Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/433715
f there were any logic to the bowl system, Penn State would not be wrapping up its season in the media capital of the planet. The Nittany Lions are not Alabama or Oregon or even Minnesota right now. They're not one of those teams whose brilliant feats of athleticism routinely command the nation's attention. They don't light up scoreboards, they don't produce "chunk" plays, they don't lead off the highlights package on "SportsCenter." Maybe they'll start doing those things again in a year or two, but for now, their efforts to get people to pay attention to them are pred- icated on a dynamic head coach, a defense that can make opposing o3enses as ine3ectual as their own, and a lot of residual brand loyalty. And yet here they are, getting set to play on one of the grandest stages in all of sports: Yankee Stadium, a place so gaudy that its parking garages cost more than other people's entire ballparks ($320 million). Granted, they will be taking that stage on Dec. 27 in a game that will be competing against "Wheel of Fortune" for the na- tion's attention. But it's still New York. It's still the House that Ruth Built, or at least a modern facsimile, built across the street from the original but incorporat- ing many of its distinctive design elements. That has to count for something, especially for a team that had no assurances when it opened its season less than four months ago in Dublin that it would be allowed to com- pete for a bowl invitation of any kind. Speaking a few hours a4er the Pinstripe Bowl matchup with Boston College had been announced, James Franklin was predictably e3usive. "How cool is this?" he asked. "You're an 18-, 19-, 20-, 21-year-old young man, and you get to spend a week in Ireland and a week in New York City in the same year – pretty cool. "Obviously, being in a region that Penn State has real strong ties to is awesome. I know our Alumni Associa- tion is excited about some of the things that they are able to put on. The state of New York and New York City are very, very important to Penn State and always will be. I think there are a lot of unique opportunities that NEW YORK... LIVE FROM I PSU makes a welcome return to postseason