After a tough, hard-fought win against the No. 24 Northwestern Wildcats, the folks at Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State Nittany Lions community, were proud of how far their team and program has come. They were particularly impressed with the preparation of coach Bill O'Brien and his staff.
Today's come-from-behind win symbolized everything this staff has imbued into these Nittany Lions, and that's why it's unlike any Penn State game in recent memory. It was tough. And it was frustrating. But at the end, most of all, it was pretty damned fun.
Just when we thought we could count Penn State out, they went and did something none of us saw coming. And we've never been so happy to be wrong.
But it is not just the attitude and effort of the team that Penn State fans are excited about. O'Brien's coaching has also been a cause for celebration, specifically his decisions in third and fourth down situations.
The folks at Black Shoe Diaries were also impressed with Northwestern's effort.
Northwestern came into Beaver Stadium expecting to win, and they didn't wilt or throw in the towel. Not even when they fell down 10-0 early in the second quarter.