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Twitter reacts to Illinois’ upset over No. 7 Penn State, longest FBS game ever

Twitter was abuzz thanks to the Illini & Nittany Lions.

NCAA Football: Illinois at Penn State Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

The Illinois Fighting Illini upset No. 7 Penn State on Saturday afternoon. That sentence alone is an attention-grabber. But HOW Illinois pulled it off is even crazier. This contest didn’t have the theatrics of the 2019 Wisconsin or Michigan State games, but it was certainly heart-pounding and noteworthy in its own way.

It was a historic day in State College, as the Illini & Nittany Lions went toe-to-toe for a record-breaking NINE overtimes, with the Orange & Blue prevailing, 20-18. And the longer the game went on, the more people across social media were talking — fans, alumni, reporters, players, pretty much everybody was transfixed:

Seriously...when’s the last time people were talking this much about an Illinois football game? Even for a fleeting moment, it’s pretty cool.

I know I speak for many viewers & Illini fans when I say that I was exhausted watching this game. There was excitement, suspense, plenty of rage-inducing officiating. Illinois was able to produce in the clutch and find a way to win. Even if the game was comically bad, it’s still more fun when your guys win. And our guys did.