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Penn State proved it was serious about its championship aspirations this season.
All 60 minutes mattered in Saturday’s game against Iowa, but all that mattered, all that anyone would care about on Sunday morning was the final 1:42. Maybe just the final four seconds, when it was all said-and-done. The final drive is what was important for the Nittany Lions.
In front of more than 66,000 screaming fans, Penn State delivered.
Everyone stepped in. Trace McSorley was finding open targets, moving the chains with consistency. Saquon Barkley, Saeed Blacknall, Mike Gesicki, and Juwan Johnson all made plays, none more important than the other. And when the offense walked out of the game’s final timeout, setting up for game’s last play, there was no sense of panic, worry or nervousness. It was just another play for the Nittany Lions.
Barkley — the best player in college football — wasn’t targeted. Offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead didn’t call for some late-game, desperation play that’s buried deep in the playbook. He called a simple slant route and McSorley fired the ball at the back of the end zone in the direction of Johnson, who had just seven catches coming into to Saturday’s game.
Catch. Touchdown. Ball game.
Penn State proved a lot on that final drive. The offense drove 80 yards on 12 plays and used every second of that 1:42 to overcome a four-point deficit and escape Kinnick Stadium with a 21-19 victory over Iowa. It was the kind of a drive only a championship-caliber team can manifest.
Michigan couldn’t do it a year ago. The third-ranked Wolverines were stunned in Iowa City late last fall, coming up short in a one-score game. Jim Harbaugh and Co. lost to Ohio State two weeks later and the College Football Playoff hopes were dashed.
The last three top five teams to travel to Kinnick Stadium couldn’t do it. There’s been some sort of magic for the Hawkeyes when they’re at home under the lights. Teams have continually fallen short in an atmosphere similar to what was seen on Saturday night.
But Penn State pulled through.
Barkley’s ridiculous stat line is obviously a story most will talk about. He finished the day with 211 rushing yards, 94 receiving yards and touched the ball 40 times in the contest. Without him, the Nittany Lions certainly wouldn’t have been in position to win the game. None of that mattered in the final two minutes, though.
If McSorley and Barkley couldn’t lead Penn State out of this hole, the B1G title would’ve been in question and the College Football Playoff conversation would’ve disappeared. Those would’ve been the talking points Sunday morning.
None of that appeared to bother the Penn State offense. If it did, it certainly wasn’t visible. The Nittany Lions were as crisp as they’ve ever been and delivered in a clutch situation. Everyone pitched in. Franklin and his staff didn’t have to rely solely on Barkley or McSorley to get the job done.
Not many teams can do that in Kinnick Stadium under the lights. Then again, not many teams are serious championship contenders.
Penn State proved it was worthy of the title discussion on Saturday night. It just took 59:56 before the Nittany Lions were taken seriously.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB