UNIVERSITY PARK
Two weeks ago, Trace McSorley made an impassioned plea to his teammates — one of those run-through-a-brick-wall kind of statements, one that was necessary for the Nittany Lions to push on after a gutting one-point loss to Ohio State.
“Let yourself feel every ounce of pain,” McSorley bellowed in a silent Penn State locker room. “Take all that pain and turn it into fire, and we’re going to the top.”
The Nittany Lions might have heard McSorley, but they didn’t listen. In its 21-17 loss to Michigan State — one that all but dashes any hope at making the College Football Playoff, at playing for a national title — Penn State fell flat.