Penn State has such wonderful football tradition, but it’s really kind of divided into two distinct segments.

If you’re an old guy, like Neil (hahaha), you have a whole bunch of moments and games and achievements that you could pick as your favorite Nittany Lion memory.

A huge portion of the fan base falls into that category.

But, if you’re part of the large group of fans under the age of 40 or so, you don’t have as much to hang your hat on for great memories.

You were too young for the elite play of the 1980s, so really all you have is the legendary 1994 team — and getting robbed of a national title — or Joe Paterno’s late-career achievements of 409 wins and some sporadic outstanding seasons.

For many of you in the latter group, your favorite memory is the same as mine — the program-changing upset of Ohio State in 2016 that helped Penn State become a national power again after the scandal.

Sorry to get religious here, but it was like the hand of God reached down into Beaver Stadium that glorious night of Oct. 22, 2016 to allow Marcus Allen to block that field goal, then have Grant Haley scoop and score.

I believe that is the single greatest play in Penn State football history. Sure, there have been other big plays, chief among them Pete Giftopoulos’ title-clinching interception against Miami in the 1986 Fiesta Bowl. But when it comes to the sheer magnitude of only one play, what happened against the Buckeyes in 2016 falls into the miracle category.

After 1994, there was a lot of disappointment for Penn State fans. The program and Paterno slipped, and greatness was more often replaced by relative mediocrity.

The 2005 and ’08 seasons were a lot of fun, but then came the scandal and the end of the Paterno era.

Penn State fans still wanted to believe they could have a great program. They wanted to see the program bounce back and prove it could re-emerge as a major player on a national scale.

Almost no one believed that could happen in 2016. Earlier that season, after a 49-10 loss at Michigan, a lot of Penn State fans wanted James Franklin fired.

Then came the Ohio State upset. And everything changed.

That seminal moment was about more than just one win. It was about more than just one season, too.

The Lions went on to win the Big Ten title, and Franklin has kept the program at a very high level since, with the exception of bad years in 2020 and ’21.

For younger Penn State fans, and even older ones who would love to see the program remain a national power for decades to come, all of it can be traced back to that win over Ohio State eight years ago.

I’m thankful I was there that night to be able to watch history unfold.

Cory Giger is the host of “Sports Central” weekdays from 4-5 on 96.1 Hank FM.