Wisconsin falls to No. 8 in AP poll

Facing a terrific Wisconsin pass defense and a bruising Badgers run game, the Lions buckled early but rallied from 21 points down to stun the Badgers 38-31 before a roaring Pro-PSU crowd of more than 65,000.

Head Coach James Franklin knows the next game will be big, regardless of where they play. “It’s on you now, the committee”.

It seems like every year the selection process leaves fans clamoring for more playoff teams. Ohio State didn’t win the Big Ten East because the Buckeyes lost to the Nittany Lions and were regulated to watching the weekend’s developments unfold. Ohio State’s only loss was on the road against Penn State due to a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown.

The momentum began to flip in Penn State’s favor when McSorley tossed touchdown passes on back-to-back throws. Penn State fits that bill. “It sucks when you play this good all season long and then you come up short in a big game like this”. But athletic director Sandy Barbour issued a vote of confidence on September 29, stating Franklin wasn’t on the hot seat and will be the program’s head coach.

The committee either values conference championships – which it clearly has the last two years – or it doesn’t.

In 2016, college football went back to the future. “You are the best”. He’s been that valuable to the Nittany Lions’ attack as he put together another sterling four-touchdown performance, 375-yard plus performance in which PSU hit bomb after bomb. He accounted for two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air.

For further emphasis to the committee, when he was first asked about his team’s playoff hopes, Franklin made the wise PR move of having the on-field announcer repeat Penn State’s resume.

Those setbacks continued early in Saturday’s game. Second-ranked Ohio State, which didn’t play on Saturday night, looks like a Playoff lock.

That meant that the question of Ohio State vs. Penn State never truly needed to be answered. Penn State’s Mike Gesicki scored in the first quarter, and after a sack in the second, the Nittany Lions brought the score to 28-14.

Both of those numbers went up after this game, as McSorley finished 22-of-31 (70.1 percent, 12.4-yard average) for 384 yards with four touchdowns and was dropping dimes on his deep throws. “We just came out in the second half and had a jolt”. Then to win the entire Big Ten, Penn State was also behind Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. One measly yard. That’s child’s play for the Badgers, a team that chews up more turf than a lawn mower. Penn State would be a three loss team with not a very impressive schedule. Of course, it would be an ugly 9-6 type game, but that’s better than what most of their opponents could say. “It was incredible. You couldn’t ask for much else”. I’m just saying it belongs somewhere in whatever conversation this is. If the committee was impressed with the turnaround, it just might give them a chance.

That would give him a nice new contract as he prepares his team for the consolation prize of not making the playoffs – a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Butt the playoff system can.

The Big Ten Championship game was held last night in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Wright State shooters made just 6 of 23 3-pointers but heated up with three in the final seven minutes. Don’t tell us that head-to-head matchups matter.