Before we turn our full attention to bowls, we’re taking a look back on the 2014 regular season for each team. Up next: Penn State.

Overview: No team’s expectations might’ve fluctuated more than the Nittany Lions. They opened with four straight victories -- Christian Hackenberg led two game-winning, fourth-quarter drives -- and fans openly wondered about Big Ten title possibilities. At that early point, Hackenberg was on pace to set a Big Ten record in passing and the defense looked like the best in the conference. Only one of those trends would continue, however. Once opponents had some film on the Nittany Lions' offense, those lofty expectations came crashing down. The offensive line was routinely dominated by the opposition, and PSU couldn’t scheme around that glaring weakness. Only six FBS teams allowed more sacks, and only four allowed more tackles for loss. Hackenberg struggled as a result, as the Lions ended the regular season on a 2-6 run. If it wasn’t for the nation’s No. 2 total defense, that record would’ve been even worse. PSU didn’t score 20 points in regulation against a Big Ten team, and its two “trademark” wins -- UCF and Rutgers -- came within the first three weeks of the season.

Offensive MVP: WR DaeSean Hamilton. He was literally the lone consistent bright spot on this offense. He set the school freshman records for both receptions (75) and receiving yards (848), and he was named to the All-B1G second-team. He led the entire conference in receptions and was fifth in receiving yards -- not too shabby for a redshirt freshman who missed all of last season with a wrist injury.

Defensive MVP: LB Mike Hull. As a veteran leader of this defense, a lot was put on his shoulders this season -- but he more than rose to the occasion. He was the heart and soul of the nation’s top rushing defense, as he recorded more than twice as many tackles as the next-best PSU player. Hull boasted a conference-leading 134 stops, while Nyeem Wartman had 64 to place second on the Nittany Lions. He was also named the Big Ten linebacker of the year and was one of the conference’s best defensive players. Maybe the only defender to have a better season was Ohio State's Joey Bosa.