INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – As Penn State’s band played and Lucas Oil Stadium shook, a large number of fans clad in their traditional white shirts reading “We Are Penn State.”
It may have been all the more fitting if had it been “We are Penn State – and we are back.”
Five years after a child sex abuse spoiled the reputation of the school and its football program alongside the legacy of mentor Joe Paterno, quarterback Trace McSorley put the Nittany Lions soundly back in the national spotlight Saturday night with an epic 38-31 victory over No. 6 Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game. It was the biggest rebound in the six-year history of the game.
Before mentor James Franklin left the field, he was at that point lobbying the playoff council to put No. 8 Penn State in the last four.
“What I do know is that we simply won the hardest conference in school football,” he said. “We’ve won nine straight. They say you’re permitted to beat minor mishaps. We’ve done that. It’s dependent upon you, the committee.”
The Nittany Lions’ resume is noteworthy.
Since bouncing back from a 39-point pounding against Michigan on Sept. 24, Penn State (11-2, No. 7 CFP) has won each game, gave No. 2 Ohio State its exclusive loss of the season, and on Saturday mobilized from a 21-direct first-half shortage towards the Badgers’ six-game winning streak. Penn State likewise completed as co-champs of the Big Ten East, a division many considered the hardest in the country, and now has its first conference crown in eight years.
Many, including obstinate Penn State fans, ponder whether that will be sufficient to bounce up three spots in the board of trustees’ rankings. A few fans even held signs that reads “we smell roses.”
While McSorley – the game’s MVP after a record-breaking performance, has considerably higher hopes, he’s contented to give his mentor a chance to campaign for a playoff spot.
“Coach said what he needed to state, will appreciate this minute with my colleagues,” McSorley said before leaving the stage on the field.
It was absolutely a minute worth appreciating.
McSorley completed 22 of 31 for 384 yards with four TD passes, breaking the title game records for yards and TD passes. He additionally broke the school’s single-season records for yards passing and touchdown passes.
What’s more, McSorley was not the only one putting on a show. Saeed Blacknall got six passes, two for touchdowns, and completed with a title game record 155 yards. DaeSean Hamilton got eight passes for 118 yards, most in the second half when the Nittany Lions over and again blazed the country’s No. 3 defense with deep throws.
What was most noteworthy was the way they won it.
Penn State trailed 28-7 with 5:15 remaining in the first half. That is when McSorley and the Nittany Lions’ offense, at last, got in a state of harmony by scoring touchdowns on each of their next four possessions, the last an 18-yard TD pass to Saquon Barkley with 13:41 remaining in the game. The Nittany Lions never trailed again.
“They made some plays down the field and we didn’t make enough to make McSorley feel uncomfortable,” Wisconsin mentor Paul Chryst said.
Wisconsin (10-3, No. 6 CFP) played without beginning quarterback Alex Hornibrook who hoped to the big lead behind Corey Clement, who ran 21 times for 164 yards including a 67-yard TD run in the first quarter.
Be that as it may, the Badgers’ forceful defense permitted a season-high point total.
Wisconsin’s last chance finished when Clement was held back before the first down on fourth-and-1 from the Penn State 24-yard line with 1:01 to go.
The takeaway
Penn State: Consider the turnaround is finished. Five years after the Jerry Sandusky outrage corrupted the program and the late Joe Paterno’s legacy, the resulting NCAA sanctions appeared to put the Nittany Lions on the road to success to no place, they are Big Ten champs and resemble a genuine national title contender.
Wisconsin: After winning their initial two title game appearances, the Badgers have now lost their two – in stunning fashion. Mentor Paul Chryst could never have expected this from a defense that hadn’t permitted more than 30 points all season but had just permitted No. 2 Ohio State to acquire than 400 yards in a game this year.
Pollimplications
Penn State: Coach James Franklin demanded all week that his group centered around on winning a Big Ten title. Presently, the campaigning can start – if Franklin needs to. The argument goes this way: Co-champs of the hardest division in school football, championship game winners of the best conference in football and the main group to beat No. 2 Ohio State. Will it be sufficient?
Wisconsin: In the primary a large portion of, the Badgers appeared as though they would put forth their defense to the board. Rather, the Badgers have no clue what will happen next.
Up next
Penn State: Will readily hold up to see who is next on the schedule.
Wisconsin: Will hold up to see who the Badgers will get in the postseason, one that could have been substantially more interesting if they secured their lead.
Here are some of the game reviews:
The winner will bring home the Amos Alonzo Stagg Championship Trophy and have an opportunity to play in one of the six bowls that involve the College Football Playoff, including the Rose Bowl.
Wisconsin is making its fourth Big Ten Championship game appearance, having shown up on this stage in 2011, ’12 and ’14. This imprints Penn State’s first B1G title-game trip.
Wisconsin and Penn State met last on the field on Nov. 30, 2013, with the Nittany Lions beating the Badgers, 31-24.
Some few of the seers had this matchup pegged before the season. Penn State, under third-year mentor James Fraklin, is just some seasons removed from uncovering out of major NCAA sanctions, while Wisconsin, directed by second-year mentor Paul Chryst, confronted one of the country’s most overwhelming calendars heading into the year.
The Nittany Lions earned their spot in this game by running-through eight straight wins to close the normal season, including a 24-21 bombshell of No. 2-positioned Ohio State on Oct. 22.
Wisconsin kicked off its season by alarming LSU in Green Bay, then shut the year with six straight wins after consecutive mishaps against Big Ten forces Michigan and Ohio State toward the beginning of October.
Read more: Will the Alabama Crimson Tide Keep Rolling?