Remember a few weeks back, when Penn State beat Maryland and the palindrome score (51-15) sparked discussion and optimism?
That was then. This is now — with what really matters falling between the 51 points Penn State scored then and the 15 it put on the scoreboard last weekend against Michigan.
When some people talk about death, they’ll note it’s the dash that matters, meaning the “-“ between the person’s birth and death dates on the headstone. What did they accomplish during that time? What was their impact?
Penn State football is not dead. Not anywhere close.
Still, the dash matters. That time between the start of the Maryland game and the end of the Michigan game provided an accurate assessment and way to view the Penn State football program. It is what it’s been for the past decade and, honestly, for much of the past 30 years since it joined the Big Ten Conference.
Penn State beats the teams is should and falls short more often than not against Ohio State and Michigan — the elite programs in the conference. It’s not just a James Franklin problem. It’s been the situation since Joe Paterno roamed the sidelines.
During Penn State’s time as a member of the Big Ten, nine schools have earned at least a share of the conference championship in football during a specific season.
Ohio State tops the list at 14 with Michigan next at seven, followed by Wisconsin (six), Penn State (four), Michigan State (three), Northwestern (three), Iowa (two) and Illinois and Purdue with one apiece.
Despite how much college football has changed in the past three decades — with coaching and support staffs exploding in size, with name, image and likeness measures allowing players to get paid (handsomely in some cases), with billion-dollar TV deals — what happens on the field has remained consistently, honestly, surprisingly the same.
In the Big Ten, that means Michigan and Ohio State followed by everyone else.
Try as it might, change as it can, invest all it wants, Penn State has not been able to alter that hierarchy.
The pursuit of becoming elite in the past decade has cost people their jobs, most recently Mike Yurcich — thanks in part to what happened between the 51 and the 15. Or, maybe the 15 was just the final straw after earlier or even ongoing issues. It’s hard to know exactly what happened and why, but it’s inarguable that he’s no longer employed.
Penn State’s position is similarly inarguable and made clear by the time between the start of the Maryland game and the end of the Michigan game. You could replace Maryland with pretty much any of 11 other current Big Ten schools. Put any of them on the field with Penn State in a football game and Penn State wins. Almost certainly.
At the same time, you could interchange Michigan and Ohio State. Put them on a field with Penn State in a football game and Penn State loses. Certainly.
It’s frustrating for coaches and players, fans and supporters, but it’s just the honest reality at this point.
That does not make Penn State a bad program. Dozens of other schools across the nation envy the program’s attendance, the fans’ loyalty and even the success and revenue Penn State generates. It’s a really good football program and strong athletic department.
Still, getting past Michigan and Ohio State remains an unsolvable Rubik’s Cube for the Nittany Lions. Or maybe it’s a much simpler game, a Chutes and Ladders competition when Penn State invariably lands on the wrong square and slides back just enough (not the super-long slide, just the one that’s in the worst-possible place at a bad time) to fall short again.
That slide happened again for everyone to see between the start of the Maryland game and the end of the Michigan game.
Rather than angry and frustrated, though, you’d think people would almost be bemused, relegated to the fact they know the outcome but are somehow surprised it happened. After all, it’s just the reality of the situation.
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