In the biggest games, teams need players to take their game to the next level. That's not what the Penn State wide receivers did in Thursday's 27-24 loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl.
In fact, the opposite happened as the Nittany Lions' receivers went out with a whimper. For the entire game, not one PSU wideout caught a pass.
Given that unbelievable fact, it should be considered a near miracle that the Penn State offense was able to put up 24 points on one of the best defenses in the country. Of course, for most of the season, Penn State has won despite its wide receivers, not because of them.
This year, PSU was led in catches by tight end Tyler Warren who had 98 for 1,158 yards and eight touchdowns. Warren did his part against Notre Dame catching six passes for 68 yards while rushing twice for 21 yards.
However, his fellow pass-catchers did nothing to help the offense. Of course, given that the PSU offense completed only 12 of the 23 passes it attempted, there weren't many plays for the wide receivers to make.
All game, State relied heavily on the ground game to try to move the ball. And that plan worked to the tune of 204 yards and three touchdowns on 42 carries.
However, down the stretch, head coach James Franklin needed a receiver to make a big play, and that never happened. The same can't be said for Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish got a career day from wideout Jaden Greathouse. Entering the game, he had only 29 catches for 359 yards and one touchdown but in the biggest of moments, he came through.
When his team needed him to make plays on the outside, he responded time and time again. Greathouse finished the night with seven receptions for 105 yards and a crucial TD late in the game when his team trailed 24-17 with just 4:38 remaining.
That dynamic was missing from the PSU offense all game long and that made life much easier on the Irish defense. Able to crowd the box and send extra defenders at Warren in clutch moments, Notre Dame had no fears that Penn State QB Drew Allar and his receivers could win the game.
Where was Harrison Wallace III? He led the Nittany Lions wide receivers with 46 catches for 723 yards and four TDs this season but he might as well have bought a ticket to this game and watched from the seats because he had as many receptions as the PSU family and friends section did.
The same could be said for players like Omari Edwards or Liam Clifford. None could make a difference in the passing game and that forced the Penn State offense to rely on the ground game and its All-American tight end, which is no way to beat championship-caliber defenses.
Despite all the efforts that the program has made to get its offense to a level equal to its powerful defense, the passing game remains the Nittany Lion's Achilles' Heel. On Thursday night, the lack of productivity from the wide receivers may have cost Franklin and his team a shot at a National Championship.