The Penn State Football Show

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.
  

I wasn’t able to attend this year’s Blue White Game. Luckily it was televised by ESPN 2 with Herbstreit, Millen, Musberger and Desmond Howard calling the game, which was pretty sweet for a spring scrimmage. The game was far from promising, with the obvious concerns being 1. Quarterback and 2. Offensive Line.

Kevin Newsome came to Penn State as a highly recruited dual-threat quarterback. In his limited time last year, he looked very raw and displayed an incredibly awkward throwing motion. I was hoping that would be fixed in time for the Blue White game, but it clearly wasn’t. This dude really looks goofy out there. Albright texted me that he’s shocked every time Newsome drops back without falling over his own two feet. His throwing motion is kind of like Michael Robinson’s but far more awkward. And most of his passes were not within 20 feet of any receiver. He showed decent arm strength, but no accuracy whatsoever. He doesn’t seemed poised or comfortable out there at all. He can run with the best of them, but he’s not a quarterback, and he’s not the answer.

McGloin looked much more comfortable and poised running the offense. There is no denying that this 5’11” former walk-on from Scranton lacks the athletic ability that Newsome possesses, but he’s a much safer bet at quarterback. Anyone who has been following Penn State football for a decent amount of time can already tell you what is going to happen. McGloin will be the opening day starter. Newsome will come in occasionally for a series and do a lot of QB running plays. Like Rudy said, it will be similar to the Thompson/Casey duo. The problem is Thompson was better than McGloin and Casey was better than Newsome.

Yes Paul Jones was the most impressive quarterback out there on Saturday. But does anyone honestly believe Joe Paterno would start a true freshman quarterback? There is no chance. If that happens, you will have the definitive answer to the often asked question of how much coaching does Joe actually do these days? If there is a true freshman starting quarterback at Penn State, you will know that Paterno had nothing to do with that decision.

Jones did look very good out there, but don’t get too excited yet. Keep in mind he was not facing any blitzing, and he’s still only 18 years old. Don’t expect too much from him early on. I think they will find ways to give him some snaps early, and his playing time could increase by the end of the season, especially if Penn State loses a few games. But anyone thinking that he will start from day one needs to get that out of their head.

Once again the offensive line looked very shaky. Penn State really struggles with preparing new starters on the offensive line. The line doesn’t become good until the seniors have about 2 games left. Then they graduate and the line stinks again. This team will be strong on defense once again. Even with the quarterback concerns, they could be a very good team if they had a good offensive line. I’m just not so sure they will. They have all the other pieces of the puzzle. Loaded with talent at the skills positions. Very deep at running back. Some very promising wide receivers. And a strong defense. But they won’t be able to run the ball if the offensive line struggles. We know they won’t be a very good passing team, so a strong running game is crucial. If the line can develop by the start of the season, that will open up a lot of options for the offense. Royster can have a big year, Newsome can run the ball some, and the play action pass would be far more effective. All the Lions would need from McGloin would be to have him be a Trent Dilfer type quarterback that doesn’t turn the ball over and manages the game well. So, along with QB, offensive line is going to be a big determining factor of the success of the team this year.

Gerald Hodges just looks like a beast out there in his uniform.

Curtis Dukes looks really good as well. Great size. Showed good speed and vision. I think he will be good.

I will be interested to see who steps up at the tight end position this season.

Where was D’anton Lynn? Did he play?