While all of our losses to PSU last year sucked, it was the BTT one (which I unfortunately attended...) that really stuck with me. The first loss in Champaign seemed like such a random flop that we could theoretically move on. The second loss in State College seemed at least justifiable in that it was a road game. However, to lose to them in our Home Away from Home in front of an 80%+ Illini crowd when we desperately needed that win just felt like PSU pouring salt in our wounds. I think a lot of our fan base has been waiting for some revenge!
I think they all sucked very much lol
I was at the home game and that dud came at such a bad time. The week prior, we got beat by a good Maryland team on the road and then, just a few days before PSU, we came out and beat #2 ranked Texas at MSG. It felt like a corner had been turned and we were on our way to CBB domination. Then we fell on our faces.
The next PSU game was when I more or less gave up hope for any kind of special season. The party line for this team was "They just need time to jell!". And after this mid February game in which they once again looked completely lifeless, I gave up on the comfortable delusion that they would magically decide to "jell" just in time for March.
The BTT game, IMO, just validated what we all had to have known by then - they were not going to jell and they were not "built for March". The post season success we all pined for was just as far away as it had ever been.
*shudders*