How a blocked field goal changed Penn State’s season

The Big Ten title is on the line in Indianapolis and once again the Wisconsin Badgers will be there to play for it. Wisconsin is playing in its fourth Big Ten Championship Game and is hoping this year fares much better than their most recent trip two seasons ago. After that, the pool for the No. 4 spot includes Michigan, Colorado and perhaps – as a long shot – the Big 12 champ. Wisconsin is 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS in its last five games after losing the previous game in a matchup. If Barkley can’t play, or isn’t effective, McSorley will be asked to do a lot more.

Washington played a non-conference schedule against Rutgers, Idaho and FCS Portland State, a fact that has anchored the team in the committee’s eyes. Failing that, outgunning the Nittany Lions in a classic would also potentially be enough for Wisconsin to vault MI, for it would likely have last-ups.

“I think it’s illegal”.

“When you see the fruits of your labor, when you win the Big Ten West championship, it’s all worth it”.

Franklin and Penn State’s numbers speak for themselves, and with the Big Ten Championship Game on the horizon this Saturday night, what else do this team and their head coach have up their sleeve to continue to surprise college football fans?

Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett won the Big Ten’s Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year award.

Truth be told, Trace McSorely is just better suited to the systems of B1G Coach of the year (media) James Franklin just like Hackenberg was better suited to the offense of Bill O’Brien.

“Looking up to those guys in the recruiting process is a big reason why I wanted to come to this school”. Barkley and Clement finished the regular season second and third in the Big Ten, respectively, in total rushing yards behind only Northwestern’s Justin Jackson.

Z, for Zero, as in zero drop-off in defensive performance for Wisconsin under new coordinator Justin Wilcox, who took over after Dave Aranda left for the same post at LSU.

The legacy of Joe Paterno was tainted and the football program received a bowl ban and scholarship reductions. “They have a formula at Wisconsin”, Franklin said.

I see that we’ve reverted back to the slow starts we were concerned with earlier in the year.

45 to 12 is a really odd looking score, don’t you think? “I’m very, very appreciative of them supporting us throughout this entire ride”. Since Wisconsin’s bye week, Clement has run for 821 yards and eight touchdowns in his last seven games. He practiced Wednesday and expects to play. Oh that defense. Bucky ranks third in the country in both scoring defense (giving up about 13 points per game) and rush defense (100 yards per game).

“The mission and the sole focus and goal of the selection committee is to rank the four very best teams in college football for inclusion into the playoff”, Hocutt said.

What that means going forward is anybody’s guess, but it’s a good bet this win won’t be good enough to get Wisconsin into the playoff unless either Clemson or Washington lose in their conference championship games.

Barkley is the team’s most explosive weapon and rushed for 1,219 yards and 15 touchdowns.

McSorley, a sophomore, is in his first season as PSU’s starting quarterback. A conference title win against a Top 10 team will give the Huskies a boost ahead of Sunday’s final College Football Playoff rankings. But going into the final weekend, Clemson is one win away from making the playoff and has big-game experience after reaching the national championship last season. “I think to play for a Big Ten championship is a tremendous honor on its own and then to find a way to win this game and take that baby home would be great”.

“You always want to be the best you can be”, Chryst said on a conference call, “and certainly, in college football, that’s the pinnacle”.