So now that glossy, stainless window has been brutally smudged, the resumé has been red marked, the former elevation has descended to a lower plane.
Those 3,000-plus miles that separate State College from Pasadena might as well lead to another continent, because, barring divine intervention, there won't be any rose sniffing around here.
Not this season, anyway.
Hope you have a taste for oranges or Tostitos.
There won't be any national title hysteria because for many, a second on a clock altered those travel options. A second on a clock transformed a potentially undefeated team into one that has to wonder why there isn't a zero in the loss column anymore.
It is easy to blame referees and instant-replay personnel for Penn State's 27-25 loss to Michigan.
There were certainly some reluctancy issues on their part.
A fumble reviewed here, questioning a foot out-of-bounds there, refusing to add more time to the clock after a suspect request, and we might still be reveling in the amazement of back-to-back Saturday thrillers.
But if you put aside emotion for a second, you'll understand that a game isn't won or lost in the final second.
A game is lost in the first half, when an offense scores nothing, failing to capitalize deep in its opponent's territory.
It is lost when the play-calling, almost instantly upon view of the red-zone, becomes conservative for whatever reason. It is lost when special teams sputters on two very makeable field-goal attempts on the road.
When Michigan running back Mike Hart refuses to go down on the first, second and third hit, that one second appears miniscule. When patented blitzes don't break through the line of scrimmage, that one second seems almost as worthless as second-guessing.
Overall, Penn State had the better football team than Michigan had on that forgettable day. It's just too bad it doesn't have a 'W' to show for it.
After seven games, though, the Lions are 6-1. To give perspective a buzz, this time last season, they were 2-5, coming off an embarrassing 6-4 loss on homecoming against an Iowa team that gladly took a safety because it knew Penn State couldn't score to save its program.
Considering all that, six out of seven isn't the worst thing in college football, especially in the Big Ten, where most rankings are irrelevant.
In a matter of six consecutive wins to open the season, Nittany Nation became spoiled, forgetting, faster than that one second took, where this team was a year ago.
In one second, the mindset went from we're all the way back to wondering how they can ever bounce back from such an unsettling, crushing defeat.
What's left now?
The consensus is most have taken this loss a bit harder than they probably should.
Some have said that going to class this week has been a lot more boring than usual.
A friend of mine likened the feeling of grief to when his grandmother passed away. Ouch.
Hopefully, for the majority, it didn't grow to that extent.
After that Iowa debacle last season, most wondered if the ship would ever be re-routed.
It has -- last Saturday it just took a slight detour. The good news is the seas look fairly clear, at least for the next few weeks.
Cheer up, you got Illinois this weekend. Nothing cures a loss better than playing a team that reminds you of where you used to be.
Only one year ago.
