Wisconsin vs. Penn State 2012: Nittany Lions finish 'amazing season'

The 2012 Penn State Nittany Lions will certainly be remembered differently by just about every college football fan in America.

Some will see the year as a success, looking at the 8-4 record. Others will say it never should have happened, that Penn State should have been banned from playing in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal.

And yet, just as many will say it's one of the greatest seasons in the history of the program, with players like linebacker Michael Mauti leading the charge from the ashes.

Without question, the campaign stirred up a lot of different emotion in Happy Valley. Over at Black Shoe Diaries, Tim Hyland writes about his personal thoughts following the end of the season:

But the more I think about this amazing season, and the more I think about the amazing individuals who made it happen, the more I realize just how hard it must have been for them, just how many doubts they must have had, just how many questions they must have asked of themselves.

Thank you, Nittany Lions. Sincerely. Thank you.

Thank you for never giving up, for playing your hearts out, for taking all the questions, for answering them so calmly, for representing us so well, for wearing the blue and white, for reminding us why we loved this game in the first place.

The Nittany Lions put a bow on their season in a de facto bowl game Saturday afternoon in Beaver Stadium, where they beat the Wisconsin Badgers in overtime, 24-21. Usually the game is of paramount importance, but in a situation such as Penn State's, it pales in comparison to what the team accomplished this year.