The Penn State Football Show

• 1.      High character:  I’m not basing this off of anything I’ve read or heard him say in his press conference.  I’m basing this off of personal conversations I’ve had with college athletic administrators that have all told me that Franklin is very highly regarded throughout the industry and is considered to have very high character.  Perhaps the most telling is the way he handled his exit from Vanderbilt.  Conducting a team meeting so he could address his players in person like a man.  He didn’t run off and inform them via twitter from a private jet like Todd Graham did to Pitt.  I think that speaks volumes about the kind of person he is. 
• 2.       High energy:  Bill “Worm” Lippert is most grateful to Bill O’Brien not for his success on the field, or guiding the program through it’s darkest times, but for finally bringing some exciting football to State College.  Whether they won or lost, Penn State was a lot more fun to watch these past two years than they had been previously.  I can’t speak to the style of offense and defense Franklin will use, so I have no idea whether or not the football on the field will continue to be exciting and fun to watch.  But anyone that watched yesterday’s press conference can tell that Franklin himself, will be very entertaining for fans.  And that’s a good start.
• 3.       Recruiting:  Believe me, opposing coaches (especially at Pitt and Maryland, but far beyond that as well) are scared to death of what Franklin is going to do in recruiting at Penn State.  Just look at what he was able to do at Vanderbilt.  Listening to him speak, it’s easy to see why he is such a good recruiter.  He’s very positive, full of energy, and perhaps most importantly, fully of confidence.  Then, when you consider his PA ties, combined with his recruiting base that he established in SEC country, and you have the perfect storm.  I truly believe, as he put it, Penn State is going to DOMINATE in recruiting.  I love that he threw down the gauntlet and straight up challenged Pitt.  They don’t stand a chance, as they shouldn’t. 

There are a lot of Penn State fans that are angry with Bill O’Brien for bolting for the NFL after two years in State College. I am not one of them. I don’t blame Bill O’Brien for leaving Penn State. I really think O’Brien would have stayed if the working environment was a better one. Having an interim athletic director and President is not a very stable situation for a head football coach. I have spoken with multiple people that work in the Penn State athletic department that have complained of a lack of leadership in the department. Combine that with the fact that a large portion of Penn State donors and fans haven’t been able to get over the Sandusky scandal and are more determined to defend Paterno than to support O’Brien, and you have a very difficult position for a head coach to be in.

I think this quote from Mike Mauti is the most telling: "Let's lay it out there: he's the reason we did all this. They hire anyone else, this season doesn't happen- and who knows where the program is? He's it. If O-B leaves in the next three, four, five years, it's their fault, not his fault. It's not because of him. It would never be. It's because they didn't do their jobs and do what's right."

I will be rooting for O’Brien to succeed in Houston, and I’m interested to see if he does. I think he is a good coach, but I also didn’t see anything in the last two seasons to indicate that he’s ready for a head coaching position in the NFL. He was clearly a coach that is still learning. The team still seemed unorganized this season and struggled with clock management issues. Yes he did a good job at Penn State given the circumstances, but let’s not get carried away. In his two seasons, the team went 8-4 and 7-5. Good, but not great. There is a misconception out there that these records were attained with a lack of talented scholarship athletes due to the sanctions, but that is simply not true. Only a few starters ended up transferring after the sanctions were handed down. The 8-4 team was nearly a full roster of scholarship athletes recruited by Paterno. I think he has a bright future but I expect some struggles in his first year or two as he continues to learn.

So where does Penn State go from here? They are in a really tough spot given the fact that the coaching hire will need to be made by the interim AD and President, meaning whoever takes the job won’t even know who they will be working for in six months. That could scare some candidates away. It’s also unfortunate for whoever is named the new AD, since he/she will be stuck with a brand new football coach that he/she didn’t hire. A lot of the same names we heard two years ago are resurfacing: Schiano, Munchak, Franklin, Golden. But O’Brien emerged out of nowhere two years ago, so I expect some new names to come up soon, unless they act fast to hire Franklin or Schiano in the very near future. Here are my thoughts on these names: 

Schiano: I honestly don’t know a whole lot about Schiano. Most of the people I’ve heard from are strongly against hiring Schiano. He did an admirable job at Rutgers, and a lot of people thought he would be Paterno’s successor after they had that one big year in 06. But after that it was a bunch of 8-5, 9-4 seasons. To me, he’s just kind of a blah hire. It would be somewhat of a safe hire since I don’t see him going back to the NFL any time soon, and I don’t see him leaving Penn State for another college job. So he would probably be around for a while. But I have a feeling it would be many years of what Penn State fans would consider to be mediocrity.

Golden: Good coach that would be a good hire but I don’t think he would leave Miami right now. Why leave a school finally recovering from sanctions for a school still in the midst of the some of the strictest sanctions ever handed down.

Munchak: I like Munchak and wanted him to get the job two years ago, but not so much any more. He’s been in the NFL his entire coaching career, and even worse, it’s been with the same franchise the whole time. Which means his connections are limited, which would make things a little more difficult when putting together a coaching staff. Plus he doesn’t have any experience recruiting. I like Munchak but don’t think it’s a good fit for Penn State right now. Plus it looks like the Titans are keeping him. I doubt he would leave a franchise he’s been so loyal to for so many years after they showed faith in him by giving him another year when he could have been fired.

Franklin: Franklin has done a great job at Vandy and is highly thought of by many. It seems inevitable that he will leave for a bigger program, and given his ties to PA, Penn State makes sense. Texas is interested as well, and that would probably be a more enticing opportunity for him, unless he truly wants to get back to PA. I would be happy with this hire. But keep in mind, he and O’Brien coached at Maryland together, so I’d imagine they have a relationship. Franklin would obviously reach out to O’Brien before accepting the job. What would OB tell him about the environment at Penn State? Given what just transpired, I can’t see him recommending to Franklin that he take the job.

Roman: I’m a Niners fan and I think Roman has done a great job as the OC in San Francisco. But I don’t like him as the next head coach at Penn State. He too would be a likely candidate to bolt for an NFL job. Plus he seems like more of a great offensive mind/x’s and o’s guy than a college head coach to me.

I’m sure other names will emerge just as O'Brien's did two years ago. The timing is really tough here given the lack of stability in the Penn State administration. I understand that for recruiting purposes, it is important that a new coach is named relatively soon. However, they should not rush with this decision, as this next hire will hopefully remain the head coach at Penn State for many years. If they identify a top candidate or two, and fail to get either one, would it be beneficial to name Larry Johnson Sr. as the interim coach for a year? Then let the new AD and President handle the search for the next head coach after next season? I would prefer that over reaching for someone just to fill the position. He is well liked by the players and he is their best recruiter, so you might not see as much attrition as some might fear. I also think it would be ideal for the incoming AD to be able to hire the football coach.

Alright that’s my blog post for 2014. Happy New Year to all!

The Syracuse game was a little closer than I had expected, but it was not a result of the on-field talent, but caused by mental mistakes and turnovers by Penn State. Allen Robinson's fumble, Fergy's fumble, and some costly interceptions game Syracuse some great field position and a short field to work with against a defense that lost one of its top players early in the game. All in all, the defense played very well. There were some missed tackles by the defensive backs and a few long pass plays, but the rush defense was great overall and I really liked what I saw from Trevor Williams and Jordan Lucas at corner. These two played the most physical corner defense I have seen from PSU in a while, and these guys like to hit. The entire defense is full of head hunters, and they play very physically. This is why guys like Obeng-Agyapong are able to move up to LB from safety and make an impact. That was great to see, but it really outlined the depth issues at linebacker. Mike Hull was a huge loss during the game, but it appears that he will be good to go this week (though I do not expect him to get into the game unless something goes very wrong).

Although the Penn State running game did not produce much against the Orange, I really liked what I saw from Zwinak. I will admit, I was frustrated with him watching the game live, but after watching the replay on TV, he ran with a lot of power and got a lot of extra yards after contact. The Orange defense is stout and physical in their own right, and I feel like they are very underrated as a team. Expect them to make some noise this week against Northwestern....seriously...look at my upset special....and keep in mind, I picked Washington over Boise last week. I've got the magic touch.

In summary, the score and the turnovers tell a story that hides how well some of the Penn State players played last week. This team is going to be good as they get into the season. Hackenberg is the real deal, and he made some great throws last week, went through progressions, and improvised a few times. He also has a cannon. On one play that was supposed to be a screen to the left, he recognized that it wasn't there, rolled to his right, and while moving away from the line of scrimmage, threw a laser to Moseby-Felder on the right sideline. It was beautiful. He's going to start making better reads, his second interception was on a zone blitz, and the first one was just a bad decision throwing a corner against cover-2 off of play-action where the safety didn't bite on the run. I'm not concerned, and I expect him to get some serious confidence this week against a sub-par Eastern Michigan team. Allen Robinson should actually play in the first half (man-beast), and if EMU does what 'Cuse did, and force PSU to throw the ball by putting 8 and 9 guys in the box, it's going to be a air-attack field day.

Penn State rolls, 38-10

It's that time of year again. It's better than Christmas and Thanksgiving multiplied by the 4th of July. Penn State football is back. Every year bring new stories, new players, and new excitement. Players graduate and move on to careers in and out of football, and the remaining players have to be the next man up.

The most marked losses from last year lie at quarterback and linebacker where experience and depth are exceptionally thin. Matt McGloin is chasing the impossible with the Oakland Raiders, while two young guns battle out the starting QB role without a single NCAA snap between them. At linebacker the loss of Michael Mauti and Gerald Hodges (both now Minnesota Vikings) leaves a lone returning starter in Glenn Carson.

Many around the nation wait in suspense to get a glimpse of Christian Hackenberg, the highly touted true freshman quarterback. He has all the tools to be a great quarterback, but regardless of how good he was in high school, facing a tough defense like that of Syracuse is going to be a challenge for him. He and Ferguson, who has impressed me thus far (though I think he will be relegated to the backup role even in Week 1), have the great fortune of being coached by one of the best and also having arguably the best skill position players in the Big Ten. With so many weapons on offense, it will be an easier transition for Hack or Ferg into big time college football than most true freshman would have to endure, and they are setup in a position to succeed.

Linebacker worries me the most of any position, and it's not because of the starters. Carson is an underrated player, but will get some accolades this year as he is no longer overshadowed by Mauti and Hodges (both finalists for the Butkus award last year). Hull is another great player that is going to have a breakout season. I expect 100+ tackles, 5 interceptions and at least one defensive touchdown. He is a dynamic player with tremendous work ethic, and he is going to be unleashed this season. The other outside backer will be Nyeem Wartman, a true sophomore who is an absolute load. He looks like he should fit in fine, but after these three, there is little depth. Kline is coming off of some injuries, though he is very capable, Wooten doesn't seem ready for the big stage yet after a pretty lousy performance in the Blue White game, and Bell, a true freshman will likely be getting most of his reps on special teams. O'Brien will likely move Amos or Obeng-Agyapong down from safety to be a hybrid linebacker in certain situations to help out with the lack of depth.

The defense as a whole could be very dynamic this year, but lack depth at almost every position besides defensive back (who would have thought we'd be saying this a year ago?). I honestly believe that the secondary may be the backbone of the defense. The pass rush will be solid, and if the unit can stay healthy, they should be one of the Big Ten's top defenses. Oh, yea....Deion Barnes...watch yourselves...he's coming.

Offensively there really isn't much to say. If the QB can limit mistakes, they are going to be explosive. That's kind of a weird statement, but it's true. The offensive line is the best it's been since 2008, the running backs are fantastic with power (Zwinak) and speed (Belton) and the combination (Lynch), and we all know what the receivers and tight ends are capable of.

If this team stays healthy, I swear to God, they could go undefeated. Why not? Where's the weakness? The schedule is set up nicely with the first six contests being very favorable, and by then hopefully whoever is playing quarterback has developed a rhythm to carry into the Ohio States and Michigans. I'm always pathetically optimistic, but these guys are going to be good. I'm going to predict a 10-2 record, and they're going to start that off with a 31-13 victory over a Syracuse team that thinks they have a chance. HA

For the past fourteen months I have refrained from commenting publicly about the Jerry Sandusky scandal and the related actions by the Board of Trustees, Louis Freeh, the President of Penn State and the NCAA. There have been many times, of course, when I wanted to speak out, but I needed time to deal with the loss of Joe and I believed also that this was a situation that demanded careful, thoughtful, objective analysis. The last thing Joe would have wanted is for me to become just one more voice making claims and assertions that were unsupported by the facts.  

The crimes committed by Jerry Sandusky are heartbreaking. As a mother of 5 and grandmother of 17, it is incomprehensible to me that anyone could intentionally harm a child. I think of the victims daily and I pray that God will heal their wounds and comfort their souls.

As this story unfolded, Joe and I believed strongly that the first priority must be to uncover the full truth. Despite the Board of Trustees' rash and irresponsible decision to fire Joe without ever speaking with him, we remained hopeful that the investigation they initiated with Mr. Freeh, along with simultaneous investigations by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, The Second Mile and other entities, would produce a clear and comprehensive record of what transpired. We also hoped that these investigations would result in an actionable set of lessons that other institutions could use to help prevent similar tragedies from unfolding. Sadly, neither outcome has developed.

When the Freeh report was released last July, I was as shocked as anyone by the findings and by Mr. Freeh's extraordinary attack on Joe's character and integrity. I did not recognize the man Mr. Freeh described. I am here to tell you as definitively and forcefully as I know how that Mr. Freeh could not have been more wrong in his assessment of Joe. I knew Joe Paterno as well as one human being can know another. Joe was exactly the moral, disciplined and demanding man you knew him to be. Over the years I watched as he struggled with countless personal and professional challenges. Never - not once - did I see him compromise his principles or twist the truth to avoid bad publicity or protect his reputation. Joe was tough, sometimes difficult, always opinionated and extremely demanding. He was also scrupulously honest, rigidly moral and absolutely unafraid of the consequences of doing the right thing.  

After the Freeh report was released I knew immediately that the situation demanded further review. Unfortunately, the Board's response was to panic again. They embraced the report without reviewing it. They never met with Mr. Freeh or his investigators. They asked no questions and challenged no assertions. Although they never officially voted to accept the report, they endorsed its findings and allowed the NCAA to impose unprecedented sanctions. To claim that this ill-considered and rash process served the victims and the university is a grave error. Only the truth serves the victims. Only the truth can help prevent this sort of crime from occurring again.  

Although it was not something I ever imagined doing, I directed my lawyer, Wick Sollers, of the King & Spalding firm in Washington DC, to undertake a review of the Freeh report and Joe's actions. I told him to engage the best, most respected experts, to take whatever time he needed and to go wherever the facts led. Sunday morning at 9am we are releasing the full Report by Wick and his team of experts. The report and additional information will be available at Paterno.com.  

I will not attempt in this letter to summarize the Report of the experts except to say that they unreservedly and forcefully confirm my beliefs about Joe's conduct. In addition, they present a passionate and persuasive critique of the Freeh report as a total disservice to the victims of Sandusky and the cause of preventing child sex offenses. I hope you can take the time to review the report and share it with friends and family.  

In closing, I want to address two issues that have come up frequently over the last year. First, some critics say it is no longer appropriate for me or my family to comment further on this case and that the Freeh report and the actions of the NCAA should close the book on the Sandusky scandal. This cannot happen. The Freeh report failed and if it is not challenged and corrected, nothing worthwhile will have come from these tragic events.  

Second, there has been endless speculation about what my family and I ultimately want to achieve. Is it the return of the statue? The restoration of Joe's wins? His name on the football stadium? On this point I also want to be clear. Joe Paterno's legacy wasn't a statue, a winning record or public adulation. He was grateful for the many accolades he received but he never believed they defined his life. His legacy is his family and you his players. How you live your life speaks louder than any report. The great fathers, husbands and citizens you have become fulfill the dreams Joe had. All that we want - and what I believe we owe the victims, Joe Paterno and everyone who cares about Penn State - is the full record of what happened. On this point, I know the advice Joe would give. Don't give up. Don't be afraid. Do the right thing. And make sure your actions serve the greater good. This is the path I will continue to follow.

I thank you for your support and kindness. My heart and home will always be open to you.  

Sincerely,  

Sue Paterno

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

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

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

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

There are certain situations in life that instantly add maturity and responsibility onto the shoulders of people that, prior to that situation, were young, innocent, and care-free. Old western movies show a young boy whose father got shot, and just like that he has to be the man of the house. At just 11 years old, a boy went from playing in the fields with his younger brother, to protecting his home, mother, and entire family from harm.

For Penn State football players, students, and alumni, we have, in a way, gone through something similar. Last year at this time, juniors at Penn State were enjoying the best times of their lives. They were turning 21, going to the bar (legally) for the first time, tailgating, and cheering with pride for their football team before getting back to the rigors of homework on Sunday. They were going to class, skipping every now and then to catch up on sleep. They were going to the gym, the Creamery, doing crossword puzzles in the HUB, and relaxing on the lawn in front of Old Main. Months later, those same students have aged years. They're still turning 21, but now they're forced to defend themselves, their university, their institution. They have learned how to analyze and tear apart legal documents, pointedly make intelligent arguments, and how to stand up for what they believe in, while trying not to come across as fanatical. The spotlight is on them, these 18-22 year old kids. Their peers at Ohio State or the University of Georgia continue to live care-free, going through college as the rest of us have. If they vandalize a car it's just because their dumb college kids. If they protest something, there's no one there telling them they are stupid, blind apologists. But those Penn Staters, they've got some white streaks in their hair, a few extra wrinkles by their eyes. They've been through a year that their counterparts at Alabama or Oregon or any other university in the world would cringe at, but there they stand, proud, fervent, and loyal.

Students that go to Penn State will still have fun, and much will remain unchanged from the years that I enjoyed. Kids will be kids, but they will also learn very quickly how to be an adult and how to properly represent their university. Everyone preaches the importance of academics alongside athletics, and Penn State, regardless of what the NCAA says, has not just preached, but practiced this, and they will continue to do so now more than ever. Life isn't over for Penn Staters, life has just changed. We are Penn State, and like it or not, we are the man of the house now. Let us all move forward and do everything we can individually, and together, to restore the pride that once was and forever will be Penn State.

This blog has been completely silent throughout the entire coaching search, and that was probably for the better. Anything we would have posted would have been pure speculation anyway. I spent a great deal of time every single day reading the latest rumors on the message boards about the coaching search, the rumored candidates, and the direction people believed the search committee was heading in. I’ve never been so obsessed over an impending decision. In the end, this proved to be a colossal waste of time, because it became abundantly clear pretty early on that NOBODY had any clue, what was going on. Somehow, the search committee managed to keep the entire process completely quiet, without many leaks at all. Which, in this day and age, is quite impressive and should be commended, even though it was incredibly frustrating!

Even though I knew nobody knew anything, I still couldn’t help reading. I’m not going to act like I know what went on behind the scenes, because I don’t, and only those involved do. It certainly seems like Petersen and Munchak were two of the top choices, and it appears both turned down the job. Where O’Brien was on the list, we will never know. But he is our coach now, and I’m excited about it. I will admit it was pretty underwhelming after some of the names that were rumored to be interested. But sometimes a young, hungry coach, anxious to prove himself, turns out to be a much better (and more affordable) hire than a big-name coach.

I didn’t love the hire at first, but I didn’t hate it as much as most seemed to initially. First and foremost, if he’s on Bill Belichik’s staff, he has a great football mind. No doubt about it. I know people always bring up the fact that his assistants don’t succeed as head coaches, but that doesn’t scare me at all. Just because the others failed does not mean O’Brien will fail. Everybody’s different. Doesn’t anyone remember the main reason Aaron Rodgers fell so far in the draft? It was because quarterbacks in Jeff Tedford’s system don’t succeed in the NFL: David Carr, Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, Kyle Boller. So 23 teams all bought into that bullshit and passed on Aaron Rodgers. So much for that thought! I’m not saying O’Brien will be the one to end this curse, I’m just saying it’s not a reason to discount all Belichik assistants. That’s just foolishness

I liked O’Brien better than Clements and Roman. He is younger than Clements and I like the fact that he is an Ivy Leaguer and from all accounts, is a man of great integrity and believes strongly in the academic side of being a college football coach. While it sucks he isn’t able to start right now, I respect the hell out of the fact that he is staying with the Patriots and not just bailing on them as many coaches do these days. As a Penn State fan, yes, it’s inconvenient, but it says a lot about his character and his loyalty, which is much more important to me in the long run. I liked the way he stated it in the press conference too, “I couldn’t come up here today and talk about commitment and loyalty, and then turn my back on the Patriots in the middle of a Super Bowl run.”

Along those same lines, after Munchak stated publicly that he had no interest in the PSU job, there were rumors floating around that he was still thinking about it. As much as I wanted him to take the job, I was not comfortable with the thought of Penn State’s coach being a guy that just a few days earlier looked into the camera and said “I am not interested in coaching at Penn State.” All the fans talk about what it means to be a “Penn State guy.” Well I don’t think being a “Penn State guy” means lying to the media, the public, and your players and bailing on them after one year. That’s why he stayed, I respect his decision. You could tell he was tempted, but the timing was not right for him. I hope he succeeds in Tennessee.

Right off the bat, though, I did have two main concerns about O’Brien: 1. Is this guy just going to bolt after a few years when another job, possibly an NFL job, opens up? 2. How is this guy going to assemble a coaching staff?

The answer to number 1 we won’t know until it happens or doesn’t happen. He has spent most of his career in college football. He seems to be big into teaching kids both on and off the field, so he seems like a better fit for college than the NFL. But we will just have to wait and see.

Here are the reasons I was concerned about him putting together a solid staff: He’s currently with New England, and promised to finish out the season with them, which could take a while, knowing how Bill Belichik operates. How much time and energy can he put toward hiring a staff? More importantly, who is he going to get? Certainly not many, if any members of the New England Patriots staff are going to pick up and leave a perennial Super Bowl contender to coach at a college in the middle of the biggest scandal in college football history. Other than that, his coaching experiences have been mainly at Duke, Maryland and Georgia Tech. All solid academic schools, but not exactly football powerhouses. Not to mention, the way things were going, it was looking like Penn State was trying to clean house, despite the fact that they had some of the best assistant coaches in the country.

Well this concern was quickly addressed in his press conference. He stated that he planned to have the entire staff in place in the next few days, which to me, clearly indicated that he had been working on this previously. I imagine part of the interviewing/hiring process consisted of questions about who his staff would be. More importantly though, was his announcement during the press conference that Larry Johnson was remaining on the staff. That was easily the best news of the day. If LJ isn’t the best defensive line coach in the country, I don’t know who is. Not to mention this helps tremendously with recruiting because he will help keep the commitments they already had for next year plus he’s just a great recruiter in general. The next piece of great news is that Ron Vanderlinden is also staying. After names like Mullen, Roman, Petersen, Clements and O’Brien were floating around, it became apparent that the coaching search was focused on bringing in an offensive minded coach (for good reason). I felt I’d be fine with a lesser known offensive minded candidate IF he retains two out of the three of Bradley, LJ and Vanderlinden. That way we could maintain Penn State’s sick defense and add a great offense. And O’Brien managed to do that. (At some point I want to dedicate a post to Tom Bradley because he is the man and deserved much better than what he got.) But back to O’Brien, I was thrilled he was able to keep those two. Even better, is the fact that he was wise enough and strong enough to let everyone else go. Nobody on the staff deserved to stay besides Bradley, LJ and Vandy. But I feared they were going to clean house and get rid of everyone. I was very happy to hear that he kept those two and got rid of the rest, that was the best way to handle it. Plus I loved the fact that people erupted in cheers at the presser when he announced LJ was staying. If O’Brien didn’t know how beloved LJ was before that moment, he certainly does now.

Then he started assembling his staff, which so far, I’m pretty pleased with. Just going off of resumes and prior experiences, my favorite pick up so far is Hixon, the wide receivers coach from the Buffalo Bills. First of all, we all know that wide receivers are the biggest prima donnas on the field. So if there is ever a position where having a former NFL coach will pay dividends in recruiting, it’s at WR. More importantly, look at the wide receivers they have at Buffalo. Stevie Johnson. David Nelson. Who are these guys? A bunch of no-name undrafted nobodies. And they have had a lot of success and scored a lot of points. Plus he coached a lot of great wideouts at LSU. So I think this is a great hire. An enormous step up from McQueary, who never even played WR.

The new o-line coach, McWhorter, has some great experience. He coached at Texas for many years, as well as Georgia and Alabama.

The biggest questions marks hires would be the TE coach and the new defensive coordinator. The TE coach only because his career has mostly been at smaller schools. But you never know. The new DC, Roof, has not had much success as a head coach at Duke or as a defensive coordinator at Auburn. For what it’s worth, Bunda’s buddy Mike, who is a scout for the Arizona Cardinals, said Roof is a great hire and is better than people give him credit for. While Auburn gave up a ton of points this year, Mike says they really only had one NFL caliber player on their defense. I guess we will see how this one plays out, but at this point, I will give O’Brien the benefit of the doubt. He wouldn’t have hired Roof if he didn’t have faith in him. Plus Roof has head coaching experience, which could come in handy.

The fact that these coaches are coming from all over the country will help with recruiting. Never before have we had strong ties to Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, New England, etc. This is completely different and should benefit recruiting. I also the fact that all of these guys decided to leave their jobs to join O’Briens staff says a lot about the respect they each have for him. Hixon left an NFL Wide Receivers coaching position for the same exact role at Penn State. McWhorter came out of retirement to join O’Brien’s staff. Roof just accepted a job A FEW WEEKS AGO at Central Florida to work for his close friend George O’Leary and is already leaving to join O’Brien’s staff. Clearly all of these guys must have a lot of respect for O’Brien. I believe they all realize the difficult position he is in, taking over a program in such turmoil, and they all are anxious to help him succeed and turn things around.

Although it’s extremely early, I’m very pleased with O’Brien so far. How successful he is depends largely upon how good his coaching staff is, and so far I like what I see. I actually have a theory… After the controversy and Erickson’s claim that Penn State would “de-emphasize football,” I don’t think Penn State could have dished out 4+ million for a coach. It would have been more bad PR and that’s the last thing this university needed. So they end up hiring a first time coach for under a million a year, and there are no bad headlines. But I have a theory that they promised O’Brien they would be willing to pay his assistants a shitload of money to help him assemble the best staff he could, which will really help him succeed. And the salaries of assistant coaches never make headlines, so there would be no bad PR there. I don’t know if that’s really what happened, but if it is, I think it was a pretty smart move and will end up paying off big time.

With this whirlwind of scandals and media frenzy, it's sometimes tough to remember that there's still football games to be played. And a hell of a game at that. At the beginning of the season we all pointed to this stretch (Nebraska, Ohio State, Wisconsin) as the make or break of the season. Well it is...but it has been overshadowed of late by the make or break of the future for Penn State and its football program.

Joe Paterno recently was diagnosed with lung cancer. It's troubling to see this happen so soon after his departure from coaching, and although the doctors reportedly feel confident that this will be treated, Joe's health is a major concern and I fear he does not have much left in the tank. He's one tough guy though, you have to give him that. He has suffered injuries that would end careers of young athletes and done so as an octogenarian. Let's all hope that he can power through this.

With that being said, this football team has a lot to play for on Saturday. As Pete mentioned, winning in Madison will propel the Lions to the Big Ten Championship game regardless of the outcome against Ohio State, but a Wisconsin loss at Illinois coupled with a Penn State win this weekend does the trick as well. Wisconsin (as well all other Big Ten games with the exception of PSU-OSU) will play at noon, so Penn State will know the situation at kickoff. Whatever the outcome, Penn State will come to play. These players showed something last week that was truly remarkable. Heart.

As five of us, tired and sore from a 12 mile jaunt through mud, water, fire and hay (but not enough hay), sat and watched the game off a DVR recording as if it were live, we screamed, shouted, and pulled for the blue and white to gut it out. They fought back from a 17 point deficit to cut it to 3 before their final drive fizzled out. Normally after a loss I am frustrated and immediately think of things they could have, should have done, and sure, there were plenty of those in that game, but that's not what I felt. What I felt was pride. They played hard, they played well, and they never gave up. Wins and losses only mean so much, but it's the character of those young men, and the way that they play that really matters. It must have been an extremely tough week on them, and it's hard to believe they were as focused or prepared as they should have been for that game. But there were no excuses. They had a shot, and just fell short, and sometimes that will happen, but it wasn't due to lack of effort.

The crowd showed the same class as the players. The sold out crowd, that had the stadium filled earlier than I have ever seen before for a noon game, banded together and displayed their pride with spirited chants following the game. It's something I'd love to see at the conclusion of every game, but sometimes it takes a terrible tragedy for you to realize how special something really is. Penn Staters everywhere over the past few weeks have come together as a community, raising money for child abuse awareness, showing support for the school, and most importantly, not shying away from being what they are...Nittany Lions.

For the remainder of the season, and even into the future, this team will be characterized by heart, family, and solidarity. They have seen terrible things happen, but have persevered. This is the toughest team in college football and they will beat Ohio State because they want it more. In a game like this where both teams are very even on paper, it really comes down to passion, and football can be one heck of an emotional game. Devon Still and Gerald Hodges have emerged not only as great players and leaders, but emotional leaders for this team. I expect them to be all over the field. Hopefully Penn State plays some man coverage and loads up against the option attack. I've got a lot of faith in this group, but regardless of the outcome, I know they'll give it everything they've got.

It's been a long time since the Penn State - Ohio State game featured two unranked teams. I don't think either squad is very good this year. As usual, they are both strong defensively this year, but both teams are limited by their quarterbacks. As such, I'm sure this will be a low scoring game, as it usually is.

I don't see either team being able to put together long scoring drives in this game. I think any touchdowns scored will need to come via a big play. So Penn State will need to either draw up something creative, or hope Redd busts one or Moye can catch a deep pass. The Buckeyes will not allow McGloin to march down the field and into the end zone on them.

I see the final score being something along the lines of 13-6. I can see either team coming out on top, but I'll take Penn State for the hell of it. This game actually doesn't mean a whole lot because, regardless of hte outcome, Penn State will win their division with a win over Wisconsin next week.

I'd love to see the team come out and play with all the emotion that has surfaced over this past week and put together a win over Nebraska that would never be forgotten. I Jiust can't imagine the team accomplished much this week at practice, and that has to put them at a pretty big disadvantage. If all of us fans were so impacted by this scandal all week, think about how the players and coaches were affected. There is no way Mike McQueary, Joe Paterno and Jay Paterno were thinking about Nebraska this week. Not to mention, the assignments of the coaches were re-shuffled after Paterno's firing only two nights ago. I think all of these distractions really inhibited the team this week, which would make a win over a good opponent that much more impressive. I really hope it happens, I just don't know that it will.

Anybody who has taken a mid-level sports management/business management class knows that there’s always an important game plan, sometimes referred to as a crisis management plan, sitting on the back shelves in case of a public relations nightmare. It doesn’t spell out the all the specifics, but it gives a basic strategy to control the damage, publicly defend the organization, and maintain as much of the image and integrity as possible. Well, apparently, the officials at Penn State University must have been absent that day because, to me, this whole situation reeks of utter incompetence of crisis management. Not only was Joe Paterno the media scapegoat, it turns out he was ostracized by his own people…the Penn State board of trustees and “powers-that-be.” Some part of me thinks they let it happen so they could force him out, a feat they could not overcome in the recent previous years. Chronologically cited, these are the lingering questions I have that make me believe this is the case…

1. Was the Sandusky indictment really a shocking surprise to anybody associated with Penn State University? There were serious newspaper reports of these allegations 6 months ago and, as far as I know, Penn State never commented or made any action. Why was there no action plan in place on how the media coverage would be controlled once this disaster broke?

2. Why were a mob of reporters lined up on Joe Paterno’s front lawn Monday afternoon and NOT on Jerry Sandusky’s or even Mike McQueary’s? Why did Penn State let this happen? This was problem area #1. Joe had to be frantically represented by his son Scott, who has nothing to do with the university. Basically, at this point, he was set free to the wolves.

3. Why was Joe Paterno’s Tuesday press conference cancelled? Why wasn’t he allowed to speak and defend himself and provide some answers that everyone wanted/needed?

4. Why is Penn State protecting Tim Curley and not Joe Paterno? After all, Curley WAS indicted in this case…Joe WAS NOT.

5. Furthermore, why was Joe Paterno FIRED while Mike McQueary was not and Tim Curley is placed on “administrative leave?”

6. Why was Joe Paterno fired over the phone? Very disturbing to hear that many of the PSU players heard of Paterno’s firing by watching Sportscenter! What was of so much immediate concern/action that had to be done at 10:45 at night? Couldn’t it have been put off till Thursday or even Friday where all parties could sit down and at least discuss the decision before making it public? Doesn’t this man at least deserve a full explanation of why they are firing him? Or better yet, shouldn't he be afforded the opportunity to publicly announce that he will be stepping down, effectively immediately?

Remember, at this point, everyone involved is afforded their due process. The funny thing is…Jerry Sandusky is allowed to continue living his life until his court arraignment. He will be rightfully judged by 12 people before he gets his punishment. But, Joe Paterno, a guy that is probably 5th or 6th on the list of people to blame here, if he actually is to blame at all, isn’t allowed to continue coaching football games until the investigation becomes final? Instead, his trial has already occurred within the media and public opinion where he was undoubtedly set up for failure and the board of trustees ultimately caved in to the propaganda.

Unfortunately, the way things played out in the last 3 days, Penn State had no choice but to fire Joe. This circus would only have continued and possibly gotten worse in the weeks to come given he remain the head coach and that simply would not be fair to the players and the university. It’s true…at this point in time, Penn State made the right decision. However, a lot of this could have been avoided if Penn State took better actions earlier in the game. Maybe they saw this as a way to force Joe out. Or maybe they are just really that ridiculously incompetent at handling a challenging situation. Either way, Penn State dropped the ball here. Penn State let it get out of control and ultimately had to make a decision that will resonate throughout eternity.

I have remained silent with regard to my personal opinion on Paterno and Curley and will continue to do so until I know more about what exactly transpired. But I have no hesitation in commenting on the events of last night.

First, I believe the decision to not allow Paterno to coach this weekend was the right one, and it was a decision that needed to be made. There are many people who are protesting this decision and saying it is unfair to Paterno. But this is not about Joe Paterno. It is about the University and standing up for what is right.

Imagine you are one of the victims that was abused after 2002 (when Joe was made aware of an incident) and your cries have gone unheard all of this time. Finally, after an unnecessarily long period of time, these crimes are finally being taken seriously and justice will be brought upon the man that tortured you. I will be careful not to speculate here, but from the little information that we do have, it certainly appears that Paterno was made aware of one such crime, was in a position to put an end to it, and failed to do so. By his own admittance, he said he wishes he had done more. Had he done more, you never would have been harmed. How would you feel about watching that man be carried off the field this Saturday, cheered and celebrated like a hero by thousands? Once more, you are being told that nobody cares about you or what you have gone through. These victims have suffered enough, why make them suffer once more?

What message would the University be making if they allowed him to coach this team on Saturday? They would basically be saying, “We know he made a mistake and multiple children have been harmed because of it, but his contributions to the University outweigh this one failure, and we believe he has earned the right to coach one last time at Beaver Stadium.” And that is simply the WRONG statement for this University to be making at this time. That would be just one more terrible decision in a long line of terrible decisions by University administrators that got Penn State in this mess to begin with.

By firing Joe Paterno, Penn State took a stand for children around the world. That takes priority over taking a stand for your football coach, no matter how much he has done for the University. It keeps coming back to the same principle, one which Paterno himself preached every day as the head coach: No individual is bigger than the team.

I believe he should have acted in accordance with this very same credence, and resigned as Head Coach on his own yesterday. In his statement released yesterday, Joe said “"I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today.” He went on to add, “I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this university."

The first step he should have taken was to step down, and he failed to do so. I truly believe had this occurred when he was younger, he would have had the sense to step down and do the right thing. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Over the last 30 years, Joe Paterno has grown accustomed to being the most powerful man at Penn State University. Whatever he says, goes. He thought he could get away with that one more time, by flat out challenging the Board of Trustees to fire him. “At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address.” Upon reading the statement, I immediately did not like this line. Of course the Board of Trustees is going to discuss Joe’ status, they are going to discuss this long and hard, because, despite what he said, there is no more important matter for them to discuss at that time.

Joe is about to turn 84 years old. Someone close to him needed to explain to him that his removal prior to Saturday was inevitable, and advise him to properly and courteously step down for the best interest of the University. Perhaps people tried to and he was too stubborn to cave. Perhaps he was still under this delusion of power that he felt nobody could tell him what to do. Whatever the case may be, nobody wanted this to go down the way it did, with Joe being fired over the phone, and it’s terribly unfortunate that it had to happen that way. I do believe, when the dust settles, Joe will look back and realize that his removal from his position was necessary for the good of Penn State University.

It’s hard to watch this sad old man and his wife in their pajamas in front of their modest house and not feel sorry for him. It’s a shame his remarkable career had to end this way, but there are many others involved in this case that deserve your sympathy more than Joe Paterno. Joe will be fine. As you saw last night, the man has plenty of support from both current and former students. While it certainly seems Joe has made a mistake of the gravest proportions, that will not erase his many accomplishments and contributions over the last 61 years. Even the reporters who bashed Joe’s inexplicable negligence on this matter expressed how much respect they still have for him, what he has done, and what he stands for.

I never realized that I could be so shaken, so distraught, essentially so affected by something that didn’t directly involve me or anyone I’m close with. I know I’m not the only person who was this moved by this scandal. I’m sure it’s a hard thing to grasp for anyone that did not attend Penn State and does not feel such a strong connection to both the University and Coach Paterno himself. When people begin to question the integrity of not only a man you have admired all of your life but an institution that has become part of who you are, it hurts to the core. Especially when both Paterno and Penn State specifically pride themselves on just that: Having integrity. Success with honor. Doing things the right way. That’s why so many Penn State fans have taken the defensive and refuse to believe any wrongdoing could have been done by their idol and by their university. I think it’s human nature for a Penn State fan to refuse to believe Joe Paterno may have done something wrong, and that is why so many people are searching for some sort of explanation. But, as always, I have made an attempt to be as unbiased and as rational as possible in this response, and I hope that is evident.

I will close with this: I always make a conscientious effort to learn valuable lessons and take positives out of every momentous event in my life, whether it be the saddest of tragedies or the greatest of successes. I’m not quite sure yet what lessons I will take from this saga. Perhaps it’s a reminder that even the mightiest can fall. But I know there is definitely the opportunity to take a positive away from this, as impossible as that may sound:

With the extensive media coverage and exposure of this horrifying event, hopefully this will serve to bring much needed attention to what is clearly an existing problem in our society. Perhaps people will take child-abuse reports more seriously and give them the attention they deserve, regardless of how well you know and how much you trust the accused. Additionally, perhaps now victims will know how important it is for them to come forward and describe what they have been subjected to – no matter how difficult that may be – in order to prevent others from experiencing the same thing. If it took the firing of four men and the suffering of these 8 victims (possibly more) to ultimately prevent the future suffering of hundreds of others, that’s certainly a step in the right direction.

I remember his last game so vividly. It was December 28^th, 1999 and the Alamo Bowl was being broadcast on ESPN. Even at only 13 years old, I knew Penn State football like it was a multiplication table, and I knew the significance of this game. It was Jerry Sandusky’s last game after 32 years at Penn State, the last 23 as defensive coordinator. This Penn State team was special. LaVar Arrington and Courtney Brown, who would get drafted into the NFL with the first two selections) led a Penn State team to a 9-0 record before they broke the hearts of PSU fans by dropping their last three games to the three M’s (Minnesota, Michigan, and Michigan State).

My family at that time (and even 10 years after that) did not have cable. Our next-door neighbors happened to be out of town for the holidays, and being that we lived in a small friendly town, we had exchanged keys over the years just in case someone got locked out or if someone had left the stove on and realized it later. I was probably screaming at my parents that I wanted to watch the game. “Why can’t we have cable like everyone else!?” Eventually they gave in. They gave me the key and I ran through the short path between our houses and let myself into my neighbors house. I went upstairs, turned on the TV, and watched Penn State shut out Texas A&M 24-0. I was so proud of the team. They had put forth arguably their best defensive effort of the season to send their retiring defensive coordinator our on top.

Now the pillars upon which he once stood in my mind have shattered. The recent news of Jerry Sandusky’s child molestation has sent shockwaves not only though the Penn State family, but the entire country. People are sickened, as they should be, and now the blame game ensues. People are calling for Joe Paterno’s head. They say he should be fired. They say the entire staff should be replaced. Well, here’s what I have to say:

The incident that set all of this in motion occurred in 2002. Jerry Sandusky was retired as a football coach, but was helping out with an organization he created to help children. He was on campus at the football building and was seen by a graduate assistant (Mike McQueary, now the receivers coach) in the shower with a young boy. Mike reported what he saw to his boss, Joe Paterno. He probably said something along the lines of: “Coach, I saw Sandusky doing something inappropriate with a boy in the showers”. Joe immediately reported this to the athletic director, Tim Curley who was Joe’s boss and it was his job to notify the University police who had jurisdiction. This never happened. Should Joe have pursued further? Should that young graduate assistant continue to pester the legendary coach or confront the athletic director? Maybe. But who knows what they were told. It’s possible that Curley told them all that everything was reported and that the police were going to look into it, don’t worry.

Joe banned Sandusky from football buildings after that. He probably had a conversation with Sandusky, informing him that someone saw him doing something. Jerry had worked with Joe for 32 years. Joe probably thought he knew this guy pretty well, and gave him the benefit of the doubt that what someone witnessed was not what it really seemed. Regardless, Joe still told him that he was no longer welcome at football facilities. Joe is not a cop, he is not Jerry Sandusky’s boss anymore, and what he did was perfectly legal. He does not deserve to be tossed out of his position that he has held for over 40 years because of something people think he should have done. People that were not in his position. People that have no clue of what actually happened. Firing him, or having him resign now would taint his legacy. And I know that this is about more than Joe, that it is about young men that were abused. But firing Joe doesn’t fix that. It only makes it worse by destroying the man we associate with honor and integrity. He did what he did, and can you blame him? Would you have done anything different? Like Drew said so eloquently. Fuck you.

Now people are coming out of the woodwork, calling out Penn State for not being as upstanding as we all thought. And you know what, sure, I guess we deserve to be humbled, but this was the heinous act of one man, and the bad judgment of an athletic director that probably didn’t know the extent of this issue. This issue has absolutely nothing to do with the current Penn State team, the current Penn State students, and for the most part, the current Penn State coaching staff.

Friends have texted me asking me if I’m embarrassed. Am I going to change my license plate (JOEPA) now? Am I not going to wear Penn State stuff all the time? Hell no. Penn State has educated my family for three generations. My grandfather was a professor there, and my own father called State College, PA home. I am still proud to be a Penn Stater, and that will never waiver. That school made me a better person, and those 100 kids on the football team will leave Penn State as better men as a result of the coaching and the education they receive. Success with honor. That’s what Penn State is about, and what it will continue to be about. The action of one man will not bring down what hundreds of thousands of us have built together. Sandusky deserves whatever is coming to him, but I will not let him destroy something I have loved my entire life and will forever. We Are Penn State

So I'm sure many readers are in the same boat as I was today with work colleagues just tearing at themselves to make a joke at Penn State's expense. All I could do is just sit there and take it because this is just about the worst thing to happen to an athletic program that I can remember. Jerseys for tattoos sort of seems like small potatoes compared to what is going on as Penn State. I have no defense for Sandusky. Since I believe in America so much I'd like to think I could abide by innocent until proven guilty but at my core I truly wish Jerry Sandusky would hang himself and put an end to all this. The truth is if he's guilty he deserves much worse. Where I did stand tall is in my defense of Joe Paterno.

This is where it gets tricky for non-PSU people to follow. Growing up as Penn State fan I absolutely revered Jerry Sandusky. I've heard my father's re-telling of the championship game against Miami so many times I feel like I were there. To listen to him and many others give their recap, all praise was due to Sandusky for the scheme he put out against Testaverde. His stout defenses were the pride of my early years as a Penn State fan. While Fran Ganter consistently put out the worst offense of any major program, Sandusky's side of the ball kept us in the national spotlight. Until a year ago, when I first heard of these allegations, his name rang as holy as Cappiletti, Warner, and Conlon. Now imagine turning that guy over to the cops and the papers based on a second hand account that lacked any detail. Tough to do.

So now everyone is calling for Paterno to step down. To them I say simply, Fuck you. What gives you the right you self-righteous little pricks? Paterno has done so much good for to countless young players, the university, and the sport. And all the Neil Rudells and David Jones'es can't change that for all their efforts. They don't get to win. Not like this. Paterno has done too much to be brought down for the wrong-doings of a former assistant.

The truth of the matter is, who with any sort of power can make Paterno step down? The athletic director has just been indicted himself and the last thing Spanier or the board of directors needs is to force out the one symbol of Penn State more recognizable than Old Main or the logo? So for me the media can make all the noise they want. My coach fucking stays.

By now, everyone and their mother has heard about the scandal that has erupted in State College regarding former Defensive Coordinator Jerry Sandusky. This is obviously a very troubling and disturbing story for many reasons, and you have to feel terrible for the victims and their families. It is too early to comment on what actions need to be taken by the University. More facts need to come out first.

But I do want to point out two things:

First, I am very concerned about how Joe Paterno’s press conference goes tomorrow. For the last 20 years, Joe has been in control of every press conference he’s attended. I went to almost every press conference between 2004 and 2007. There is not a single member of the local media that covers PSU football that has enough courage to ask Joe any tough questions, even when they obviously need to be asked. Every so often someone would try, or some national media member would come in for a big game and ask a tough question, and inevitably they would always leave with their tail between their legs after getting chewed out by Joe for challenging him. Make no mistake about it, the man has an enormous ego whether you realize it or not. If you have seen him interact with the media in the last 10 years, it’s clear he feels he has earned the right to answer whatever questions he wants and avoid any he’d rather avoid. And he won’t hesitate to let you know if he feels you are out of line for asking a question… Most of the time the questions are perfectly legitimate too.

Anyway, the point I am trying to get to is that Joe will not get away with this tomorrow. This is not something he can shy away from and use his stature to intimidate reporters and get out of. If he tries to boss the media around tomorrow like he’s grown accustomed to, it’s going to be really ugly and make him look very bad to what has turned into an unimaginably large national audience. Hopefully the PR people at Penn State are explaining all of this to Joe and letting him know how to respond tomorrow. The truth is, he probably can get away with not answering a lot of questions tomorrow since there is a legal issue at hand here. But it’s important he goes about it the right way and responds appropriately, instead of lashing out at reporters for asking him questions he feels he’s immune to. I’m sure there are PR people prepping Joe for the press conference. I just hope he’s not too stubborn to listen.

People have been questioning how mentally sharp Joe is this days. I think we will find out in the coming weeks, if not tomorrow.

The second point I want to make seems relatively unimportant compared to everything else that is at stake, but it’s unfortunate nonetheless. And that is that there is a 8-1 Penn State football team in the midst of a great season that is in the driver’s seat to win the Big Ten, and this whole scandal has undoubtedly created an enormous distraction for the team. Probably not for the players as much as the coaches, but there is no way Coach Paterno and Coach McQueary are focused on Nebraska right now. I don’t see how effectively the coaching staff can prepare the team for this game on Saturday with this whole mess hanging over their heads.

Given the bye week and nothing, aside from gaining an extra hour of sleep, really to get excited about, I felt it necessary to reflect on this oddly unfolding 2011 football season. Penn State is off, the college football slate is rather dull, and the only thing that could get me truly jacked about the LSU-Bama game is if somebody could assure me that Chuck Norris will run out of the tunnel at Bryant-Denny Stadium chasing six midgets wearing full football equipment! So here I sit, watching the overblown hype of this game mixed with ridiculous anticipatory interview questions by Erin Andrews, just hoping the next 7 days will pass quickly.

You want a college football playoff system? Well, it starts next Saturday in the B10 and Penn State drew a shitty seed. These next three weeks will show what this team really is made of. If they come out 2-1, they deserve a spot on the turf in Indy. And, if they get there, a B10 championship is very likely because I like our chances against a Michigan or Michigan State over a Nebraska-Ohio State-Wisconsin.

As Penn State teams go, this team is certainly not one the best, even of the last 10 years. It might not even rank in the top 5 (i.e. ’02,’05,’08,’09). Ok, maybe in the top 5, but this team has one of those intangible abilities to just find ways to win. They have won with defense, they have won with offense, and they have won with 57 minutes of pure slop and 3 minutes of brilliance. I do believe that, for what ever reason, Rob Bolden has regressed and maybe you can put that on the coaches. But, you do have to give some credit to the coaching staff and the senior leaders on this team’s ability to get the most out of all of their players.

Some of my observations to this point…

• Sure he was missed, but I don’t think anybody really realized how intrigal Derek Moye is to this offense until last week. His route running and his ability to find those seams in the defense often go unnoticed. I think big things are coming from DM6 down this stretch run.
  


• Finally, Gerald Hodges breaks out and does what we have been waiting for for a year now. GH6 is the next real thing at Linebacker U. Now, can Khairi Fortt follow in Hodges lead???



• I agree with Pete…I wasn’t sure Silas Redd could handle the workload of a B10 tailback, given his size. But, he put on some weight/jacked-ness over the summer and is now the real deal. Maybe a little premature, but Heisman watchers need to begin to take notice. Certainly, the Student Book Store better start planning a staircase makeover, because Royster’s rushing record WILL be broken…the real question is…will it happen in 2012?



• I’m not ruling out Devon Smith…I think he can be a valuable part of the offense and if he can do what he did at Northwestern 2 or 3 times a season, I’ll take it. But…why is he running 5 yard slants on 2nd and 3rd and goal? There are too many other options (taller and wider) to put in the slot in these situations.



• It’s funny how we went from Kicking team nightmares to a Kicker/Punter who is nearly a lock on FG’s inside 40 and consistently blasts punts.



• I don’t think we will see Rob Bolden take another meaningful snap this season and, as far as I’m concerned, Joe can sign his transfer papers right now. I think McGloin can continue to develop into a serviceable QB and, from what I hear, Paul Jones is getting his act together in the classroom and should be on the field in the spring/next fall with three years of eligibility remaining.
  

Get pumped for the run!

The fact that Jordan Norwood made an NFL roster at his size was impressive. The fact that he's been climbing up their depth chart has been impressive as well. Now, the Browns, needing to make room for a running back after Hardesty's injury, have released former Ohio State Buckeye and former second round pick Brian Robiskie. Norwood is their #3 wide receiver and had 5 receptions this past weekend against the 49ers.