The Penn State Football Show

The rain continues to pelt the ground, swelling rivers, and tearing down bridges. Soon the damp Earth in the center of Beaver Stadium will be ripped apart by two of the best defenses in the country. The Alabama Crimson Tide come to town boasting a #3 ranking, and the backing of what most would argue is the best conference in college football. For the past 5 years, the SEC has held up a crystal ball at the end of the season and have put a curse upon their Big Ten foes. The mighty underdog Nittany Lions could not only reconcile the nation's perspective of the Big Ten, but they could also put themselves in a position they have not been in since 1999...on the winning end against at top-5 opponent. I was there when Paul Posluzsny and Michael Robinson took down Ohio State in a matchup not unlike this, but Saturday's game has a different feel to it.

Penn State has nothing to lose in this game. No one is giving them a chance. And rightfully so. This Alabama team is fundamentally sound. They have the best running back in the country. They have the best defense in the country. Penn State doesn't know who their quarterback is, and they got sacked three times by an FCS opponent. The wild card here is Beaver Stadium. Alabama in their own right is starting a green quarterback. AJ McCarron will make the start for the Tide after throwing two of the team's four interceptions last week against Kent State. The only way Penn State wins this game is if McCarron makes mistakes, and that will happen if Penn State's defense comes to play and if the stadium has an OSU 2005 or Nebraska 2002 feel to it.

What impressed me about the defense last week was the tackling. It was solid. D'Anton Lynn, Chaz Powell, and Adrian Amos are all very physical corners. There's nothing I love seeing more than aggressive, hard hitting corners....well other than a few Michael Mauti's. Tackling, we all remember, was a major issue last year. Trent Richardson is a horse in a human skin, but if you have enough people form tackling a horse, he's going to go down. The Bama offense lost some very skilled players and will not be as potent as last year, meanwhile the Penn State defense has vastly improved. So you're saying there's a chance!

Like Pete, I was awestruck with Redd's ability. He looked like a cannonball. Beachum looked very good as well, but Redd really ran well between the tackles and the speed he has coming out of his first cut is reminiscent of Ki-Jana Carter. He's going to be something very special. My praise for the offense stops there (and with Suhey and Zordich who exemplify what I love about PSU football). The pass blocking was god awful, the receivers didn't help out their quarterback, and the QB's did not look sharp at all. To be fair, the play calling was very very very conservative and I feel a lot of that had to do with who is coming to town this weekend.

Last year's offensive gameplan actually wasn't all that bad. The Lions moved the ball effectively and really utilized Devon Smith to perfection. Send him in motion and right to a flat pattern. Expect to see that again. It's an easy read and a fast one for the quarterback....whoever that may be. As bad as the coaches have been at times, I expect big things out of them. They've had all offseason to prepare for this game.

I will again be DVRing this game due to my own semi-professional obligations, but I could not be more excited. Not just to watch the game, but for the opportunity the University and all of those players have. Even still....If I was a betting man, I'd have to go with Alabama. Stranger things have happened though. Fight on