Twenty-four days ago Penn State walked through a loss to Northwestern as though in a zombie-like state. It was clear that Pat Chambers, even without Josh Reaves, had a superior team, but that team did not assert itself, losing 70-61. With the disappointing loss the Lions were 3-5 in Big Ten play and set to travel to then-undefeated Ohio State.
To say that the outlook for Chambers and his team was bleak would be polite. The outlook was upgraded to bleak when Josh Reaves was declared eligible to play in the game. What followed was an upset that garnered national attention.