especially when only viewed from "one side of the field".
All of the angst over "blown 4th quarter leads":
Yes, in each of PSU's last 5 losses, PSU had a lead at some point in the 4th quarter.
That is true enough.
But a balanced, and more thorough look, also reveals this:
Over those last 29 games (during which those 5 losses occurred):
1) PSU had the lead going into the 4th quarter TWENTY-FOUR times (1 game was tied going into the 4th, and on 4 occasions PSU was behind)
That, in and of itself is a tremendously positive "statistic".
2) Penn State WON 21 of the 24 games were they entered the 4th Q with the lead (ie, they won 88% of the time they took a lead into the 4th Q... ANOTHER tremendously positive "stat")
3) Penn State also WON 3 of the 4 games were they entered the 4th Q BEHIND in the score. PSU WON 75% of the games that they trailed through 3 quarters. (Another VERY positive "stat")
Can you imagine the angst of "the other guys"...… to lose 75% of the games were you lead after 3 quarters (as opposed to PSU losing just 12% of the time when they led after 3 quarters?)
4) Penn State had the lead - at one point or another - in the 4th quarter of EVERY game they played.
29 out of 29 (Another VERY positive "stat")…..
Which means that ANY and EVERY game they lost HAD TO be a game in which they "lost a 4th quarter lead".
The "complaints" are akin to having a ground game that gains 250+ yards EVERY game over a 2+ year stretch..... and then complaining that in every loss, you lost despite gaining 250+ yards rushing.
Anyway..... things sometimes look different when you take the time to look at the entire picture.
BTW: Here is the COMPLETE list of every BCS team that has led - at some point - in the 4th Q of every game they played over that stretch of time:
Penn State.....
And that is it.
All of the angst over "blown 4th quarter leads":
Yes, in each of PSU's last 5 losses, PSU had a lead at some point in the 4th quarter.
That is true enough.
But a balanced, and more thorough look, also reveals this:
Over those last 29 games (during which those 5 losses occurred):
1) PSU had the lead going into the 4th quarter TWENTY-FOUR times (1 game was tied going into the 4th, and on 4 occasions PSU was behind)
That, in and of itself is a tremendously positive "statistic".
2) Penn State WON 21 of the 24 games were they entered the 4th Q with the lead (ie, they won 88% of the time they took a lead into the 4th Q... ANOTHER tremendously positive "stat")
3) Penn State also WON 3 of the 4 games were they entered the 4th Q BEHIND in the score. PSU WON 75% of the games that they trailed through 3 quarters. (Another VERY positive "stat")
Can you imagine the angst of "the other guys"...… to lose 75% of the games were you lead after 3 quarters (as opposed to PSU losing just 12% of the time when they led after 3 quarters?)
4) Penn State had the lead - at one point or another - in the 4th quarter of EVERY game they played.
29 out of 29 (Another VERY positive "stat")…..
Which means that ANY and EVERY game they lost HAD TO be a game in which they "lost a 4th quarter lead".
The "complaints" are akin to having a ground game that gains 250+ yards EVERY game over a 2+ year stretch..... and then complaining that in every loss, you lost despite gaining 250+ yards rushing.
Anyway..... things sometimes look different when you take the time to look at the entire picture.
BTW: Here is the COMPLETE list of every BCS team that has led - at some point - in the 4th Q of every game they played over that stretch of time:
Penn State.....
And that is it.
Last edited: