Penn State blows out Michigan State to clinch Big Ten East title

Penn State put up 35 points in the second half in the win over Michigan State. (AP Photo/Chris Knight)

Penn State is the champion of the Big Ten East.

A lot of dominoes had to fall the right way over the last month for it to happen. And after Ohio State outlasted Michigan in overtime earlier Saturday afternoon, all the Nittany Lions had to do was take care of business at home against Michigan State to clinch a berth in the Big Ten title game.

And after a slow start, that’s just what the Nittany Lions did. PSU overcame a halftime deficit to win in blowout fashion, 45-12.

Michigan State moved into the red zone four times in the first half, but stalled each time and settled for a Michael Geiger field goal each time. The fourth of those field goals gave the Spartans a 12-10 lead at the break.

The second half was all Penn State. After struggling to move the ball in the first half, the Nittany Lions, behind redshirt sophomore quarterback Trace McSorley, scored touchdowns on their first three drives of the second half. McSorley threw three long touchdown passes, two to wideout Chris Godwin (34 and 59 yards) and a 45-yarder to tight end Mike Gesicki, all in the third quarter.

All the while, the Penn State defense that gave up 256 yards in the first half stiffened, shutting out the Spartans completely in the second half. And as PSU forced punt after punt, the nervousness from the first half subsided and quickly transitioned into jubilation at Beaver Stadium as the Nittany Lions poured it on with two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

McSorley had the best game of his career, finishing 17-of-23 for 376 yards and four touchdowns.

This turnaround for Penn State is one of the more remarkable stories of the season. Penn State dropped to 2-2 following a 49-10 drubbing at Michigan on Sept. 24. Since then, the Nittany Lions have reeled off eight wins in a row to finish the regular season 10-2.

The win that moved Penn State into the national conversation was the 24-21 upset of No. 2 Ohio State on a blocked field goal touchdown on Oct. 22. Since then, PSU has taken care of its business and slowly moved up the rankings while upsets occurred across the country. The most impactful upset for Penn State was Iowa’s takedown of then-undefeated Michigan that opened up a clearer route for the Nittany Lions to make the trip to Indianapolis.

In Indianapolis in next week, the 10-2 Nittany Lions will take on Big Ten West champions Wisconsin, who clinched an identical 10-2 record with a comeback win over Minnesota on Saturday. That game has College Football Playoff implications, too. At No. 6 and No. 7 in the latest CFP rankings respectively, the winner of the Dec. 3 matchup between the Badgers and Nittany Lions could certainly make a case at 11-2 to earn a spot in the top four.

It’s far too early to know, but the status of one of Penn State’s best players could be up in the air heading into the Big Ten title game. Stud sophomore running back Saquon Barkley left the game in the third quarter after rolling his ankle and did not return.