Several months ago, our long-time Arizona friends and their kids planned to tour Penn State as they consider options for college. Of course, we encouraged them to tie it into football weekend. Our schedules aligned, and we were happy to join them for the Ohio State weekend.
Once we had the plans in place, another friend from Manhattan and his son also planned a tour of the campus as well and would join us on the weekend. Even though they’re Buckeye fans ;-), we were thrilled to have the opportunity to share all the things we cherish about Penn State and this part of the country.
And, of course, showing off during fall colors was a plus, considering they’ve either lived in the desert like us for the last 25+ years or now live in the concrete jungle of New York City. The fall colors in Central PA were past prime but still on full display.
We arrived slightly ahead of everyone else, so our trip to State College started with the Penn State Coaches show on Thursday night. Every Thursday, Steve Jones, the voice of Penn State Athletics, hosts a radio show from The Field Burger and Tap. It’s broadcast on regional radio and streamed online. Coach Franklin is a weekly guest, and he’s joined by a coach from another sport – this weekend was Erica Dambach, Head Coach of #21 ranked Nittany Lion Women’s Soccer.
The coaches provide insight and take questions from the audience. First up was Coach Dambach. Her 10-4-3 team was headed to Madison for the first round of the B1G Tournament.
On her way out of the restaurant, Coach Dambach walked right past us. Based on her interview, she seemed very approachable, so I asked her for a quick photo, and she was happy to oblige. My wife was mortified and wanted no part of the stalking.
Next up, Coach Franklin. Steve Jones asks him a few questions, and then he turns the questioning over to the audience. There was one really good question posed to Coach Franklin by some guy named Bill from Phoenix about Assistant Coach Ken Whisenhunt.
Then, after Coach’s segment, as luck would have it, he too exited right past us, security detail close behind. Of course, I had to ask for another photo. It was destiny, right?
I blew it! My chance to get a photo with Coach was ruined by my horrible selfie skills, and the result was this blurry photo. It reminded me of last year’s Whiteout when I had the opportunity to get a shot with Saquon Barkley, only to crop myself out of the photo. Yes. That’s my hat in the lower corner. In my defense, it was very bright out, and I couldn’t see my screen!
Fortunately, Coach was chatting it up with some others before he left the restaurant. I had another shot! Again, my wife wanted no part of it. I walked over, fell on my sword and told him my woes, and asked if I could get another shot. Redemption!
After the Coaches left and the place cleared out, some of our friends arrived, and it was time to dig into The Field’s famous table fries!
Later, we would be joined by our friends from NYC, and we’d close down the restaurant.
On Friday, the others were scheduled for tours, so we drove through Bellefonte to pick up a coffee. If you haven’t ventured into this little Victorian-style town, you’re really missing out. They have some great restaurant options compared to State College, and their Talleyrand Park is worth a stroll.
Our stop today was at Bonfatto’s Italian Market and Cafe for a coffee and pastry. We’ll definitely plan on returning to this place in the future. A steady stream of customers left with a hoagie in hand, so I’ll have to add it to my list.
Also in Bellefonte is Axemann Brewery. They offer several styles of beer and recently opened an on-site restaurant to complement the food trucks that are still an option.
We picked up a selection of beers for our tailgate, including the aptly named Blue Stripe.
There’s just something about driving through the tiny towns of Central PA and seeing a train rumble across the tracks. Here, the Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad operates on a short 73-mile line between Tyrone and Lock Haven.
Of course, we had to swing by Gate A to see the campers of Nittanyville. These brave students were subjected to freezing temperatures throughout the week – so they earned their right to be in the front row for the game tomorrow!
Our girls flew directly into State College on Friday afternoon. While picking them up, I ran into Brady Quinn, former Notre Dame and NFL QB. He’s currently one of the analysts on the Fox Big Noon Kickoff pregame show.
Before long, I was off to guest lecture to a class of Penn State Information Sciences and Technology students in their Security and Risk Analysis class. Every time I’m in town, I try to schedule a class. It’s a great way to share my experience with the next generation of crime fighters.
After my class and their tours, we all caught up at the end of the day for the obligatory Lion Shrine photo and shopping along College Ave…
…followed by Happy Hour at the Phyrst.
Dinner in State College on a Friday night on a game weekend is always a crap shoot. We managed to have our friends’ kids put our name on the list at the Corner Room while we enjoyed Happy Hour. Before long, it was time for dinner, followed by an early evening back to the hotel.
Noon games are definitely not my favorite. Many complained that this annual top-tier matchup between Big Ten powerhouses should be played at night. And I agree. A noon start causes a lot of issues. Traffic into State College is difficult enough, let alone getting 108,433 into the small town – all around the same time. At least with later games, arrivals into town can be spread out over multiple hours. Regardless, Fox was not going to go head-to-head with the World Series they were also broadcasting that night. Go Phillies!
We made our way into town and were parked by 8:30am. A quick check of the temp showed a chilly 32 degrees as even the sun was struggling to wake up on this fall day.
Our friends Susan and Ken invited us to join their tailgate, which happens to be just steps from the famed Bus Arrival. We caught up with them while the kids got to experience Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff Show. My daughter secured credentials to get them easy access to the up-and-coming pregame show. While it’s no ESPN Gameday scene, I expect Fox to amp things up next year to compete with ESPN – after ESPN lost the rights to carry B1G games.
While there, my younger daughter was able to snap a photo with Penn State legend LaVar Arrington. LaVar was recently inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and they honored him on-field during the game. Arrington joins 18 other Nittany Lion players in the Hall, along with an additional 5 coaches!
Next to our tailgate was none other than Penn State’s former President, Graham Spanier. Spanier was a casualty of the Sandusky scandal. After serving 2 months in jail for his part in the scandal, he wrote a book that was released just last month, and he was doing a book signing next to us. Spanier is definitely a polarizing figure to Penn Staters, but I have to hear his side of the story.
My mother-in-law worked for Penn State under Spanier’s leadership, so I asked him to address the book to her.
With Spanier was Penn State sports historian Lou Prato. Lou is a legendary figure around Happy Valley, having written several books about the University’s athletics programs, including the Penn State Sports Encylopedia. Lou was also the Director of the Penn State All-Sports Museum located within Beaver Stadium.
We went over to the Big Noon Kickoff to meet up with the kids before we entered the stadium, and I ran into this guy. It’s not every day you get to take a selfie with Cleatus, the Fox robot.
Before long, it was time for the game. I was told that in previous games, the intro included a bit more of Joe Paterno. Sadly, we might have missed that video. We only caught his trademark black Nikes this time. At what point will the University acknowledge the man who gave so much to the school.
With the Whiteout being used up against Minnesota last week, Penn State opted for the Stripeout. It’s always a great sight, and with the weather cool but dry, it made for an even better distribution of blue and white – with some red sprinkled in.
One thing we noticed was that the top of the North endzone, usually reserved for the visiting team, was not sold out. It looked as though Ohio State had returned some of their allotted tickets. Again, I believe the noon kickoff is the culprit.
Two Albuquerque-based Air Force C-130 cargo planes performed a flyover after the National Anthem.
And not only did they cross from south to north after the Anthem, but they also crossed from west to east two minutes later. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a double flyover.
Here’s a video with a very unique perspective!
The game was competitive – through almost 3-1/2 quarters. Penn State turned the ball over twice in the first half and still managed to hold the lead at the half, 14-13.
In the 3rd quarter, the Lions’ stingy defense held CJ Stroud, Heisman-favorite coming into the week, to just 59 yards of offense and 3 points. The Buckeyes capped off the 3rd with a FG to take the lead, 16-14.
Penn State answered. They took their next possession 75 yards for the go-ahead score with just 9:26 to play. 21-16 Penn State! Things were looking good for the home team. In fact, ESPN showed Penn State with a 68.3% chance of winning after that score.
The Buckeyes quickly answered with a 3-play 75-yard TD to take the lead back, 23-21.
On the second play of the ensuing possession, TJ Tuimoloau sacked Clifford and forced a fumble. OSU recovered and scored on the next play. 30-21. Ugh!
The Lions fought back but could only muster a FG. 30-24 with 5:49 to play. There’s still hope!
Unfortunately, after that, everything changed. The Buckeyes were just too tough. They answered our FG with a TD to extend the lead. 37-24. Then, on the next possession, Tuimoloau again struck. He picked off Clifford behind the line of scrimmage and returned it for another TD. 44-24 to just 2:42 to play.
There was no quit in the Lions. They took the next possession down for a late score to close the gap 44-31, but it wasn’t enough. Four turnovers are too much to overcome against most opponents – especially the two in the second half that led to 14 points on just one offensive play. That was the difference in the game. Tuimoloau single-handedly won the game in the fourth quarter with his strip sack and pick-6.
While Marvin Harrison Jr had a huge day with 10 catches for 185 yards, our own Parker Washington had 11 for 179 and a TD.
Overall, the Lions won the statistical battle in almost every category but still fell to the #2 team in the country. Cliff’s three INTs and one fumble render all other stats useless. There is no moral victory.
I was worried that a noon kickoff would dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm. I was wrong. The fans stayed in the game all day, and it was loud! There were three delay-of-game penalties and two false starts. Still, it wasn’t enough. The Lions will have to bounce back and finish the season strong. They still have a NY6 game well within reach if they can run the table – a very attainable goal.
There’s no doubt that this loss will sting. Every loss does, but when you’re thisclose to pulling off an upset as a 14-1/2 point underdog, it hurts just a little more. We were there. We could taste it. And then it was gone. We’ll have to wait until next year to see if we can get this monkey off our backs.
The one good thing about a noon kickoff is that you have time afterward to check a few more things off your list. I love the We Are sculpture, and this has to be one of my favorite photos of it.
Not far from the sculpture is the Creamery. What kind of hosts would we be if we didn’t take them for ice cream?
We were a little bummed to learn that milkshakes were a casualty of COVID. They are now only serving up bowls or cones. Regardless, no matter the weather or the temperature, it’s always ice cream season at the Creamery!
Oh, and we got to load up on some Cooper Cheese – a perfect pizza cheese that’s not available out west.
For dinner on Saturday, we even met up with some family out at Otto’s. My nephew and his wife were in town to visit their daughter so it was great to catch up with them after the game.
We made one last tourist stop in Pittsburgh at the Duquense Incline before we were on our way back to the airport. The views from atop Mount Washington are some of the absolute best in the state!
Back at the airport and with a delayed flight, we turned lemons into, well, Primanti’s – a Pittsburgh institution.
Yes, that’s a french fry sticking out of my pastrami sandwich. Typical P-Man sandwiches include slaw and french fries right on the sandwich.
Legend has it that Primanti’s catered to the blue-collar crowd around the warehouse district. The truck drivers wanted an easy-to-eat lunch so they could continue to drive while consuming their calories. So instead of having everything separate, Primanti’s consolidated it into the sandwich, and the rest is history. A true blue-collar invention.
While we’re not sure which college the kids will select, we did our best to show off the school and the town. Let’s face it, State College isn’t for everyone, but for those that choose it, it sure sticks with them.
Until next time Penn State…
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Nice job Bill!!
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