[NU Sports] FORTY DAYS OF FOOTBALL: Day 37

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

It's BEAT VANDY TUESDAY! GO CATS!!!

FORTY DAYS OF FOOTBALL
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> DAYS 1-10: The top coaches of the decade

10) Glen Mason, Minnesota
09) Bret Bielema, Wisconsin
08) Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
07) Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin
06) Randy Walker, Northwestern
05) Lloyd Carr, Michigan
04) Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
03) Joe Tiller, Purdue
02) Joe Paterno, Penn State
01) Jim Tressel, Ohio State

> DAYS 11-20: The top games of the decade

10) 2000: Purdue 32, Michigan 31
09) 2001: Michigan State 26, Michigan 24
08) 2005: Michigan 27, Penn State 25
07) 2003: Minnesota 37, Wisconsin 34
06) 2004: Northwestern 33, Ohio State 27 (OT)
05) 2008: Penn State 13, Ohio State 6
04) 2009: Ohio State 27, Iowa 24 (OT)
03) 2002: Ohio State 10, Purdue 6
02) 2000: Northwestern 54, Michigan 51
01) 2006: Ohio State 42, Michigan 39

> DAYS 21-30: The top players of the decade

10) Laurence Maroney/Marion Barber, Minnesota
09) Antwaan Randle El, Indiana
08) Jamar Fletcher, Wisconsin
07) Dallas Clark, Iowa
06) Troy Smith, Ohio State
05) Damien Anderson, Northwestern
04) Braylon Edwards, Michigan
03) Chris Gamble, Ohio State
02) Larry Johnson, Penn State
01) Drew Brees, Purdue

> DAYS 31-40: The top teams of the decade

10) 2003 Michigan Wolverines
09) 2002 Iowa Hawkeyes
08) 2006 Wisconsin Badgers
07) 2009 Iowa Hawkeyes
06) 2009 Ohio State Buckeyes
05) 2008 Penn State Nittany Lions

Just one rule for this list: No more than three teams from one school (so it wouldn't just be a list of Buckeye teams :) ).

TOP TEAMS
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04) 2005 Penn State Nittany Lions

- Record: 11-1
- Quality Wins: @ Northwestern, vs. #19 Minnesota, vs. #6 Ohio State, vs. #14 Wisconsin, vs. #22 Florida State
- Bad Losses: None
- Average margin of victory: 19.2 points
- Bowl result: Beat #22 Florida State 26-23 (3OT) in the Orange Bowl

Much like the 2008 Nittany Lions, the 2005 Penn State football team beat Ohio State for their biggest win of the season en route to a Big Ten championship. Unfortunately for the fans in Happy Valley, they also mirrored the '08 squad in coming up :01 short of a perfect season - and this one was probably even more painful. But the reason they're ahead of the 2008 team is that the 2005 Nittany Lions rebounded to win their bowl game and finish one controversial play away from perfection.

The 2005 team also had a better narrative than the 2008 team. The '08 squad was supposed to be good, but the '05 team came out of nowhere and was a triumphant return to relevance for JoePa and the program after a couple rough years where even some of the most loyal fans whispered that it might be time for the legendary coach to step aside. They had a new full-time quarterback in Michael Robinson (who had split time with the cagey Zack Mills the past year) and a new philosophy on offense to utilize their young speed at the receiver spot more.

Three easy victories at home over South Florida, Cincinnati and Central Michigan largely went unnoticed as PSU was not even ranked by the end of September. But they started to turn a few heads with a comeback victory in Evanston over a solid Northwestern team. The Cats built a 23-14 halftime lead off a flurry of PSU turnovers, but probably should have been up more and let the Lions hang around. On a 4th and 15 with two minutes left, Michael Robinson made one of the escape-artist plays he would become known for in 2005 and gained a first down. A few plays later, he threw a 35-yard touchdown strike and completed a 34-29 comeback win that really sparked the Penn State team for the rest of the season.

The next week, the Lions finally cracked through the national rankings after a 44-14 thumping of #19 Minnesota in Happy Valley. Junior Paul Posluszny was Big Ten defensive player of the week for the second straight Saturday and the offense exploded for more than 350 rushing yards. One week later, the Lions topped #6 Ohio State under the lights and a white-out as the defense rattled Troy Smith all day, forcing key turnovers and holding on late for the 17-10 win. Posluszny became the first player to be named Big Ten defensive player of the week for three straight games.

But in a foreshadowing of the 2008 season, Penn State's highest high was followed immediately by their lowest low of the season. The next Saturday, PSU traveled to Ann Arbor to face a struggling 3-3 and unranked Michigan team. Coach Lloyd Carr, who had JoePa's number throughout his career, saw Big Blue take a 10-3 lead after three quarters before a wild final 15 minutes. A long run and fumble return (with oh-no-wait-oh-yeah bobbled PAT ran in for two on the conversion) flipped the game in favor of PSU, 18-10. Michigan then scored twice to go up 21-18 before Robinson scored with less than a minute left to seemingly escape with a 25-21 lead. But then came the big return ... and the game-winning pick overturned on replay ... and Lloyd Carr's long argument that resulted in two seconds being placed back on the clock after a timeout was called ... and finally, Mario Manningham's reception with only one tick to go to give the Wolverines a wild 27-25 win.

Penn State fell from #10 to #14, but rebounded with a 63-10 thrashing of the Illini in Champaign, comfortable win over Purdue and 35-14 pounding of #14 Wisconsin in the home finale to climb back to #5 in the polls. The Nits built a 17-0 halftime edge against Michigan State in the final game of the season and coasted to a 31-22 triumph and a #3 ranking heading into the bowls. However, Pasadena was hosting the title game that year with #1 USC and #2 Texas (so even if Lloyd hadn't whined for that second, PSU would have finished #3), so the Lions were sent to South Florida for the Orange Bowl.

The game was a mismatch on paper with Florida State ranked #22 and coming in as surprise winners of the ACC title game, but there were still plenty of headlines with legends Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno on the sidelines. But with the game in Florida and the Noles regaining their preseason form towards the end of the season, it turned out to be a heck of a football game as well. The game was a 14-13 PSU lead at the half and saw an odd combo of a safety and field goal as the only second-half scoring to finish knotted at 16. Penn State missed a field goal at the end of regulation and the teams traded scores in the first overtime and traded non scores in the second extra session. By the time we passed midnight and were into the third overtime, it was Florida State's turn to miss a kick. Finally, at nearly 1 a.m. local time, PSU's Kevin Kelly kicked a field goal to end the madness and cap off an 11-1 season with a 26-23 Orange Bowl win.

Another fine season for the Lions, and a nice bowl win to top it off on a high note ... but Nittany Lion fans again were left wondering what might have been had those two seconds not been added to the clock in Ann Arbor, coming up one mere tick short of perfection two times in four seasons stings.

Coming Wednesday: Robbed of a title shot?

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

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STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!
Super Bowl XLIV Champions!
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