Not title shot, but resurgent Penn State headed to Rose Bowl

McSorley finished 22 of 31 for 384 yards and was named the game’s MVP. Committee chairman Jeff Long said, “Ohio State’s performance in a 13th game gave them a quality win over a highly ranked team”.

In 2016, college football went back to the future.

The structure of the college football playoff (five power conferences, four teams) and the way the teams are revealed (a series of TV shows leading up to the final ranking) encourage it.

But the snub of Penn State smacks of politics. The Lions have not lost since September 24 and enter the January 2 Rose Bowl against Southern California riding a nine-game winning streak.

It’s a 99.9th percentile result, in fact.

The Trojans have three losses, but they came early in the season, and once they sorted through some quarterback issues, they have been really good down the stretch.

The Big Ten is always seeking more “exposure”, as officials call it, going so far as to schedule Friday night games that annoy coaches and inconvenience tailgaters. And like most goals worth having. This year, if there’s any team with a legitimate gripe, it would have to be Penn State.

■ Alabama? The Crimson Tide are No. 1 in the nation, won their conference handily and are undefeated. Then, on Penn State’s first drive of the second half, McSorley and Blacknall connected again, this time for a 70-yard touchdown strike on a crossing route. It struggled with Northwestern.

There will be no complaining coming from State College. This time, it’s for a spot in the national championship game. Huskies fans were holding up signs at games late in the season, proclaiming “We want Bama”. The Big 12 did not play a conference championship game, so the 11-1 Frogs could not benefit from a 13th data point, and remained at No. 6 and out of the playoff in the final rankings.

Offensive player of the year: Saquon Barkley, Penn State.

The Buckeyes have only lost once.

It still insane the conference champion, from the country’s best conference is not in. On Sunday, the four semifinalists were announced on ESPN, and Ohio State checked in at No. 3, which sets the Buckeyes up for a PlayStation Fiesta Bowl date with No. 2 Clemson on December 31. It won its conference. “Their only loss was by a close margin, three points, to a top-10 team”. 3, 8 and 24, and their losses are to Nos.

Penn State won the Big Ten championship game Saturday night with an impressive second-half comeback against Wisconsin. Washington blew out Colorado, 41-10, to win the Pac-12 championship. It beat ranked Utah.

“You get in these tight ballgames, and you’re going against great DBs”, he said, “(receivers are) going to be open, but it’s not going to be by much.

So the key is to play a hard nonconference schedule?

You think you have what it takes to stand in the middle of the action?

Instead, Penn State will go to the Rose Bowl. Nevertheless, a Rose Bowl spot against USC is quite the consolation prize.

Penn State: Consider the turnaround is complete.

Police in State College are weighing possible arrests after the celebration of Penn State’s Big Ten championship caused minor property damage.

More than a few Buckeyes fans were saying that previous year after Big Ten champion Michigan State, the only team to beat OSU in 2015, was obliterated 38-0 by Alabama in a national semifinal.

A panel of 26 writers and broadcasters from the 11 Big Ten states also voted MI linebacker Jabrill Peppers the defensive player of the year and Ohio State running back Mike Weber the newcomer of the year.