With the heartbreaking defeat to Ohio State in the rear view, Penn State came out of the bye week needing to bounce back and keep its season on track. Up next was another home game against a team that had defeated the Nittany Lions the previous season. A struggling Michigan State team headed into Happy Valley in what appeared to be a perfect chance for the Nittany Lions to get back to their winning ways. Instead, fans and players alike found themselves exiting Beaver Stadium will an all-too-familiar feeling of disappointment.
Penn State entered the game looking to avenge a loss the previous year in an odd game at East Lansing that featured a three-hour weather delay and a blown fourth-quarter lead by the Nittany Lions.