MINNEAPOLIS -- The student section emptied first, as the group that had been most energized throughout the day kicked off the celebration en masse. Soon enough, the field at TCF Bank Stadium was filled.
A group of Minnesota players ran toward the Penn State sideline to grab the Governor's Victory Bell, not among Minnesota's most cherished rivalry trophies but an especially valuable prize Saturday. The stadium operations crew played "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," a Minnesota Nice trolling of Penn State, and fans punctuated the celebration by singing their fight song, "The Minnesota Rouser."
A worker waiting for the service elevator at the south end of the stadium received a message on his walkie-talkie: "This is the biggest party I've ever been at.