Penn State roars back, settles for Rose

QB McSorley sparks record comeback against Wisconsin.

INDIANAPOLIS — As Penn S t a t e ’s b a nd pl aye d and Lucas Oil Stadium rocked, thousands of fans clad in traditional white shirts chanted, “We Are Penn State.”

It might have been more fitting if had it been “We are Penn St ate — and we are back.”

Five years after a child sex abuse scandal tainted the reputation of the school and its football program along with the legacy of late coach Joe Paterno, quarterback Trace McSorley put the Nittany Lions squarely back in the national spotlight Saturday night with a 38-31 comefrom-behind victory over Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game. It was the largest comeback in the six-year history of the game.

Coach James Franklin lobbied for a place in the playoffffffffffff, noting that “we just won the toughest conference in college football. We’ve won nine straight. They say you’re allowed to overcome minor setbacks. We’ve done that.”

Since rebounding from a 39-point thumping against Michigan on Sept. Penn State has won every game, handed Ohio State its only loss and on Saturday rallied from a 21-point fifirst- half defificit to end the Badgers’ six- game winning streak. Penn State also fifinished as co-champ of the Big Ten East, a division many considered the toughest in the nation, and now has its fifirst conference crown in eight years and a Rose Bowl berth.

McSorley fifinished 22 of 31 for 384 yards with four TD passes, breaking the title game records for yards and TD passes. He also broke the school’s single-season records for yards passing and touchdown passes.

And McSorley wasn’t the only one putting on a show. Saeed Blacknall caught six passes, two for touchdowns, and fifinished with a championship-game record 155 yards. DaeSean Hamilton c a u g h t e i g h t p a s s e s f o r 118 yards, most in the second half when the Nittany Lions repeatedly burned the nation’s No. 3 defense with deep throws.

What was most impressive was how they won it.

Penn St ate t railed 28-7 with 5:15 left in the fifirst half. That’s when McSorley and the Nittany Lions’ offffffffffffense fifinally got in sync by scoring touchdowns on each of their next four possessions — the last an 18-yard TD pass to Saquon Barkley with 13:41 left in the game.

The Nittany Lions never trailed again.