The Penn State Football Show

The media wants everyone to think that Penn State lost to Ohio because of the sanctions. It certainly didn't help not having Silas Redd in the backfield or Justin Brown catching passes, or Anthony Fera not shanking punts. But the real issue that was exposed was the same thing that Houston went to work against in January...our secondary. None of the guys that transferred were starters on defense, and no defensive backs (except for a walk-on safety) were included in that bunch. Ohio would have had the same success throwing the football regardless of the sanctions. With the injury to Stephon Morris in the game, Ohio went right after DaQuan Davis, a true freshman cornerback, and they had some success. Penn State has also not yet installed a nickel or dime defense because of their lack of depth in the secondary. This is a huge concern, but at the same time, you also have to give Ohio and their quarterback Tyler Tettleton a lot of credit. He made some great throws, and their offensive game plan essentially neutralize Penn State's defensive line. I was disappointed in the run defense in the second half, but I think the linebackers were so concerned with the pass that their first steps were into their coverages. Luckily the next time Penn State faces a passing attack like that will not be for some time, and this week against Virginia should be a better one for Penn State's defense.

Bill Belton is out, Silas Redd is gone, and now Derek Day is the starting running back for Penn State. Thankfully, I believe that Curtis Dukes will get some significant touches this week. Last week he was relegated to special teams (where he was still making some plays). Virginia's pass defense might be even worse than Penn State's so if McGloin and Co. can take advantage, I think that Penn State can get the monkey off their back and take home a good win. I don't know what to expect this week, but I think that this team will improve greatly with each week as the coaches and players get more accustomed to the new system and correct mistakes. The team still has a lot of talent, but depth is and will continue to be the biggest concern. In the past if a linebacker got hurt, there was another to fill in adequately. It certainly was a different feeling last week.

Although I was very depressed with the outcome of the game, just being out there watching football and tailgating again felt great. The NCAA and others were quick to say that Penn State's culture was to win at all costs, but they couldn't have been farther from the truth. The entire region depends on this football team and school, and though we all know how to celebrate a big win, a loss has never been that big of a deal. It's all about having fun, watching a competitive football game, and then getting back to the fun. Let's just hope that the fan support can stay strong through these tough years....I fear that a loss to Virginia will really kill attendance for the following two home games. But I don't see either of those things happening. Lions pull out a victory 27-17