Bowl. No. 6 Penn State will face No. 3 Boise State, marking the first-ever College Football Playoff quarterfinal game at this venue. The game will be broadcast by ESPN, with Penn State as the favored team. But who will ensure the rules are followed on the field? Football Zebras has revealed that the crew in charge will be led by head referee Steve Marlowe, hailing from the SEC. This isn't Marlowe and his team's first big game together; they also officiated the SEC championship game. However, their calls during that match didn't please Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, whose team received 12 penalties in total. Marlowe is no novice to the refereeing world. He has past experience in the College Football Playoff. Coming into the game, Penn State is averaging 5 penalties per game (ranking 24th) and 47. 3 penalty yards per game (ranking 43rd). Boise State, on the other hand, ranks 16th and 21st in these categories, respectively. Both coaches, James Franklin from Penn State and Spencer Danielson from Boise State, shared their initial thoughts on the matchup. Danielson expressed admiration for Franklin's coaching, noting Penn State’s impressive performance against SMU. Franklin reciprocated the respect, acknowledging Boise State's strong showing against Oregon.