Some were hesitant to call it a rivalry, but after a nearly sixteen year hiatus, Pittsburgh and Penn State finally faced off against one another on the gridiron this past Saturday for the first time since 2000. And whether you believed beforehand that the series classifies as a rivalry or not, there isn't much debating that the outcome of the game has certainly renewed the series, and started that renewal off with a bang.
Early on, it looked as if it would be a very long day for Penn State, but they were able to fight their way back all the way from a deficit that at one time reached twenty-one points. The second half certainly had the makings of a rivalry game as Penn State adjusted and the contest tightened significantly. Penn State even had a few chances to win it or force overtime at the end but ended up falling short, though in admirable fashion. There was much drama toward the end of the fourth quarter and I'm fairly certain the neutral fan would have found the game pretty enjoyable.
The Panthers and Nittany Lions will see each other for certain for the next three years, as this past contest was the first of a four year home-and-home series running through 2019. The teams used to face off almost every year up until the mid 90s and hadn't seen each other since 2000. But with tensions building over prized recruiting ground in The Keystone State, this matchup has become more and more intriguing as both programs try to solidify their position as Pennsylvania's elite college football team.
The series is tightly contested. After this weekend, Penn State leads 50-43-4, and the way the game played out this weekend, I don't see how anybody can say that this one-time rivalry isn't back in the cards for at least the next few years. It was electric, dramatic, and tense. Even after starting as a blowout, the atmosphere was there. Make no mistake about it, this IS a rivalry, and this weekend's game showed us that it is most certainly back. The next three years will be quite telling as to who is really the premiere college football program in the state of Pennsylvania, and I can't wait.
