“I knew I had to start taking what the defense gave me”.
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FAMILIAR PROBLEM: USC is 24-9 in the Rose Bowl game since making its first appearance in 1923, earning a 14-3 win over Penn State in the ninth Rose Bowl game ever played. “I’ll be exhausted. We’ll probably sit in our living room and see what happens”.
With Wisconsin holding a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter, Clement took a page out of Penn State’s book with the 67-yard touchdown. The Nittany Lions erased a 21-point deficit on their way to a 38-31 victory that, if the committee is honest about getting the four best teams, ought to at least put them in the conversation with Washington, Clemson and, yes, even Ohio State. The last scoring play before Endicott’s boot came in the second half of a 45-31 win over in on November 12.
Beating top teams like Ohio State and Wisconsin – and simply playing more top teams – almost made up the difference between the Nittany Lions and the Huskies.
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkely rushed for 22 yards to begin the Nittany Lions’ next drive before quarterback Trace McSorley converted a third-and-long pass to DaeSean Hamilton for 16 yards. Penn State is three spots behind No. 2 Ohio State, who the Nittany Lions beat earlier in November.
It was a triumphant night for Penn State and its fans, who wore white and packed Lucas Oil Stadium for their team’s first title game appearance in the six years in which the Big Ten has had one; it also came five years after the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
What the Big 12 needs most of all is a healthy and humming Texas program and for coach Tom Herman too be as good as advertised. “We will bounce back”. “There were a couple of pivotal moments in the second quarter when we got a turnover and didn’t score”.
Dropping either in favor of Penn State would be met with harsh criticism.
Penn State will face No. 9 USC in Pasadena on January 2 at 5 p.m. on our sister station ESPN. Ogunbowale went in from 7 yards out for the touchdown and a 28-7 Wisconsin lead. Penn State’s defense will have its own hands full against USC’s offense, which is dotted with NFL-caliber talent at almost every position – including top receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, 1,000-yard tailback Ronald Jones II and a powerful offensive line. The Nittany Lions’ dramatic win didn’t do enough to close the gap on the Buckeyes or the other semifinalists. The yardage and TD passes were both Big Ten championship game records. He finished with 83 yards rushing. The Nittany Lions never trailed again. The first was a 40-yard catch and run to Blacknall with less than a minute remaining in the half.
NOTES: Wisconsin RB Corey Clement rushed 10 times for 98 yards during the first quarter.
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After so much of the focus was on the offense in the second half for its rise from the ashes, Penn State’s defense closed things out. Wisconsin entered the Big Ten title game with a six-game winning streak, compiling a 19.3-point average margin in those six victories. The same Penn State that handed the Buckeyes their only loss.
