Stewart Mandel, I am working off of your idea here.
The reality of it is, Penn State's loss was not a bad thing.
Stand back, all you Penn State fans, and all you Big Ten fans: This loss was the best thing that could have happened to PSU and the Big Ten.
Why?
We all know the Big Ten has been relatively mediocre for the past three years, including subpar bowl records, and a 0-4 mark in BCS games for the past two. Let us face it.
No one wants to see us there. It hurts for me to say this, but Penn State, through no fault of their own, cannot break that Big Ten Title game stigma.
- B/R Ticket Guide
In order to begin to heal that Big Ten stigma, it will take laying low in the title game. And, winning our non-conference bowl games will be great.
If Penn State could beat USC in the Rose Bowl, assuming both teams find their way there, it would do wonders towards healing the Big Ten.
But of course, USC plays in the only conference more putrid than the Big Ten this year—the Pac-10. So, everyone will say Penn State beat nobody again.
But we all know just the fact that they have the letters U, S, and C, in that order automatically makes them credible to be a one-loss championship caliber team.
But the fact that a one-loss USC team is somehow more credible than a one-loss PSU team, despite the fact that PSU beat both teams that both PSU and USC faced. (Oregon St, Ohio St.) But I digress.
You see how hard the Big Ten healing will be? And it can start taking the right steps with no Big Ten team in the title game.
Believe me.
comments (9) write a comment »
write a new comment
about 1 month ago
See, that is the most stellar point you could make; that Penn State beat Oregon State handily and USC lost to them. Although plenty of Penn State haters will point out that they barely got by OSU, while USC manhandled them, they will ignore the fact that Beanie was out, and Pryor was not yet an integral part of the system.
Beat USC, and you will at least be heading in the right direction in terms of credibility.
about 1 month ago
Wow, someone who understands. Thanks man!
about 1 month ago
VERY valid point you have! I have been sensing that feeling of resentment and hate towards Penn State from fans of other conference teams, and even more so from various media outlets, commentary, and analysts. I also think that had Penn State been able to beat Iowa, coupled with winning their last two games (for sake of argument), and let's say that Texas Tech and Alabama hold their respective rankings of 1 and 2, and Penn State 3... We were basically finished from the word go as far as a shot at the BCS Championship is concerned. I know there's a lot of viable reasons on both sides of this argument, but I agree wholeheartedly with JoePa and Pete Carroll--It is time to implement a standard playoff system, like that which is used by the NFL. Enough already with 30 bowl games, and one national championship game.
about 1 month ago
Amen, Eric. Amen.
about 1 month ago
So I guess having TTU in the NC would be better than PSU? A team who has played nobody except for their conference who all have played non-conference nobodies? A team that can't win in a hostile environment. One word for you: pessimist.
Penn State has been in a slump, and went 2-1, and if they came to play vs. Iowa, would have been 3-1. The Penn State that beat MSU is the real Penn State this year. A load of bull that you are speaking. Right now, we should be in the NC, with UF (after UF beats Bama).
Clearly, you don't understand the greatness of this PSU team. This is the greatest team ever for PSU. The greatest offense, and probably the 3rd or 4th greatest defenses. This team is for real, and probably the best one-loss team other than UF in the Nation.
Keep being a pessimist, and PSU will keep proving you wrong. We deserve to be in that NC game, but fake teams like Texas and USC will get in there over us. Fake teams that you, like most people, think are great. I'm sure you thought that TTU was for real, but I didn't. And I was right. Sometimes you have to look through the fog to find out who's a contender and who's a pretender, get it?
from about 1 month ago
Isaac,
You are a homer. Clear and simple. Best PSU team ever? Are you blind???
The 1994 team was one of the best ever in college football. They went undefeated, and had the sting of getting shut out of a title. That is what you call a disappointment.
This PSU team is good, but not good enough to go even undefeated. Face it. They lost to an unranked team on the road. That is not the sign of the best PSU team ever.
Pessimist? Isaac, I'm realistic.
There is nothing wrong with the Rose Bowl. Nothing. And I never said we couldn't go to the Title. A lot has to happen. But we have a chance.
from about 1 month ago
The 1994 team's offense is not as good as this one's in their full potential. The problem was that we got conservative against Ohio State, Indiana, and Iowa, which is why we played like crap. We still deserve the NC over those fraud teams. USC: Overrated, TTU: Fraud, Texas: Most likely fraud, Bama: Way overrated, OU: Probably good, UF: Great, PSU: Great. Okay, so we should be at least No. 4, if people looked at the game correctly.
So USC is always so great, even when they lose to Stanford at HOME, and UCLA, and Oregon State twice!!!
We get upset once, and all of a sudden we aren't great? So LSU, being upset twice and still winning the NC wasn't a great team?
Give me a break!
Why don't you want us in the Title? We could beat every team except UF, who would most likely crush us, but you never know...
from about 1 month ago
USC is just an example, and I know that you don't think they should be more credible than us.
about 1 month ago
I never said I dont want us in the title. I think if we don't make it, it won't be the complete end of the world...
write a new comment