The best thing that could have happened for Penn State fans like myself was for Oregon to pull the upset against in-state rival Oregon State in the Civil War. Thankfully, the Ducks obliged, promptly plowing the Beavers (see what I did there?) 65-38. Oregon's offense just went ape-shit nuts on Oregon State. They racked up 694 yards—309 through the air and 385 on the ground. Sophomore quarterback Jeremiah Masoli had his coming out party, going 11 of 17 passing for 274 and three touchdowns, not to mention 53 more yards and another score on the ground.
The Ducks also had two running backs with over 100 yards on the night. Jeremiah Johnson ran for 219 yards and a touch while LeGarrette Blount added 112 and a score. It was total annihilation, and I loved every second of it.
You see, if Oregon State had won and locked up the Pac-10 title, the Nittany Lions would be taking on the Beavers again, this time in the Rose Bowl. And this would have been a lose-lose situation for Penn State. The Lions already stampeded the Beavers 45-14 in the second game of the season, and truthfully, the game wasn't even that close.
Surely, playing at home gave Penn State an edge, but no one wanted to see the Lions take on a team they demolished earlier in the year. After all, if Penn State won, so what? They were supposed to win. And if they lost, there would be more Big 10 bashing on the way. Basically, Penn State had nothing to gain by playing Oregon State, except, you know, a win in the Rose Bowl.
But that simply wouldn't have been enough. Everyone wants to see just where Penn State stacks up with the best of the best. After all, they were one slip-up away from the BCS title game. Now Penn State gets its chance against what is certain to be a heavily favored USC team playing in its own backyard.
Now's the time for Penn State to prove all those nay-sayers wrong, quiet all those haters that say the Big 10 is no longer an elite conference. On the first day of 2009, my alma mater has a chance to walk into Pasadena and take away a Rose Bowl title. All that stands in the way are those pesky Trojans … which reminds me, it's apparently World AIDS Day, so wrap it up people.
Something tells me Derrick Williams is in for a big day, and I don't mean an O.J.-style double homicide.
California, here we come.
Update: From meech, Matt Stairs, supporting the Nittany Lions:
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