The Penn State Football Show

I think it was a combination of the crushing loss at Iowa being followed up with a game against a struggling Indiana team that really put everyone in a lull when it came to Penn State football. Everyone I have spoken with was in the same boat as me for the last week and a half. The days went by slower and were not nearly as exciting, and there just felt like there was something missing. There was less to look forward to. This is the obvious cause for the lack of posts on this blog (that and my poor internet connection).

Well the purpose of this post is basically to say "Snap out of it!" Penn State has one game left on it's schedule, and it's a HUGE GAME. There is a lot to be excited about and a lot to play for. Both teams are fighting for a Big Ten Championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl.

I think the outcome of the game is solely based on which Penn State team shows up. If they come out and play like they did for the first eight games of the season, they should win handily. If they play the way the have for the last three games, they will lose... they will lose not only the game, but the Big Ten Championship as well as their first trip to Pasadena since 1994.

More specifically, I think Penn State's performance as a team hinges around which Darryl Clark shows up to the game. It's no coincidence the for those first eight games where Penn State was dominant, Clark played exceptional football. He was nearly flawless, throwing only two interceptions, and greatly exceeding even the highest of expectations. Then, something happened, I'm not quite sure what, but he has not been himself the last three games. His timing seems to be off, he is not stepping into his throws, he is not looking off of his primary target anymore, and his throws have been way off-target. Whatever it is, he needs to fix it and get back on track if Penn State wants to win this season.

When you take a step back and look at the entire situation, there are many things in Penn State's favor in this game. The first, and most obvious, is that it is at home. Beaver Stadium is obviously a very very tough place for anyone to play in. I have already mentioned everything that is at stake in this game. If this team can't get motivated for a conference title and a Rose Bowl berth, I don't know what will get them up.

In addition, as Hottel mentioned, it is Senior Day -- and this always serves to motivate the team. But as Hottel pointed out, this Senior Day in particular is even more special than most. That's because most people credit this class of seniors with turning the program around (and rightfully so).

Derrick Williams was the number one recruit in the entire country coming out of high school, and he shocked the world by committing to a school with just four wins. On national television he encouraged other high school stars to join him at Penn State and "wake this sleeping giant." All of us Penn State fans could see that Penn State was just a few players away from having a national title contender, but most high schoolers would just look at the poor record and disregard Penn State from consideration. It takes a very mature and wise person to make the bold move that Derrick Williams and Justin King did when they selected Penn State, and I think they, along with everyone else, would agree that their decision paid off tremendously. I have an incredible ammount of respect for both of them.

So you can bet that emotions will be riding high when Williams, Norwood, Butler, Scirrotto, and the rest of the seniors are announced on Saturday. And, as if all of that wasn't enough, there is one more Nittany Lion who very well could be in his last game at Beaver Stadium this Saturday...