Let’s not put the cart in front of the horse, but instead ask a very hypothetical question. If Penn State beats both Pittsburgh and Temple this fall, would you be OK with the Nittany Lions players receiving state championship rings at the end of the year, regardless of what else happens during the regular season?
The reason for this question stems from this week’s buzz surrounding the rings recently awarded to members of the Florida State Seminoles honoring their mythical state championship. Florida State defeated Florida, Miami and South Florida last fall, a clean 3-0 mark against schools from within the state of Florida. Despite not winning an ACC championship (Clemson won that) or even winning their bowl game (Houston topped the Seminoles by two touchdowns in the Peach Bowl), the program shelled out some money to give their football players a keepsake from some third-degree accomplishment worth celebrating. That led to the program cooking up state championship rings.
#StateChamps pic.twitter.com/1084utCJZr
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) June 23, 2016
This is not the first time an ACC school has celebrated a “state championship,” mind you. Georgia Tech did the same last year, although the state championship was a side note to go with a ring celebrating an ACC Coastal Division championship and Orange Bowl victory. Georgia Tech defeated in-state rival Georgia and Georgia Southern during the 2014 regular season.
https://twitter.com/gatechpress/status/588469657448747008
The critics of Florida State’s state championship rings have come out in full force, suggesting the Seminoles are merely stroking their own ego when there is no legitimate reason to do so. On the flip side, there is an argument to be made for celebrating an accomplishment you strive to accomplish, and the rewards of meeting that goal will become quite a nice little piece of recruiting fodder to play with. Never underestimate the message sent by anything promoting your program as the best in the state, which leads me back to the hypothetical situation asked above.
Penn State will play both Pittsburgh and Temple this fall. That gives Penn State an opportunity to put their Dominate The State mission to the true test, which took a beating last year in Philadelphia with a season-opening loss against the Owls. Going 2-0 against Pittsburgh and Temple may not be easy, which actually helps the argument that a mythical state championship is something to cherish and celebrate. If Penn State, a program still in a rebuilding state, can win both games, then the program should absolutely consider purchasing state championship rings at the end of the year regardless of what happens with the rest of the season.
If Penn State manages to beat Pitt and Temple this year, then they should absolutely give their players state championship rings.
— Kevin McGuire (@KevinOnCFB) June 29, 2016
Penn State is looking to prove it is the top program in the state and work its way to being a Big Ten contender. If James Franklin is on a mission to prove the Nittany Lions sit atop the state of Pennsylvania in the college football world, then beating Pittsburgh and Temple are essential. It should be a goal to be 2-0 against these two programs, because these two games in particular are pretty important for the whole state of the program in moving past the sanction phase. Giving the players something to aim for and celebrate is perfectly fine, and if there are no rules against rings being issued without a conference or division title or a bowl victory, then what is the real harm in doing so for a made up state title? On the flip side, if Pittsburgh and Temple were to ever go 2-0 against the other and Penn State, then I would be saying the same thing. Celebrate it to no end, because you would have earned it.
Honestly, I’m all about making in-state competition as big a deal as possible. Heck, I want to go so far as to create a state-wide competition, although I realize this will never happen.
I'm going to go ahead and call it the #KeystoneCup. 2 points for win over FBS team, 1 for W over FCS.
Pitt v Nova
Pitt v PSU
PSU v Temple— Kevin McGuire (@KevinOnCFB) June 18, 2016
Sure, this is something Joe Paterno would never even consider doing. It’s time to move on and think about this in a post-Paterno world. Recruiting is key, and having any kind of bling to show off on the recruiting trail is worth adding to the mix. If that means awarding players with a state championship ring, then so be it. Sure, those rings may later be sold on ebay, but I also think that should be allowed (we do not need to get into that whole conversation here though).
If Penn State manages to go 2-0 against Pittsburgh and Temple, then get the jewelers ready to make some state championship rings. What say you? Cast your vote in the poll below, and feel free to leave a comment in the comment section or on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/NittanyLionsDen/status/748361850740477952
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