Penn State football fans have been through the mill these last couple of years. After the football program being reinstated with a new coach and new hopes, Penn State fans finally had a reason to believe that our football team could take us to the College Football Playoffs once again. As with most teams in a full rebuild, it takes a few years of readjustment and some failures to finally find their footing and success.
When I came to Penn State in the fall of 2016 as a freshman, I honestly wasn't expecting much from our football team. One of the main reasons I chose to come to Penn State was because of how spirited of a school it was and how amazing of an atmosphere it was supposed to have at football games. My dad has been a die-hard Ohio State fan his entire life, but he even admitted to me that there was no better student section in the country than Penn State. I didn't need to see Penn State win every game I went to, I was just there to root on our team no matter what and join in on the incredible school spirit.
What I didn't expect whatsoever was for Penn State to win every single home game of the 2016-2017 season. Not only that, but they went on to win the Big Ten Championship and then play in the mother of all bowl games--the Rose Bowl. It was an incredibly exciting season that exceeded everyone's expectations, and soon names like Trace McSorley, Saquon Barkley, and Mike Gesicki were being broadcasted for the whole country to see. It was the season of miracles, and sophomore year I came back with even higher expectations and hopes to watch our football team go all the way.
The 2017-2018 football season was full of excitement, and for the first time in a long time, Penn State started off as a fan favorite to make the College Football Playoffs. The summer prior was full of talks about Saquon Barkley winning the Heisman and most Penn State fans were caught up in all of the excitement, finally able to call their football team elite. The season started off great, and Penn State dominated its first couple of opponents. The infamous White Out Game approached and Penn State obliterated Michigan, which only followed an incredible amount of hype by College Gameday visiting earlier in the day. However, nothing mattered anymore as Penn State traveled to Columbus, Ohio to play The Ohio State University, the very team that Penn State upset the year prior and was arguably our hardest game on the season's schedule. The game was an absolute roller coaster and ended in a heartbreaking 1-point loss, crushing every Penn State fan's dreams of proving our superiority over Ohio State. We were told not to be discouraged, however, as it was only one loss and there was still a high probability that we would still finish the season very high in the rankings.
Most Penn State fans know of the disaster that came next, and the following game against Michigan State resulted in another absolutely heartbreaking loss. While we obviously felt disappointment and sadness, we still had the Fiesta Bowl to look forward to and ended the season on a high note and with a lot of optimism for the following season.
We lost some of our most valuable players in the summer of 2018, but the promise of some incredible new young recruits kept Penn State fans confident that our football team would continue to excel against our opponents. It wouldn't be an easy task, but under the advisory of head coach James Franklin, there was still a lot of talk about Penn State having the ability to hold their own against teams like Ohio State, Clemson, and Georgia.
As most Penn State fans are aware of right now, this season hasn't exactly gone as we anticipated. Following two losses to Ohio State and Michigan State that almost completely mimicked the exact two losses we experienced last season, many fans decided to throw in the towel and admit defeat. They turned to trashing the coaching staff, the players, and the playcalling. They called our team heartless and unmotivated, our defense weak, and our offense lacking. As someone who came to Penn State freshman year with extremely low expectations for the success of our football team, I can tell you that after experiencing all of this success and the winning streak at home for over two years, it is difficult to remain optimistic about our football team.
However, I think most people don't realize how young of a team we are, and how we are still rebuilding, with a promising freshman class and a head coach whose passion for our team is like no other.
I just ask one thing...don't turn to bashing the players and coaches of our team. There is no group that works harder to make their fans proud than the Penn State Football Team. While you may feel frustration and anguish following a loss, don't throw your shaker to the ground and refuse to join along in the Alma Mater with the rest of Beaver Stadium. Have faith in your team. Have faith that they will continue to train hard and play even harder to work towards the goal that we all dream of.
For a team who lost most of its seniority in the previous graduating class, our incoming freshman have proven that they are a force to be reckoned with. And with the right amount of training and experience, Penn State will find its time to shine once again as one of the elite college football teams. So if I could just stress one thing through this all, it's to not become too discouraged about how this season is shaping up to be. Think about the incredible future in store for Penn State, and be grateful for the two unbelievably exciting seasons we just experienced that nobody would've imagined happening for at least another few years. Never forget the legend we had in Saquon Barkley or the incredible leadership that came from Marcus Allen, DaeSean Hamilton, and Mike Gesicki. When you lose hope, rewatch that incredible blocked field goal attempt and the touchdown against Ohio State or James Franklin hoisting up the Big Ten Championship Trophy.
Remember that there is great promise for this team and that as Penn State fans, "We Are" family. We must believe in our team together and look forward to what is to come in the future. But for now, keep cheering, keep waving your shaker high in the air, and just enjoy the immense fun that comes with watching a Penn State football game.
