Penn State trailing 17-3 to Alabama at halftime

In one of the most high profile games of an exciting Saturday, September 10, 2011 in college football, the #3 Alabama Crimson Tide lead the #23 Penn State Nittany Lions by a score of 17-3 at the half. In a first half that was a defensive battle throughout, a Penn State fumble set up Alabama’s last drive of the half and the Crimson Tide offense capitalized to milk the clock and punch in a rushing touchdown with just 35 seconds left before halftime. This game, which will of course shape the opinions of millions of fans across the nation about the strength of the SEC and the lack thereof for the Big Ten, is the big game of the day on the SEC along with Mississippi State @ Auburn and South Carolina @ Georgia. Meanwhile, the Big Ten football scoreboard will also reflect a narrow Ohio State win over Toledo and an important Michigan vs. Notre Dame game that will also impact the Big Ten’s reputation in 2011.