This story appears in the Sept. 10, 2018, issue of Sports Illustrated. For more great storytelling and in-depth analysis, subscribe to the magazine—and get up to 94% off the cover price. Click here for more.
Only in college football can an entire season hang in the balance before its first Sunday sunrise. Last Saturday, 58 minutes and 54 seconds into the first game of the season, the masses in Happy Valley prayed that a potential dream year would see a second day. Senior quarterback Trace McSorley awaited the snap with 66 seconds remaining in what should have been a Penn State waltz over Appalachian State.