CHASE SOWELL
When you look at the large majority of this Penn State team, things are not going well. But in light of this dark time, we must find the…uh….light. On Saturday, that light was wide receiver Chase Sowell, who finished the day with 11 receptions for 151 yards and 1 touchdown.
The dude just has a knack for winning one-on-one battles on the outside. I mean, it's been a while since Penn State had a big wide receiver who had Sowell's ball tracking and ball playing ability on back shoulder throws. Probably have to go back to Chris Godwin or Dae'Sean Hamilton, though the latter probably not considered a "big" wide receiver.
It's a shame that Koby Howard went down with an injury after the Buffalo game because Koby and Sowell appear to be the best duo at wide receiver since 2022 when Mitchell Tinsley and Parker Washington led the way. Hopefully, Koby will be back following the bye because those two on the outside might be good enough to help this team actually get a victory.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Provided we ignore Penn State and our fandom biases, what an incredible day Saturday was. No. 1 Georgia goes down at home to Auburn. No. 6 Alabama falls to Tennessee in Neyland. Arch Manning and No. 7 Texas falter against Florida after jumping out to a 17-3 lead. No. 4 Ohio State survives against No. 5 Indiana due to Nick Marsh not being able to keep his feet inbounds. There was No. 3 Miami surviving an upset attempt — and two Hail Marys — against Florida State. And No. 2 Notre Dame losing to No. 8 BYU, with a clock error at the end just to make things even spicier for a fan base that will always find a way to complain.
Just a glorious day of college football, folks. Very appropriate that it happened the first Saturday after reports of the incoming 24-team playoff, which will certainly impact the "feel" of regular season games.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
What makes college football so incredible is that we watch these games on Saturdays and we love it, and the decision makers of the sport spend the other days, weeks, and months asking themselves: "How can change this?"
Beyond the sentimental reasons, college football was/is so popular because every game *really* mattered. I remember back in 2009 when Penn State lost to Iowa on a rainy White Out night and thinking to myself, "Well, that probably does it for a national title this season." And as much as that feeling sucked, it was the boom or bust prospect of every Saturday that made it supremely unique to every other sport. The BCS title game still usually involved a one-loss team, but a spot in the title game was far from a guarantee if you slipped up.
College football has of course changed mightily since then. We expanded to a four-team playoff in 2014, which usually allowed you to lose one game. We then expanded to a 12-team playoff in 2024, which basically allowed Big Ten and SEC teams two mulligans. Some of the luster loss? Sure. I look at the 2024 Ohio State/Michigan game. In past seasons, that loss puts Ryan Day on the hottest of hot seats. Instead, the Buckeyes still hosted a CFP game and won the national title.
Now, we likely head to a 24-team playoff in 2027 and I think about how a Saturday like that will feel in the future. And it hit me…probably not that much different? The 12-team playoff has already watered down the drama of the regular season, so the toothpaste is already out of the tube in that sense. Not to say I'm pro-expanding to 24, but we'll move our arguments from a 10-2 Big 12/ACC team vs. a 9-3 SEC/B1G team to an 9-3 Big 12/ACC team vs. an 8-4 SEC/B1G team — i.e. all "undeserving" of being the national title, in my mind.
So I watch a crazy day on Saturday and enjoy it like I do when it happens in the NFL. But I do sit back and think just how special it could have been if we were in the BCS or even the 4-team era.
ROCCO'S LUCK
Guys, I have good news. Rocco feels like he's playing free and he feels good out there. He's just getting unlucky.
I put this in "Stock Down" because the unluckiness is a big reason why Penn State is 0-4 in the Big Ten, but if I can look on the optimistic side: maybe Rocco will get lucky? It feels like we're due, right? RIGHT?!
