Good bye, Glendale. Hello, Orlando. 

Penn State wasn't selected for the Fiesta Bowl. Wasn't considered for the Orange Bowl. Wasn't getting away from the Capital One Bowl. 

And thank goodness.

I don't pretend to understand the whole BCS system. Heck, I don't pretend to try. What was clear was that the Nittany Lions were under no circumstance going to play in the national championship game. After that, what's so special about the other bowl games?

• Well, for starters: national exposure. Getting to a BCS game means name recognition. January 2010 will be when I watch my first TCU game, for example. Does Penn State need name recognition? Come on, largest alumni association in the country, say it with me: no.
• Pride. The bowl games aren't necessarily a reflection on how well teams performed during the season. That's why Penn State was even considered a possibility over Iowa, which had a better resume with its application. Bowl games also help somewhat for preseason rankings the next year, but playing in one doesn't guarantee anything the next fall. So pride is a big factor. And after getting bumped out of the BCS bowls by the team that made one windy, rainy night even more miserable in Beaver Stadium, Penn State has no reason to consider its pride injured.
• Money. This one's the biggie. There is a pretty penny coming to universities from these bowl games, and the Fiesta Bowl pays quite a bit more than the Capital One Bowl. And, as we've seen from the policy changes with alumni tickets, Penn State football would appreciate that cash. But consider which teams are in Penn State's place in the Fiesta Bowl: Boise State and TCU. Can anyone truly argue that Penn State needed the money more than those two schools (remember that alumni association tidbit)?

So there you go. No huge loss in missing out on the Fiesta Bowl, or any BCS bowl game, for that matter.

Besides, if you'll recall, the Capital One Bowl is in Orlando, Florida. Show me a Nittany Lion who says he doesn't want to be in Orlando in January, and I'll show you someone who's Nittany Lyin' (my apologies for that one).

In 2005, I had the fortune of being able to drive with a friend's family down the East Coast to Miami for the Orange Bowl. Every third car on the road seemed to be jam-packed with Penn State fans heading south. It was incredible.

It's an experience that wouldn't have happened with the Fiesta Bowl. Would the Nittany Lion faithful have filled the hotels and airport of Glendale? Probably, but there's something special about a road trip that doesn't exist on a flight. 

With the game in Orlando, Penn Staters will run into each other at a Virginia gas station, a North Carolina McDonald's, in line at Universal Studios. And they'll have a story for when they get back. 

And, in case you weren't aware, Penn State will be facing off against LSU. The Lions and the Tigers are two very popular teams across the country, and LSU is only a couple of years removed from winning the national championship. 

Les Miles is coaching a good team of big, big guys down in Louisiana, and it ought to be a very popular Capital One Bowl.

Orlando or Bust, Penn State.