Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/233832
BOUND FOR GLORY C.J. Olaniyan's second-half interception helped Penn State stun the Badgers. HISTORY Steve Manuel | P enn State's stunning 31-24 victory over Wisconsin on Nov. 30 was certainly one of the greatest upsets in the annals of Nittany Lion football, but where it ranks in the team's 126year history depends on one's criteria and point of view. A historian may consider factors unknown to even the most dedicated of modern day fans whose opinions depend primarily on what they have seen themselves or heard about from family members and friends. Unless such aficionados have read about Penn State's famous 21-21 tie in the darkness at Harvard in 1921, there is no way they would know the significance of that game in an era before radio, television and the Internet. Is a then-stunning 37-0 upset over Ohio State in Columbus in 1912 comparable to a shocking 7-6 road upset over the Buckeyes 44 years later, when the point spread was similar but the style of football and national reputation of the teams were different? In fact, it's doubtful that many fans realize how analogous that 1956 upset is to the 2013 victory at Wisconsin, including the fact that both games were played in front of the losers' passionate and intimidating fans. Unlike the Wisconsin game, which was the final one of the season, the Ohio State contest in 1956 was Penn State's fourth, but the circumstances were eerily similar. The Lions were 2-1 with easy wins over two Eastern patsies, while the Buckeyes were the defending national champions, a perennial Top 20 team that was ranked No. 5 in the country. "Buckeyes In For Easy Time, read one Columbus newspaper " headline. What also bound the two upsets in history are the ramifications of the victories. Penn State coach Rip Engle and his assistants said later that the 1956 Ohio State win was the turning point that enabled Penn State to attract more talented and