ALTOONA, Pa. -- Despite being 2-5 and not knowing what even next weekend has in store, Penn State will have something to play for when the Nittany Lions face Michigan State Saturday: the Land-Grant Trophy.
Established in 1993, when Penn State arrived in the Big Ten, the Land-Grant Trophy came to be after the Nittany Lions and Spartans were designated as rivals. A former Michigan State coach, the late George Perles, came up with the idea as something to play for as the two programs were set to square off during the last game of each season.
The name of the trophy is an ode to the two universities being the first land-grant institutions in the country, starting in February of 1855. Perles designed the trophy as well, and if there's ever a trophy which looks like a football coach designed it, it is the Land-Grant Trophy.
It stands 3 1/2 feet tall and features Old Main from Penn State's campus and Beaumont Hall from Michigan State's, as well as a generic football trophy medallion at the top and sides featuring statues featured on campus.
The Land-Grant Trophy is truly iconic and the 'most beautiful trophy in college football' according to Penn State head coach James Franklin. Even first-year Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker talked about it this week.
"I haven't evaluated the aesthetics of the trophy. I would like to have it," Tucker said. "But obviously, they're not just going to give it to us, so we're going to have to earn it. But ugly trophies, ugly babies, you want to have them."
The feel around this game surely will be different this year. Senior Day, typically reserved to honor the contributions to a program and reward the senior parents and families for their sacrifices, will be non-existent as Pennsylvania regulations now prohibit fans, including family members, from attending games.
Family members who've not been able to spend time with their sons or be around the program as in years past have to watch the game on television, even though it is being played in a 110,000-seat stadium where, if done correctly, each family could have its own section.
Still, the show goes on.
Penn State enters the game playing its best football of the season after dominating Rutgers and Michigan in the previous two weeks, while the Spartans limp into Beaver Stadium after getting pummeled, 52-12, by Ohio State last week.
It will be another game whose outcome will hinge on the men in the trenches, as the Michigan State offensive line has had a productive season protecting quarterback Rocky Lombardi, who was hurt against the Buckeyes.
"We have a lot of respect for their offensive line and wide receivers," Franklin said. "Their offensive line and defensive line are massive."
Last week, the Nittany Lions played their toughest, most physical contest of the season against the Scarlet Knights, and with the added confidence of another victory, that shouldn't change this week.
Despite its success over the past two weeks, there's still plenty of room for improvement for Penn State, especially offensively, as issues from earlier in the season resurfaced against Rutgers. Protecting the ball is going to be critical for quarterback Sean Clifford, who has been prone to turnovers this season, throwing nine interceptions.
"We had done a really good job of protecting the football, but that showed up again on Saturday with a fumble and a pass that was high that (turned) a tipped-ball into an interception," Franklin said.
The Spartans enter the game with the lowest-scoring offense in the Big Ten, averaging 17 points per game. It's not much better defensively, as they've given up an average of 34.5 points per game, tying Michigan for the worst mark in the conference.
There's still some firepower in the Michigan State offense, though, with receivers Jayden Reed and Jalen Nailor. However, who will throw them the ball remains to be seen, after Lombardi's injury last weekend. If the Penn State secondary can hold those two at bay, the Nittany Lions should easily come away with a victory.
A victory -- or a loss, for that matter -- sets the stage for next week's cross-over game, against the Big Ten West team that's in the same position of the standings. Or does it?
In fact, aside from Northwestern and Ohio State, which will compete for the conference title, teams don't know what is happening next weekend because The Big Ten has yet to inform teams of its plan.
"I would think right after the game, we'll have an idea, I would hope," Franklin said. "But it really just hasn't been clearly defined yet. Obviously, we had the model before the season started, but we've also heard stuff about maybe the Big Ten changing the model, based on games being canceled and not meeting certain thresholds."
For now, though, the 2020 season trudges along, with no guidance from the Big Ten. The good news is that Saturday, football will be played, and provide an escape for all involved.
