Happy Valley...Happy Again
Let's face it....the big story of the weekend was the Penn State Nittany Lions proving to everyone that they are for real, after beating Ohio State, 17-10, on Saturday night. Many people thought the wins at the beginning of the season were expected since they played a bunch of cupcake teams. Then, many people wanted to see how they'd do in their first real test last weekend against Minnesota. Well, they made it pretty clear then. Still, many of the dissenters in the media would not claim Penn State as being for real this season until they beat Ohio State, the #6 ranked team in the nation. So, the Lions made it easy for all of the naysayers...they went out and beat Ohio State in a hard-nosed, tough game. Seemed like the perfect atmosphere: 48 degress and rainy at kickoff, and 109,000 fans in the stadium, with the entire student section wearing white. Looked pretty damn good to me.
The defense played tough - they got the big stops when they needed them and didn't let Ohio State dictate the pace of the game. And while Ohio State's defense isn't too shabby either, Penn State's offense did just a good enough job to keep them on top. Plus, this was the type of game where turnovers would play a big factor, and the 2nd quarter interception by Calvin Lowry which set up a touchdown, along with the Tamba Hali forced fumble at the end of the game, would prove to swing the game in Penn State's favor.
So now PSU has a 6-0 record and are ranked 8th in the nation in the Associated Press poll, and have another test coming up this week when they travel to Michigan. Although the Wolverines aren't nearly as good as they've been in previous years, they always seem to give the Nittany Lions a solid game, and so I wouldn't write this next game off as a win just yet. However, if PSU continues to play as well as they have, it's tough to see anyone beating them anytime soon.
I'm interested to hear from people who witnessed the 2002 contest vs. Nebraska and the game on Saturday night against Ohio State. Many would say they are the most intense games in recent history to be played at Beaver Stadium, and since I wasn't at the game this weekend, I'd like to hear from those who were. How do the games compare? Which game's fans were crazier?
In the words of Andy Franson, "I cried when Penn State won. It was beautiful."
[Side note: I'm going to refrain from commenting on the horrendous Eagles loss today. They looked awful and I'm not really sure where they went wrong, yet they succeeded in making the Cowboys look like the '85 Bears. We'll just bask in the glory of Penn State's success for now.]
Back tomorrow with some more...
posted by The Ross @ 11:18 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
i was at the game on saturday. for me, its hard to compare the two. in 2002, the nebraska game was about revenge. it was about wiping the floor with the team that got something we felt we deserved back in '94. this time, it was about the current team. it was about solidifying penn state's place in the national picture. so, from that stand point, i think the games were very different. however, as far as crowd intensity, i've never heard a crowd be as loud, for as long, this time around. the crowd was deafening, even in the fourth quarter. and most impressive to me, it got quiet when we went on offense. in 2002, i don't remember the crowd being that loud for that long and being quiet when we were on offense. also, the white out adds so much to the intensity. it was definitely amazing, and made the s-zone look that much better.
I was at both games as well, and I was at numerous games years ago. I sat in the student section and the alumni section. I witnessed Penn State beat Nebraska, Michigan, Pitt, and even Notre Dame(too young to really remember.) In my 20+ years of attending, I have never seen the crowd back the Lions like they did saturday. The alumni section yelled, cheered, stomped, clapped, cried, and even stood up (which in a rare occurrence in itself.) I would like to say that was the best game I have ever seen in Beaver Stadium.
i sat in the alumni section at the beginning of the game this weekend and couldn't believe that there were as many people standing as there were. everyone around me was high fiving and hugging like they've been best friends for years, even though they were complete strangers. during the 3rd quarter, i moved to the student section to meet up with some friends and, of course, the students didn't dissappoint. i've never felt the stands shake like that when the defense was on the field. even the alumni section was bouncing the entire game. definitely the best game i've ever been to. i'm just disappointed i didn't have the balls to rush the field after the game. damn this growing up shit!!
in andrew "the crier"'s defense, i also cried at the end of the game.
My favorite part of the weekend was seeing a sign on GameDay that said
"OHIO STATE IS FOR POOR PEOPLE"
Im still laughing.
i liked the "AJ Hawk plays with my little ponies"/"JoePa shoots lightening bolts out of his arse" sign myself
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