The Odyssey was in the house in Morgantown on Saturday. Very geeked up for a visit from Penn State. The line had gradually decreased from 10.5 points to 7 points in favor of the Nittany Lions. We were incredibly impressed by the West Virginia band. How precise the band members have to be to replicate the state’s crazy-quilt state boundaries (which look like they were drawn up by somebody on a bad LSD trip). How many states have state boundaries where the extreme northern part of the state looks like they are giving the finger to the rest of the world?
A rabid sellout was primed for an upset. Passions cooled after the Nittany Lions scored 2 second quarter touchdowns to take a 13-0 lead.
Three elements doomed the Mountaineers. Down 13-3 in the final minute of the first half, but driving in Penn State territory after converting a 4th and 1, West Virginia had to settle for a field goal. Still, a 13-6 halftime deficit at home felt manageable – until it wasn’t.
Penn State stormed down the field to score a critical TD: Halftime score: 20-6 for the visitors.
The third dagger: Mother nature kicked in with occasional thunder. Erring on the side of caution (too much, the Odyssey thinks), the game was halted for over 2 hours. Many fans did not feel like being crammed like sardines into the concourses and left….never to return. When the game resumed, the stands might have been 1/3 full. Gone was the considerable home field advantage enjoyed by the Mountaineers.
After the resumption, Penn State QB, Drew Allar, kept quieting his critics. He successfully scrambled for 2 first downs on 3rd and longs. When the Nittany Lions scored to run the tally to 27-6, the game was functionally over.
WVU was not going to be able to surmount a 3-TD deficit against a quality defense and indifferent QB play from Garrett Greene. Going into the game, Greene was coming off a better 2023 than the highly recruited Allar. However, 2 successive drives by the Mountaineers were destroyed by mishandled shotgun snaps. Greene’s throwing accuracy was also an issue. Meanwhile, Allar played a terrific game, picking apart the WVU secondary in the first half.
Penn State looked terrific and should be formidable in 2024. They get the Buckeyes’ $20 million dollar team at home in early November. Better, neither Michigan or Oregon is on the schedule.
As for West Virginia, this experienced squad should be able to regroup. In a balanced Big 12, who knows?