Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/797655
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Beaver Ave s State College, PA 16801 www.The-Phyrst.com 814.234.4406 137 Elmwood St. s State College, PA 16801 www.HappyValleyBeer.com Wood-fire Grill 12 Beers on Tap 200 Year Old Barn 821 Cricklewood Dr. s Toftrees, State College www.AmericanAleHouse.net 814.237.9701 s Piano Bar s Sommelier 814.238.1406 814.234.7700 s 1611 Atherton St. s State College 814.941.7788 s Plank Rd. Exit s Altoona www.ChampsSportsGrill.net s Best Game Bar s Large Groups Welcome c lc e W We s p u o r G e g r a L s a e B m a st G e B s S n S h 1 A 1 6 1 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 me co r a l l C S r G s rt o p S s p m a h C . www s t i x . E d k R n a l P s 8 8 7 7 1. 4 9 . 4 1 8 S s . t n S o t r e h t 1 A 1 6 1 s 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 t e n . l l i r na o o t l A e g e l l o C e at t S because the Rose Bowl is set to serve as one of the College Football Playoff semi- final games. And rest assured, the Nit- tany Lions are not only well aware of its significance but also understand the kind of effort that will be necessary to go from the edge of the playoff selection debate, which was where they found themselves this past December, to a spot in the four-team field. "It will be a big leap," Buchholz ac- knowledged, "but I think we'll be able to do it." That sense of ambition, an echo of Wartman-White's mindset last summer, shouldn't come as a surprise. A year ago, the Nittany Lions were able to claim a championship with a roster that was overloaded with fresh- men, sophomores and juniors. There were only a handful of starting senior contributors, and because they were so young, nearly everyone is back this season. Given the number of talented, experienced players who will be re- turning in 2017, a list headlined by po- tential Heisman Trophy contenders Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley, the fact that players are already setting their sights high is a logical progres- sion. What stands out most dramatically, however, is that this Penn State team is already identifying the criteria that will distinguish success from failure. The Nittany Lions' standards are lofty. This is not a team that is simply looking for- ward to the opportunity to compete for another Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl berth. It's a team that aims to win both of those games. Anything less would amount to a disappointment in players' minds. Coach James Franklin has noted sev- eral times the past few months that the Nittany Lions' Rose Bowl performance – in which they showcased their wildly entertaining offense and nearly pulled off an upset victory – should not leave anyone feeling fulfilled. As he said dur- ing a visit to a Penn State board of trustees meeting in February, "I have gone all over the country recruiting, doing different speaking engagements, and everybody says, 'Coach, that was the best Rose Bowl I ever have seen in my life.' I was like 'Well, could have been better.' " Players have latched onto that theme. It's been more than two months since the game took place, but they look back on the Rose Bowl as a stinging disap- pointment, one that should inspire the team throughout the off-season to work toward not only duplicating its success from 2016, but exceeding it. Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Ryan Bates made that clear when he was asked about the Rose Bowl loss and how it might impact the team this off-sea- son. "It stings a little bit. You think about what we could have done better, what we could have done different. But it's motivation as well," Bates said. "We want to get back there next year and [ac- complish] even more. "Our goal every year is to win the Big Ten championship and then the national championship. We won the Big Ten championship last year. We just missed the playoffs by that much, and it gives us a lot of hope that we can do the same thing this year." The season is nearly six months away, but players are laying the groundwork for what they hope will be an even more successful performance. Right now, the focus is on strength and conditioning. Winter workouts will ramp up toward max-outs in the middle of the month. Spring practice is set to begin on March 22, and from that point on, it's going to be all business for the Nittany Lions leading into the Blue-White Game on April 22. Penn State is still smarting from the Rose Bowl, a game that was there for the taking had the Lions been able to get one more defensive stop or gain an- other first down or two in the fourth quarter. The motivation to rebound from that loss and surpass last season's performance is already established. And with it, there will be no waiting for the summer months to identify the team's goals. "It's definitely cemented right now," Bates said. "We know what we want to do every year." ■