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College Football Week 14: Top performers of the week

By Brad Weiss

Dec 3, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley (9) drops back to pass against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first half during the Big Ten Championship college football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 3, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley (9) drops back to pass against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first half during the Big Ten Championship college football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 3, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley (9) drops back to pass against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first half during the Big Ten Championship college football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 3, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley (9) drops back to pass against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first half during the Big Ten Championship college football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

For the Penn State Nittany Lions, the 2016 season has been a magical one. The team nobody picked to win the Big Ten East did just that this year, as they pulled off an incredible upset victory against Ohio State to win the division. This past weekend, the Lions erased a huge early deficit against the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten title game, as their star quarterback went absolutely nuts in the second half of their 38-31 victory.

For his efforts, the sophomore signal-caller was named Most Valuable Player of the game, as he set the record for passing yards (384) and touchdowns (4) in a Big Ten Championship Game. The Lions were hoping they would get a shot at the College Football Playoff with the win, as they did beat Ohio State, and won arguably the toughest conference in football. While that scenario did not end up coming to life, they have nothing to hang their heads about, as this team has put Penn State football back on the map.

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McSorley has been incredible in his first season as the team’s starter, as he took over for 2016 NFL Draft pick Christian Hackenberg for the 2016 season. He rewrote the Nittany Lions record book this season, setting school records for passing yards (3,360) and touchdown passes (25). He led the team to an 11-2 record, which has included their current nine-game winning streak. The Nittany Lions will take on USC in the Rose Bowl on January 2, 2017.

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