The GAA must have known they were making themselves hostages to fortune when they dubbed their American football showcase as the ‘Croke Park Classic’, but Penn State and the University of Central Florida obliged with a game that lived up to its billing.

Barely an hour had passed since Sam Ficken kicked the game-winning field goal for Penn State against the University of Central Florida on Saturday, but Croke Park and everyone inside and around the stadium were already moving on.