I am fiercely loyal to our Nittany Lions. I still maintain that James Franklin is the best coach for us right now. I will forever bleed blue and white, and I am hook, line, and sinker on the Penn State ideals. How can we, the loyal and true, keep our heads when all about us are losing theirs? How can we support our football program which is built on success with honor when the business of college football is entirely antithetical?

The Nittany Lions owned the night from start to finish. True, we're not contending for a national championship. And yes, Michigan State had a disaster of a season, but we all know a BigTen game is never a guaranteed win, no matter our opponent’s record. I think I can choose to remember this season as a success and not feel like I'm settling for less than expected, can you?

I am here to speak up for those of us who have not given up. Those of us who continue to bleed blue and white. Those of us who are willing and who choose to look for the many positives our Penn State Football program demonstrates. We are not lowering our expectations or accepting mediocrity. We are choosing our perspective.

I’ve been reflecting—as I have each of the last ten seasons when we've lost these games—as to why I stick with Franklin. And my answer remains: I think he gets the Penn State way. I really do. If we have any hope of the Grand Experiment continuing, I think we stick with him. Penn State is the only hope for integrity in college sports.

As Coach Franklin said in his post-game remarks, “I'd like to be happy for 15 minutes and then get on to the next opponent.” Next week is the only thing anybody wants to talk about. Will the Penn State team we saw today be enough to win against Michigan? Who’s on upset alert now?

It wasn’t a pretty win, and this is a trend for us now, the hangover performance after a big loss. It’s a game we have lost in the past, but won this time. We saw some sparks and the final score was in our favor. We could ask for more. Or, we could be satisfied to add another tally to the W column. It’s all about perspective.

Take heart Nittany Lions, it feels like the season is over, but it is not. It’s not all anger out there. Look around and you’ll see plenty of lionhearted fans telling our players to keep their heads up. It may feel as if our program will never be elite but I do believe if we put our emotions aside momentarily there is evidence that we already are. Losing a game is heartbreaking. Let us not lose our sense of excellence or worth.

And what a DAE it was! Daequan Hardy became the first Penn State player ever to record two punt return touchdowns in the same game and was the first Big Ten player to do so in a decade. Daequan Hardy added a new wrinkle to our special teams that will hopefully, as James Franklin predicted, cause some long nights for opponents looking at film and trying to figure out how to defend this weapon.