Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images The dumbest game I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. We’re bringing back Hidden Gems! Some of you longtime BSD readers may remember this series where we reflect on the games that we’ve enjoyed over the years that haven’t quite lived on in Penn State lore. We’ll be giving these games their due, as we reflect on a variety of memorable (but not too memorable) games from different Nittany Lions teams over the years. Next up...A game that sticks out from a season we all are constantly trying to forget. The 2020 college football season was one all Penn State fans prayed would come, and then desperately wished would end. The Nittany Lions, hurdling new obstacles like “COVID restrictions” and “opt-outs,” began the season with a historically bad five losses in a row. It felt a little bit like the sky was falling. Football was supposed to be the one thing to keep us company during the pandemic’s lockdown. Why is it now so hard to watch? There was a lot from that season that was easy to forget. Like Will Levis earning a start over Sean Clifford before fumbling three times and getting benched. Or, Christian McCaffrey’s brother leading Nebraska to a win over the Nittany Lions despite a ridiculous comeback effort. But, other things from 2020 will be remembered by Penn State fans forever. Michael Penix Jr., anyone? Don’t forget Jahan Dotson’s coming out party against Ohio State, either, where he almost single-handedly tanked Shaun Wade’s draft stock. But, for me, the final game of the season was one I’ll never forget. In fact, I think it’s what made me fully fall in love with college football. This game has since been overshadowed by Illinois’ next visit to Beaver Stadium (which I just discovered has its own dedicated Wikipedia page), but it’s one that deserves a rewind. The December 19, 2020, Penn State-Illinois football game was special from the get-go. It was just the fourth December game to ever be played in Beaver Stadium, and the latest in history — breaking a record set one week earlier by Penn State-Michigan State. Nearly a foot of snow had fallen in State College leading up to the contest, and the stadium was frozen shut. Icicles hung from the press box, and sheets of a frozen wintery mix caked the empty bleachers. A deep dive in my camera roll revealed it was well below freezing on the field and 46 degrees in the press box near kick off. This game wasn’t even on Penn State’s schedule, but it rather spawned due to the Big Ten’s invention of “Champions Week,” which pitted East and West teams of similar caliber against each other. Remember, 6-1 Northwestern giving Ohio State a run for its money in the Big Ten Championship? Lovie Smith was removed as the Illini’s head coach less than a week before the game. James Franklin, boasting low COVID-19 positive test results among his squad, taped his mask to his face to prevent his glasses from fogging up. Just one Illinois reporter was granted a credential for the game. I can’t imagine many more applied. Penn State had just announced it was pushing the start of in-person learning back by a month to slow the spread of the pandemic. The game was really stupid and it probably shouldn’t have been played. I imagine only true sickos would tune in to — let alone play in — this affair. But it was beautiful. Most of the game’s action occurred right out of the gate. Jahan Dotson took the first play from scrimmage 75 yards to the house en route to a night that featured two 70+ yard scores, a 50-yard punt return, and 189 receiving yards. Illinois and Penn State took turns coughing up the football on the next two possessions, and then went on to score 21 points a piece in the first quarter. The highlight of the game was a play that to this day is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve seen in Beaver Stadium. Safety Lamont Wade, in his last game at Penn State, returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. If this game was tipsy before, it was now officially hammered. Four minutes in. Three touchdowns in Illinois/PSU. @PennStateFBall's Lamont Wade houses the kickoff in Happy Valley: pic.twitter.com/VkCBb6sOMw— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) December 19, 2020 Penn State went on to score 42 points in the first half, and the Illini put up triple zeros after a three-touchdown first quarter. It was a gross, inconsequential, and nearly whimsical affair that gave the Nittany Lions their fourth consecutive win. The ridiculous aura of the game is what made it so special, and it made me realize what makes college football so special in general. Neither team was playing in this game to try to make the playoffs, or clinch a bowl berth, or climb up in the AP Poll. Neither coach had their job on the line. NIL didn’t even exist yet. Players, coaches, and personnel had to endure another week of quarantine in preparation. But, in the darkest days of the pandemic, the powers that be still came together to scrap together a football game just six days before Christmas. I think it was worth it. There was something warm and comforting about the familiarity of college football while the world was trying to chart uncharted territories. I remember making the seven-hour round trip from the suburbs of Philly to cover the game in person. I’m not sure why. I guess Penn State and Illinois wanted to play football, and I wanted to watch. At the end of the game, the 2020 Nittany Lions sang the Alma Mater to a bunch of cardboard fans one last time. Shortly after the game, they opted out of receiving a bowl bid. A yule log appeared on the video board and illuminated the snow-filled stadium as flurries fell. Then, 266 days later, 105k people triumphantly filled the stands. 
Source: https://www.blackshoediaries.com/2024/6 ... tadium-cfb