STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State players and coaches rolled hopefully back into Happy Valley on Sunday, greeted as Big Ten champions by cheers and honking car horns. They got off the team bus, filed into a meeting room and huddled around a giant projector screen as the College Football Playoff selection committee made its picks. As the contenders were announced, it became clear — this unexpectedly triumphant season was going to fall frustratingly short of college football's biggest stage. The fifth-ranked Nittany Lions — winners of nine straight, including a huge comeback against No.