The Penn State Football Show

Florida, Iowa, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Northwestern, and Pitt to name just a few. The latter two get a home crown rivaling the Pittsburgh Passion. I would like to state right now that the Big Ten is down right now and beating a Big East team in a bowl game would do no good for us or good for them. Both will have to prove themselves against the so called stronger conferences of the nation. Pitt is now about to face the "difficult" part of their schedule and I think we should all wait and see how that turns out before the bantering continues. And sorry boys, you cannot under any circumstances claim 8 championships when the only other football teams were Rutgers, Princeton, and Chicago. Isn't funny how it goes? Penn State has a rightful championship taken away by Nixon and jags from Pitt walk around claiming nine 'ships. It's downright shameful.

Back to the present. I am man and I admit when I am wrong. I was way wrong last week. And I'm happy to say so. I thought we played solid on all sides of the ball against a sound Michigan team. Going and playing in the Big House is a tall task no matter what and Penn State gave them what for. Work has clogged my mind with useful information and pushed out lasting details from the game. However, one thought sticks with me; Navarro Bowman was reminiscent of a #11 of old. I would also like to buy my boarding pass for the Brandon Beachum bandwagon.

For this week, the away whites are absolutely wasted on the worst home crowd in major college football. Northwestern is that smart kid in high school that never got the girl even though everyone knew they would be successful. They are the academic leader of the Big Ten but the jock gets the girl. I mean in the Big Ten you're talking Football, Basketball, and Wrestling to me. Northwestern has not been a serious contender in any of those for a while. I'm just saying, at least Indiana has basketball. I think Penn State just athletically outclasses this team. Although this is your ideal "look ahead game trap" with Ohio State looming next week, I think Penn State will take care of business.

I'm sad to say that Iowa is not that good and will not represent the Big Ten well in their BCS bowl. I kind of want them to lose to Ohio State but even if Penn State and Iowa have only one conference loss and Ohio State has three they will still earn a share of the Big Ten Championship. Odd. Speaking of odds, who wants to lay money Rudy doesn't get his peepee touched this weekend?

-Rowdy Roddy Piper

I agree with most of what Rudy said. Northwestern is always a team that is kind of scary because they are usually good for at least one big upset a year. They always have a wide open spread offense that is capable of putting up points on anyone. Northwestern never matches up talent-wise with the Ohio States, Penn States and Michigans, but they beat you with great offensive schemes. I don't think this is one of their better squads this year, and I don't see them knocking off Penn State, but it's definitely not a game the Lions can look past.

Their quarterback Kafka is a gamer just like his predecessors Brett Basanez and Zak Kustok. He can make plays with his arm and his feet and is a tough competitor. I have a lot of respect for Pat Fitzgerald, I think he's a great coach. I would like to see Northwestern get a better crowd at their games. That stadium is always empty and it looks like a High School field at times.

I think Northwestern is too out-matched in this game and Penn State's defense will be able to stop the Northwestern offense. Royster should have a big game. If the Lions get a big lead, they may try and rest him so he's fresh for Ohio State next week, but they have to be careful not to count the Wildcats out after their incredible comeback last week. Keep in mind, Indiana has been playing much better this year than in recent memory, so that's a pretty impressive comeback.

I'd like to see the Lions force some more turnovers on defense. On offense, I'd like to see some more of what Beachum can do. I think the Lions win handily, but we all remember what happened the last time Penn State visited Evanston.

First of all...what's with the name....in fact it is named after the people it was originally meant to serve, those from the Northwest Territory. Boom, now you know.

Now to the football

I never gave a recap of last week's action since I have been incredibly busy getting massacred by this Aerospace class that I thought I'd take "for fun". That's like stapling razor wire to your chest "for fun". Anyway, I was really impressed with the Lions, and like I said, the coaching wasn't very conservative as they haven't been the past few years. There were times when they went old school like when they didn't go for it on 4th and short early on, but they played the field position battle a little bit and it was a huge advantage. With the outstanding defense they have and the potential firepower on offense, this team can mix in the conservative play calling or light up the sky. It gives them a lot of mobility and they can win in a lot of different ways whereas Michigan will need to outscore their opponents. Enough of Michigan though, that's over with and I feel great about that win.

Northwestern was down last week to Indiana 28-3 at one point and stormed back to win 29-28. I don't care if you're playing against Groton School Thirds (Freshman) Football, that is unreal. Kafka, the NU quarterback has been around for a while and is actually their leading rusher as well with only 206 yards rushing. Needless to say, this Northwestern team doesn't run very effectively and are currently averaging only 122 yards a game, good for 92nd in the nation. What this means to me is that we will see a lot more of Sean Lee in this game than we have in the past two weeks, not only because he is getting healthier, but because they feel confident putting him in for passing situations as they have done against Michigan and Minnesota. I'm going to predict that Lee picks off a pass in this game. Although their running game is less productive than trying to do homework at a strip club, Kafka, in addition to writing "The Metamorphosis", is the Big Ten's leading passer in terms of yardage. They do air it out, and this should be the biggest test for the Penn State secondary. I know we have been saying this for the past 3 weeks, but Minnesota is garbage, and Michigan just isn't prime time yet. Northwestern is a solid team that will be able to move the ball effectively, they are well coached, and will have a good strategy coming into the game.

With all this praise I'm handing out it in no way means that I expect Penn State to lose this game, though I think this is the best team PSU has seen since Iowa. When a defense is able to focus on one aspect of an opponents offense, especially if the defense is as talented as Penn State's, it makes the game a lot simpler. Northwestern isn't going to be able to run the ball, and Bradley and crew can focus on defending the pass knowing that if they decide to run, it's not going anywhere except in Navarro's belly. This season NU has gotten off to some slow starts, and if they do that again, it will be a long day for the Wildcats. Keep in mind that this team lost to Syracuse AND Minnesota and their defense is suspect.

Not only is Daryll looking sharp, but he has targets all over the field. Quarless has stepped up, the running backs are all good receivers, and the wideouts have shown that you can't focus on one of them. The offense is dynamic, and in this game I expect Clark to throw for 400 yards. Yes. 400 yards. Now, Rudy that sounds like a career day for Clark. Yes that is a career day. It's actually 50 yards more than he's ever thrown. I checked....online. Paterno all week has been saying how Clark isn't getting any hype and how he deserves more credit...are you pondering what I'm pondering? I think so Brain, but if they called them sad meals, kids wouldn't buy them. I think Paterno lets them air it out so Clark can get some props. You don't see Joe talk up his players much more than you've seen this year and it might be time for Clark to make a statement...especially with the upcoming extravaganza next week. I don't think Clark deserves a Heisman, but you have to put the guy on the list (he's got a passer rating almost equal to Tebow and has accounted for 7 more TD's than His Holiness). Hopefully the team stays focused for this week and isn't looking ahead at Ohio State. I don't think they are, and this team is peaking at a good time. Penn State rolls in this cat fight.

On to Halloween news, I am not being a Native American for the first time since Sophomore year of Penn State when I was Rex from Napoleon Dynamite. I will be dressing up as a hick and hopefully people know its a costume. What about the rest of y'all?

Excellent insight from Post-Gazette columnist/blogger Bob Smizik.

http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/bobsmizik/default.aspx

Another frustrating week in a college football season that is shaping into one of the ugliest and most confusing in many years. Alabama wins without scoring a touchdown, Florida struggled once again with a mediocre team, Iowa is on the verge of compiling one of the most disgusting undefeated seasons in college football history, and in a far distance lies the possibility of SIX undefeated teams (Alabama or Florida, Texas, Iowa, TCU, Boise State, Cincinnati), not to mention a handful of 1-loss teams who are clearly capable of competing with those previously mentioned. Oh and by the way, there is a team in Happy Valley that is slowly but steadily revving her engine, and very little is standing in her way as she is coming down the mountain with a full head of steam.

For weeks we heard about Penn State's road struggles in Ann Arbor, so much so that many started believing they COULD NOT win. Penn State outmatched Michigan in almost every aspect of this game, but many still seemed to bend this truth and make arguments that supported an upset in Ann Arbor. Luckily (and finally), the Lions stepped up to the task, reached back, and delivered a knock-out blow that unsurprisingly silenced the critics.

It seems as if now more than ever is when a college football playoff is necessary. Each year there will be arguments over who is the best 1-loss team, strength of schedule, how the SEC could compete in the NFL, the whole nine yards. But this year could be very interesting with the possibility of SIX undefeated teams??? This most likely will not happen as I am anticipating an Iowa loss in Columbus and Cincinnati has a “challenging” remaining schedule with Pitt and WVU still on the schedule (oh no, not Pitt and WVU!).

Furthermore, I’m not quite sure what would be a good bowl match up for Penn State this year. As much as I agree a PSU/Pitt rivalry on the national spotlight would be excellent, there could potentially be some even better matchups, nor does a whipping of a Big East team really help the Big Ten’s national perception. Obviously, a rematch with USC would be welcomed any day of the week, but for our next meeting, I’d like to see them travel more than 12 miles….does Arizona work for you, Mr. Carroll?

Other thoughts and observations from week eight.
• When is DC17 going to get some national recognition? Check the stats, folks. Aint many other players putting up better numbers than he is, and that includes the Messiah.
• Staying on the Beachum-waggon, the kid brings the pain when he runs the ball.
• Boone continues to step into his punts, resulting in another blocked punt this weekend, but the protection still needs to be better.
• The constant media presence surrounding the lack of development from TP2 is becoming more and more frustrating each week. Until this kid shows he can successfully manage an offense and check-off a receiver, let’s find something more important things to talk about…like Darryl Clark maybe?
• Did anyone notice the random stopping of the clock prior to halftime…you know, right before Tate Forcier spiked the ball to go put on his snuggly? I’m looking for answers here. Are clock operations performed by Big Ten officials or in house? We all know this was an issue in 2005, but it also happened last year in Columbus when the field goal before halftime went through the uprights with 3 seconds remaining on the clock and continued to wind down to zero.

This week’s trip to Evanston should be an interesting one. I Look forward to seeing how the Lions perform now that they have a chip on their shoulder and a little momentum behind them. Although, let’s not forget that 2005 stunner, maybe we should start doubting our chances at Northwestern, too.

Jason – I’ve noticed you and I make a lot of the same observations when it comes to in game-analysis of Penn State football. I find myself agreeing with most of what you write in your posts. And the same holds true for some of the points you made in this last one. But there are also some comments that I think you went a little overboard on:

“That sound you just heard was all the Penn State naysayers and critics, some of which are relative to this blog, slowly prying their feet out of their mouths. Once again, Penn State defies all odds and proves everybody WRONG, just like they have continued to do over the past several years. Pretty soon, all the Monday-Morning-Quarterbacks will have to dig deep to find any relevant statistics that will predict a Penn State demise, because this team seems to overcome 95% of the ridiculous challenges everyone throws at them.”

First of all, I don’t think beating an unranked two-loss Michigan team really qualifies for “defying all odds.” Yes, many people, including myself, picked against Penn State in this one. But you’re a long-time Penn State fan, can’t you see why? I mean, losing to one team nine times in a row is just insane. And I know I’m repeating myself, but the fact of the matter is that in many of those game, Penn State had a better team and should have one. Now, I was like you and Rudy up until the 2007 loss to the Mallett-led Wolverines. As a Penn State fan, I always saw the potential of the team and knew they were capable of beating Michigan. After the heartbreaking loss in 05, I was extremely discouraged. Then, in 07 there was absolutely zero reason to lose that game. NONE. Like Drew said, it was like the twilight zone. That was the worst display of coaching I have ever witnessed in any sport.

As a result, that game scarred me. Basically I decided I could not legitimately expect to see Penn State beat Michigan until the team actually went out there and did so on the field. Even last year, when Michigan went 3-8, I didn’t know what to expect in the game. Now that Penn State has beaten Michigan twice in a row, hopefully that will be enough for me to get over the past. But my point is, I don’t think you can blame any Penn State fan that has been following this team for the last 15 years for having been very skeptical heading into that game.

Believe me I am far from a “naysayer.” I know the type you are talking about, and they annoy me as well. Dating back to when I started the show my freshman year, I have only predicted Penn State to lose a handful of times. But I would be doing this blogs’ enormous fan base an incredible disservice if I just blindly predicted Penn State to win every game. The number one rule of a journalist is to be impartial.



“Maybe it's because I hate how Ohio State is somehow the poster child for the Big Ten.”

They have had a share of each of the last four Big Ten Titles. The last three times a Big Ten team has played for a national championship, it has been Ohio State. I think it’s pretty easy to see why they are the poster child for the Big Ten. Only USC can match Ohio State’s dominance over their respective conference in the last five years. However, it looks like that is starting to change, which will surely please you.


I agree that Forcier looked pretty bad in the game. But I think that had more to do with Penn State’s defense than his inability to play the position. If you saw some of the things he did against Indiana and Notre Dame, I think you would retract your statement that he doesn’t have control over the offense.


I really think that our struggles with punts getting blocked has more to do with Boone taking too long than anything else. He’s got to get rid of the ball quicker. On both blocked punts, I thought the protection should have been good enough to allow the kick to get off. Both guys that blocked the punts were impeded enough on their way to Boone that he should have had enough time.

http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/523829.html?pollvote=1#poll344

Since most blog readers/contributors are not from the Pittsburgh area, and with there being such a prolonged break in the action, it's important to re-remember the significance of Pitt-Penn State. For years, it was the most significant gridiron matchup in the football rich state of Pennsylvania. A spat between Coach Paterno and Pitt administrators has put this on semi permanent hold, but as Cory Giger reports, there is a chance that loyal followers of each school could be rewarded with a BCS clash. Even without the teams playing recently, I can say that in Pittsburgh especially, which houses large numbers of fans from each school, the passion of the rivalry has never waned. Each school is fiercely loyal, and there is no middle ground. It has sadly fallen from the national landscape, but make no mistake, Pitt-Penn State is one of the great college football rivalries of all time. Everyone on both sides would love to see it happen on a big stage like the BCS. It looks like a lot has to happen between here and now, but we can hope. Most likely, Pitt will not hold up their end of the bargain. Because they stink.

That sound you just heard was all the Penn State naysayers and critics, some of which are relative to this blog, slowly prying their feet out of their mouths. Once again, Penn State defies all odds and proves everybody WRONG, just like they have continued to do over the past several years. Pretty soon, all the Monday-Morning-Quarterbacks will have to dig deep to find any relevant statistics that will predict a Penn State demise, because this team seems to overcome 95% of the ridiculous challenges everyone throws at them. I just get sick and tired of the hometown media, a group who is supposed to support and favor this team, set these guys up for failure just so they can say, "See, I told you so" in the end.

As for this game itself...I will have to disagree with you guys and say that last year's win at Ohio State was the most gratifying victory for me as a Penn State fan; right behind OSU in 2005. Maybe it's because I hate how Ohio State is somehow the poster child for the Big Ten; Maybe it's because I think Terelle Pryor is a whiny thug; Maybe it's because I think Tressel is a little weasel; Maybe it's because I live in Ohio and have to deal with the extremely obnoxious Ohio State fans on a daily basis...I don't know. Nevertheless, this win at Michigan ranks up there with some of the big ones. I felt that last season's win over Michigan, although it did end the Michigan (or Lloyd Carr) curse, was expected...Michigan was in a rebuilding phase and severely lacked talent. We were rolling and the only thing that could get in our way was a nerdy soccer player from the cornbelts of Iowa. But, this season is a different story. Rich-Rod is beginning to put his pieces in place, Michigan has won some big games, and everyone, including Kirk Herbstriet (who I think is by far the most credible college football analyst on the planet), was writing us off. I was very nervous going into this game. I guess I was buying into the nonsense. So, to go up to the big house and put a hurting on those guys was a great feeling!

Specific Game Thoughts...

• I have to attribute a lot of the success in this game, especially offensively, to the coaching staff. The coaches saw the weakness and overmatches in the Michigan secondary and exploited them. In fact, two of Zug's TD catches were the exact same play...Michigan just couldn't stop it. I also like the little swing passes to Moye when they realized their corners were playing 8-10 yards off the line. Would like to see this more with Chaz Powell.
• Gotta tip your hats to the Offensive Line. Good job in pass protection. Run blocking was OK. Despite what others may say, I thought Poti did a good job keeping DE Brandon Graham in check. He did have a few TFL's and a sack but a good DE will do that. Graham didn't seem to be a factor in pass rush like those two gorillas from Iowa were.
• Daryll Clark is a very good QB. He's an intense competitor, a great leader, he has excellent poise and confidence in tough situations, and he is a very efficient passer. He has passed nearly all of the tests team's have thrown at him, and, really, the only BAD game of his career was this year against IOWA. He is now 18-3 as a starter and potentially could lead PSU to two consecutive BCS bowls. He has won on the road, he has won in sloppy conditions, he has played a few series with a concussion, and his arms are bigger than Navorro Bowman's. Furthermore, I think they way he has complemented the transition of the WR corp gets overlooked. It is not easy for the QB-WR unit to synchronize immediately and play as a cohesive unit. Clark has made sure this is not the case. I think a lot of the success of the WR's has to go to DC17. Remember, Williams-Butler-Norwood put up better numbers with Clark than with Morelli. Not that he will or should win the award, but I think it's time we start putting Daryll Clark's name on the Heisman watch list. What more does he have to do?
• Tate Forcier is NOT a good QB. This kid has some raw talent and will probably be pretty good before its all said and done, but, as for now, he lacks many of the QB intangibles. I hate to play this card but...he looks like a True Freshman in every meaning of the phrase. He makes poor decisions, he rushes throws, he doesn't have command of the offense. After the first Michigan drive, it looked like their offense had no organization and synchronization. He was essentially playing backyard football out there, throwing passes up for grabs and running around senselessly. Probably should have had 4 or 5 picks if Nick Sukay and Bani Gdadyu didn't have K-Y Jelly caked all over their hands.
• Something needs to be done about the 10 guys on the punt team NOT named Boone. Too many times this year he is punting the ball with opposing players diving at his feet. I hope his Big Ten Special Teams awards come attached with special invitations to the Academy Awards, because he has drawn a a number of flags for his theatrics (I hate the "Running into the Kicker" penalty no matter what side I'm on). The results are too close for comfort.
• I SPY...Navorro Bowman. Not that this is any earth shattering observation, but I feel it necessary to make note of his recent production. This kid is an absolute warrior at OLB; ranks up there with the best at LB-U. I think he has been overshadowed a little bit of late with all the concern over Sean Lee and his weekly status. Regardless, Bowman is always around the ball and it seems like opposing Offensive Linemen rarely get a body on him on run blocks. He is a beast in the open field. If he gets moving laterally and lines up a ball carrier...watch out because he's not gonna miss! Not sure if anybody noticed but he was about 6 inches away from tackling Brandon Minor in the backfield on his TD run. Make sure you get a good look at #11 the next few games because, although I hate to admit it, he will be NFL bound in the spring.
• Often, I don't like how Joe answers some of the media's questions. From a motivational standpoint, I feel like he can be detrimental to his team when he says things like, "I'm not really sure how good we are." But I like what he said following this game..."I have been telling these guys for a few weeks now that they are a good team...they just have to go out there and show everybody." Atta boy Joe!

Win out and a BCS bowl is very likely. An Iowa loss could create one of those interesting situations where, technically, they would be the Big Ten Champ, but we would be ranked higher in the BCS standings...further proving the point that its better to lose early than late.

On an unrelated note...did anybody see Gameday Saturday morning? Gotta give a shout out to Lee Corso for his prediction of the Arkansas-Mississippi game. When doing the final run-down and game prediction segment, Corso said, "Arkansas shot their wad last week against Florida...I'm going with Ole Miss!" Good stuff Lee!

STILL LOOKING FOR OHIO STATE TICKETS...

Here is the article about Joe Paterno in the latest Sports Illustrated if you haven't read it already. It's pretty good, but it's pretty much the same old crap we've already heard a million times about how he's old and people wanted him gone but he stayed and now they are good again. And how many times have I heard the stupid story about him wearing a sweater to the frat party at Brown? Anyway, if I haven't completely discredited this article already for you, give it a read, it's not bad.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1161606/1/index.htm

I’ve never been so happy to be so wrong about a game. Like I said, I knew Penn State had the superior football team, but that hasn’t stopped them from losing to Michigan in the past. Maybe this win will get me over the whole fear of Michigan. I just need to convince myself that the curse was all about Lloyd Carr and not about Michigan. Unfortunately, there are talks of UM hiring Carr to take over as Athletic Director… This would worry me.

On to the game…Penn State played without a doubt their best and most complete game of the season The offensive line has really come around since the Iowa game. Matt Millen seems to think that Poti is the man at right tackle. I’m interested to see how this plays out because JoePa still makes it sound like Poti is the third string guy and is only playing because Pannel and McCormack are both hurt, but there is no doubt that the line has played the best with Poti in at right tackle. Either way, the line is playing much better as a unit, which is opening up both the running and passing game.

One of the most promising aspects of the game was to watch Royster look like his old self. He is back to playing the way he did last year, slipping his way through defenders, breaking tackles, and gaining extra yards when it seems like there is nowhere for him to go. Maybe he wasn’t 100% early in the year, or maybe it’s just a result of the offensive line coming together. Beachum looked pretty strong in there too. I’d like to see more of him. I also liked the running plays we ran with Suhey. They all went for a good gain, I think they caught the defense off-guard. The only criticism I have in regards to the running game was that there were at least three or four plays that were extremely ugly that just got completely blown up in the backfield. And it wasn’t just one defensive lineman breaking through on a great athletic play, it was like three or four guys all over the running back the second that he got the ball. Did anyone else notice this? It looked like a complete breakdown by the o-line, but it happened a few times. It was as if the defense knew what play was coming or something. I’m not sure why this happened. But I’d gladly give up a few these if they can run the ball the way they did the rest of the time.

It was great to finally get a good return in the kicking game by Powell. Hopefully he can get a few more of those.

Bowman played a tremendous game. But he is clearly still not 100%. Lee is not 100% either. Hopefully these guys can get healthy, because they are two of the best linebackers in the country.

Not only was I wrong about the outcome of the game, but I said the key to the game was to do a good job of wrapping up Forcier and not letting him scramble around. I didn’t think they did a particularly good job of this, but they still managed to prevent him from making big plays. There were a few times he evaded some rushers and got away, but failed to find an open receiver. I give credit to the secondary on that. But overall, they did manage to get a few sacks, which was good.

Clark played a great game and won Big Ten Offensive Player of the week. I was caught off guard when it said he tied the record for touchdowns at Penn State. Then I thought about it more and realized, by the time this season ends, he should probably have most of the PSU passing records. I’m pretty sure Morelli is way up there, mostly just because he started for two years in an offense that threw the ball more frequently than Penn State historically has. Well, Clark is a two-year starter in a much more high-powered offense, so he should certainly pass Morelli in most stats, which I believe should put him at least in the top 3 for all major passing stats at Penn State. He’s really done a phenomenal job the last two years. The only mark against Clark would be the two duds he turned in against Iowa.

It was great to see Quarless finally make the big play we all know he’s capable of making. They need to continue to use him as a big play threat in the passing game.

Michigan was giving Moye a huge cushion, and I loved the way we gladly took advantage by throwing it to him at the line of scrimmage for an easy eight yard gain every time. Great adjustment that worked all game long.

Penn State’s defense has been unbelievable. Michigan came out with the no-huddle and scored with ease right off the bat. And I’m not going to lie, I was scared. But from that point on, the defense was completely dominant. The other three points were a result of two procedure penalties on the offense and a big punt return to give Michigan good field position. Here are some statistics to show how dominant PSU’s defense was against the top ranked offense in the Big Ten:

• After Michigan's initial drive of 70 yards, they were held to 96 yards on their next 11 possessions.

• The Lions held Michigan to a season-low 250 yards, 176 yards below its season total average of 426.6 ypg.

• Michigan entered the game leading the Big Ten in scoring at 37.3 ppg and was held to a season-low 10 points, 27 below its average.

It doesn’t exactly feel like it, but Penn State may have the best defense in the country. They are top five without a doubt. The reason it may not feel that way, is because they haven’t really made a ton of big memorable plays this season. They just go about their business and shut teams down somewhat quietly. But looks at how they compare nationally:

• PSU has held six of their first eight opponents to 10 points or less.
• Penn State leads the nation in scoring defense at 8.88 ppg. Florida is second.
• Penn State leads the Big Ten in ALL the major Big Ten defensive statistical categories: scoring (8.88 ppg), rushing yards per game (79.7 avg.), passing yards per game (160.5 avg) and total defense (240.2 ypg), tackles for losses (70, 8.75 avg.) and sacks (26, 3.25 avg.).
• The defense is ranked in the Top 10 nationally in all the major statistical categories: scoring (1st), rushing (4th), passing (9th) and total defense (3rd), as well as TFL (4th) and sacks (T 8th).

Some of those numbers are just ridiculous. Nine points per game? Eighty rushing yards per game in the Big Ten? That’s impressive. Keep in mind, in the only loss of the season, they only gave up one offensive touchdown, and that was after Iowa got the ball deep in the Lions territory after an interception. So this defense is for real. Not to mention the two best players on the defense have not been 100% all year. So they will only get better.

I think the most unheralded parts of the defense is the secondary. They really have done awesome job. I can’t seem to find the numbers to show the opponents completion percentage against Penn State, but it has to be extremely low. Even the plays where Penn State fails to get pressure on the quarterback, the offenses seem to struggle completing passes. This can be attributed to good coverage. Lynn, Morris, Wallace, Timmons, Astorino and Sukay have all exceeded my expectations for this season. I know Forcier looked pretty bad in this game, but trust me, the kid is a player. He just couldn’t get anything going against the Lions defense.

Again, by far Penn State’s best game. Hopefully they continue to improve.