If you’re a Penn State fan, it’s a topic that has been debated for a long time.
Ever since Penn State joined the Big Ten, fans have talked about whether it was a mistake for the Nittany Lions to join the conference.
In today’s edition of Morelli OnLion, we’ll explore what life would have been like had the Nittany Lions remained an independent. We’ll also have the latest on the PSU men’s basketball team as they make their final case for the NCAA tournament.
Would Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions be better off without the Big Ten?
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).
The Big Picture
One of my favorite films is the holiday classic “It’s A Wonderful Life.” By now, you know the premise. In the film, down-on-his-luck small towner George Bailey considers ending his life. A guardian angel named Clarence shows him how life would have been different in Bedford Falls if he had never been born.
George, of course, realizes the mistake he made thinking about throwing his life away and realizes that life is much better in the “drafty old barn” with his wife Mary and their four kids than in the lake on a cold and snowy Christmas Eve.
It’s a premise that has been duplicated in movies and television shows over the last 60-plus years.
Well, it’s never been attempted with athletics — until now.
Let’s go back to 1990, when Penn State joined the Big Ten. Up until that point, Penn State had been an independent, free to play whoever and wherever they wanted. Basketball was affiliated with the Atlantic 10 Conference, which featured more formidable foes than it does now.
In any event, it’s a shame that Clarence wasn’t there when the Penn State brass signed on the dotted line. Perhaps, just perhaps, Clarence could have prevented it. Because after being in the conference for a little more than 15 years athletically, it’s time to call it like we see it.
Joining the Big Ten was a mistake.
Why was it a mistake? Oh, there are plenty of reasons. Let us count the ways.
* Missing Title — Take the time machine back to 1994. If Penn State isn’t in the Big Ten, it’s not locked into the Rose Bowl, which means it would have been able to play Nebraska for the national title.
Instead, the Nittany Lions were forced to play Oregon, which was hardly a good matchup. With one of the most prolific offenses in college football history, most experts agree that Penn State would have handled Nebraska in a No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup, giving the Nittany Lions their third national championship.
Of course, Penn State pounded the Ducks and finished that magical perfect season ranked No. 2 in the nation. You can thank the Big Ten for that.
* Independence Day — Let’s face it, life as an independent was good.
The schedule was the schedule and you could play whoever you wanted.
The football team wasn’t locked into playing the Indianas and Northwesterns of the world.
Remember the good ol’ days? There were drivable destinations on the football schedule, including West Virginia, Boston College, Maryland and Syracuse. Penn State fans would load up their cars, campers and RVs and trek to the games. I can remember sitting in Baltimore’s rickety Memorial Stadium watching the Nittany Lions slug it out with the Terrapins. There were so many Penn State fans in the stands, it felt like a home game. That doesn’t happen anymore. Joining the Big Ten eliminated that. There are just a couple of drivable games on the Big Ten schedule — Ohio State and Michigan. Good luck finding seats for those games.
Best of all, Penn State could play eight home games every year. Go on the road for just four, that’s it.
* Bigger Than Big — The folks at Ohio State and Michigan will argue it, but Penn State is the jewel of the Big Ten crown. OK, so the Nittany Lions have won just three Big Ten titles in 16 years, but that’s not what we’re talking about. Penn State calls itself the “Greatest Show in College Football.” That’s fine, you’ll get no argument here. The atmosphere is awesome, the crowds are huge whether it’s Coastal Carolina or Illinois and for the past four years, the results have been more than respectable. However, imagine if the “Greatest Show in College Football” had its own channel. I’m not talking about the Big Ten Network, which often makes me scratch my head and wonder, “where did they find these people?”
No, think bigger. Think better.
The New York Yankees have their own network, the YES Network. Why couldn’t Penn State have its own? At the very least, the Nittany Lions could cut some type of a deal with a network like CBS, FOX or ABC/ESPN, which would lock them in to each and every game. Why share the revenue with the bottom feeders of the world? Penn State packs its stadium each and every week, not just when the big boys come to town.
And the ratings for Nittany Lions games are considerably higher than the rest of the conference. Imagine if all that revenue were going directly to Penn State. It would benefit each and every sport, not just football.
* Recruit Rewards — Let’s face it, the Big Ten is bashed weekly on talk shows and television shows across the country. It can’t make it an easy sell for recruits when they see the lack of respect the conference gets nationally. After just one win during the bowl season, the Big Ten was the butt when it finally concluded. Up until this season, Penn State had been holding up its end of the deal, winning three consecutive bowl games.
But the fact that Ohio State loses its BCS game each and every year reflects poorly on the rest of the conference. And at the end of the day, beating the Buckeyes in their own backyard means very little.
Jamelle Cornley deserves to get a taste of March Madness as a Nittany Lion.
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).
The Case for the Tourney
The Penn State men’s basketball team had to come from behind, but defeated Indiana, 61-58, on Saturday night at the Bryce Jordan Center.
With the win, the Lions reached 20 wins and are now 20-9 entering their final two regular season games.
If the Lions can win those two, they are almost certainly a lock for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and would earn a seed anywhere from No. 9 to No. 12. But there are two big tests on the horizon in Illinois (Thursday) and Iowa (Sunday) before the conference tournament begins next week.
While the non-conference schedule did the Lions zero favors, they’ve got enough quality conference wins (Michigan State and Illinois on the
road) to earn a berth.
However, if the Lions drop these next two games and enter the tourney at 20-11, all bets are off. They could easily find themselves on a bubble that is about to burst.
That would be a shame, especially for senior Jamelle Cornley, who deserves to go out with at least a little taste of what March Madness is all about.
Chris Morelli is the award-winning editor of Blue White Illustrated, a weekly publication devoted to Penn State athletics. He is also a regular on “Sports Central,” which airs on ESPN Radio in Altoona and State College. E-mail him at morellionlion@gmail.com. This column does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of BWI’s writers or publisher.
