Penn State Football has certainly taken us for a ride this year, hasn't it? After a bleak 2-2 start, losing to rival Pitt and getting absolutely slaughtered by Michigan, Nittany Lion fans were just expecting another average season under an unproven James Franklin, and to maybe go to a bowl game. Maybe.
Franklin winded up proving himself and the whole nation wrong. Now, we sit here on the way to the Rose Bowl after a resounding plowing of the rest of the Big Ten, including an upset of #2 ranked Ohio State and beating Wisconsin after being down by as much as 21 at one point. Most fans and experts agree, Penn State football deserved a spot in the recently formed college football playoff for the shot at the title game.
But, wait, huh? The committee shuts them out just outside the top spot, and we get the Rose Bowl as a consolation prize? Yes, the Rose Bowl. "The Granddaddy of Them All". Seems like the most lucrative nickname to give a football game that isn't the national championship game, but the Rose Bowl definitely deserves this title.
The Rose Bowl itself is a huge game, bigger than the dainty rose it was named from, and is the oldest bowl game in college football. It's played between the winners of the Pac-12 and Big Ten College Football Conferences every New Years (Or Dec. 2) in Pasadena, California. Most people reading this article already know this.
This sounds familiar...... Something very similar happened to another Nittany Lion squad. Time to party like it's 1994.
The 1994 Penn State Football team was, from the very start, a powerhouse. Preseason expectations had it going to a decent bowl game, but not going undefeated and winning the Big Ten, which is exactly what they did. These Lions, like 2016, also beat Ohio State, but instead of squeezing by on a blocked field goal, they crushed them like actual Buckeyes 63-14.
College Football's system on who became National Champion was a bit confusing back in the day (and still kind of is). Basically, depending on your rank/conference record, you were chosen for premier bowl games such as Orange, Cotton, etc. The National Champion that year, Nebraska, was picked for the Orange Bowl, and "won" the national championship by beating #3 Miami, all before Penn State even played in the Rose Bowl, which was the next day.
This is just the short version, as theres a long and complicated controversy around this system and this year in specific. All Penn State fans know is that despite a perfect season against strong opponents, the committee just wanted Nebraska a little more.
Two teams, same situation. So, the question remains: which Nittany Lion squad was more deserving of a shot to win it all? In a head-to-head matchup, who comes out on top?
The 1994 team, like stated before, was undefeated, ending with a victory in the Rose Bowl over the Pac-12 Champion Oregon Ducks. The 2016 team ended with just the two losses to Pitt and Michigan, but ended the regular season with a 9-game winning streak to win the Big Ten Championship.
Both teams had Heisman-level players. Kerry Collins, the QB for the '94 squad, had over 2,600 passing yards and 21 TD's, and was fourth in the Heisman balloting, while also winning multiple outstanding player awards. Ki-Jana Carter was a beast at RB, with a 2,800 yards rushing and 34 TD year (per ESPN). These dynamic players on offense plus their explosive defense was the reason for the team's success.
2016 had its fair share of stars, however most are still up and coming. Trace McSorely and Saquon Barkley had the nation paying attention during their mid-season run commanding the Nittany Lions, averaging 433.3 yds. of total offense per game. The defense was flawed at times, but still held teams to an average of 352 yds. per game (per Teamrankings.com)
Each team had their own "defining game of the season" game. Fans of the 1994 team can instantly recall the Illinois game and "The Drive". Down 21-0, the Lions battled back and cut the lead to 31-28 Illinois, and eventually late in the fourth quarter took the lead 35-31on a Brian Milne rushing touchdown.
It just seems like it was yesterday that Penn State first cast itself into College Football's limelight by knocking off #2 Ohio State in Beaver Stadium on that rainy October whiteout at Beaver Stadium. Similarly to the Lions of old, Penn State again found itself down 21-7, but with the help of some McSorely heroics, they were within one score. Ohio State lined up for a field goal to pad the lead, but history was made as the kick was blocked and was ran by Grant Haley into the opposite end zone. Madness ensues. Penn State keeps winning.
Taking all this together, it's more based on preference of which team is better. If you went to school while the 1994 team was winning, you might stand by them; the same goes for current students. Plus, New Year's 2017 could bring a new twist to this story, when #5 Penn State takes on The Pac-12 Runner Up, Southern California.
Each reincarnation of Penn State football becomes a legend in its own right, whether good or bad. That's the beauty of it all. Whichever team you prefer, Paterno's or Franklin's, you can be sure that Happy Valley will remember them for a long time. Pick some roses, State College.
