Referee John O'Neill and replay official Tom Fiedler, the officials who worked Saturday's matchup against Ohio State, have come under fire after missing two crucial calls that could have significantly altered the outcome of the game. The calls in question were Christian Hackenberg's first interception, and an Ohio State field goal attempt, where about four seconds passed after the play clock initially expired.
It's natural to feel despondent after going through the emotional motions that accompany such a game. Over the course of just a few hours, you go through a roller-coaster that starts with pre-game excitement, leads to halftime depression, climbs towards overtime aspirations, and comes crashing down when the Buckeyes eke out a close one. Amid all of that doom and gloom does lie a very bright light at the end of this tunnel of football mediocrity.
Mike Hull and Anthony Zettel combined for two interceptions and 21 tackles on Saturday. Still, perhaps over-critically, they took much of the blame for Penn State's loss and said they should have performed better in overtime.
There are many things to be happy about despite the heartbreak of Saturday's loss. There are also things to be upset about. And this falls into the latter!
After a heartbreaking double-overtime loss against Ohio State last night, you're likely in need of a good Sunday pick-me-up. Enter Michael Mauti, the former Penn State linebacker we all know and love for carrying the Nittany Lions through the sanction era.
Would these calls have affected the outcome of the game? That's always the most frustrating part. The fact that Penn State fought valiantly and took the 13th best team in the country into overtime when nobody said they could is reason for optimism. But thinking about what could have been -- and what a win like this would have meant to the program -- well, I should just stop watching that GIF over and over again.