Then there’s the Penn State Nittany Lions ... The geographic proximity to mountain lions didn’t guarantee Penn State would select the animal as its mascot. Nicknames don’t always make ...

And while the gold-helmeted Fighting Irish are a well-understod mascot, Penn State’s Nittany Lions aren ... a mountain lion is the same animal as a puma, cougar, panther, or catamount, depending ...

Heading into its Orange Bowl matchup against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals Thursday, here’s a closer look at why Penn State is called the Nittany Lions: The reality of ...