The Penn State Football Show

Bowl games are always tough to predict. Neither team has played in a month. Often one of the teams is disappointed with their season and in turn the bowl game they are in, and as a result, a win in some crappy bowl doesn't make much difference to them because it doesn't save their season. While the other team may be very pleased with the bowl game they are in, and look at it is an opportunity to cap off a tremendous year with a big win. Depending on the situation, you don't always get equal efforts out of both teams. Additionally, out of all of these bowl games, only one of them is for the national championship. So what, exactly, are all the other teams playing for? All of these factors contribute to making college bowl games so unpredictable, that professional gamblers avoid them like the plague. You just have no clue what you're going to get out of the two teams playing.

This particular bowl game, has a few extra factors thrown into the mix that make it a whole lot more confusing.

UF

1. Florida's Head Coach Urban Meyer is retiring and this bowl game will be his last. Does this mean he will work extra hard to go out with a victory, or does it mean he's already thinking about his retirement and hasn't really been preparing for this game as he usually would? Does this mean the players will work extra hard to make sure to send their coach out with a win? Or are they too disappointed/distracted to focus on this game.

2. Florida's Offensive Coordinator is leaving next year to take over as the Head Coach at Temple. How focused on this game can he be? Is he already looking ahead to his next gig at Temple? It's never to early to start recruiting... How much effort is he putting into this game?

3. Florida's starting QB is rumored to be considering transferring schools for next year. Again, how will that affect his focus/preparation for this game?


PSU

1. Rumors have been flying around about Coach Paterno's health declining and the possibility that this is his last game. Every indication from Paterno insists none of this is true and he will be back next year. If the rumors are true, the repurcussions on this game are obvious... The heach coach hasn't been around to coach the team, the players/assistant coaches may be distracted/worried about Paterno or wondering who will be taking over, etc. But even if it's not true, you have to wonder how much of this stuff is heard and believed by the players, and how distracted they are.

2. Tom Bradley interviewed for the Temple job and most reports indicate he would have brought Vanderlinden and McQueary with him there. That means three of the coaches were very close to leaving PSU. If they thought such a big life change was imminent, that had to have taken away from their focus and preparation for this game.


Anyway, as you can see, there are a lot going on behind the scenes leadinig up to this game. HBO could have done a 24/7 series for this specific bowl game and would have had plenty to talk about.

After giving you my list of reasons why this game is impossible to predict, I will go ahead and make my prediction:

In recent bowl games, Penn State has had success pulling out surprise victories in bowls I don't expect them to win against SEC teams I felt were superior (Tennessee in 2006 and LSU last year). So it's possible they could do the same against Florida this year. However, I think Urban Meyer is a great coach that is well liked by most of his players and assistant coaches, and I think, despite all of the potential distractions, the entire team is determined to send Meyer out with a win. As a result, I see Florida winning this game in a dominant fashion.

It is now post-Christmas and some of the coaching names that were being tossed around are now moot. I must first address the absolute shenanigans surrounding this whole coaching shake up. WTF? How in the world does Sue Paterno have to justify knowing her husband is not in the hospital? Is this what media in this country has become? A chain e-mail started by some mook with a subscription to Blue-White Illustrated? I mean good gravy. I actually lost it on my Dad pretty hard for spreading these rumors around at Christmas dinner, not because I knew they were false or anything but I automatically knew the source of them was totally bogus. I blame ESPN for coining the phrase "A source close to the program." Typing those words or saying them during an official broadcast should be punishable by death henceforth. Also let me say that I've been hearing for close to 15 years now that "This will definitely be Joe's last season/game." Also now punishable by death.

I not only have a Christmasy name, but I've got a Christmasy list of coaches as well. When I heard the rumors of Tony Dungy, I was very surprised. He has ties to the Big Ten having played at Minnesota, but why Penn State? Why college football? It doesn't really sound accurate and I for one am not buying into it just yet. If it is true, I think that he would be a good coach, and he's a big name that will bring in recruits and is also African-American, which could be a tie-breaker for some recruits. Cowher is the other name thrown out there, but I just don't know if these guys that coached in the NFL would want to coach college, and would they be any good? The leagues are pretty different animals and some coaches just have a knack for one. Pete Carroll for example is a college coach. He has that demeanor...he can connect with kids, but probably isn't stoic enough to handle grown men. How would Cowher react to some of the nonsense that goes on with college kids? I think that he could be great, but might be a little too NFL for the NCAA.

As for Ferentz, I think he is a good coach as well, but he's never been great. He has pulled in some great recuiting classes in a state where there isn't much going on, but his teams always end up with good to pretty good years. They have always had our number, and I think that this sways a lot of our opinions of him. If you were a Northwestern fan and were asked about hiring Ferentz, you might respond with a laugh and reply, "Nah, I'm all set".

Bradley is a great guy and he's been so loyal to the team, but I don't know what benefit there is in making him head coach. He basically is the head coach right now, and keeping him would essentially keep things the way they are. A coaching change is something that could really jumpstart recruiting for a couple years before it settles back down to a normal level. Bradley just wouldn't get this sort of response.

So now...my list

1. Chris Petersen - Boise State. As much as I personally hate Boise State, this guy is good at what he does. He has only lost 5 games in 5 years. He is one of the most creative offensive minds in college football and has been able to consistently coach up quarterbacks. He has a lot of ties to California, where he was born and played, and has been able to bring in great players to a middle of nowhere school. He has performed well in big games, most notably against Oklahoma in 2007, and he is the kind of big change that I think Penn State is looking for. Surprisingly his defenses have played well, but I think that keeping Larry Johnson around as DC might be a good option. I believe that Bradley will be the next head coach at Temple. Other advantages are that he is relatively young, and PSU likely wouldn't have to shell out as much money compared to a Cowher or Dungy (right now Petersen makes ~800k a year).

2. Al Golden - Miami (formerly Temple). Yes, I know...he just took a job this month at UMiami, but Penn State IS this guy's dream job. It's always nice to get someone that wants to be where they are, and Al has made it no secret that he ultimately wants to one day be the HC at PSU. The trouble here lies in the contract he just signed for the Hurricanes, and if the Outback Bowl is in fact the last game for Joe Paterno, then it will be nigh impossible to get him. On the other hand, if Joe coaches one more year, Golden can coach a year at Miami, we can get an idea of how he does with a BCS program, and he may be able to get out of his contract with a buyout in 2012.

3. Pat Fitzgerald - Northwestern. Pete, I agree with you here. This guys is tough as nails, and was an outstanding linebacker in college and would have no trouble bringing in the best LB's in the country to play for LBU. Getting him away from N'Western would be tough, especially in conference, but the facilities and support for Northwestern just don't measure up with Penn State and he may be tempted to coach a National Championship caliber team.

4. Paul Chryst - Wisconsin (OC/QB). Like Fitzgerald, Chryst is serving at his alma mater, but unlike Fitzgerald, he has left his alma mater before. Chryst was the tight ends coach at Wisconsin before leaving for Oregon State to be their offensive coordinator. He later returned to Wisconsin as their offensive coordinator. What this tells me is that he may not be afraid to leave UW for a promotion. He has continually put together a powerful offense that I find myself dreaming about at night. Enormous offensive linemen, bruising running backs, great tight ends, and smart quarterbacks. The Wisconsin offense to me is the definition of Big Ten football, and even though his style and my #1 Chris Petersen are completely different, I would be glad to take either. Great offensive minds that are well connected and could bring in talent that PSU has had trouble getting (nation-wide recruiting, and offensive linemen).

This is something that we just aren't used to, but the ride will certainly be exciting. Regardless, I think that Penn State will get a quality coach. In the meantime, let's find a new basketball coach!

Merry Christmas! Or will it be a Merry Chrystmas????

With Christmas fast approaching, and Penn State coaching rumors flying around like crazy, I figured this would be a good time to post my Penn State Coaching Wishlist to the blog.

Although it's been the hottest topic of discussion surrounding Penn State Football for probably the past 15 years, the issue of Joe's successor has not really been touched on a whole lot on this blog. Every year you get someone saying "You heard it here first, this bowl game will be Joe's last game." But every year he returns the following season. This year has been no different. In fact, within the last 45 minutes, I've heard from two different people that this is it for Joe, and that Tony Dungy is the top candidate to take over. I'm at the point now where I take any rumors I hear with a grain of salt. I don't believe anybody has any real inside information and we won't know what's going on until it actually goes on.

So by making this post, I'm not at all suggesting I think this will be Joe's last game. I'm simply acknowledging that it very well could be, and if it is, these are my personal top four candidates I would like to see considered for the job:

1. Bill Cowher - Having a big-name guy like Cowher would do wonders for recruiting and would draw a ton of national attention to the program. His physical style of coaching fits perfectly in the Big Ten. He's a Pittsburgh guy so it fits, as long as he has a desire to get into collegiate coaching.

2. Kirk Ferentz - He's on my short list of best coaches in the game right now, but what makes him so appealing is that he does it with more class than most of the other guys on that list. His coaching style is very similar to Joe's, with a focus on runninig the football and playing strong defense. Plus he's also a Pittsburgh guy, so it would be a good fit for him, if he's willing to leave Iowa.

3. Pat Fitzgerald - One of the better young, up and coming coaches in the game. He's had a lot of success so far at Northwestern, and could be much more successful with better talent. He's a Big Ten guy with a lot of respect for Joe and Penn State, so he might be interested in the job, as long as he's willing to leave his alma mater. Being a younger guy, I think he'd do well with recruiting also.

4. Tom Bradley - First of all, there is no denying he's been a great defensive coordinator for Penn State. And I like the idea of a defensive minded head coach. He's paid his dues, he's been loyal to the program, and I think he deserves a shot. I know he doesn't have head coaching experience, but I definitely think he has what it takes to be a great head coach. I think the players all like and respect him, and he would do a great job. The only thing going against him is that they may want to go outside the program to bring some much needed change, and sticking with Bradley would probably result in more of the same stuff we've been seeing.

What does your wish-list look like?

The Penn State Michigan State game always seems to be a fun one to watch. It's usually high scoring with a lot of excitement, and I expect today's game to be no different. I see both teams putting up 25+ points, and I'll take Penn State in a close one.

Also, I know there was a lot of news going around about Joe returning next year. People need to realize the context in which that came out. It was not a prepared announcement or anything along those lines. It was just a casual statement at his weekly press release. They asked him if this was going to be his last game at Beaver Stadium, and he said no because he'd be back next year. That question gets asked all the time, and he always responds by saying he has no plans on retiring any time soon. What else is he going to say? Of course he's going to say he plans on being back next year. He's not going to announce his retirement at his weekly press conference before the michigan state game. I'm not saying to completely disregard it, but the media made way too much of something I don't think they should have.

I support Joe Paterno, but it's clear his health is not what it used to be. I think it's time. But as we all know, it only matters what he thinks. That remains to be seen, but I don't think we can completely ignore the possibility that this is Joe's last game at Beaver Stadium.

The kindergarten art project that is the Land Grant Trophy is at stake for the last time on Saturday as Penn State looks to crush any hope for Michigan State to get to their first BCS bowl game. Since joining the Big Ten, Penn State has never lost to Michigan State at home, but this may be the finest MSU team since the league added its eleventh team. A balanced offense with a steady quarterback, superb receivers, and an array of talented running backs will face a banged up Penn State defense. Penn State looked pretty unimpressive for much of the game against Indiana, but showed some very bright spots. Clearly McGloin is the guy for this game and the bowl game. He has really come out of nowhere after laying an egg in the Blue White game (he really played like dog shit) and has not only made big plays with his arm, but also recognized blitzes and generally made good decisions. This is why Bolden will need another 8 or so months before he starts a football game. Take nothing away from Robert Bolden, but for someone coming out of a wing-T high school offense (i.e. Groton School) and then practicing for a couple months with PSU, it's hard to imagine that he would be able to do the most complex aspects of the job.

It was good to see Silas Redd penalized minimally for taking a leak in public. I still don't know how you get caught (dumpster behind Taco Bell, bushes outside of Schreyer's...take notes) but come on, we've all done it. Plus he's really good at football. I expect Redd to be a huge factor in this game. Royster took on a bigger role his freshman year as the season went on (even though Rodney Kinlaw was fantastic) and it looks like Redd will do the same.

MSU is a very pro-style team. Nothing too fancy, but they are very effective. Penn State is going to need to tackle well and cover well in the secondary to have a shot at this upset. With a win, Penn State will end the season at 8-4 and head to a decent bowl game likely ranked in the top 25...not too bad. This game goes a long way in determining what kind of team will be playing in the bowl game and in 2011. I long predicted that 2011 would be Penn State's National Championship contending team and I believe they can still do that.

So time out...Boise State just lost, no big deal(suckaaaaaaas!). I think Kellen Moore looks like a beaver. Also, the Miami Heat kind of aren't that good and no one goes to their games. Awesome!

Back to football...I'm tired, it's Thanksgiving...it's just tough knowing that very few students are going to be at tomorrow's game, and it's a HUGE game! A very winnable game against the 10th ranked team! Let's go! I'm going to bed! I have to wake up early and take a train into Philly to watch this guy! Boise State lost! HAHAHAHA! Anyway, Michigan State let's us open up a lead...they come back in the 4th quarter, but finally the cardiac Spartans don't make it back all the way and in typical fashion, completely ruin what could have been a great season. They'll probably lose their bowl game by 30 points too. You can beat us in basketball, but this one is ours.

Finally we saw what this team is capable of. It took a little while, and Drew Merritts almost killed a guy. Matt McGloin took the team 91 yards in 50 seconds to score a touchdown and undoubtedly save the lives of some fans that probably need to catch up on their PSFB show before opening their mouths and imparting the wisdom of a drunk pigeon. The offense has been potent, not necessarily because of the quarterback play, but the playcalling. McGloin has more poise, he makes good decisions and has made some damn good throws, but I agree with Pete...Bolden is the future. But we aren't there yet. Playaction on first down is so money every time. Silas Redd is a complete stud, and the receivers have stepped up to make some big plays. And how about Joe Suhey!? What a guy.

The team is playing with fire. They are flying to the ball. Michael Mauti makes me tingle inside, and Evan Royster is showing some pizazz. The team has gelled. It is so much fun to watch McGloin, and the kid truly loves being out there and competing. It makes you realize that a lot of these guys play the game for the right reason...to get a free education and to play a sport they love.

Now can McGloin lead PSU to victories over Michigan AND Ohio State? Why not? PSU has all kinds of momentum and they have absolutely nothing to lose. I believe that they are 18 point underdogs or something completely crazy. The thing is that Ohio State is going to play conservatively and if Penn State can contain Pryor, they should be able to keep the score low. They have some great athletes on defense and there has been a marked improvement lately (Malcolm Willis I love you). I really see this being a great game, but Ohio State's defensive line will give us some problems. The O-line has done a great job all year in pass protection, but it will be imperative to get some lanes for Royster and Redd. As long as McGloin can stay away from throwing pop-ups when he has about to get sacked or hurried, I think PSU can get some things done.

Last year this game was tough to watch. I broke my phone that day, and put a few holes in the wall of my apartment. Here's to wishing that happens to some Ohio State fan later today.

On a side note I will be attending my first Groton School football game this afternoon as they take on rival St. Mark's for the season finale. A big day of football and the Sunday night matchup is ok too. Fight on, on, on

Let me start off by saying I was never happier to be so wrong as I was after Michigan. I honestly don't know if a lousy Michigan defense or PSU finally putting the offense together had more to do with the Lions output. After watching Penn State-Northwestern I'm inclined to think the Lions have some things figured out.

The third quarter of last week's game was maybe the most dominant I've ever seen Penn State play over a Big Ten opponent. Everything seemed to be working. I've been very impressed with the execution on the screens, particularly with Joe Suhey who has great feet and hands for a fullback and is the first Suhey to earn his scholarship since the 60's. I thought the linebacker play improved and almost solely due to Michael Mauti, who is an extremely athletic and intense guy. He breaks the mold of the usually dominant yet stoic linebackers in Penn State's past.

On the offensive side I am not sold on McGloin. He went to Moye on about 12 straight plays. A lot of them in traffic. It seems the roll out to the right with Moye deep and Brackett short is his favorite play, and you best believe Ohio State is waiting on it. He's going to have to mix it up a lot more against a superior Buckeye defense. And for all those who are completely blind, Evan Royster will only be the career leading in rushing yards for about two more seasons. Silas Redd is the truth.

As for the Fighting Sweater Vests, I'm not sold on them. They've squeaked by too many times and quite frankly I'm still not sold on Prior as a viable big game quarterback. In my opinion their most credible win is Illinois. They have not beaten a team that is currently ranked in the top 25. For the first time in my life I think our opponent has a simpler and more predictable offense than our own. What does Ohio State have? Talent. And they have it by the truckload. And although the sight of Tressel makes me gag like Dee Reynolds doing stand-up, the guy is a good coach.

Can Penn State go in to Columbus and grab a win? Absolutely. I really think that no one has any idea how good either of these teams really are. I think it will be one hell of a game to watch. And the Lions under the lights in the road whites will send me from six to midnight every time.

-Bani Gbadyu still sucks

This is the most excited I’ve been for a Penn State football game all year. I really didn’t think Penn State had much of a shot against Alabama or Iowa, but it seems they have recently figured a lot of things out and are starting to come together on both offense and defense, so I think they have a shot in this one. The second half against Northwestern was by far their best half of football all year. If they can continue to play like that on both sides of the ball, they can beat Ohio State.

On paper, I think PSU does not match up very well in this game. Having a former walk-on QB making just his second career start on the road against a tough OSU defense is not an ideal situation. I’m sure Ohio State is going to bring a lot of heat to put pressure on McGloin. So far he has done very well, but he has yet to face a defense like Ohio State’s. If he can pull out a third straight victory against a strong defensive opponent, McGloin’s status will be thrust to a whole new level among Penn State fans. He has certainly provided a spark for this time in the last two games, but a lot of fans still have their doubts. A win over the Buckeyes would go a long way to silence any doubters.

For the record, I do believe that Rob Bolden will be the man at QB for Penn State in the long term. He has really impressed me so far and I think he has a very promising future ahead. But I fully support the decision to start McGloin here. He has the hot hand, and they might as well see how far he can take this team. As long as he continues to perform and put up points, there is no reason to take him out.

The offensive line has really come around lately and Penn State has ran the ball with great success the last few games. That will be much tougher against Ohio State, but the O-line must continue to open up holes for Royster and Redd in order for the offense to succeed. By the way, I’m so glad the coaching staff has FINALLY realized that Stephfon Green is not a good running back. I love the kid’s effort and attitude, and I have no problem with us trying to take advantage of his speed on screen passes, but he lacks the lateral mobility and vision to be a running back, and there is no reason for him to take another hand-off this season with the talent PSU has at the running back position. On a related note, Silas Redd is ELECTRIC. The kid is so shifty, I’ve never seen one guy make so many defenders just completely whiff! His side-step move has worked every time. They need to continue to give this kid the ball!

The most promising sign from the Northwestern game was the play of the defense in the second half. It was the first time all season that the unit looked like a typical Penn State defense. They were finally playing with some enthusiasm too. A lot of people have been wondering why Penn State’s defense has been struggling this year. I’ve thought it was the result of two things: 1. This was the first year in a long time that the Lions did not have a proven All-American stud linebacker such as Poz, Connor and Lee. It is starting to appear that Mauti is getting closer to 100% and he is starting to play at that level. As he has come along, so has the entire defense. Hopefully he continues to progress. I think he was still recovering from his knee surgery early in the season, but he’s starting to look much better now. They say ACL’s usually require two years before you are fully 100% back. Secondly, I think the defensive line has not been performing at the level Penn State fans are used to. Losing Odrick was big, and then not having Lattimore and Crawford for much of this season hasn’t helped. The team has really struggled putting pressure on the quarterback all year. But they were able to get through last week, with Devon Still in particular having a big game. I’m hoping they feed off of that performance and continue to apply some pressure on the quarterback. Otherwise it could be a long day.

Final note: I think that Gerald Hodges would be the perfect candidate to be assigned to shadow Pryor if he’s 100% healthy. Who knows if they would do that though. I see this game either being a blowout in Ohio State’s favor or a close game that Penn State pulls out. Let’s hope it’s the latter.

It was good to see JoePa finally get his 400th victory, but I feel the same way about it that Joe does...its just something to fill sportswriters' columns and ESPN highlight reels. Don't get me wrong, it is a great honor and I'm glad it is our guy doing it, but coming into the game, Joe was the only major college football coach with 399 wins so why is 400 so publicized? No retort needed on that last question but, at the end of the day, the most important game on the schedule is the next one.

I think the Michigan game was about as good as this team can play for 60 minutes. On the contrary, the Northwestern game was a microcosm of what this team is capable of...in both halves. The anemic offense and sloppy defense in the first half is an example of how ugly this team can look if they play with no inspiration and no desire. They are simply not good enough to just show up and beat the middle-of-the-pack teams. On the other hand, the second half is an example of how exciting this team can be if they put things together and play fundamental Penn State football. Again, like we often see with PSU games, credit the coaching staff for the physical and emotional halftime adjustments.

As for the last 3 games...I think you have to begin to give some credit to the coaching staff for all of the adjustments they have made with this team from week to week. It is a lot easier to draw up plays and shuffle around X's and O's when your personnel is established and quite polished (i.e. 2008, 2009). But with this team, there were a lot of personnel questions heading into the season. And to couple the fact that there is a laundry list of injuries, it makes the recent success of this team rather impressive. I can imagine a lot of late hours were spent trying to figure out which combinations will work best. I mean, we have a former walk-on playing QB, a recently converted WR starting at corner, a freshman playing strong safety, DT's playing DE, and to top it off, we have Offensive Tackles catching Touchdown passes! Credit the coaches for this transformation into a respectable football team.

Granted, Minnesota-Michigan-Northwestern are not nearly the cream of the College Football crop, but for this team to be where it's at after that horrific Illinois loss is encouraging. The season is not lost and next week at Ohio State could be interesting. Ohio State is good and we need to put it all together for 60 minutes and be nearly flawless to have a chance.

As for the QB situation...I think this is a good problem to have. I still don't believe in the 2-QB system but it's nice to know if one guy is ineffective, we might have a shot with the other. I think they need to open up the competition again this week at practice and see who has the best week. The winner starts at Ohio State but has a short leash because 3 or 4 sluggish series in Columbus could be the difference between a close game and a blowout.

Finally, you gotta love the production from Silas Redd lately. This kid really gives the running game a jolt of energy. At one point I thought that Stephfon Green was a good compliment to Royster but with this team and with this O-Line, it looks like Redd is more effective in that he creates his own holes and makes big runs out of almost nothing. Royster's record might be short lived!

Like most people, I really didn't see that win over Michigan coming. I knew their defense was weak, but with Bolden out, I figured Penn State would struggle on offense. There was no doubt the Lions would have a hard time containing the Michigan offense, and I figured it would be a blowout in Michigan's favor. Clearly I was wrong.

It will be interesting to see what happens from here. Does that win give the team some much needed confidence and turn the whole season around? Or will the Lions go back to playing like crap and prove it was just a fluke. I really have no inclination of which side to believe because I could see it going either way. But to be honest, if I had to take a guess, I'd say Penn State reverts back to the way they played before the Michigan game and continues to struggle all season.

I was really impressed with McGloin given the situation. He did everything he was asked and led Penn State to scoring drive after scoring drive on their way to a huge win. All of that after only receiving one week's worth of first-team practice reps. It was clear to anyone who watched the game that the playbook was very limited for the game. But it worked brilliantly as Michigan couldn't stop it. How many times did they run the bootleg rollout for a first down to either Bracket over the middle or Zug along the sideline? As Albright kept reminding me though, all of the points may be a bigger indication of how terribile Michigan's defense is than how good Penn State's offense is. Nevertheless, that's two straight games with 30+ points, so the offense has been performing well, and I was very impressed with the offensive line in particular, which is a great sign. The defense still has a long way to go, which is very uncharacteristic. However, Michigan's offense is very tough to defend, so it's not the end of the world.

In regards to the upcoming game, I think as long as Bolden is healthy, you have to go with him. Yes, McGloin played well last week, but Bolden is the guy, and he was playing his best football against Minnesota before he got hurt. I'm eager to see him continue to make progress. I could see this game going either way. I think it will be close and high scoring. I will say Northwestern ends up coming out on top just because I'm still not convinced Penn State is a good football team. However, if they do manage to win this one, I think it's clear they are a team on the rise that could close out the season on a high note with some big upsets.

Please excuse my absence last week, it was Minnesota. I had to work last Saturday so I missed the game. But from what I can surmise, Penn State still played pretty lousy. We had 21 hung on us by a 1 win team. That's not good. Obviously I can't comment on much else from last week so I'll just skip on to this week.

Michigan comes to town in what many are calling a must win for Rich Rodriquez. He has yet to produce a valuable win for his program and with the struggling Nittany Lions, he may be able to silence his nay-sayers temporarily. The Wolverines play football like I would imagine the Denver Nuggets would play...all offense, no defense, a few terrible passes, turnovers, sloppy play, but in the end they win most of their games. From the little that I have seen of the Maize and Blue this year, I have been impressed with the ability of Denard Robinson as a runner, but his decisions throwing the ball can occasionally be worse than the Mets' front office. The team as a whole is mistake prone, they drop passes, and this is what Penn State needs to take advantage of in order to come away with a victory Saturday night.

PSU cannot get into a shoot out. They only put up 33 points against the worst defense in the Big Ten, so the defense will probably have to hold Michigan under 28 points to have a shot. Michigan's defense is nothing to brag about, and they almost gave away a game to Div. 1-AA UMass. We saw Rob Bolden come out on fire last game, but since then he's been questionable to play due to a concussion. Rumors have it that he passed his medical exam Wednesday and could play. Whether he does, we shall see.

Despite all of Michigan's woes, they are still a very athletic team that Penn State will have a hard time stopping. The linebacker play to this point in the season has been disappointing to say that least, but the return of Gerald Hodges last game was huge. He has tremendous speed and will most likely be used as a spy on Robinson. Michael Mauti has been playing fairly well recently as well and he really looks to be another great at LinebackerU.

Offensively for Penn State, they got things rolling a bit against Minnesota which was encouraging. There was more passing on first down, more play action, and the pass protection was, again, pretty decent. The running game got going a little, but it was due more to the hard running of Royster and vision and shiftiness of Silas Redd. Moye continues to play well, and the WR's overall played well. Points will be scored on Saturday...Penn State just needs to limit mistakes, but stay aggressive.

My current prediction is a Michigan win, but part of this is due to the uncertainty surrounding Bolden's status. If he is good to go, and if he can play without any adverse effects, I say Penn State wins by a field goal. God, I hate Michigan.

Fight on

Sitting in the stands at Beaver Stadium last Saturday, watching the crowd filter out before the end of the 3rd quarter, I started questioning the last time I saw a Penn State team play this bad. The answer I came up with was a few of the games in 2004. These two teams (2004 & 2010) have very similar features. They are young, inexperienced and lacking a leader/playmaker on both sides of the ball. The only problem is, I think this 2010 team has more talent. So to see a performance like the Illinois game, AT HOME, is extremely frustrating.

The attrition on defense is certainly a problem. Clearly, the defense looked uninspired and extremely lackluster, but I think you have to look at the personnel. For most of the second half, true freshman DT DaQuann Jones was playing DE and two freshman, Malcolm Willis and Stephon Ogben-Agyapong, who really have not seen much time, were shuffling in at Strong Safety and looked lost out there. The LB corp has bent to the point of a complete break so I'm wondering...where is the other stud LB recruit Mike Hull? The problem with all the injuries is the guys who are injured need to play for this team to get better. Sitting on the sidelines for the next 2 months is a wash and we are back at square one in the spring.

I was not aware of the rumors of dissension among the coaching staff, but I think there are some areas of concern. As Pete stated, I also noticed a few players celebrating big hits/tackles after significant Illinois gains. I too cannot stand this. Its like pimping a solo Home Run in the bottom of the 9th when you are losing 7-1. I saw Khairi Fortt make a nice tackle for about a 1-2 yard gain late in the 4th quarter and then come up and make a celebratory gesture. This looks bad and indicates we have a bunch of individual players rather than a cohesive unit. I expect these kind of things from the Florida States and Miamis...not Joe Paterno's Penn State.

Furthermore, what is going on with Derrick Thomas and Sean Stanley? Why are their absences going undisclosed? I mean, Joe is quick to tell us that true freshman Paul Jones is having academic inadequacies; Brandon Ware is in the doghouse for physical, mental and academic instabilities; and we all know about the documented legal issues of the recent past that Joe did not hesitate to comment on. So, why keep it quite with these guys?

Lastly, the problems with the run game are clearly a result of an offensive line who does not like to be physical and play trench-warfare football. And, there have been a few times this year when we fail to pick up 1 yard on 3rd and 4th down. I still think running Stephon Green up the middle on 3rd-and-short is a senseless play. So, my question is, where is Curtis Dukes? I thought this guy was supposed to be a stud? And he is the biggest, strongest back we have. Why not give him some touches?

Feel free to shed some insight and provide some answers to these questions. Hopefully the bye-week patches up some of the holes because this ship is taking on some serious water and heading under fast.

The loss last weekend to Illinois was one of the worst games I've ever seen Penn State play. They played four quarters of completely uninspired football. The team just did not come to play at all. I really can't think of any bright spots from the game. All facets of the team played lousy.

The thing that annoyed me most was there were a few instances where Illinois ran for a big gain, but then a PSU defender made a vicious hit to get him down, and the guy who made the tackle celebrated his big hit. The most glaring case of this was Drew Astorino after a run of about 40 yards. If the other team gains 40 yards on you in one play, you don't get up and celebrate. I don't care how hard you hit him. Especially when they are dominating the game! This happened a few times and this indicates to me that the mindset of the players is not in the right spot. That is the crap that Penn State usually does not do, but I saw it a few times on Saturday and it really bothered me. The coaches need to get this team on track or they may not win another game this season.

I've heard a lot of bad rumors regarding dissension among the coaching staff. I won't repeat them because at this time they are nothing more than rumors. But I think it is clear that Joe does not have control of this football team, and nobody else seems to either. Something needs to be done.

Wisconsin will beat #1 Ohio State this weekend.

I honestly was at a loss for words during most of the Illinois game. I'm used to seeing Penn State offenses play terrible, which they did. But I haven't seen a defense that bad since the Iraqi Royal Army in 2003. We made Nathan Scheelhaase look like Joe Montana. Our usually solid linebacking corps was easier to get through than panties on prom night. The lone bright spot was Nick Sukay getting yanked and never seeing the field again. That kid sucks at defense. He's a good athlete with great hands, and the way Zug is dropping passes like they're going to give him cooties I think we can work this kid in.

Last year this was the game where Penn State finally got their running game going behind a huge burst from Stephfon Green. Who will it be this year? Someone. Like Pete said, Penn State finally plays a game with someone on roughly equal footing. Both are starting freshman quarterbacks, both have decent defenses and both really haven't played too well so far this season. Penn State has more talent, but they really haven't put that talent to very good use thus far whereas Illinois gave Ohio State a run for their money.

Going back to the Iowa game for a minute, I want to solely look at a few things that I was happy with. Ollie Ogbu is getting off the line very fast and disrupting the backfield. He really turned it on last game. If he keeps this up, he will probably see more double teams opening up the linebackers. This is what Odrick did, and what earned him such accolades. D'Anton Lynn has become a very solid player. I can't think of a play where he got beat in the air (unlike Morris) and he came up and made a few nice tackles. Sukay continues to get better after that horrible Alabama game. He had a nice pick and took some great angles to the running back to make a few good plays. Fortt came in to play quite a bit, which I was pleased to see. The guy is a monster. He had one play where he shed a block and made a big tackle. With all the injuries plaguing the linebacking corps, he can really make a an impact this weekend. On the other side of the ball, Justin Brown is beginning to emerge. With the drops that Zug has had, I expect Brown to overtake him. He made some great catches and he's a big target. I am just waiting for him to explode, I think he's going to be amazing. Lastly, Royster had some very tough runs. He didn't get too many carries, and there obviously wasn't much room to run against the best defensive line in the country, but I liked what I saw.

Hopefully the team can fix their mistakes and keep the good things going. The defense overall played very well after the first quarter, and this will be a big home game for these guys. Illinois doesn't have much firepower, but they are a decent team. Penn State really is the much more athletic, and I expect them to impose their will. Ohio State last weekend was more conservative than Ted Nugent, and they kept Illinois in the game. Penn State needs to go out, have fun, and play up to their potential.

Everyone keeps yapping about opening up the playbook, do this do that...but Paterno is right...it's all about execution. Their play selection hasn't been that bad (the QB keep on 4th and goal was the right call) but they just aren't doing some things correctly. I expect them to have that corrected this week and the Lions will make like a bunch of homecoming floats and roll.

Greatest Bar for the game. Who's coming?

I could see this game going either way. Illinois looked pretty good last weekend. It all depends on how the offensive line holds up. If they are able to control the line of scrimmage and generate a running game, Penn State will win. If they are unable to run the ball, it could be yet another Lion loss. This is probably the closest match-up PSU has had so far this year, and will be the best indicator of where they are at.

We all knew coming into this season that it was going to be a rebuilding year and that's exactly what I saw in Iowa City Saturday night...a team that is rebuilding and trying to find an identity. I think they will begin to figure this thing out but I dont know how long it will take. This team just needs to play some football and take some of its learning bumps and bruises as they go and I think they will be fine come 2011 and even 2012 and be the force we are all expecting.

As for the Iowa game...Iowa was and is a better team. They play solid football. Nothing flashy, nothing fancy, just good ol fashioned Big Ten football. Their defense is very good and I think their front four outshadows a secondary that is pretty good as well. I would like to see this Iowa team finally dethrone Ohio State and win the Big Ten so we can stop hearing about Ohio State's "5 straight Big Ten Titles."

That being said, I think our offense moved the ball well (301 total yards) and the play calling, for the most part, was good. Love the call on the goaline. I dont really know why they cant get into the endzone...maybe it is just a funk. Again, we put together a few solid drives and looked good offensively at times. But again, we put too much pressure on the shoulders of a young QB to constantly make big plays in a tough situation late in the game.

Regardless, I'm actually glad that Bolden and this team is getting this road experience against stout defenses in some of the toughest venues in the country. Heading into 2011 and 2012, this will only make him better and immune to it all the surrounding hype.

I dont want to use this as an excuse but the Sunday Patriot-News had this listed in the notes column. The PSU injury list...

• T Lou Eliades out (knee)
• RB Brandon Beachum out (knee)
• LB Gerald Hodges out (leg)
• TE Andrew Sczerba out (back)
• WR Curtis Drake out (leg)
• WR Christian Kuntz out (knee)
• TE Gary Gilliam left the game in 2nd quarter with an apparant ACL tear
• Not to mention...Derrick Thomas and Sean Stanley did not make the trip due to undisclosed disciplinary reasons

Imagine what this team will be capable of in the upcoming years when they get some experience and fortunate health?

Iowa has been a thorn in our sides for years, destroying dreams of national championships and knocking our basketball team out of the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately they have already lost a game so a loss here wouldn't be quite as devastating, but a Penn State win here would make this season a success. I don't remember a season when I have picked against PSU this many times, but Iowa is just a better team in so many aspects of the game. They have more experience, they don't turn the ball over, they have a terrific defense, star players that can take over a game, and we saw what they could do on special teams last year.

To keep this quick, Penn State needs to get solid play out of their offensive line. They played well last week despite giving up just their first sack of the season, but the loss of Eliades is crushing. My take on the conservative play-calling inside the red zone last week is that Penn State knew that eventually they would take over and they just wanted to get some points. Whatever. Not concerned about it. They moved the ball pretty well, but definitely need to be more consistent. This week Penn State will need all the points they can get and I expect them to open up the playbook a little more. The offensive calls against Alabama were actually pretty good so I feel confident in the coaching staff, but execution will be critical. Their redzone production has had about as much success as Drew in a dance contest against yours truly (OH!). I agree that tight ends need to be used, but Gilliam is young and I think a better option is Brackett out of his flex spot. I was excited to see Justin Brown have a big game, and I hope to see him on the field more and maybe Zug a little less. All said and done, Iowa should win this game, but Penn State certainly has the talent to win this, but they need to win the turnover battle and get pressure on Stanzi.

Got a wedding to go to tonight so I will once again be DVRing and watching later. Very excited for this one. This would be a huge win, and a great confidence booster for a young team that is still looking for an identity.

The magical time is now upon us with games that actually matter, leaving behind the jabronies that occupy the cannon fodder schools of Temple, Kent State, and Youngstown. Bring on the good stuff.

After the Bama game, I feel like these "tweener" games are mostly irrelevant and simply preparation for the Big Ten schedule. However, this team needs these games to work out some kinks and get things rolling for next weekend, and that's why I watch! Here are a few things I am looking for in tomorrows game...

• True, the offensive line has not allowed a sack thus far. I think that is mostly due to the fact that Bolden does not hold onto the ball as long as guys like Clark and Morrelli did. Still, it's a feather in their caps. I do, however, want to see better run blocking from this group. They still struggle getting to the second level at times.
• Less of Chaz Powell at WR and more of Justin Brown. I thought they move Powell to defense anyway?
• Bolden looks good so far in most areas, but I think he needs to learn how to scramble out of the pocket and buy some time for the receivers. He has quick feet and throws well on the run. This will only make him more dangerous as his throwing time will begin to decrease in the Big Ten.
• More quick slant plays to Moye-Zug-Brackett. The thing that makes this work is Bolden's quick release. Cant be stopped in man coverage.
• Was last week a coming out party for DE Pete Massarro? Look for him to be on the field more this week.

I dont think Temple is good enough to beat Penn State but its good to see them progressing and becomming more of a force at the D-1A level.

Impressive stat: Penn State is the only team in the entire country that has not allowed a sack this year.

I'm hoping this is the game Royster breaks out of whatever physical, mental, and emotional slump he's in and returns to form. Otherwise I think we have a situation on our hands. Hammering out our running game and run blocking would give me a lot of confidence heading in to Iowa for the Big Ten opener. As an aside, one of the project managers for a subcontractor on our job went to Nebraska. My hatred for Nebraska has now been refreshed.

I think Temple is coming into this game confident they have a good shot to win it. Temple is MUCH better than they have been. That's because they have always been lousy. Now they are finally decent. While I do think they have a shot to win this game, I just don't think they match up very well against Penn State.

Temple's strength is their running back. And traditionally, as long as your name is not Trent Richardson, Penn State is pretty stout at defending the run. So I think Temple will have a hard time putting points on the board.

But I do think Temple will come in with a lot of energy and a lot of confidence. If the ball bounces their way a few times, you never know what could happen. Their head coach, offensive and defensive coordinators all played for Joe. Let's face it, Joe can be very predictable, so that is something to worry about. Although this year so far, Penn State has not been its old predictable self (Starting a true frosh QB, playcalling against Alabama). So you never know.

I'm excited to see a good test for the team. We should learn a lot about them tomorrow. Penn State needs to establish a ground game in this one. I say they win, but not a blowout.

As Pete stated, the loss wasn't a huge surprise. The surprise was the terrible defensive play. Penn State was clearly outmatched in almost every area on defense. The receivers were too fast and big, the running back was too powerful, the offensive line too stout. Where is the pass rush? Everyone says that Crawford is going to be a great pro prospect, but he's got nothing. Sure he's fast and strong and big, but he isn't a football player. He doesn't have the instincts and moves that we are accustomed to out of the defensive end position. Sean Stanley has really impressed me in this area. He's got great quickness, chases plays down, tackles well....he's just a little small, but in a year or two he is going to be some kind of player. Stephon Morris and Lynn played relatively well, and I thought Lynn was the best tackler on the defense. He wouldn't be a bad solution to the safety problem (Sukay...ugh). If Derrick Thomas can progress as a corner, I think this can happen. Thomas is another physical guy that I like (had a great tackle on kickoff against YSU) and expect will get more playing time as he gets more experience (he's a RS FR).

I also agree that the playcalling was actually pretty good and that the offense executed well. They just shot themselves in the foot every time they had a chance. They really utilized their speed well by getting Devon Smith the ball in space. I hope they continue to do that since it will create openings for Bolden to throw some deep balls off of that motion. Justin Brown and Shawney Kersey need to play more. We saw Kersey's speed, and Brown looks like he could be a Bryant Johnson type of guy. For all the ripping that has been done on Royster, he has shown more power this year and actually ran over Hightower, Alabama's best linebacker. My only beef with him is that he seems very selfish and refuses to take a leadership stance. I still like what I see out of Green, not only as a running back but as a leader. Redd is a freak. We knew he was fast, but he has shown that he can be a physical runner against one of the best defenses in the country. All in all it was painful to watch (I actually pulled off the record-the-game-watch-it-later-without-knowing-what-happened thing) but we saw flashes of what this team can do, and I still believe that next year Penn State will turn the tables on an Alabama team that will be in a similar situation to where Penn State is right now.

Kent State supposedly leads the FBS in run defense thanks to a -65 yard Oscar nominated performance by Murray State. What horse-hockey. There is no motivation quite as powerful as getting humiliated on national television. I expect Penn State to come out and murder Kent State. They have a lot to prove with their run game, and they won't be able to compete in the Big Ten if they do not improve. What the hell is going on with this anyway? Why is it so hard for a team like Penn State to recruit some monster offensive linemen? Are they all just going to Wisconsin or something? Ugh. I'll never take a solid line for granted again. Khairi Fortt will probably see some legit playing time tomorrow. Let's see what the other Connecticut stud can do.

Hey buddy, I'll give you a Golden Flash

I think Drew hit most of the big issues. The tackling was by far the worst of the issues, with the red zone turnovers not far behind, and yes, Fera really struggled punting the ball. Some other thoughts:

-Offensive Line needs to do a better job. There was minimal room to run, and the first interception was completely on the OL. Blitzers went straight through to Bolden untouched, hitting him just when he was releasing the ball.

-Pass rush is non-existent. They need to pressure the quarterback but have not been able to. Crawford has done nothing this year, and the linebackers haven't done much either in terms of rushing the passer. This is the main reason PSU has yet to force a turnover this season.

- I was surprised at how upset a lot of PSU fans were after this game. Like I said before, I would have been absolutely shocked if Penn State won. It was a real longshot, but there were some positives to take away from the game for sure. I was very impressed/surprised with how well Penn State moved the ball on Alabama. I was really encouraged with the playcalling. I thought Galen Hall did a great job of mixing things up. They weren't nearly as conservative and predictable as I had expected, and they had a lot of success moving the ball. They just always turned it over in the red zone. Bolden is going to be very good.

-Silas Red has been the Lion's most impressive running back so far this season. He needs to be on the field more.

-Nick Sukay looks like he has no idea what he's doing out there. He started all last year and both games this year and has yet to do a single thing to show me why he deserves to be on the field. They have to have someone better than this kid. To tell you the truth, I can't figure out what it is that Penn State is trying to get out of the safety position for the past 10 years. Guys like Guman, Sukay, Mayer, Scirotto... These guys are not very fast or athletic. I think Hodges should have been left at safety, but they never seem to put top athletes at safety. They just throw them all at linebacker and have them sit the bench. Doesn't make sense to me.

-Now that Penn State's poor tackling was exposed, I expect them to fix that problem at practice this week, and I think they will improve in that area.

-Graham Zug has got to make that catch. Period.

-Linebackers are too tentative and need to play more aggressive. On Richardson's TD run, Colasanti had a clear shot at him. Instead of going after him and blowing him up, he sat back and let Richardson carry him into the end zone. Hopefully the coaches fix this as well.

- The loss of Hodges hurts, but at least it's at a potition that Penn State has some depth... even though you couldn't really tell that on Saturday.

I thought a few days would calm me down about the game but after re-hashing the game with Travis "T-Bone" Merritts, my anger is renewed. I can't be mad at the boys, most of them anyways. They played hard and despite what the scoreboard showed, really hung with a high-caliber team. So here, in no particular order are things that pissed me off about the game.

1) The Punter. Who is this kid? He has no business playing for Penn State. He gave Alabama great field position several times when the game was still possibly in reach for PSU.

2) The tackling was horrendous. Some of this I will accredit to PSU because tackles were missed on several players. Not just Trent Richardson, who is a freakin beast and would break the attempted tackles of Ray Nitcshke.

3) Turnovers in the red zone. Nuff said.

4) The field goal call in the fourth quarter. Excuse my language but what kind of vagina bullshit call is that? A shutout still counts the same in the loss column as a loss where you scored 3. And that's not me saying this now, four days later. A time stamped text message can prove I instantly hated this decision. Further proving my point, why kick the field goal then try the onside kick? Terrible.

5) The SEC will remain the conference of choice even though they are soft this year and the Big Ten, having some its strongest teams in years, will not garner respect because in the only regular season marquee match up, Penn State gets whipped by Alabama. No one can challenge Alabama in the SEC this year since it looks like the normal powerhouses of Florida, Georgia, and LSU are soft. They will most likely stay number 1 all year and a one loss team out of the Big Ten will get shafted again.

One thing I am not mad about, the hustle on the fumble play by Derek Moye, Brett Bracket, and Robert Bolden. Not sure how I feel about the ref's call but if they punch that in the game is out of our hands a lot earlier.

Penn State had so many question marks heading into this season, and unfortunately after playing Youngstown State, it's hard to have a lot of those questions answered. This week will prove different. Alabama is a solid team all around with no glaring weaknesses, and unlike Hannibal, Saban and the Tide aren't overlooking anything. Their offense is loaded with talent at WR and RB, they have a physical line that has three new starters, and a quarterback that doesn't turn the ball over. Their defense has talent, but there are a lot of new starters and they are without their best player in Marcell Dareus. Can Penn State's offensive line give Bolden time to throw and create holes for the Penn State backs?

Penn State has some firepower of their own on offense. Bolden didn't look like a freshman. He checked down, made accurate throws, didn't get happy feet, and really didn't make any bad decisions. If he is given some protection, I think he can succeed tonight. The offensive line is the huge question. They looked terrible in run blocking last week, but didn't give up a sack and really didn't even have any penetration on passing downs. For Penn State to have a chance they need a running game. The backs looked good against Youngstown and rumors have it that we will see two tailbacks in the same backfield tonight. Kevin Newsome will get in the game as well, possibly in the game at the same time as Bolden. Go for it. Penn State can do a lot of offense, and if the line can play well they have a great shot to win this game.

Penn State's defense is the best 'Bama will play all year and not a lot of people know that. The linebackers are fast, physical, and not in short supply. The secondary is better than we have seen in years. Great speed, excellent tacklers, and some swagger. The only question will be the pass rush which was non-existent last weekend, but look to see more blitzes with guys like Hodges and Stupar to make McElroy throw the ball early.

I have to go with Alabama in this game, but if the offensive line shows up, Penn State could shock the world. If I see another clip of the 1979 Sugar Bowl I'm going to murder someone.

Let's go

Gentlemen let me go Beano Cooke on you for a minute: A long time ago, as the Roman empire was starting to slide, a great Carthaginian general by the name of Hannibal got a little uppity and figured he could unseat the great nation of Rome. A superior tactician of warfare, he used all the resources of his homeland of Africa to defeat the Romans on their home turf. Knowing he didn't have the naval power to sail directly to Italy, he sailed north to modern day France, and led a long march through the winter months over the treacherous alps with his most prized instrument of warfare, elephants. From there, his stampeding calvary made short work of all the Northern Armies of Rome. Many people don't know this but Hannibal occupied much of Italy for several years. All the while avoiding major conflict with his tactical equal, Scipio. Scipio knew he could not defeat Hannibal's elephants, so mostly he ran and hid. These elephants were unstoppable. They crushed the mighty Romans to dust. Until one day, Scipio realized how foolish he had been to stand in front of them, because the elephants only ran straight ahead. With the simple notion of giving the mighty pachyderms an alley to run through, he had neutralized Hannibal's greatest threat. Victory for the Romans soon followed. The moral of the story, sometimes one simple adjustment can topple elephants.

The task is large for our boys in blue. There is no doubt this Alabama team has far more experience, superior firepower, maybe the smartest, albeit sleaziest, coach in college football, and a raucous home crowd behind them. But the South lost the war for a reason. If you've ever sat down with me for more than ten seconds you know my hatred for the SEC. Their new found sponsored home at ESPN does little to calm this hatred. Its the same story from the media every time Penn State takes on an SEC foe: "The SEC has too much speed, too much talent, and Penn State is playing dinosaur football." The story ends with the opposing coach and players regretting underestimating the speed and physicality from the team with plain uniforms and black cleats. So to quote the great Lou Holtz: "[Pete], You couldn't pick this game right if you predicted it on Sunday." Penn State wins and shocks the world.

I can’t remember the last time I’ve gone into a game thinking Penn State’s chances are as slim as they are tomorrow night against Alabama. Even during the 3-9 seasons, they went into every game with a decent shot. But I don’t see them pulling this one out.
It’s not because Alabama is all that great. Nor is it because Penn State is all that bad. It’s just that Penn State is too inexperienced. As I said in a previous post, I think this would be a much better game if it were played at the end of the season when Penn State’s offensive line, linebackers and quarterback had some games under their belts. Unfortunately, it’s being played during Week 2, and I just don’t think the Lions have much of a shot. I don’t necessarily think it will be a blowout, but I would be absolutely shocked if Penn State won the game.
It’s become clear to me that the team put a lot of time and focus on improving their special teams during the preseason. It showed in game one. I like their logic behind this approach…. The coaches knew they would have an inexperienced QB this season, regardless of who won the battle. As a result, they want to try to avoid being in a position where they have to ask their quarterback to do a whole lot. They don’t want to ask too much of him. So they are hoping the defense can keep opponents down, and they can maybe sneak in a score on defense or special teams. That way there is not as much pressure on the offense to put up points.
I think that Penn State’s only shot this weekend is if they do indeed get a non-offensive touchdown at some point in the game. If they can hold Alabama to field goals instead of touchdowns, and throw in a special teams or defensive score, they might be able to pull it out. But I really don’t see Bolden leading the offense on long sustained drives down the field. I absolutely agree with Jason, they NEED TO USE THEIR WEAPONS. Throw in some trick plays. Utilize speedsters like Silas Redd and Devon Smith. Run a double reverse or something like that. It’s their best chance to score offensively. If the offensive line couldn’t run block against Youngstown State, they won’t be able to against Alabama.
I don’t expect the coaches to allow Bolden to do a whole lot. In just his second game, on the road, in a hostile environment, I think they will try to keep things pretty simple and limited for him. I’m sure they are telling him his main job is to not turn the ball over. Unfortunately, I think he will need to do more than not turn the ball over in order for Penn State to win. But I could be wrong, I didn’t think the coaching staff would start a true freshman in the first place, and they did. So maybe they will let the kid air it out. Why not? They’ve got nothing to lose.

You cant take much from the Youngstown State game other than it was good to see the blue and white back on the field again. However, there are a few things I’m burning on from week 1…

• Devon Smith as the slot receiver? I know the dude can fly but he is a small target and he weights as much as my golf bag. Let’s use our height advantage at WR.
• Gerald Hodges needs to be on the field more. When in the game, #6 was all over the ball.
• Only one touch for Curtis Dukes?
• Robert Bolden is legit! Yes, it was only one game and, yes, it was Youngstown State. But you gotta give it to the kid…he doesn’t play like an 18-year-old rook. He has poise in the pocket, throws a strong ball with some touch when needed (8-9 on 3rd down), and it looks like he sees the field well (checked off and hit Brackett for a TD pass?). I’m not anointing him with a golden crown just yet, but you have to admit, it’s exciting to finally see a QB who might eventually bring some hardware to State College.

As for the elephant in the room…I think this game will be better than many people are expecting and critics/analysts are anticipating. As the weekend approaches, I am optimistic but skeptical. Here are my keys to the game for PSU to have a chance heading into the 4th quarter…

• Win the giveaway/takeaway battle. A PSU INT that could shorten the field for the offense and set up a TD could be big, especially in the 2nd half. On the contrary, the offense, and Bolden, MUST protect the ball.
• The running game must eclipse 100-yds collectively. WE NEED TO USE OUR WEAPONS. Newsome in the backfield? End-around to Devon Smith? Bolden with some QB-reads? Curtis Dukes slamming it down the middle? If we can’t run, we put too much pressure on a young QB to make plays. This might be the toughest task for the offense but you know the coaches have a few tricks in the bag for this one. Remember, Alabama lost something like 8 starters on defense and will be without its top D-Lineman. I don’t know why that hasn’t been discussed more extensively.
• Limit big plays. There is a part of me that thinks McElroy and Julio Jones could have a field day with the zone coverage much like Mark Sanchez did in the 2009 Rose Bowl. If we shut down this connection, the game will be manageable. Will D’Anton Lynn shadow Jones? Will we use the nickle more?

Cant wait to get some answers to these questions. I'll leave with this...the biggest improvements a team will make are between week 1 and week 2. Lets hope this holds true Saturday night.

Thank God its time for football again. Blame it on advances in technology and this new generation needing more and more stimulus if you like, but I cannot survive on baseball alone. I am so effing bored. Football time gentlemen, football time.

The fears for this season have been well stated and fairly obvious. I especially enjoyed Jason's quote regarding our quarterback situation. The second I hear the words "two quarterback system" come out of any coaches mouth I am completely packing it in for the season. This has never worked beyond a few gimmick plays for any team ever. Save for maybe Florida in which they used Tebow as the equivalent of William The Refrigerator Perry. And people can talk all they like about how with our running game we won't need our QB to do all that much but I think we know without the threat of the pass nothing works. The offense becomes very predictable and even the defense plays very tentative because they know their offense can't put points back on the board should they get burned.

I'll say again what I've always said, success for Penn State starts at the offensive line. We could have the most talented backfield in the country but without solid blocking we have nothing. Although this isn't one of the worst lines we've had in recent years, it isn't the best either. Overall I think we have the ingredients for a very ineffective offense.

The defense is an entirely different story. Obviously we lost a few guys but I am really excited to see Jack Crawford break out and I have extreme confidence in our safeties and corners. But again, Bradley has been known to pull the reigns and employ a "bend don't break" style defense when our offense is weak.

As far as predictions, I feel like you can count on losses to Bama, OSU, and Iowa. And Penn State teams like this in the past end up getting snakebit by a team they shouldn't lose to. Looking at our schedule I struggle to find it but I know its in there. And although my outlook on the season is pretty dismal, its still way better than watching the damn Pirates.

My outlook for this season is very similar to Rudy’s. I think we can all agree it’s going to be a rebuilding year, and another top 10 finish is extremely unlikely. But, just like Rudy, it is for that very reason that I’m particularly excited for and intrigued by this year’s team. It’s been a while since the Lions have had so many question marks and so many new players seeing action for the first time. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how these guys perform.

I agree with you guys that at this time, 2011 looks like it could be a good year for Penn State. But I’m always hesitant to look ahead like that with any certainty. You never really know what could happen from now until then, and the picture isn’t really that clear. There is no question that someone needs to step up at quarterback in order for the team to succeed.

Speaking of which, there has been a lot of buzz about Bolden so far this pre-season. Before we get too crazy, let’s keep a few things in mind: First, it’s extremely unlikely that he is the starting quarterback against Youngstown State on opening day. I’ve heard a lot of rumors that he will be, but I won’t believe that until I actually see it. Jason, you mentioned Zach Mills as being a freshman starter… but he was a redshirt freshman, not a true freshman, and there is a HUGE difference. Having a full year under your belt can make a world of difference, just learning the playbook and the speed of the game, not to mention adjusting to college life. Keep in mind, Bolden just graduated from high school. He didn’t enroll early last spring like many recruits do these days, although he did arrive in State College right after high school let out, so he has been around all summer. Lets also not forget that it took an injury to Matt Sennecca (who sucked) for Mills to even be entered into the starting line-up. So I personally do buy into the “Joe won’t start a freshman QB” belief, because it’s true. And while Joe has taken a lot of heat, and rightfully so, for benching younger more talented players (LaVar Arrington) in favor of older less talented veterans that have put their time in, I am with him when it comes to QB’s. I don’t think you can really expect much out of a true freshman quarterback, and I would be very hesitant to put a guy in there too soon. In my opinion, Bolden will be the starter by the end of this season. But I’ll be shocked if he’s the guy from day one. If he is, that is the indicator that Joe is either not making any decisions for the team any more, or he’s just completely out of it.

Second thing to keep in mind is even if Bolden is a legitimate star, he’s certainly going to have some ups and downs as a freshman. NOBODY is a stud from day one. Not Peyton Manning, not Drew Brees, nobody. So if he is named the starter, be excited that they have found a young talent for the next few years, just don’t expect him to be the savior right away.

I think this is a very talented yet inexperienced team, so they will struggle early. By the end of the year, I think they will be very competitive. I think it’s a shame the game against Alabama is the second week of the season, because the Lions simply will not be ready for the Crimson Tide, and I don’t expect a close game. Whoever the quarterback is, he will not be prepared to play at night in Tuscaloosa against the #1 team and defending national champions in just his second career start. The offensive line and defense, while talented, will only have played one game together as a unit at that point, and that is not sufficient time to gel. It could be ugly.

I think it will be a very fun season to follow Penn State football. I think the team will show a lot of promise for the future, but in terms of record, I see them losing at least four games this year, probably more. For the first time in a while, the Big Ten is actually looking pretty good this year, with OSU, Iowa and Wisconsin all potential top 10 teams.

It's good to be back...

This year's team isn't being given a chance. Some years you just aren't going to be as good, and expectations are lower....nothing is wrong with that.

For the first time ever, a team is playing against three BCS bowl winners from the previous season....that's Penn State...and all three of those games are on the road.

The Lions lost all three starting linebackers, all of whom were drafted and are playing in the NFL preseason.

The team lost the Big Ten offensive and defensive player of the year.

Some may look at this situation with disgust, knowing that this team has no shot at a National Championship, but sometimes these are the seasons I look forward to the most. Knocking off any one of Alabama, Iowa, or Ohio State would make the season memorable. Evan Royster will likely become the all-time leading rusher in Penn State history. JoePa will reach 400 victories. True freshmen will turn heads and gain valuable game experience heading into the majestic 2011 season. That's when we make our run. 2011. All the pieces are in place....and there has been a trend.

Every three years, Penn State makes a push. 1999 - They started 9-0 and were ranked 2nd in the nation before....well...you know. 2002 - They reemerge as a power after annihilating #7 Nebraska behind Larry Johnson and Zack Mills and finish the regular season in the top 10. 2005 - They once again reemberge from the worst stretch of JoePa's career and finish the season ranked #3. 2008 - After 2 so-so seasons of Anthony Morelli, the Lions fall one game short of a National Championship birth and reach the Rose Bowl. 2011 - Oh mama.

But it's 2010...and I'm still excited. We will witness Robert Bolden get his foot in the door, Silas Redd run by a defense, Curtis Dukes flatten a few dudes, Michael Mauti emerge as the next great LB along with Gerald Hodges, Jack Crawford absolutely dominate, and the secondary in man coverage. The team has more talent than last year...they just aren't as good......yet. Each position has so much potential, it just isn't fully matured. This team will be a force at the end of the season. Beating 'Bama will be incredibly difficult, but Ohio State will be a very tight game. They will continue to evolve all the way into 2011 when they will make their run. And it will be glorious.

Toward the end of the 2009 season I prophesized that the 2010 PSU season would be a rebuilding phase with 2011 being the year PSU makes some noise. My thoughts on that have not really changed, but…I think this year's team could very easily surprise some people if all cylinders begin to click before they head to Iowa. Despite what you will hear from the College Football “experts”, I think the schedule is favorable for a 9-3 season because, when you break it down, the big 3 away dates (Alabama-Iowa-Ohio State) are really the only questionable games. The other 9 should be manageable.

The problem with this team is that nobody, including the coaching staff, really knows what they have at several positions. We know there is loads of young talent on this team, but the question is; who will emerge as the next big time player(s)? For me, these are the biggest question marks as the season approaches:

• Quarterback(s) – I believe in the idea that “if you have 2 Quarterbacks, you don’t have 1.” I think we need to find one guy who will be under center for the next 3-4 years and let him develop (ala Terelle Pryor). Remember, in terms of experience, we really have 4 Frosh QBs. Don’t buy into the “Joe wont start a Frosh QB” idea and if you do, re-read my previous statement (somewhere Zack Mills is laughing!) It seems to be evident that Jones will redshirt; I don’t think Newsome is the guy that can lead a drive down the field late in a game; and McGloin, well…he's probably the leader of study table! Reports out of camp are that Robert Bolden is legit and has the tools to be the guy. Frankly, at this point, I dont have a clue to who should be the starter. Should be interesting to see who is the first one off the bus for the YSU game.
• Linebackers – This might be the biggest question mark…who will be the starting LBs? No question there is talent in this group, but mostly young and inexperienced. My guess is that 5 or 6 guys will shuffle in and out before the coaches settle on a starting unit as conference play begins. At some point this season, the next stud(s) at LBU will emerge…just not sure who it will be!
• Offensive Line- We do return several guys with experience but it seems that the coaches have shuffled them around to different spots. With a young QB, this group needs to find its identity soon or opposing Big Ten defenses will be owning real estate in our backfield.
• Tight Ends - I think the TE position was one aspect of the offense that went underappreciated last year and could potentially be the achilles heel this year. The combination of Shuler and Quarless were one of the few constants last season and quite often bailed Clark out of trouble. The departure of AQ10 and MS82 doesn’t bode well for an offensive line and QB that are considered green. The question now becomes is there anybody out there that has the skills/talent to fill either set of shoes?
• I SPY (Preseason Edition): WR Justin Brown - with the loss of Curtis Drake, the offense will be looking for another one of those “slash” guys to throw into the third receiver spot. Keep an eye out for Justin Brown as the slot receiver who may run some seam routes and create openings across the middle much like Quarless did last season. He is a big frame that seems to run well and could be a good complement to Moye and Zug as well as a rookie QB. I think he has a high upside and is set for a break-out season.

Big Ten expansion, quarterback competitions, and Terrelle Pryor's second consecutive selection as the Big Ten preseason player of the year can only mean one thing. Football season is near, and there is plenty to discuss and even more to hate on. I must admit my performance and posts were consistent early last year to start the season, but a faulty laptop held me hostage from posting from my man-chair, hence the fewer posts in the latter part of the season. Fortunately for us, and the PSFS blog followers, I'm back with fresh legs for 2010 with a recent purchase of a snazzy ultra-portable laptop.

A couple thoughts to kick things off, hopefully this gets the ball rolling for '10....

• Big Ten Expansion - safe to say its been a long time comin', however, I get the feeling the damage has not fully been done. I still believe a fourteen team conference is likely, regardless of the fact that Indy has been chosen for the 2011 championship game. I'm thinking along the lines of Pitt and Rutgers.
  
• Bye-Bye-Bye - thankfully Penn State will be getting a bye week this year, which pushes the season later into November and ending it only about 13 weeks prior to the remaining five BCS conferences (See "The 2,032,746 reasons why BigTen expansion was necessary").
  
• Quarterback Competition - its looking as if we're going to play the QB guessing game for another 1 to 2 years, let's just hope we don't leave the wrong guy in too long (See "Anthony Morrelli's Career").
• Big House Expansion - Michigan Stadium is once again the official "big house" with their recent stadium expansion. How many more 1-conference-win seasons can D-Rod afford until the unnecessary red sweatband gets the axe?
• Roll-Tide - September 11 has been circled/highlighted/saved to your MS Outlook work calendar for months now. This game intrigues me and I honestly haven't the slightest prediction. My biases lead me to believe it will be a good game, but it's hard to imagine this offense will produce with a new QB in a hostile environment against the reigning champ (See "2008 Penn State offense @ Ohio State"). Can the new trio of LB's contain Ingram? Again, letting my biases getting to me here, but I think putting points on the board will be a bigger issue than keeping them off the board.
  
• Supply & Demand - Much hoopla has been created over the recent ticket hikes effective for the 2011 season. Gonna stick with my guns on this one. If the people don't like it, don't buy 'em. Fact of the matter is tickets have been under-priced for years, and it only took them until now to make the adjustment (See "Any NFL Team's Season Ticket Prices"). Either sack up and drop the cash, or sit down and release the footrest on your recliner.
• Players to Watch - I'm looking forward to see how DM6 responds to an outstanding 2009 campaign. Will the 6'5 WR continue to deliver with an inexperienced QB at the helm? Keeping the deep-threat in the back of opponents' minds will be key to getting ER22 some running room behind a relatively fresh looking o-line.