Now that Penn State’s magical 2016 season has ended, I want to use this blog to relive the season and to recap my favorite moments from the season.
Back in August, when the 2016 College Football Preseason rankings were released, Penn State was not included in the list of the top-25 teams in the country. In fact, no one even expected Penn State to be competitive in its Big 10 conference. At the time, four Big 10 teams were listed in the top-25 (Michigan at #4, Ohio State at #9, Michigan State at #13, and Iowa at #14). People believed that Penn State was still rebuilding following the NCAA sanctions and the Sandusky scandal fallout; to them, Penn State would not be relevant for at least another four years.
Penn State’s season did not start well, to say the least. After their first four games, the Nittany Lions stood at 2-2, with crushing losses against rivals Pittsburgh and Michigan. Their next game, at home against Minnesota, was when the season turned around for Penn State. Down 13-3 at halftime, Penn State fought back in the second half to win the game in overtime, 29-26. They would not lose another game during the rest of the 2016 calendar year.
After a Homecoming win over Maryland, Penn State hosted #2 Ohio State in legendary Beaver Stadium. After falling behind 21-7 going into the 4th quarter, Penn State hung in the game and refused to roll over. Thanks to a miraculous play, in which the Nittany Lions’ special teams blocked an Ohio State field goal, Penn State ended up winning the game 24-21. After the game, students took to Beaver Canyon to celebrate the biggest win the football program has had in years. As a student at the game and at the post-game celebrations, it was definitely one of the best nights of my life.
Following the Ohio State game, Penn State earned its first top-25 ranking in nearly 5 seasons, coming in at #24. When the first College Football Playoff rankings were released several weeks, Penn State was surprisingly hoisted to the #12 spot. At the end of the season, thanks to Penn State’s head-to-head victory over Ohio State, and other Big 10 upsets, Penn State won its first Big 10 East title. After heading to Indianapolis to face off against Wisconsin, Penn State earned its first Big 10 championship since 2008. A true second-half team, the Nittany Lions came back from a 28-14 deficit at halftime to win the game 38-31 over the Badgers. As the Big 10 champion, Penn State was selected to play against the USC Trojans for the 2017 Rose Bowl (the Rose Bowl is traditionally played between the Big 10 and PAC 12 champions). Despite a strong second half comeback, Penn State fell short late in the game, losing 52-49 in Pasadena, CA.
All in all, the 2016 Penn State football season was a rollercoaster, especially considering the slow start the team had. However, I will never forget my experiences in Beaver Stadium, cheering on the Nittany Lions throughout the season. Although Penn State did not make the College Football Playoff, this season demonstrates that, regardless of what the “experts” predict at the beginning of the year, any team has the chance to win it all. In the future, when I bring my kids to Beaver Stadium, I’ll point to the “2016” etched below the press boxes and tell them about the Nittany Lions’ magical season.
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