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

I wasn't able to watch the Ohio game live, so I recorded it and just watched the replay. Even without the scandal and the subsequent sanctions, Penn State was already going to have somewhat of a down year this year just because of who they were losing. I'll be honest though, I did not think for a second that Penn State would lose to Ohio. The first half was actually pretty good, but the second half was pretty pathetic. With that said, I think the team is capable of turning things around. The schedule doesn't get any easier though as they travel to UVA then face Navy and Temple. Here are my observations from the game: I really like Kyle Carter. Great size. Reminds me of Gronk. The way O'Brien utilizes tight ends, he could be a force for Penn State this year. For the most part I thought the defense tackled well, but the defensive playcalling and scheming was just awful. Not a good debut for Ted Roof/Graham Spanier. Why the hell is Gerald Hodges returning punts? Belton does not seem like a Big Ten running back to me. He's a great athlete, but he's not a running back. Doesn't have the size and doesn't know how to protect the football. He will fumble plenty more if he doesn't correct that. Surprisingly, Derek Day looked pretty good. Does a good job of getting North and South. I still can't figure out how Curtis Dukes can't get on the field. He's either the worst blocker in the world or he's got some off the field issues. Because he is big and he can run and he would be effective. Man I miss Silas. That was such a huge loss. Massarro and Stanely were non-factors. Lets hope that changes soon. Allen Robinson looks great. Offense much more complex than we are used too. Some crazy routes. Well thought out schemes. Mcgloin seems to have pretty good handle of it. Really impressed with o-line, especially pass protection.