It came a failed two-point conversion against Michigan State away from losing. Trace McSorley emerged as a star late in the season, which culminated with a four-touchdown performance against Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game Saturday.
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Penn State fans took to the streets of downtown State College Saturday night to celebrate the team’s Big Ten Championship victory over Wisconsin.
It’s easy to understand where Franklin is coming from.
Penn State and MI were the casualties this season, just like there were casualties in the first two seasons of the Playoff’s existence. Okay, now take down your We Are auto window decal and celebrate, because fans tied to Happy Valley are the only ones that allowed that notion to enter their minds. During one stretch – from the end of the second quarter to the start of the fourth – McSorley completed nine straight passes for a total of 241 yards and three touchdowns. 3 Michigan. The Nittany Lions rallied from 21 points down to beat No. 5 Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship. Wisconsin would have more than likely went to the Rose Bowl because of its loss to Ohio State in the regular season.
Rounding out the top five are Ohio State, Clemson, Washington and Penn State.
“We’ve got great options in front of us”, he said. “It’s been a three-year journey for us”.
“Lack of scholarships – 65 scholarships, 75 scholarships – a lot of turnover on personnel, a lot of turnover when it comes to coaches and things like that”. This is the first year we’re back to 85 scholarships.
If you love big plays, this was your game. Every team in the Playoff has one thing in common: one or zero losses. “We looked at one-loss Washington, that loss being against a top 10 opponent compared to a two-loss Penn State team”. The Huskies weak non-conference schedule coupled with their strength of schedule (55th) is their Achilles heel but they also played all season.
Committee chairman Kirby Holcutt said it was close, but Washington having just one loss against No. 9 Southern Cal was the determining factor. Penn State (11-2) has the 2016 Big Ten title and, at worst, will play in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 2009.
But. did All-Big Ten voters get it right in last week’s voting? Give credit to Penn State for finding a way to get it done, but the loss did not affect Ohio State’s chances for the playoff because of how the media and the committee perceived the Buckeye’s pedigree, schedule, and division in the Big Ten. Ohio State has the better resume and they earned their way back.
The Nittany Lions, seventh in the last rankings, are the hottest team in the country that doesn’t call Tuscaloosa, Alabama, home.
“They really weren’t running that many plays”, Haley added. The Scarlet and Gray know they are one of the four best teams and now the focus is on winning the program’s second national championship in three years.
Penn State was left out of the playoff this time, and that’s going to sting.
Hocutt said the committee dug deep into the Huskies and Nittany Lions.
“There’s no flawless system”, Franklin said.
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“Everything came together that second quarter and we kept it going the rest of the game”, McSorley said.
