BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The scene, which unfolded in the Hoosier State on Saturday, was awfully reminiscent of all those movies about that unlikely championship team.
You know, that one that prevails against all odds, despite the doubts of others.
Because they believe in themselves, because they play with heart, because they don't give up, etc.
Well, think back to what happened during Penn State's 22-18 win against Indiana, and see if you don't agree -- the comparison fits.
For example, there were those rascally Nittany Lions digging a hole for themselves in the first quarter like they always do.
An interception thrown by Penn State quarterback Zack Mills led to an easy 26-yard touchdown run for Indiana wide receiver Courtney Roby off of a triple option pitch, punching the Penn State players in the mouth before they even had a chance to get started.
And yet, somehow, the Lions responded. Later in the first quarter, they scored a touchdown to make it 7-7 with a little help from instant replay review when Michael Robinson's touchdown catch was initially ruled out of bounds.
It was pretty much what the Lions did all day. When they needed a score, they did. Until, eventually, the Penn State defense found itself in that moment during which a game is won or lost.
On each of the four snaps the Hoosiers took from the Penn State 1-yard line, the Lions defensive front got a solid push, and when a tackler made first contact, it was always sure.
And when a gang of Penn State defenders made the fourth tackle to keep the Hoosiers out of the end zone for good, defensive coordinator Tom Bradley sprinted onto the field like he wanted to hug everyone of his players. A special looking moment, indeed.
Then, the Lions rejoiced as they ran the final seconds off of the clock in a momentous game in which they won ...
Their ... well, ah, their third game of the year. Against Indiana, the perennial punching bag of the Big Ten conference.
So, yeah, maybe you have seen better moments than this goal-line stand, battled on a brisk November afternoon in front of 24,092 well-behaved fans in Bloomington, Ind.
The problem is, these Lions didn't really win anything Saturday. At least in the sense that, years from now, they certainly won't have anything sitting on their mantles or slipped onto their fingers to symbolize the victory.
Just a guess, but I think the mood on campus and in the rest of Nittany Nation will reflect that.
But if that is a sentiment people have coming away from this game, it shouldn't be. I know it won't be what I'll remember.
No, I'll remember a Penn State offense that was by no means stellar, yet pulled together when it had to, and even looked halfway effective at times.
I'll remember a defense that had performed well all year finally coming up in the clutch. It didn't have its best game of the year against Indiana, but in that last stand it played with a passion that said something. It said that this group, after all it has been through, is not going to be the unit that loses the game.
And I'll remember Penn State football coach Joe Paterno trotting off the field -- you start to wonder how many more time we'll see this -- like he usually does, until some of his more loyal fans started cheering wildly from their seats in the bottom corner of the west bleachers.
All season, the weathered old coach has simply kept his head down when walking out of stadiums. This time -- during a time in which he has fallen under enormous criticism -- he looked up at the fans, smiled and gave a little wave.
Of course, none of this changes the fact that this was a win against Indiana. It's a victory of little consequence in the storied history of a -- there's that adjective again -- once-proud football program.
This is not the story of an unlikely champion, but life is rarely as perfect as it is in the movies. Some moments are as bittersweet as a crab apple.
But, at this point, it was about as good of a made-for-TV ending Penn State could have hoped for.
