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Penn State's revenge on Michigan means the time for national dominance is now

Rich Barnes / USA TODAY Sports

Penn State exorcised a demon Saturday when it disposed of Michigan in convincing fashion, and that means we no longer need more proof that the Nittany Lions are a significant national championship threat.

Penn State may not have been worthy of such distinction and respect when Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorely were first emerging as stars last season. It may not have been worthy when it fought all the way back to win last year's Big Ten championship game. And it may not have even been worthy coming into this season.

Times have changed.

If we flash back to Sept. 25, 2016, we see a Penn State team attempting to process an absolutely brutal beating handed down by No. 4 Michigan. The loss dropped the Nittany Lions to 2-2 at the time and could have set an up-and-down tone for the remainder of the season.

That didn't happen though, and the tone it set went up, up, up, up, up, up, up, to channel a little bit of James Franklin. Since losing to the Wolverines last year, Penn State has a sparkling 16-1 record, with the only loss coming to a stingy USC team in last year's Rose Bowl.

Saturday's victory was a cold dish of revenge served to Michigan, but it also increases the stakes in Penn State's upcoming meeting with No. 6 Ohio State.

The winner of this weekend's matchup will likely earn one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff, but time is beginning to be a factor for the Nittany Lions. Barkley's time at Penn State is ticking away, as the Heisman Trophy favorite could very well leave for the pastures of the NFL Draft. Leading receivers DaeSean Hamilton and Mike Gesicki are both in their final season as seniors, so Penn State will need to make use of its valuable resources while it still has them.

Penn State has the power, the tools, and the leadership to do what the program hasn't done since 1986. That power has an expiry date, though, and the only question remaining is: can the Nittany Lions reach the national stage before that power is gone?

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