Starting Ohio State Week Off Right
This week, a tradition will end. Did you know that, coming into this year, the College Gameday Crew had visited either State College or Columbus each of the past four years for the Penn State-Ohio State showdown, the longest running stretch in college football? While Herbie, Corso, and Fowler won’t be around for this one, we can reminisce about one of the matchups they were able to attend.
In 2005, while Penn State was trying to put the dark years behind them, Ohio State was similarly attempting to forget the past: a 8-4 season that put them squarely in the middle of the pack of the Big Ten. But in 2005, the Buckeyes were singing a different tune. They came into State College at 3-1, with the only blemish a three point loss to Vince Young’s Texas Longhorns amidst three blowouts. Sitting at #6 in the rankings, Ohio State was expecting a win overly the formerly hapless Nittany Lions. So too did ESPN ‘s audience, with close to 75% of college football fans picking the Buckeyes to win.
But for Penn State, emotions were riding even higher. Just two weeks removed from their stirring comeback win over Northwestern, Penn State was coming off a 44-14 beatdown of then-#19 Minnesota. With Michael Robinson at the helm, Penn State had put the memories of 2000-2004 behind them. At 5-0 it was official: the dark years were over. The only question was whether the 2005 season would go down as one of those truly special seasons in Penn State lore, that we’d remember years later as the one that turned it all around.
Ranked at #18, in the top 25 for the first time in three seasons, the Nittany Lions put on a show for the nearly 110,000 in attendance, at the time the second largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history. It was the genesis of Paternoville, and marked the revitalization of Penn State football.
Releated Posts:
- Great Moments in the Penn State/Ohio State Rivalry, Part 2
- Starting Northwestern Week Off Right
- Penn State takes a lickin’ but stops tickin’ against Ohio State
- Behind Enemy Lines: The Ohio State Buckeyes
- Let’s Get it Started – Ohio State
