The Penn State Football Show

Since Pete touched on many of the areas of concern from the Alabama game, I will simply refute my previous post regarding the Quarterback situation...

As evidenced by Saturday's game, it has become apparent that Matt McGloin is simply not a major college football QB. He has showed signs of greatness at times, but all against middle-of-the-pack teams (i.e. Northwestern, 2010 Michigan, Minnesota, etc.). He has also showed he cannot handle the pressure and does not have the athletic decision making ability necessary when facing top notch college defenses (i.e. Alabama, Florida, Michigan State, Ohio State). He has many desirable qualities for a Penn State QB, but, plain and simple, he is most likely a Division II QB. He will never play 4 solid quarters against a respectable team. I hate to say it and this is the old "hater" cliche but...there is a reason he was not offered a scholarship!

Rob Bolden, on the other hand, is a QB that really seems to be headed in no certain direction. I agree with Pete in that he really has not gotten any better in the last 12-13 months. Clearly, he is athletic, throws the ball well, and evidently doesn't mind running the ball and sizing up a linebacker in the open field. However, he just doesn't seem to be fitting into the offense like anticipated. Is that because of coaching? Is that because he has the proverbial chip on his shoulder? Or is he just not that good? (Remember, Paul Jones was the higher touted recruit in the 2010 class.)

The 2011 season is certainly not lost because a non conference loss to an Alabama team that played a flawless game against Penn State. But, the QB situation is the glaring weakness and a valid reason for concern. So, what is the answer at QB? At this point I really don't know. There is a part of me that thinks that the coaches are just killing time until Paul Jones gets his act together. But if Jones never reaches his potential as a collegiate, i think it is time to let Bolden get some experience and roll with the punches. Remember...he is only a Sophomore. Daryll Clark was washing jock straps as a Soph. and Michael Robinson was still trying to find his role in his second season. Both of whom eventually led the Lions to Big Ten 'ships.

For the future that we wait...

I SPY...WR Drops - I really cannot believe this did not get more attention in post game media analysis. Regardless of who was throwing them, the dropped passes (I will put Sczerba's fumble in this category as well) just cannot happen in a big game. I would have to go back and look at the tape, but I believe 2, maybe 3, of the drops came on 3rd down.

It’s games like the one we saw on Saturday that make me thankful we have this blog. A place I can vent and get all my frustrations out. And trust me, I have plenty.

I don’t know where to begin, so I will just start with the coaching. Penn State’s coaching staff has been a huge liability for years now, and it gets exposed whenever Penn State plays a top ranked opponent. There are a handful of specific areas where they struggle consistently (offensive line, quarterback development, pass defense). But perhaps the biggest one is making in-game adjustments. They simply don’t make any. They have a game plan and they stick to it, regardless of what happens on the field, and they lose games because of it. The most obvious example was the Rose Bowl against USC where Mark Sanchez picked Penn State apart all game long with 10-15 yard passes that Penn State’s defense continued to give them. At no point did they make an adjustment and try to stop it, and USC continued to take advantage of it.

Well the Alabama game was another example of a lack of in-game adjustments when one needed to be made. It’s obvious the coaches came in to this game with a very conservative offensive game-plan. They were expecting/hoping that the defense could hold Alabama and perhaps even force a few turnovers that could lead to points. In turn, they wouldn’t need a whole lot of points out of the offense. So the offensive game-plan stressed not turning the ball over rather than scoring points.

In other words, they were hoping that the game would play out exactly like the Ohio State game in 2005 did, where PSU won 17-10 by shutting down OSU’s offense, and coming up with a key interception that led to an easy 7 points. In that game, once the Lions took a 7 point lead, they were perfectly content with three-and-outs on offense for the rest of the game, just punting it away to OSU and allowing the defense to hold them and win the game. And in the end, that’s exactly what happened. PSU barely moved the football at all on offense for the rest of the game, repeatedly punted to OSU, and the defense did not allow another score, leading PSU to a huge 17-10 upset victory. This is a game many Penn State fans view as a huge victory in the history of the program.

The more I think about it though, the more I think this win was somewhat detrimental to the program, and here is why: Ever since that game, Penn State has approached EVERY big game against a top defense with that same exact game-plan. And it has not worked since. At some point the coaching staff needs to realize that they need to open up the offense, and actually aggressively attempt to score points on offense in order to win these games. Although it worked once in 2005 against Ohio State, this philosophy is not going to work every time.

But anyway, back to the original point I was making about in-game adjustments. Look, the game-plan was a conservative one. And that’s fine. In fact, given this match-up, with two strong defensive teams, and the fact that Alabama had a young, inexperienced quarterback playing in a hostile environment, I would actually go as far as saying it was absolutely the right game-plan to enter the game with. But, with that being said, once you get down by 14 points, you need to abandon the offensive game-plan, and start trying to score points. And they did not do this. Why stick to the runs up the middle that are not getting you anywhere? Alabama was lining up 8 men in the box all day long daring Penn State to throw it, and they still wouldn’t/couldn’t. And that’s unacceptable. Just take some deep shots to Moye! The guy is 6’5”. He has a better chance of coming down with a jump ball on a 40 yard pass than Penn State does of actually putting methodically driving down the field for 40 yards.

Think about this: When was the last time Penn State completed a pass to a wide receiver OVER THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD? Actually, when was the last time they even attempted a pass over the middle of the field? The simply don’t even try it any more because they are so afraid of throwing interceptions. First off, the fact that they still don’t have confidence in their quarterbacks to make these throws is pathetic (more on this later), but second of all, when you get down big and need to score points in order to win the game, you have to start opening up and taking these chances. If you just sit back and do the same stuff that hasn’t been working, how do you expect to come back and win the game? I’ve said this before, if I was a defensive coordinator for another team, I’m certain I could shut out Penn State every time, because I know exactly what is coming, what I need to defend, and what I don’t have to even worry about defending because they are too scared to even try it. (Similarly if I’m an OC at another school, I would put up 50 on PSU every time by pretty much doing what USC did in the Rose Bowl… Assuming I have Mark Sanchez on my team.)

Here is what pisses me off the most about the coaching staff. They would rather lose by a respectable amount and not even try for the win, than get blown out. And I don’t understand why. A loss is a loss, whether you lose by 60 or whether you lose by 1 in quadruple overtime. So when it’s fourth and six on the opponents 45 with over 12 minutes to play and you are down by 14, YOU GO FOR IT. YOU DO NOT PUNT. Why would you punt? What is that saying? To me, it’s saying, even though the scoreboard and the clock suggest this game is still within reach, the coaches don’t have any confidence in the team and don’t believe they can legitimately win the game. So since they have already determined they are going to lose the game, why not at least make the loss as respectable as possible rather than getting blown out. And that’s about the most insulting thing a coach can say to a team. Just pathetic. And this isn’t the first time Penn State has done this. They do it all the time, and it’s infuriating.


Now, on to the QB situation…Is there a major college football program out there that is worse than Penn State at developing quarterbacks? I really don’t think so. The last QB to go pro from Penn State is Kerry Collins. That’s pretty bad.

The conservative offensive game plan obviously says that the coaches do not rust the quarterbacks enough to let them air it out. But there is no reason for the QB’s to be such a liability at this point. They each have had multiple starts and enough playing time that the coaches should not have these concerns. But this is the crap that seems to happen all the time at Penn State. But other schools don’t seem to have this problem.

Think about how rare it is to see a Penn State quarterback make a play on his own. When I say make a play, I mean, scramble around, avoid a sack, buy some time to allow a receiver to break open, and complete a pass to him. It seems like no matter who is playing QB for Northwestern or Wisconsin, they always find guys that can make plays like this. Penn State hasn’t really had one since Zach Mills. (Those of you scratching your heads at this go back and watch film of Mills in his freshman and sophomore years, he was great.)

Right now, the way Bolden is playing, he throws the ball to the first option every single time, regardless of whether he is covered or not. He isn’t even going through any progressions. I seem to recall the first touchdown pass of his career, in the opening game last year, he looked off the first man and then found I think it was Brackett over the middle as the second option for a nice touchdown. I’m not sure he’s thrown to the second read since that pass. In other words, he may have actually regressed since last year. And that wouldn’t be the first time. It happened with Mills, it happened with Derrick Williams, it happened with Maurice Evans, it happened with Jimmy Kennedy, Justin King: Too many Penn State players actually get worse later in their careers instead of getting better. Not a good reflection on the coaching.

But it happens most often with quarterbacks. Penn State quarterbacks are just not where they need to be. And you have to put the blame on Jay Paterno. After all, he is the quarterbacks coach. If he’s doing such a lousy job coaching our quarterbacks that our offensive game-plan is to try to not turn the ball over and avoid any potentially dangerous throws, then I think Penn State needs a new quarterbacks coach. I really think Bolden could be a very successful quarterback if he had better coaching.

Oh, here’s another great example of Penn State coaches not getting the most out of the talent that they have: Derek “Cameron” Wake. Out of all of the Penn State alumni in the NFL right now, this guy might very well be the best. I think he finished 2nd or 3rd (right in front of Tamba) in the NFL in sacks last year. He is a very feared pass rusher within the league.

This guy SUCKED at Penn State. But his athletic ability was undeniable. I think he actually still holds the record for highest vertical leap in NFL combine history. But the coaches insisted on making him a linebacker where he was out of position and never had a feel for the position. He was always lost and didn’t have the instincts needed to play linebacker. The coaches never made this realization, left him there, and by his senior year, Dan Connor was starting over him as a freshman.

In the end Wake, was never drafted, and had to prove himself in the CFL, where he finally found the right position, led the league in sacks, and won the defensive player of the year award, before signing with the Dolphins and tearing up the NFL. I’m pretty sure Wake would have been a defensive end, and would have been a top draft pick, had he gone to pretty much any other DI college.

I will try to end on a positive note: Sean Lee had a monster game on Sunday night, and Penn State has more key contributors on NFL rosters now than they have had in a very long time. Posluszny, Bowman, Lee, Connor, Gould, Wake, Hali, Butler, Quarless, Collins, Adams, King, even Jordan Norwood! For a while there was a pretty bad drought of significant Penn Staters making an impact in the NFL. Hopefully that is over for good now.

The rain continues to pelt the ground, swelling rivers, and tearing down bridges. Soon the damp Earth in the center of Beaver Stadium will be ripped apart by two of the best defenses in the country. The Alabama Crimson Tide come to town boasting a #3 ranking, and the backing of what most would argue is the best conference in college football. For the past 5 years, the SEC has held up a crystal ball at the end of the season and have put a curse upon their Big Ten foes. The mighty underdog Nittany Lions could not only reconcile the nation's perspective of the Big Ten, but they could also put themselves in a position they have not been in since 1999...on the winning end against at top-5 opponent. I was there when Paul Posluzsny and Michael Robinson took down Ohio State in a matchup not unlike this, but Saturday's game has a different feel to it.

Penn State has nothing to lose in this game. No one is giving them a chance. And rightfully so. This Alabama team is fundamentally sound. They have the best running back in the country. They have the best defense in the country. Penn State doesn't know who their quarterback is, and they got sacked three times by an FCS opponent. The wild card here is Beaver Stadium. Alabama in their own right is starting a green quarterback. AJ McCarron will make the start for the Tide after throwing two of the team's four interceptions last week against Kent State. The only way Penn State wins this game is if McCarron makes mistakes, and that will happen if Penn State's defense comes to play and if the stadium has an OSU 2005 or Nebraska 2002 feel to it.

What impressed me about the defense last week was the tackling. It was solid. D'Anton Lynn, Chaz Powell, and Adrian Amos are all very physical corners. There's nothing I love seeing more than aggressive, hard hitting corners....well other than a few Michael Mauti's. Tackling, we all remember, was a major issue last year. Trent Richardson is a horse in a human skin, but if you have enough people form tackling a horse, he's going to go down. The Bama offense lost some very skilled players and will not be as potent as last year, meanwhile the Penn State defense has vastly improved. So you're saying there's a chance!

Like Pete, I was awestruck with Redd's ability. He looked like a cannonball. Beachum looked very good as well, but Redd really ran well between the tackles and the speed he has coming out of his first cut is reminiscent of Ki-Jana Carter. He's going to be something very special. My praise for the offense stops there (and with Suhey and Zordich who exemplify what I love about PSU football). The pass blocking was god awful, the receivers didn't help out their quarterback, and the QB's did not look sharp at all. To be fair, the play calling was very very very conservative and I feel a lot of that had to do with who is coming to town this weekend.

Last year's offensive gameplan actually wasn't all that bad. The Lions moved the ball effectively and really utilized Devon Smith to perfection. Send him in motion and right to a flat pattern. Expect to see that again. It's an easy read and a fast one for the quarterback....whoever that may be. As bad as the coaches have been at times, I expect big things out of them. They've had all offseason to prepare for this game.

I will again be DVRing this game due to my own semi-professional obligations, but I could not be more excited. Not just to watch the game, but for the opportunity the University and all of those players have. Even still....If I was a betting man, I'd have to go with Alabama. Stranger things have happened though. Fight on

You can never take much away from these early season cupcake games, but there were a few things that caught my attention:

The most promising thing I saw on Saturday was Drew Astorino finally back to playing like he did freshman year. As a true freshman the kid was like a heat seaking missile, flying to the ball making big plays whenever he got on the field. Naturally I had high expectations for him after that, and he has been a tremendous let down in each of the last two seasons. After his sophomore year people said it was because he was hurt all year, but then he wasn't very good last year either. Some people insist he was still hurt. Whatever the case may be, Saturday was the first time he looked like he did freshman year. If he continues to play that way all year, that will be great news for this defense.

Running backs were impressive, especially Redd who is a bona fide stud.

Bolden has yet to get into a nice rhythm with the offense, and that concerns me. He clearly has a great arm, and seems relatively poised, but he has yet to put it all together into a methodical drive. Until he does, I won't be sold on him. But the potential is certainly there. As much as I want to him to be the guy and win the job, I can't help but agree with Jason that it seems like McGloin gives the team the best chance to win. Both will play, but if Bolden struggles, they need to get McGloin in the game to move the offense.

The offensive line looked great in the run-blocking (against a weak opponent), but terrible in pass-blocking (against the same weak opponent). We will get a better idea how the o-line is after this week.

Amos the freshman looked impressive. Surprised to see a true freshman get action in the first game of the year at a position with so much depth. Keep in mind it took Posluszny about half the season before they decided to burn his redshirt because he was too good to keep off the field. And that was on a team that went 3-9...

I loved the use of the fullbacks, both Suhey and Zordich. I hope that keeps up all year. Zordich is a player.

This team needs Anthony Fera back badly.


Now on to the big game this weekend against #2 Alabama.

I do think Penn State has a chance in this one, but they need a lot of things to go their way if they want a chance to win. I don't see the PSU offense putting up a lot of points against the Bama defense. So I really think the Lions will need to score either on special teams or on defense in order to win this game.

As with most people, I'm not very confident about Penn State's QB situation going into this game. However, what some people don't realize is that Alabama is in a similar position. McElroy is gone, and they aren't settled at QB either. They played two different quarterbacks last week, and each threw a pair of interceptions. If Penn State is able to stop Trent Richardson and the Tide running game, and force the inexpeirenced QB's to throw the ball, Alabama could be in trouble. So that will be the key, can PSU stop the Bama running game? They couldn't do it last year. We will see if that changes this year.

Like I said, I don't really like the match up of the PSU offense against the Alabama defense. Out of Penn State's 11 offensive starters, I think only two guys would start for Alabama: Silas Redd and Derek Moye. It is rare that Penn State is outclassed in talent on the field, but against this team, I think that's the case. But Redd could be a perfect weapon... He is electrifying and is one of those backs that doesn't need that big of a hole to turn a run into a nice gain. The way he hits the whole with such speed and explosiveness he reminds me of a smaller Adrian Peterson. If Penn State is going to win this game, they need Redd to carry the offense.

Penn State has home field advantage in this one, which could help out tremendously when Alabama's untested QB's take the field. If the Lions come out and play with confidence, and catch a few breaks, they can win this game. But if I have to make a prediction, I'm taking Alabama in a low scoring game, 17-13.

Rudy, great season kick-off post...I too, stand at half mast just thinking about PUS football again!

As far as the 2011 Penn State team goes, you really cant take much away from the Indiana State game. It was essentially a scrimmage or pre-season game, whichever way you want to look at it. However, there were a few players that I was looking forward to seeing how they looked.

Obviously, the QB situation is the #1 question/problem/area of concern. Two years ago, I devoted the 2010 season solely to establishing and developing a starting QB, setting up 2011 as the year PSU's makes national noise again. As we all know, that did not happen and I feel we are back at the same point we were a year ago with the QB's. However, I was excited to see how both QB's fared and how they handled the offense in their season debut. After having a few days to gather my thoughts and opinions, I have concluded that McGloin is the better answer for the time being. Clearly, Bolden is the more physicall talented player, but, to me, it looks like McGloin has better control of the offense and plays the role of "game manager" better than Bolden. If you look back on several recent National Championship teams (Ohio State '02, LSU '07, Alabama '09), they did not have a stud Heisman Trophy/1st Round Draft Pick Quarterback...they had a guy who managed the game and did not make the big mistake. Now, I know McGloin is very prone to the bone-headed throw now and then, as we saw on Saturday. But, it seems like he moves the offense better, he commands the huddle, he has the confidence, and he actually shows excitement about the fact that he is playing football at Penn State! I really dont like seeing Bolden on the sidelines with that blank stare on his face, looking like he just got news of his dog dying. I think it is a reflection of his lack of self-confidence and leadership ability. My opinions may change in the weeks to come, but for now, my vote goes to McGloin.

As for Alabama, I think this is the game PSU can show people what this team is all about. They aren't getting much respect at this point in the season and that is fine with me. I like being the underdog...in our house! I envision a game similar to Ohio State in 2005. Two good defenses, a battle for field position, with one of the defenses or special teams making a big play to set up a game-deciding score. Either way, it should be more exciting than last year.

I SPY...Adrian Amos (CB #4). As far as I can remeber, he was the only true frosh who got non mop-up time on Saturday. Dude looks big, fast, and athletic for an 18 year old kid. With the absence of Derrick Thomas ??? and a dismal Chaz Powell at corner, will Amos eventually get some first team reps?

I share in Rudy's excitement over a new Penn State season. I also share in his sentiments that Penn State is loaded with talent this year, and could suprise some people since they seem to be overlooked by most. The last time they had this much talent but did not come into the season highly ranked was 2005, and we all know what happened that year.

My two biggest question marks are the QB position and coaching. QB is an obvious one. The fact that Bolden didn't come out and win the job right away was upsetting to me, and I don't think that's a good sign. I was hoping for a lights-out pre-season from him to make the QB decision an easy one, and that didn't happen. So we will see what happens at QB. Again, going back to 2005, although MRob is now considered a PSU legend, if your recall correctly, there were a lot of question marks about him heading into that season. I was one of many people who had doubts about his ability to be a Big Ten quarterback. He silenced any doubters that season, however. But the point is, even though the QB situation looks like it will be a question mark this season, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be.

In regards to the coaching, I just think the team has not gotten the most out of it's talent in the last 10 years, and I'm worried that will continue this season. I could probably elaborate a little further with specific examples, but that would take a little too long. I hope the coaching staff proves me wrong this year, but I will believe it when I see it.

For me, the thing I will be watching this game is Brandon Beachum. I think he's going to be a great running back this year. Most people are excited for Redd, and rightfully so, because he's a stud. But he's also not the biggest guy in the world and I'm not sure he is a 25 carry per game back in the Big Ten. Therefore, I think Beachum, who has a little more meat on him, will be play a key role int he offense this year. I think he will receive more carries than most people are expecting. He's my player to watch for this game.

Penn State rolls.

As we flip our calendars from August to September, familiar feelings comes over us...hope, excitement, and maybe even a little bit aroused. Penn State football is back. After spending the past eight months basically living a meaningless, empty life, I once again have purpose. Like a homeless man, picking through dumpsters in search of the fruitful Bud Light cans, I have come across a fat wallet amidst the banana peels, soiled paper towels and rotten cheese; the next four months will be figuratively showered with whiskey and Olde English. I am a happy man.

This matchup between Penn State and the lowly Indiana State Sycamores presents little in the way of a challenge, and certainly the outcome of the game is not in doubt. However, a much more important battle is fought within the ranks of the Nittany Lions. Unlike we have seen in recent years, the team enters the season with several positions lacking a true starter. Obviously the elephant in the room is the quarterback situation, but also along the offensive line and to a lesser extent at linebacker players to this day continue to compete for starting positions. This offseason has been an extremely good one with more intensity and competition than I can remember. Coming off of a 7-6 season, the team is playing with a chip on their shoulder. They know that they could have been better, and they are eager to prove that point this season. The depth at linebacker and defensive back brings me back to the days of Team VJ Pepicelli. The running backs and receivers are probably the most talented in the entire Big Ten, but questions still linger about the lines and about the whole Bolden/McGloin reality show. Paterno has decided that this year, he will not name a starter for the opening game, but will use the powderpuff as another scrimmage for the quarterbacks to separate themselves. To me this is meaningless. If these two are that close that you can't name a starter....just make Bolden the quarterback. I don't think that anyone would argue that Bolden is the more gifted player, and has a much higher ceiling, so just give him the rock. Let him improve and develop. It's a no brainer. The only logical excuse I can see, is Paterno wants to be fair and so he's jumping through all of these hoops to make it look like McGloin actually has a shot. My prediction: Both QBs perform well against ISU, but Bolden is named starter for Alabama.

The offensive line is something that seems to be an issue every year and has been since the Rose Bowl run in 2008. I think this unit might surprise people. There are no real stars on the line, especially with the loss of Wisniewski, but what they lack in individual strength, they make up for as a unit. They've worked together for a very long time and I feel that they should be competent enough to be successful. With all of the potential offensive fire-power that Penn State has, this group just needs to be good enough and things could get crazy. I'm looking forward to it.

On the defensive side of the ball, I seriously just peed my pants I'm so excited. With the exception being defensive end (where Penn State has about 25 young studs ready to explode), every position boasts veteran leadership and a sexy mayor. Michael Mauti is going to turn heads this year. I love his attitude and intensity. He's like a meaner Posluszny. Devon Still on the defensive line I personally think will earn Big Ten honors. This man is an absolute giant and even though he looks like a refrigerator, he's actually not fat at all. Hide your children. If Jack Crawford can get back to his old form and some of this young speed rushers can fill in for the injured Pete Massaro, this defense could be something special.

The biggest difference this year is that Penn State is flying under the radar. But I see them. My radar sees them. I guess that's kind of my job, but regardless...everyone looks at this team and sees a few question marks and dismisses them as mediocre. But what about Alabama? They lost their starting quarterback, and their best receiver (although they have probably the best running back in the world), and they're sitting pretty at #2. I'm fine with it though. This team will surprise people. There's so much talent. As for this game that's being played this week...I don't expect it to be too tough and Silas Redd will probably run for close to 200 yards. It will be nice to see Beachum back on the field and will be a huge contributor.

What can I say? It's the most exciting time of year and I just wrote a small book. A pamphlet. Let's get this thing started. Lions roll 49-3. Get some