“… But for the Nits, this decision is a beautiful thing to behold. It’s PSU’s third straight in a place where no one wins. It was achieved by fight and grit and resilience from a team that would much prefer to run against an opponent that specializes in defense and leads the league in fewest points allowed. Penn State beat Illinois at its own game in its own building.
“And most importantly, it gives the Lions a monumental scalp to show the NCAA selection committee when it convenes in three weeks in Indianapolis. This is another road win against a nationally ranked league heavyweight and it shows the committee exactly what it purports to value most — toughness away from home.
“Now, the Lions (19-8, 8-6) are in business. They just might be able to get by with a 2-2 finish as long as one of the losses isn’t to bottom-feeding Indiana at the Jordan Center in nine days. …”