But the truth is that I’ll be there in spirit somewhere — standing, fidgeting, nervously swaying, joyously jumping, etc. — from the opening kickoff to the final play of the game. And after it’s over, after the clock hits triple zeroes and the whole wild ride of the 2016 season has concluded and it’s time to exit those gates, I hope that all you Penn Staters fortunate enough to be in that stadium will have the chance to walk outside, across the parking plot plains, look back one last time at that iconic neon-lit sign, and whisper out into the California night — We got back, man. We got back.

Our staff writers try their hand at picking the winner of this afternoon's anticipated Rose Bowl clash between No. 5 Penn State and No. 9 USC in Pasadena.