Ready for another Big Ten team in the national championship?
It’s probably fair to say that most college football fans would rather pull off one their arms and beat themselves with it than see another Big Ten team play for a national championship. But that’s exactly what might happen after Penn State defeated Ohio State 13-6 (their first win in Columbus since 1978) on Saturday night.
Joe Paterno’s bunch has just one road game left on its schedule (at Iowa next Saturday), before wrapping up the 2008 season with home contests against Indiana and Michigan. And while the Hawkeyes are an improved team, there isn’t a whole lot standing in the Nittany Lions way of running the table and finishing the year undefeated.
Those who watched Saturday night probably didn’t come away too impressed with PSU, but don’t forget that the Buckeyes have one of the most experienced defenses in the country. They held tough runner Evan Royster under 100 yards and even though Daryll Clark completed 12 of 20 passes for 121 yards, OSU’s defense battered him all night. (He even had to come out for most of the fourth quarter after taking a legal hit to the head.)
This game came down to Terrelle Pryor’s fumble early in the fourth quarter that PSU eventually turned into a touchdown. On a 3rd and 1 from the 50-yard line, Pryor tried to make a big play by bouncing outside instead of rushing forward for what should have been an easy first down. He had the ball stripped and in the end, it was the key play that turned the game around in the Lions favor. Still, he’s only a freshman and he’s got an incredible future ahead of him because despite the loss and what ESPN’s Mark May said earlier in the season, Pryor is clearly ready for prime time.
Penn State might not stand a chance against the best in the Big 12 or SEC, but outside of a bad half against Michigan last week, they’ve soundly beat opponents all season. They’re not flashy, but they play hard and do the little things right. General college football fans might not want to see another Big Ten team play for a title, but they might not have a choice after Saturday night.
Tough loss for the Buckeyes. They played it very close to the (sweater) vest and were poised to win the game. The fumble changed everything.
The Buckeye D is very good, but Penn State still wasn’t that impressive. I wouldn’t be shocked if they manage to lose a game down the stretch, even though they should be favored.
Luckily, a computer will determine the two teams that should play in the BCS title game. It’s so much easier than having a playoff to decide things.
I’m afraid I can’t agree with you Gerardo. I am neither a PSU or OSU fan but I did watch the entire game. OSU obviously has a very good defense, but to say PSU wasn’t that impressive is not really accurate. Two tough defenses faced off, it was an incredibly loud crowd throughout the entire game and PSU dealt with it.
At no time did I feel like the Buckeyes were poised to win the game.
Congrats to Penn State. They went in there and did what they had to do.
Da Bear – Fair point. I just expected more from Penn State after they throttled so many teams.
If Pryor falls foward and gets that first down instead of fumbling, Ohio State would have been in great shape to win the game.
Anyways, I won’t be surprised if Penn State loses, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if they win the BCS. So few teams seem to be able to play defense, and Penn State has a tough defense. They certainly deserve a shot if they win out.