Better Later Than Gator

I just realized that we have a bowl game tomorrow.  OK, I didn't JUST realize it.  I knew it was coming up.  But with holiday parties (I'm the entertainment for our office party--I also do Bar Mitzvahs and Birthdays), meeting with the accountant to figure out how much money I didn't make this year, Christmas, Christmas cards, running a football pool, watching NASCAR bowl games and drinking beer, I just didn't realize the game was coming up so soon.  I must also admit I've been distracted by all the Paterno rumors, which I do plan to blog about after the game is over so as not to distract myself any further.

But despite everything going on, the game is tomorrow.  PSU V. UF.  Paterno V. Meyer.  North V. South.  Big Ten V. SEC.  Tastes great V. Less Filling.

So how do we match up with these Gators?

Both teams are 7-5.  Like PSU, the Gators did not beat a ranked team on their schedule (PSU did beat THEM when they were ranked 25th in one poll, but who's counting?)

Here's how Florida fared:

Team	Result
Miami(OH)	W 34-12
South Florida	W 38-14
Tennessee	W 31-17
Kentucky	W 48-14
Alabama	L 31-6
LSU	L 33-29
Miss State	L 10-7
Georgia	W 34-31 OT
Vanderbilt	W 55-14
South Carolina	L 36-14
App. State	W 48-10
F$U	L 31-7

In the only common opponent, at Alabama, neither PSU nor Florida fared well.

In terms of NCAA rankings, here are how the two teams compare:

NCAA Stats Comparison
Category:	Penn St.	Florida
Rushing	75	44
Passing Offense	52	85
Total Offense	68	79
Scoring Offense	80	48
Rushing Defense	76	26
Turnovers Gained	104	34
Passes Had Intercepted	55	47
Pass Defense	23	13
Net Punting	24	1
Punt Returns	52	53
Kickoff Returns	55	4
Turnover Margin	62	62
Fumbles Recovered	95	86
Passes Intercepted	83	11
Fumbles Lost	3	107
Turnovers Lost	18	91
Passing Efficiency	66	85
Pass Efficiency Defense	79	23
Total Defense	45	9
Scoring Defense	40	31
Fewest Penalties Per Game	3	111
Fewest Yards Penalized Per Game	3	94
Punt Return Yardage Defense	43	71
Kickoff Return Yardage Defense	42	34
Offense Third-down Efficiency	42	73
Offense Fourth-down Efficiency	75	63
Defense Third-down Efficiency	8	54
Defense Fourth-down Efficiency	14	86
Tackles for Loss	87	41
Offense Tackles for Loss	6	74
Pass Sacks	101	76
Pass Sacks Allowed	12	60
Time of Possession	44	90
First Downs	66	68
First Downs Allowed	35	26
Red Zone Efficiency	76	116
Red Zone Efficiency - Defense	118	53
Average NCAA Rank:	52.16	57.54
Weighted Avg. Rank:	57.5	42.17

Penn State has a slight edge in average overall ranking, but the weighted rank, which gives more weight to important categories like Total Offense and Defense, and less emphasis to categories like total penalties, we see that Florida has the better team on paper.

Neither offense is very good, but PSU has a slight edge, especially in scoring.  Uncharacteristically, the PSU defense is struggling this year and the numbers reflect that.  Florida has the edge here and defense is usually the more important factor in winning these games.

But what about the intangibles?

Will the Florida players be motivated to send Urban off with a win?  Or will the uncertainty of their future and the hoopla surrounding the resignation be a distraction?

For Penn State, are the rumors true?  Will Paterno step down afterward?  (I don't think so.)  Are the rumors a distraction, or will they fire up the team the way it seems to have fired up both Joe AND Sue Paterno?

Paterno has done well in bowl games over his career.  Generally if you give Joe enough time, he will have his team prepared.  There have been exceptions to this rule, including the last bowl game against Florida, although PSU played without two of its star players in that match-up.

Penn State is 0-2 all-time versus Florida.

The line favors Florida by 7.5 points.

I think Paterno finds a way to put things together, hopefully using the bowl game as a springboard to a great season next year.  I pick PSU in a close one--somewhere around 20-17.

GO STATE!  BEAT GATORS!

Anthony "Zettles" on State

According to many sites, including The Detroit News.com, Anthony Zettel has chosen Penn State over THEM, MSU, and Iowa.

Standout defensive end Anthony Zettel, who played at Ogemaw Heights High in West Branch, Mich., will play college football at Penn State, according to several recruiting Web sites.

Zettel, the nation's No. 65 prospect according to Rivals.com, made the announcement Tuesday night. He also was ranked No. 3 in the state by the Web site.

Zettel had 113 tackles, including seven sacks, and he forced four fumbles during his senior season.

BSD has a nice write up complete with videon highlights of Zettel.

Welcome to Penn State, Anthony!

Buckeyes Busted

I am quite surprised by the recent NCAA punishment of five Buckeye players for, among other things, selling merchandise to raise cash.  Doesn't Ohio State pay these players enough already?

From ESPN:

Pryor and four teammates were suspended Thursday by the NCAA for the first five games of next season for selling championship rings, jerseys and awards. They also received improper benefits -- from up to two years ago -- from the tattoo parlor and its owner.


Pryor must repay $2,500 for selling his 2008 Big Ten championship ring, a 2009 Fiesta Bowl sportsmanship award and his 2008 Gold Pants.

Herron must repay $1,150 for selling his football jersey, pants and shoes for $1,000 and receiving discounted services worth $150.

Posey must repay $1,250 for selling his 2008 Big Ten championship ring for $1,200 and receiving discounted services worth $50.

Adams must repay $1,000 for selling his 2008 Big Ten championship ring. Thomas must repay $1,505 for selling his 2008 Big Ten championship ring for $1,000, his 2008 Gold Pants for $350 and receiving discounted services worth $155.

A sixth player, freshman linebacker Jordan Whiting, must sit out the first game of the 2011 season and pay $150 to a charity.

Smith said the punishment should be mitigated because of how the players used the money they received.

Pryor's high school coach, Ray Reitz, told ESPN's Joe Schad that Pryor sold items because "he wanted to help his mother."

Oh, it's for his mother.  Just like Cam's money was for his father's church.  That makes it all right.  Or not.

Smith was asked how getting money for their families jibed with getting free or cut-rate tattoos.


"The discount on tattoos is not as big as the other pieces," he said. "I'm not trying to make those two the same. But the cash was relative to family needs."

Nice.  Real nice.  I feel dirty just reading about it.

The NCAA did not suspend the players for Jan. 4 Sugar Bowl against the Razorbacks because they "did not receive adequate rules education during the time period the violations occurred."

So if any of these guys decide to go to the NFL, they basically won't have any on-field penalty.  Nice.  real nice.  I guess they won't suspend them from the bowl game because stupidity is a valid defense.  That, and the Buckeyes really need them to be competitve.

The Dynasty Lives On

The Penn State Women's Volleyball team won their FOURTH consecutive NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP tonight, defeating Cal 3-0 in straight sets.

Congratulations women!

WE ARE . . .  PENN STATE!

New Logo Unveiled

From the conference that can't count--the same one that gives you the Land Grant Trophy-- comes the new Big Ten 10 16 Logo!  Read all about it here.

Thanks to Tiffany Brewster, a sixth grader at State College Elementary for her winning submission.

Seriously?  How much did they pay for that design?

At least the old logo paid homage to the fact that there were 11 teams, by ingeniously hiding the 11 in the background.  This one--well there's nothing hiding there except maybe a 16.  Is that a clue about the future?

EDSBS has a detailed analysis of the new logo.  "Those are clearly boobs."

And what do you think about the conference divisions--the Legends and the Leaders.  They sound like WNBA or lame soccer team names.

At least they named the championship trophy after Paterno--the Stagg-Paterno Trophy.  Ted Kwalick is also named on the tight end trophy, and Courtney Brown for Defensive Lineman of the Year.

Urban Renewal--NOT!

Trying to keep up with Pitt and Wannstedt, Urban Meyer has AGAIN announced his retirement from college football, nearly a year from his last retirement.

Per ESPN:

Florida coach Urban Meyer says he is leaving one of the premier jobs in college football for the second time to spend more time with his family.


Meyer's announcement caught players, fans and the rest of college football by surprise.


Meyer called assistant coaches, many of whom were on the road recruiting, earlier this week to relay the news. Quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler told the AP he was "stunned" and that no one saw this coming.

Meyer will coach his last game for Florida in the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl against Penn State in Tampa.


[This] season ended with an embarrassing 31-7 victory to Florida State, Meyer's first loss to the rival Seminoles.

After that game, Meyer vowed to fix the Gators' problems.

So does that mean the problem is Meyer himself, since he promised to fix the problems . . . or can you just not trust him?  You decide!

Wannstedt Fired

According to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and ESPN, Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt has resigned.

Per the Post Gazette:

Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt resigned under pressure today, it was announced at an emotional press conference at the team's UPMC Southside facility.

According to multiple sources, it was not Wannstedt's decision to resign and he was forced out by the university administration.

An emotional Wannstedt, who will remain as the special assistant to athletic director Steve Pederson, addressed the media and had a written statement.

ESPN adds:

Wannstedt's tenure was marked by upset losses to teams such as Ohio University and Bowling Green and a failure to play in a BCS bowl -- something the Panthers did under lame-duck coach Walt Harris before Wannstedt took over in 2005. Wannstedt went 42-31 in six seasons, including a 26-12 mark from 2008-10 that is Pitt's best for a three-season stretch since 1981-83.


Pitt won only one bowl game under Wannstedt, beating North Carolina 19-17 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl last season.


Pederson, who returned to Pitt in 2007 after first serving in the job from 1996-2002, also was concerned about numerous no-shows at Heinz Field. The announced attendance often was far larger than the actual attendance, and the Panthers had few sellouts under Wannstedt. Pitt was 4-2 at home this season, with blowout losses to West Virginia and Miami (31-3).

This will be Pederson's first national coaching search since his failed hiring of Bill Callahan at Nebraska in 2004, a move that followed the surprise firing of Frank Solich following a 9-3 season.

Personally, I'm going to miss Wanny, although I have no idea what a special assistant to Pederson means.  Does that mean he's in charge of donuts and coffee?

G'Day Mate!

Penn State is heading to the Outback Bowl to face the Florida Gators.  Bon Appetit!

Buying A Tiger

From cwashpt on YouTube:

Late Wrap Up

The Land Grant Trophy is a piece of hardware that seemingly penalizes the winner, who has to look at its boxy visage like an item of furniture that destroys the feng shui of a room. It almost makes losing to Michigan State a good thing, not having that contraption on campus any longer.

But that is about the only good thing I can find to say about this game.

Due to a scheduling snafu, I was actually vacationing in Orlando at Universal Studios, while Penn State played this game. I found out just prior to boarding the Simpson’s ride that Penn State lost.

As such, it was not until Wednesday that I was able to review the game.

So what happened? On the first play of the game, Baker rushed right up the middle for 16 yards. And just when it looked like Penn State was going to make a defensive stand and force a third and long, Devon Still got tagged for a blow to the helmet/head on the QB. He did it. He got flagged. But PSU uncharacteristically got flagged 8 times for 67 yards in this game. Personally, I think the flags in college and the fines in the NFL are getting out of hand. Are we playing flag football or what? But that is a rant for another day.

Fast forward. Fast forward. Score. The Spartans made it look easy. If I didn’t already know the outcome, I’d be worried we were going to lose by a lot.

Silas Redd bobbled the kickoff and ended up short of the 20. No help there.

McGloin promptly hits Brackett in the flat for a big gain to the 40. Royster folls with a nine yard run. We’re looking good. Toss sweep gets a first down and more. A 25-yard strike to Devon Smith gets the ball to the 16. Red dances to the 10. If I didn’t know the outcome already, I’d say we look like we could win this game.

But then a delay of game and a well defended screen later left PSU in long yardage. McGloin nearly got intercepted and Penn State had to settled for the field goal.

Michigan State starts with good field position at the 36. But the drive would yield nothing thanks to the tight end dropping a wide open pass from Cousins. Punt and touchback sets State up at the 20.

Penn State punts. Huh? What? I must have fallen asleep. Rewind. False start. Rewind. False start. Penn State overcame the first, but not the second. But McGloin was close to making the connection to Moye that could have changed this game around. Close, but no Land Grant Trophy. As it was, Penn State punted; touchback.

At this point, Penn State is 4 points down to the 10th ranked team in the country. I’m not pleased with the penalties, but we seem to be able to move the ball well. We got a break from the Spartan tight end dropping what could have been a big play, but all in all, we’re in this thing.

Would Fera have been able to pin the Spartans deep? Who knows?

Sparty would drive the ball 80 on eight plays highlighted by a double reverse that put them up 14-3. (Didn’t that look like holding against Stephen Morris? I reviewed it even though it isn’t reviewable!) Blown coverage on the TD pass. I just shake my head.

Missed opportunities continued as Bracket let one go off his hands that would have resulted in a first down and a big gain. With the drop, McGloin scrambled on the next blitz, made the pass, but it was well covered and PSU had to kick.

More mistakes—running into the kicker. Didn’t cost us points or field position, but it killed any chance at building momentum, took time off the clock forcing the hurry up offense and wears down our defense. But down 14-3, the game was still winnable.

Taking the opening half possession, McGloin connected with Brown for 26 yards and Penn State appeared on the move. But then the short yardage, tight sphincter bug bit Penn State yet again, unable to convert a second and three into a drive sustaining first down. In one sense, I’m pleased we just didn’t try to shove it up the middle two straight plays. And while the toss play may not have been the best choice in that instance, it had worked earlier, but Michigan State defended it well.

The defense actually comes up with a three and out stop, thanks in part to an overthrow on an open receiver by Cousins, but Penn State cannot capitalize and goes three and out on the next possession.

When I initially read about this game, I was disappointed with the defense. OK—I still am. But the third quarter of this game was a study in offensive frustration that saw Penn State yield great field position on successive ineffective drives until the Spartans, now with great field position could capitalize where Penn State could not. Never mind that McGloin had consecutive 300+ yard passing games. The bottom line was the offense did nothing to help the Penn State D and eventually, the better team took control.

Apparently Penn State plays better in a deep hole, because the Lions came back with a quick, 6 play, 74 yard drive to make the score 21-10 early in the fourth quarter. BUT . . . I did not have the same feeling at this time like I had at halftime of the Northwestern game. Time was running short and Penn State’s D needed to rise to the challenge.

It could not. MSU answered with a 9 play 68 yard drive that featured four straight runs by Baker to set up a short TD pass from Cousins.

But the team did not stop fighting, although the Spartans did their best to keep Penn State in this game. A fumble by Baker allowed Penn State to pull within a touchdown, but not without drama. MSU would intercept McGloin in the end zone, but instead of taking the touchback, Robinson ran the ball out just to have it snatched away by Moye, who made an entire highlight reel out of the final two minutes of this game. Moye finally caught the touchdown pass, but special teams were unable to come up with the on-sides kick.
Game over.

But the season is not over as the Lions have a chance at either a Gator Bowl or an Outback Bowl bid and a New Year’s Day bowl for a 7-5 team is more than you could hope for.

Yet, at 7-5 the season seems less than spectacular. No marquee victories, but a special win over northwestern for #400. Three losses to BCS teams (OSU, MSU and Bama) but two losses to teams with less than stellar records. I like how our guys fought until the very end, but in the final analysis, what fight we had left was due to mistakes by our opponent (two fumbles.) So has this season gone. At times, we look unbeatable. At times, you wonder how we won any games at all.

The defensive front has been a problem most of the season, although injuries have plagued our defense. We just don’t seem to have the killer instinct. Moye can rip the ball away—why can’t our defense? The linebacker corps is improving, but I still don’t see that Connor/Posluszny/Bowman type player yet.

Is the future bright? We certainly have a lot of youth—who now have experience. We have a bowl game to use as a springboard to a great season next year. Can Paterno pull off one more magical season, or will we be faced with frustration and despair yet again?

All I know for sure is this: every time I have counted Paterno out, he has delivered, whether it be miraculous seasons on the field or recovery from injuries/surgery.

That said, I look forward to seeing what rises from the ashes of this season next year.

BY THE NUMBERS:

Damned statistics! Penn State out-gained the Spartans 396-331. But Sparty controlled time of possession by nearly nine minutes and went 3-3 on red zone opportunities. PSU hurt themselves with numerous penalties.

MSU rushed for 163 yards, which goes back to the defensive line I mentioned above.

INTANGIBLES:

Penn State won the toss and deferred.

It is the first time since 1965 that MSU won at Beaver Stadium.

Attendance was 102,649, but from people who were there, the crowd didn’t appear that big and didn’t sound that loud on TV. Sorry guys. I call ‘em like I hear ‘em.

THE BIG (TEN) PICTURE:

Wisconsin appears to have won the Rose Bowl by virtue of being the highest ranked in the BCS at #5. Ohio State shares the Big Ten title for the tenth decade in a row. Always a bridesmaid . . . MSU shares the title with one loss to Iowa. Some things cannot be explained.

SHEDDING TEARS:

1. Boise State—seriously, I was hoping they could bust the BCS.
2. LSU—the glass slipper finally shattered.
3. Alabama—Newtonian physics sucks
4. Iowa—lost to, hee, hee, um, Minnesota. Hee. Hee. Sorry, that is too funny.

LOOKING AHEAD:

Bowl game to be announced.

Land Grant Lost

The Spartans apparently prevailed over Penn State 28-22.  I was unable to see the game and have not had the chance to see it on DVR.  Due to circumstances, I will be unable to recap the game until later in the week--Wednesday or Thursday at the earliest--and by that time it is old news and probably not worth the effort.  We shall see.

Better yet, let me know in the comment section--should I bother to watch the game and is it worth blogging a recap?

MSU - By The Numbers

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I don't have time right now to analyze the stats, but here are the stats from the NCAA site submitted for your approval:

NCAA Stats Comparison
Category:	Penn St.	Michigan St.
Rushing	71	41
Passing Offense	58	39
Total Offense	66	37
Scoring Offense	81	38
Rushing Defense	75	23
Turnovers Gained	107	26
Passes Had Intercepted	64	41
Pass Defense	25	46
Net Punting	9	26
Punt Returns	47	19
Kickoff Returns	40	113
Turnover Margin	65	23
Fumbles Recovered	111	70
Passes Intercepted	74	12
Fumbles Lost	5	26
Passes Intercepted	22	31
Passing Efficiency	71	23
Pass Efficiency Defense	73	28
Total Defense	48	28
Scoring Defense	40	23
Fewest Penalties Per Game	3	92
Fewest Yards Penalized Per Game	1	95
Punt Return Yardage Defense	39	61
Kickoff Return Yardage Defense	43	66
Offense Third-down Efficiency	42	82
Offense Fourth-down Efficiency	87	10
Defense Third-down Efficiency	6	36
Defense Fourth-down Efficiency	22	81
Tackles for Loss	89	76
Offense Tackles for Loss	6	19
Pass Sacks	94	77
Pass Sacks Allowed	11	49
Time of Possession	35	46
First Downs	64	59
First Downs Allowed	30	45
Red Zone Efficiency	75	11
Red Zone Efficiency - Defense	114	13
Average NCAA Rank:	51.7	44.08
Weighted Avg. Rank:	56.83	31.25

Monday Morning Funnies

From Dave Coverly of Speed Bump:

Daily Delivers FedEx Win

Relax.  It's FedEx.

FedEx:  When it absolutely, positively sucks to be Indiana.

Let's be honest, here.  The Hoosiers put up quite a fight for nearly three quarters.  As I mentioned in my preview, they have played some teams tough--they nearly coulda shoulda beat Iowa, and hung in comparable to PSU against Ohio State and Illinois.  But the Hoosiers haven't been able to actually translate their moral victories into real victories.  But then again, neither has Penn State.

The Hoosiers are now winless in the conference.  Winning this game is not exactly something to FedEx home about.  On the other hand, things could have been worse--we could have lost.

And tied at 24 deep in the third quarter, that was a distinct possibility.  Colin Wagner missed a 43 yard field goal that gave Indiana good field position.

But the Hoosiers were unable to move the ball and then a strange thing happened.  Someone stepped up and made a play.

Enter Andrew Daily who blocked the punt while James Van Fleet (fleet of foot!) took the ball in for what would be the winning touchdown.  The spark led to 17 unanswered points offensively, and the defense tightened like a steel trap.  Indiana could manage only two more first downs in the fourth quarter, and Drew Astorino would make an interception that set up a field goal.

This game was a microcosm of the entire season.  At times we played well.  We scored on our first two possessions of the game.  But then we made mistakes--losing yardage on a fourth and one on the opening drive of the second half, and missing a makeable field goal.  Four players were disciplined for being late on the team bus.  The injury bug bit center Doug Klopacz.  Such has been this season.

In the end, Penn State won a game against a team that it should beat.  McGloin continues to look good and run the offense well.  And despite giving up 24 points, the defense did well, holding the Hoosiers to 90 yards rushing on the day and 332 yards in total offense.

BY THE NUMBERS:

Penn State dominated time of possession 37 minutes to 23.  This was keyed at least in part due to going 11 of 17 on third down conversions and 494 yards of total offense.  The Hoosiers high powered offense only managed 4 of 13 on third down conversions.

Penn State is now 14-0 all-time versus Indiana.

INTANGIBLES:

Indiana won the toss and elected to take the ball.

JoePa pads his lead with victory #401.

The crowd, mostly PSU fans, was 78,790.

THE BIG (TEN) PICTURE:

Three teams now have one conference loss and are 10-1 overall:  O$U, Wisconsin, and MSU.

MSU slipped past Purdue 35-31.
Illinois downed Northwestern 48-27.
Wisconsin badgered THEM, beating the wolverines in Ann Arbor 48-28.
The Pro team from Columbus snuck by Iowa 20-17.
Minnesota did not play.

SHEDDING TEARS:

1.  The Hawkeyes.  Sucks to be mediocre, doesn't it?  Yeah, you beat us but we're both 7-4.
2.  Nebraska--lost 9-6 to Texas A&M
3.  USC--trounced 36-7 by Oregon State.  Can they please beat the Irish?
4.  Miami--out hokied 31-17.  The Canes have NEVER been to the ACC championship game.
5.  Mississippi--lost 43-36 to Lucky State U (LSU)

LOOKING AHEAD:

The Spartans come a-knocking with their 10-1 record to Beaver Stadium.  I don't believe they have ever won at Beaver Stadium, but I'm too busy to look that up.  Gametime has been set for noon.

The Spartans only loss came at the hands of Iowa.  Been there and done that!

But their record is deceptive.  Their out of conference foes are laughable:  Western Michigan, Florida Atlantic and Northern Colorado.  Their marquee match-up with Notre Dame went to OT, and the Irish aren't very good this year.

They lost to Iowa as badly or worse than we did.  They did beat Illinois.  And to their credit, they beat the Badgers somehow.  The Spartans do not play Ohio State.
In short, they are a good team, capable of beating a top ten program.  We, on the other hand, look at times like a good team, but unable to beat anyone that has a pulse.  Our marquee win is probably a shootout over THEM in prime time. 

But that all said, I think we have a chance in this game, mainly with home field advantage.  A win would not only give us a boost going into the bowl and next season, but give some legitimacy to this season with a win over a ranked, quality opponent.  A loss just confirms how mediocre this season was.

Weekly Game Guide

It's Thursday night . . . do you know where your Pitt team is playing?

Actually, Washington takes on UCLA tonight on ESPN.  Air Force takes on UNLV.  It's probably on TV somewhere, but no one knows where.

In the Big Ten:

Penn State takes on Indiana at Fed Ex Field in DC.  The Lions are favored by 10.  GO STATE!

Wisconsin travels to Ann Arbor and is a five point favorite.  After seeing how many points the Badgers put up against Indiana, and knowing how great the THEM defense is, I am a bit surprised by that.  GO BADGERS!

MSU takes on Purdue and Sparty is favored by 20.  GO SPARTANS!

The Buckeyes are 3 point favorites over Iowa.  GO HAWKEYES!

Illinois plays Northwestern at Wrigley Field.  The Illini are favored by 7.5.  Go Wildcats!  Yeah, I'm still pissed at that homecoming massacre.

Minnesota has a bye week.   Will anyone notice?

In games played be previous opponents:

Western Michigan is favored by a field goal over Kent State.  GO FLASHES!

Temple lost to Ohio this past Tuesday and plays Miami (OH) next Tuesday.

Alabama plays Georgia State (NL) tonight at 7:30 on ESPN U.

In other games of passing interest:

The Irish are 8.5 point favorites over Army, playing this game in Yankee Stadium.  GO KNIGHTS!

Boise State is a 30.5 point favorite over Fresno State.  The Broncos remind me of Penn State back in the late sixties and early seventies.  A good team getting no respect.  GO BRONCOS!

Nebraska is a 2.5 favorite over Texas A&M.  GO HUSKERS!

Oregon plays Arixona on Friday, Nov. 26.

Pee-king Ahead to Indiana

Penn State travels to DC to face Indiana at Fed Ex Stadium.  The Hoosiers sold out their home game to make some bucks.  I didn't feel like previewing this game after the second half collapse this past weekend.  So here we go.

Indiana to date:

W Towson 51-17
W @ Western Kentucky 38-21
W Akron 35-20
L  THEM 42-35
L  @ OSU 38-10
W Arkansas State 36-34
L @ Illinois 43-13
L Northwestern 20-17
L Iowa 18-13
L @ Wisconsin 83-20

The thing that really jumps out to me is . . . they played AT Western Kentucky?  Holy Crap!  Penn State might play Coastal Carolina, but PSU will never play AT Coastal Carolina.

Anyway, at 4-6, the Hoosiers are a dangerous opponent.  Granted, they beat Arkansas State by 2, but they almost beat Iowa.  They beat Akron 35-20, but Akron has not won a game all season and Temple beat the Zips 30-0.  The Hoosiers hung in comparably with Illinois compared to Penn State, and Ohio State for that matter.

So which Hoosier team shows up Saturday?  The one that almost defeated the Hawkeyes, or the one that got pwned by the Badgers?

Penn State is already bowl eligible.  Indiana must beat both Penn State and Purdue to get six wins.  Indiana has never beaten Penn State in football.

The line is currently is currently 10, with the Lions favored of course.

Injury-wise, Anthony Fera will be out (appendix) and I wonder if we will see Silas Redd (bladder.)  Sean Stanley also has a bladder problem.  Hey!  We put the Pee in Party.  Let's Go PEE ess you.

McGloin will start, but has his confidence been shaken?  Does he still have IT?  Will he have to urinate in public too?

Kick-off is at noon.  Coverage is on the Big Ten Network.

Here's the stats comparison from the NCAA site:

NCAA Stats Comparison
Category:	Penn St.	Indiana
Rushing	71	108
Passing Offense	66	16
Total Offense	74	53
Scoring Offense	89	62
Rushing Defense	83	92
Turnovers Gained	106	106
Passes Had Intercepted	73	73
Pass Defense	19	81
Net Punting	11	98
Punt Returns	67	49
Kickoff Returns	26	37
Turnover Margin	76	91
Fumbles Recovered	107	92
Passes Intercepted	75	86
Fumbles Lost	7	21
Turnovers Lost	31	52
Passing Efficiency	85	62
Pass Efficiency Defense	81	114
Total Defense	52	89
Scoring Defense	38	100
Fewest Penalties Per Game	2	10
Fewest Yards Penalized Per Game	1	27
Punt Return Yardage Defense	49	28
Kickoff Return Yardage Defense	18	106
Offense Third-down Efficiency	55	28
Offense Fourth-down Efficiency	77	80
Defense Third-down Efficiency	8	97
Defense Fourth-down Efficiency	34	37
Tackles for Loss	81	98
Offense Tackles for Loss	5	48
Pass Sacks	98	98
Pass Sacks Allowed	12	12
Time of Possession	47	29
First Downs	73	35
First Downs Allowed	31	53
Red Zone Efficiency	92	41
Red Zone Efficiency - Defense	113	113
Average NCAA Rank:	54.95	65.46
Weighted Avg. Rank:	62.08	80.5

The average NCAA rank is simply the average of all categories.  The weighted average gives more weight to certain categories (like total defense/offense) and less weight to other categories (first downs allowed or penalties.) 

Indiana has a slight edge in offense, but that would appear to be offset by Penn State's better defense.  This is a game Penn State should win, but Indiana can score points and if our offense sputters, things could get ugly.  I still predict a Penn State win.

Major Buck Up

At least we won the first half.

We had two touchdown passes--the first two in Ohio Stadium since joining the Big Ten--in fact, the first passing scores since 1963 in Columbus.

But moral victories are not acceptable at Penn State.

No one expected Penn State to win this game.  In fact, most people were simply hoping the Lions would be competitve.  The oddsmakers had the Buckeyes pegged as 18 point favorites.  Penn State has not played well on the road, and except for a barely ranked THEM team, had not beaten a ranked team yet this year.  Penn State was starting a walk-on gun slinger, perhaps with something to prove.

Meanwhile, their opponent, the hated Buckeyes of Columbus, were tied atop the Big Ten as everyone had expected them to be.  Ranked ninth in the nation with Tyrelle Pryor at the helm who can run faster to the sideline than any other athlete I have ever seen, it did not appear on paper to be a fair match-up.

Despite all this, the lowly Nits came out and punched the Buckeyes in the mouth in the first half.  The Buckeyes moved their opening possession down inside the Penn State 10, and it looked like the rout was already on.  But the Lions tightened up and held OSU to a field goal.  They mounted two scoring drives against one of the Big Ten's better defenses to go up 14-3.  Penn State has not scored more than 13 points in Ohio Stadium since joining the Big Ten.

And then, with time ticking down in the first half and faced with a fourth and two at the OSU 20 yard line, the offense stuttered.  Penn State had previously converted a fourth and one around the thiry on the same drive.  But Silas Redd tried to bounce the play wide and was tackled short.  The score would remain 14-3 going to the locker room.

That might have been the turning point of the game--but I don't think it was.

True--from there, it was a repeat of the Northwestern game, with Penn State playing the role of the Wildcats and the favored home team coming off the ropes to score 35 unanswered points and win the game.  Interestingly, it was a record come from behind win for Tressel, just as last week's comeback tied a record for Paterno's best.

But while many fans are moaning not kicking the field goal, I submit to you that I think Paterno made the right call.  The rest of the game showed that 17 points wouldn't be enough to win.  The Lions were driving and the Buckeye defense was sucking air and back on their heels.  I have watched Penn State play that conservative play-not-to-lose crap for decades and I applaud the staff for having the balls to go for the jugular.

Unfortunately, the Penn State offense lacked the teeth to put the bite on the Bucks.

The Buckeyes took their opening opossession of the second half 92 yards to pull within 4 points.  Then, on our next possession, McGloin threw the obligatory pick six that put the Bucks up for good.

Can we please, please, please, please, for the love of God and all that is holy, please not throw that long out throw to the flat in Ohio Stadium.  Ever again.  Ever.  Never.  It doesn't matter who the quarterback is or who they are throwing to or who the defender is, but the result is always the same. 

It's like watching a horror move where the scantily clad teen investigates the spooky noise when she's all alone in the house and the lights are out.  Don't go there!  I bet if you were on the field when McGloin went back to pass the Ohio State band was probably playing the Halloween theme in the background.

Just.  Don't.  Do.  It.  Don't call that play ever again in the state of Ohio.

That INT turned the game, and maybe it was set-up by the shift in momentum when we eschewed the field goal and came away with nothing.  But we were a different team in the second half on both sides of the ball.  I don't fault McGloin.  I think we became more conservative in the play calling--the second half looked like vintage Paterno playing not to lose. 

But more disconcerting than the pick sixes by the offense was the lack of defense.  The announcers talked about the lack of depth on the defensive side created by multiple injuries and that we couldn't rotate people in like we normally do, but it wasn't the fourth quarter that we started to fade.  It was right after halftime.

Is it strength and conditioning?  Did Ohio State make adjustments and we didn't readjust?  Needless to say, it was a frustrating half of football made all that more bitter by the early success we had.

But at least I don't have to complain about the weather or the refs or open an email from that douchebag "Dick" Foust. 

Moral victories.

BY THE NUMBERS:

Time of possession was close to equal.

PSU was outgained 453 yards to 272.  Most of the Bucks output came in the second half.

Pryor threw one INT--we took possession inside out ten.  PSU threw two picks and both went to the house for scores.

The Buckeyes did not punt the ball in the second half.  We did not kick-off in the second half.

INTANGIBLES:

The Buckeyes lead the overall series 14-12.

The crowd of red numbered 105,466.

THE BIG (TEN) PICTURE:

Northwestern finally pulled their upset, catching the Hawkeyes looking ahead to Ohio State.  The Wildcats won 21-17.

The Badgers absolutely destroyed Indiana 83-20.  Wow.  Just, wow.

THEM beat Purdue 27-16.

Minnesota defeated Illinois for their first conference win, 38-34.

Three teams have but one loss:  Wisconsin, MSU and O$U.

SHEDDING TEARS:

1.  Georgia--gave Auburn an upset alert but couldn't close the deal.  Kind of like . . . nevermind.
2.  Utah--how far does your program have to fall to lose to the Irish?
3.  Florida--lost to South Carolina
4.  Texas--lost to THE OTHER OSU.  At 4-6 they aren't even bowl eligible!
5.  McGloin--what a story if he had been able to orchestrate a win

LOOKING AHEAD:

Indiana at Fed Ex Field in D.C.  Sorry, but I don't even feel like bothering with this right now.

That Ol' Blue and White Magic

Getting Him McGloin-g

Apparently, Matt McGloin took umbrage to Kirk Herbstreit's assumption that the Nittany Lions would have no chance against THEM with McGloin at the helm.

It angered him so much he called him out.  And more importantly, showed Herbstreit on the field that he was wrong.

But the coaching staff still went back to Bolden.  Not a bad move, but the kid couldn't ignite the offense.  Matt McGloin then came into the game and orchestrated a record-tying comeback win against Northwestern, earning the starting job this week.

You'd think folks would know who he is.  Apparently, not everyone, though.

From Cory Giger of the Altoona Mirror:

"We've got pictures all over the place on him, but besides that, no, I never heard of him," Pryor noted. "I'm usually focused on the defense. I've heard a lot about [Rob] Bolden, though."

That may come across as a rude or cocky statement by Pryor . . .

Rude and cocky?  Pryor?  Perish the thought!

We can only hope that Matt McGloin introduces himself to Mr. Pryor and his team Staurday night the same way he showed Herbstreit what he could do.

Give 'em all that, Matt!

Weekly Game Guide

The Nittany Lions are an 18 point dog to the Columbus Pryors.  Can JoePa and Co. follow up a record tying comeback with a record setting upset?  Tressel is 2-4 coming off a bye.  I am cautiously optimistic but I don't know why.

Tonight, the Pitt Panthers take on UConn on ESPN.  The panthers are favored by 5.5 points, but are 0-2 in Thursday night games this year (Utah/Miami).  Let's Go Huskies!

In the Big Ten:

Iowa is a 10 point favorite on the road in Evanston.  GO WILDCATS!

THEM is favored by 13 over the Boilermakers.  GO BOILERS!

The Badgers are favored by 21.5 over the Hoosiers.  Indiana is due to bite someone.  I hope it is this weekend and not the next!  GO HOOSIERS!

The Illini are favored by 21 over the hapless Gophers.  Yeah, whatever.

The Spartans have a bye.

In other games of interest:

Cam Newton is favored by 8.5 over Georgia.  GO BULLDOGS!

Boise State is favored by a lot (34.5) over Idaho.  GO BRONCOS!

Utah is favored by 5.5 over the Irish.  GO UTES!

In games featuring previous PSU opponents:

Alabama is favored by 13.5 over Mississippi State.  GO TIDE!

Temple plays Ohio next Tuesday.  GO OWLS!

Kent State and Army are a pick.  GO FLASHES!

YSU (3-7) play their final game against Indiana State.  GO PENGUINS!

Feeling Left Out

It seems that every other sports site in the world has displayed this video.  I felt left out.  So here it is.

Think McGloin could pull this off?

Can't Get Enough of This

Purple Wane

I never meant to cause you any sorrow.
I never meant to cause you any pain.
I only wanted to one time see you laughing.
I only wanted to see you laughing in the purple wane.

As darkness fell and the cold chill of November swept through Beaver Stadium, the Nittany Lions mounted a record tying comeback in Joe Paterno’s already historied tenure to notch victory #400 for the Old Lion King.

A combination of inconsistent offense and virtually non-existent defense had Penn State in a 21-0 hole with but fifty seconds to go in the first half of play. The chances of celebrating win #400 were as bright as the clouded and darkening sky that fortunately only dropped mist and a few tiny pellets of sleet on the 104,147 fans.

But comebacks do happen. The program itself came back from the dark years of 2003 and 2004. The Lions were down 14-0 to #1 Pitt before surging to a 48-14 victory in 1981. Kerry Collins led Penn State on a 95 yard scoring drive against Illinois, the #1 rated defense in the Big Ten—in 1994 on the road in Champaign to preserve an undefeated season. And in 2001, Zack Mills rallied his team from an 18 point deficit to give Joe Paterno his 324th win, breaking Bear Bryant’s record.

So is it really surprising that this milestone not come with some drama?

The Prince of Persa was slicing and dicing the Penn State defense like a Ginzu knife through butter. He was like a chef in those Japanese restaurants, throwing knives around with flashes of steel and vegetables and serving a dish of points to the sparse purple clad crowd that made the trip from Evanston.

Sitting in the stadium, we had no way of knowing that Mr. Persa's parents were in attendance.  But apparently the television audience was reminded a couple of times.  From what I understand, there was more coverage of his parents than there were commercials.  Think about that.

Northwestern had just capped a 7 play, 66 yard drive with a one-handed circus catch in the back of the end zone to make the score 21-0. With less than a minute to play, Penn State could take a knee and run out the clock, try to find a way to make some yards to get a field goal without risking another costly turn over, or . . .

Let’s be honest. No one except maybe Matt McGloin was thinking there was a third possibility. But he ran the two minute offense in 47 seconds, finding Brett Brackett in the back of the end zone to pull State to within 14 points heading into the locker room.

But the late score energized the crowd. It energized the defense. It turned the game around, but I submit to you, dear reader, that the player of the game—the one responsible for this remarkable turnaround—was Hunter Bates in purple and white, the guy that sacked Bolden and caused the fumble. If I were in the habit of handing out proverbial game balls, he would have one right now. That play got Bolden out of the game. Although he struggled a bit initially, McGloin came into the game after that disastrous play and the rest is, dare I say, HISTORY.

What happened at halftime?

A. Team received a talk from Dr. Lou
B. Team went and stayed at a Holiday Inn Express
C. Sue served carbo-loading spaghetti

McGloin’s presence and confidence is infectious. His teammates talk about how he is a calming influence in the huddle. He cracks a joke to lighten the tension. Whatever he does, I wish IT could be bottled and sold. I am a big fan of Rob Bolden, but this McGloin kid has IT, that intangible quality or spark to just make things happen.

Behind this new leader, the Lions came out and took the second half opening possession 84 yards on 14 plays to bring the score to within a mere 7 points. Sitting in the stadium, you could just feel IT. Whatever that kid had, IT was radiating throughout the hallowed structure. The fans were back into the game. They were on their feet. The kids were making plays on both sides of the ball. What had minutes ago in clock time been an insurmountable mountain, was now a realistic goal. You could FEEL the momentum swinging. You could sense that this team was on the cusp of greatness.

The defense rose to the occasion and stuffed the Wildcats, forcing a three and out. In fact, the Wildcats would get only one first down in the third quarter of play, with less than two minutes left on the clock. Penn State owned the third quarter and scored on five consecutive possessions that started with that seemingly innocent 47 second drive to close the first half. THIRTY-FIVE UNANSWERED POINTS. Northwestern was shut out the second half. Paterno got win #400 and a much-deserved ceremony at the end.

Here’s the stadium tribute to Joe Paterno.

Here’s the 400 Win Celebration Site.

Congratulations Joe! And let’s beat Ohio State!

BY THE NUMBERS:

Penn State outgained Northwestern 528 to 369 yards.

McGloin went 18 for 29 for 229 yards and 4 touchdowns. Silas Redd scored the fifth TD.

Evan Royster rushed for 137 yard on 25 carries, while Redd gained 134 on 11 totes.

Penn State punted only 3 times. Fera had two kick-offs downed in the end zone.

#400—speaks for itself.

INTANGIBLES:

The drum major stuck both flips. PSU won the toss and deferred.

Paterno was carried by his team to the makeshift podium at the south end of the field. Paterno is 8 behind Eddie Robinson and 76 behind John Gagliardi of St. Johns, but stands alone among FBS schools.

PENN STATE IS NOW BOWL ELIGIBLE!

THE BIG (TEN) PICTURE:

In a wild shoot out in Ann Arbor, THEM edged Illinois 67-65 after the Illini failed to convert a two-point conversion in triple OT. I guess since the Big Ten has 12 teams now, we’ll have to start playing defense like the Big XII.

Michigan State beat Minnesota 31-8.

Indiana dropped a pass in the end zone that would have beaten the Hawkeyes, but they held on to win 18-13.

Wisconsin topped Purdue 34-13.

SHEDDING TEARS:

1. Alabama—lost to LSU 24-21.
2. Texas got pounded by Kansas State 39-14
3. F$U lost to North Carolina 37-35
4. Oklahoma got beat by A&M 33-19
5. Utah dropped their first game 47-7 to TCU

LOOKING AHEAD:

This is the Big One, Elizabeth. The Lions travel to Columbus for a showdown at 3:30 next Saturday.

Can they win? Of course they can. Will they? Aye, there’s the rub.

I didn’t think we stood a chance in the pre-season, and thought we had even less a chance after we actually played some early games. BUT . . .

If Pryor makes some mistakes—and as good an athlete as he is, he does that sometimes—and Penn State comes out playing 4 quarters of football like we played the last two, then all bets are off.

I think you have to go with McGloin as the starter. He has the hot hand and that special IT thing that gets the offense moving. I don’t think he can turn around 21 points against a team like the Buckeyes, so we have to come out playing full tilt and not get into that kind of hole. Then again, maybe the kid plays better under pressure.

Either way, I am actually looking forward to this game. And I couldn’t have honestly said that two weeks ago.

ESPN College Gameday will be in Columbus as well.

GO STATE! CRACK NUTS!

Look Around

"Look around . . ."



"Let's Go Beat Ohio State!"

AMEN!

Congratulations Joe on WIN # 400, an exciting 35-21 win over the Northwestern Wildcats.

Me-Cheat-Again Hit with Probation

According to ESPN, the NCAA has added a third year of probation to the THEM's self-imposed penalty for exceeding practice hour limits.

The NCAA added a a third year of probation Thursday for practice and training violations, but didn't decide that Rodriguez had failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance with NCAA rules.


The NCAA also ordered Rodriguez to attend a rules seminar.


Michigan announced in May that self-imposed sanctions included probation for two years and reduced training time by 130 hours over two years, double the amount of time by which the Wolverines exceeded NCAA rules.

The school admitted in May it was guilty of four violations and defended Rodriguez against a fifth charge in August.


Michigan's self-imposed sanctions included reprimanding Rodriguez and six others, trimming the number of assistants -- the so-called quality-control staff -- from five to three and banning them from practices, games or coaching meetings.
"There will be no appeals," he [athletic director Dave Brandon] said.

Rules Seminar?  Is this like an AA meeting? 

My name is Rich Rodriguez . . . and I'm a cheater.

Hi Rich!

Weekly Game Guide: The 400 Edition

Penn State is a 6 point favorite over the Northwestern Wildcats.  Can this team bring Paterno #400?  I believe they can.  GO STATE!

Around the Big Ten:

Iowa is a 17 point favorite over Indiana.  GO HOOSIERS!

THEM is a 3.5 point favorite over the Illini.  Although it would probably be more beneficial for us for the Illini to lose, I can't bring myself to root for THEM.  GO Illini!

The Badgers are 20 point favorites over Purdue.  Can the Boilers pull the upset?  I doubt it, but I'll be pulling for them anyway.

Michigan State is 24 point faves over the Gophers.  Can you "gopher" that?  Go Gophers!

The Buckeyes naturally have a week off before playing us.  Of course, that week off didn't help THEM that much.

In games featuring previous opponents:

Alabama is a 6.5 favorite over LSU.  ROLL TIDE!

Kent State is a 3.5 point underdog to Temple.  GO OWLS!

YSU plays Illinois State (NL).  The Penguins are 3-6.  Go Penguins!

PSU Pregame Experience

Posted by a Blue Band Member . . .

Virtual Seating

With major changes in seating coming up, season ticket holders can explore Beaver Stadium seating and even see what kind of view you would have from a given section.

Here is the link to Virtual Venue.

Now, if they only accepted Virtual Dollars.

Trick & Treat

On a dark Halloween evening, with scary ghouls like Denard Robison scaring fans and players alike, it was a wily old coach who pulled a trick out of his bag with a fake field goal to seal the deal on a shoot out that made Beaver Stadium look like the OK Corral.  The Lions out lasted the Wolverines 41-31 before an energetic crowd and student white-out.

For Penn State, it was redemption.  It was a win to salvage an otherwise dismal season.  It was a prime time victory as the underdog going up against a ranked--albeit 25th in only one poll--team.  It was another payback for a string of losses at the hands of the Evil Empire Up North.  A win over THEM is ALWAYS a wonderful and special thing.

We sat near some UM fans, wearing those winged helmet things.  Their attitude summed up the fan base as I have had the displeasure of meeting to date.  Before THEM kicked their field goal, they were mouthing off that UM would NOT kick a field goal.,  They didn't have a field goal kicker.  They would go for it.  When they did line up to kick the field goal, these two buffoons "couldn't watch."  "Here comes the shank."  The guy split the uprights.

These fans of THEM are the same ones that all week talked about how bad their defense was, and how nervous they were about this game . . . . but deep down inside they already had this W chalked up.  It was lip service and nothing less.  They truly expected to win.  They own Penn State after all.  They were stunned that they did not win.

But stunned they should be.  A third string quarterback on a middle of the pack Big Ten team just beat THEM.  The betting line was only 2.5 points, but from reading the message boards and listening to the analysts this week, you would have thought THEM was favored by 7 touchdowns.  I'm surprised Penn State even bothered to show up.

But show up we did.  With our pathetic offensive line that allowed only one sack.  With our struggling running back who set a school record for career yardage.  With our third string QB walk-on, the first walk-on QB to ever start a game at Penn State, who calmly led this team to 41 points and nary an interception or turn-over.  With our addled, elderly and befuddled coach that sadly the game has passed by.

Mere words cannot express the joy and pleasure this game brought to a Penn State fan like me, and I am sure to millions across the country.   The two THEM fans did not return to their seats after halftime.  I didn't miss them.

Penn State won this game in several key areas.  First, they came out pumped and excited and tempered that with confidence.  Granted, our offense performed well because of their poor defense, but we could just as easily have struggled to put up 21 points on the board the way we played against the Illini.  Yes--they have a royally awful, putrid defense.  But we took advantage of that as well as we could.  We brings me to key point number two . . .

We had a great game plan.  We passed on first down!  We didn't force McGloin to hand off the ball and play into what little strength THEM had on defense.  Eight different receivers caught passes.  Other teams torched their secondary, and we likewise took advantage of that.  There are very few games in this particular series where our gameplan helped us win the game.  This was one of them.

McGloin silenced his critics.  He was key to this victory.  He did not flinch.  He attacked.  His run to secure a first down was not as athletic as his counterpart in piss yellow and blue, but it was wonderful to watch and it kept the drive alive.  Is there a QB controversy brewing at Penn State?  Probably not.  I suspect Bolden will be back when medically cleared.  But our depth at that position is no longer a question mark or concern.

Receivers hung onto balls.  Royster twisted and strained and second- and third-efforted his way to a first down on a fourth and short, with a will that could not be denied.  Zordich blew into the end zone like a locomotive on fire.  This was a team that was playing to win and that alone made me proud, regardless of outcome.

Defensively, we held the wolverines to a three and out on their first possession.  This may have been the biggest key to victory--keeping THEM off the board first.

When we scored to make it 21-10, there was over three minutes left on the clock.  I turned to my friend and lamented that we left way too much time for Robinson.  But on the ensuing kick-off, THEM fumbled the ball out of bounds at the two, and our defense pinned back their ears.  They forced a second three and out in the half, and PSU took over with a short field after the punt.  We iced the deal with another score before the half making it 28-10.  This was huge because I think it took THEM out of their gameplan and forced them away from Robinson on the ground as much.

When Robinson pulled his team within a touchdown, Penn State answered back with a field goal that Wagner drilled to keep us up two scores.  Like Michael Myers and Jason, this Penn State team would not die.  But neither did the beast on the other side of the ball.

The fake field goal was another key play.  It did not change the score in the game, but THEM had used their final time out just prior to the snap.  There was 3:44 still on the clock, and plenty of time for a quick Robinson strike and on-side kick that would send the stomach acid level to heart burn proportions.  But Wagner made the first down, and it was not easy.  He had to cut the play outside and sprint to the sideline to make enough yardage, but like so many players before him--Zordich, McGloin, Royster--he willed himself to make the yardage.  Penn State kept possession and the frighteningly quick Robinson never got the chance to try on the glass slipper.

The crowd was fantastic!  Thanks to the crowd noise, Robinson had to burn a timeout early in the third quarter, which left them with only two during crunch time.  On the third and fourth down plays on THEM's final possession, the stadium noise was as loud as any other time, though not as sustained as Nebraska in 2002 or Ohio State in 2005.  This game rates a close third, though.

The only disappointment of the night were the empty seats in the student section.  (And yes, there looked to be some in the upper deck of the south end zone.)  But for the students--the so-called best student section in the country--this is unacceptable.  What are the excuses this week?  Apparently, there must be a lot of tests on Monday for which you had to study.  The senior and junior sections NEVER filled up.  It is NOT a problem of getting in.  There was a facebook movement--Project 7--that apparently failed to get the student section filled before the game.  But to the students who did show up--great job!

All in all, the night was a fabulous night to treasure and remember.  A real sweet Halloween treat!

BY THE NUMBERS:

Penn State only punted twice in the game.

Penn State amassed 27 first downs to 19 for THEM.

Our beleagured D held THEM to 432 yards, nearly 100 less than they were averaging.  We actually outgained them by 12 yards!

NO turn-overs in the game by either squad.

On third down conversions, they were 6 of 13 while we were 10-16.  We were 2-2 on fourth down and held THEM to 1-3 on fourth.

Penn State won time of possession 37:29 to 22:31.  A-maize-ing!

INTANGIBLES:

The drum major stuck both flips and PSU won the toss and deferred. 

JoePa notched win #399.

Crowd attendance was 108,539.  Imagine if the student section had been full!

Evan Royster took the lead as all-time rusher in Penn State history.  Congratulations Evan!

THE BIG (TEN) PICTURE:

Michigan State fell at Iowa 37-6.  Wow.  Just . . . wow.

Illoinois defeated Purdue 44-10.

Northwestern edged Indiana 20-17 but Wildcat QB Persa left the game with an apparent concussion.

The Buckeyes blasted Minnesota 52-10.  Aren't they great?

Wisconsin had a bye.

Four teams have one loss in the conference:  MSU, Iowa, Wisconsin and OSU.

SHEDDING TEARS:

1.  Notre Dame--lost to Tulsa 28-27 after throwing an INT in the endzone with 36 seconds left.
2.  Sparty--whacked by Iowa
3.  Missouri--beaten by Nebraska 31-17
4.  F$U--fumbled away a chance to beat NC State
5.  WVU--lost to UConn for the first time ever.

LOOKING AHEAD:

Northwestern comes to Beaver Stadium next Saturday for a 3:30 kickoff.

Here is how the Wildcats have played to date:

W Vanderbilt 23-21
W Illinois State 37-3
W Rice 30-13
W Central Mich 30-25
W Minnesota 29-28
L Purdue 20-17
L Michigan State 35-27
W Indiana 20-17

In the only common opponent  to date, they struggled more with Minnesota.  They led for much of the game against Sparty, but apparently MSU is reverting back to their old form after losing to Iowa badly this weekend.

None of their wins are against opponents with a winning record (Indiana is at .500).

Granted, our resume is not much better, but Temple has a winning record, as does THEM.  Our team has shown some improvement for the first time this season, and NW may be without their starting QB depending on the concussion injury.

I predicted this a win in the pre-season, and I stand by that.  Of course, I would have had JoePa winning #400 against the wolverines, but better late than never.

GO STATE!  BEAT WILDCATS!

SAVOR THE MOMENT:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

ENJOY!

Better Late than Never

My ISP was down last night, so the Weekly Game Guide is a day late and a dollar short.

F$U lost to NC State last night, fumbling in the red zone on what should have been a game winning drive.  Ponder fumbled after brushing against his own teammate.  NC State won 28-24.  Watching F$U lose isn't as much fun without Bobby on the sidelines--but almost.

Tonight, the big least showcases WVU against UConn.  The Neer's are favored by 6.  But who cares?

In the Big Ten:

PSU is a 2.5 point dog to the wolverines.  GO STATE!  BEAT THEM!

The Buckeyes travel to Minnesota and are huge favorites--25.5 points.  GO GOPHERS!

Illinois is a 15 point favorite over Purdue.  GO BOILERS!

Iowa is a 4 point fave over the undefeated Spartans.  GO SPARTY!

Northwestern is but a 3 point favorite over Indiana.  Pick your poison here.

Wisconsin has a bye.

Previous Opponents:

Temple is a 27 point fave over Akron.  Go Owls!

Kent State is a 9 point favorite over Ball State.  Go Flashes!

The Crimson Tide have a bye week before facing LSU.

YSU (3-5) face off against Northern Iowa this week.

Other games of remote interest:

Tulane is a 9.5 underdog to Notre Dame.  Go Green Wave!  oops that's Tulsa--Go Golden Hurricanes!

Auburn is an 8.5 favorite on the road at Ole Miss.  Go Rebels!

Oregon is a 6 point road favorite over the USC Trojans.  Go Ducks!

Monday Funny

You'e probably seen many of the Hitler parodies--where scenes from the movie are taken and the subtitles changed to make a comical skit.  Here's one from YouTube  by American Ale House.

I Can't Gopher That

Nooo.  No can do.

It was a win, and that was about all that could be said about this scrimmage with the Golden Gophers of Minnesota.

And that is what this game felt like--a scrimmage.  We saw lots of players getting playing time--all three quarterbacks for Penn State played.  Penn State never trailed in the game and you never got the sense that we would lose, but the final product was not really what it seemed.

Minnesota outgained Penn State 433 to 351 yards and won time of possession by almost 7 minutes.  They had more first downs (26-17) and Penn State went 2-10 on third down.  They were coached by an interim coach whose career record as a head coach was 20-48.  And in his head coaching debut at Minnesota, Horton heard a boo.  Or two.

Perhaps the turning point of the game came when D'Anton Lynn made an interception in the Gopher endzone when the pesky little varmints were only down by 7.  He returned said interception 58 yards.  Third string QB Matt McGloin then came in and threw a 42-yard bomb to Derek Moye that put the Lions up 21-7 at the half.  That was a 10-14 point turn around right there.

Unfortunately, there was still another half of football to go, and the Nittany Lions were outscored 12-14 in the second half that included a 2 point safety.  Any momentum Penn State gained from that two play series was quashed on the opening drive when the little goofball gophers pushed us (literally--I kid you not) down the field and scored to make it a seven point game once again.  75 yards on 11 plays controlling the clock for over 6 minutes.  Where were our halftime defensive adjustments?  We adjusted the wrong things.

But somehow, we managed not to muck things up and came away with our first Big Ten conference win of the season.  I'll pause whilst you throw confetti, toot your horns and celebrate unabashedly.

Why am I not more happy about this win?  Have you looked at our schedule?  Have you seen any of the other teams left on our schedule play?  Have you seen us play?  Well, then you do the math.  You may only be able to celebrate one more time this season, and I'm not even certain of that.

Worse yet, Bolden may have suffered a concussion, so his status for this week is questionable.  As good as he looked as a passer in this game, he was absolutely awful running the ball.  What's worse, is that I thought our offense would be much better if he were allowed to run more.  I was wrong.  He draws defenders like flies to a dead carcass and the results smell the same.  It's like he sees a hole and then runs away from it like it's going to suck him into some other dimension.

That is not to say there weren't positives in this game.  The only thing worse than this win would have been if we had lost.  At least we didn't screw that up.

I do think the kids came out with a lot more intensity than they did against Illinois--or any other team to date.  It didn't necessarily translate into better play on the lines of scrimmage, but it is a start.

Our third string back-up QB seems just as capable of scoring points as our starter.  Is this good or bad?  It depends on your perspective.  You could argue that this epiphany is more a testament to how bad our starting offense is, as it is proof that our back-ups are just as good.

Despite some doom and gloomers, I do think there is talent on this team.  We see flashes of it every once and a while, like sunshine popping through a gray sky every now and then.  But there are more storm clouds approaching, and the weather is getting colder.  We could really use some more sunshine.  The future may be bright, but the present is still pretty cloudy.

But we are now ninth in a conference of eleven teams.  Is there anything else good we can say about our team at this point?

Oh yeah!  Thank God we don't have to play Wisconsin!

INTANGIBLES:

Joe Paterno notches win #398.  TCF Bank Stadium is the 65th stadium Paterno has coached in during his career.  Who keeps track of things like that?

Attendance was listed as 48,479, but Carolyn Todd was there and said an estimate of 35,000 seemed high for actual bodies in the stands.

Penn State is now 8-4 against the Gophers.

THE BIG (TEN) PICTURE:

Wisconsin rolled over a highly ranked team for the second week in a row, this time knocking off Iowa 31-30 on a fake punt in the fourth quarter and game-winning TD with 1:06 to go in the game.

Michigan State survived a scare by Northwestern, coming from behind on the road to win 35-27.

The Buckeyes rebounded from their loss to the Badgers with a woodshed beating of Purdue, 49-0.

Illinois defeated Indiana 43-13.

So the Spartans stand alone on the Big Ten hill and four teams have only one loss--OSU, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Purdue.  Indiana and Minnesota have yet to win a conference game.

SHEDDING TEARS:

1.  Oklahoma--#1 (BCS) falls for the third straight week as the Sooners are upset by Missouri.
2.  Notre Dame--Navy is really taking this rivalry thing seriously.
3.  Texas--upset by Iowa State for their first win over the Longhorns
4.  LSU--burned by Auburn 24-17
5.  West Virginia--squeezed by the Orange 19-14

LOOKING AHEAD:

The Wolverines of THEM  (as in, THE "M") come to Beaver Stadium for a prime time showdown.  Two things have basically defined their season--1) poor defense and 2) Denard Robinson.  There is no doubt that if Penn State is going to win this game, they will need to neutralize Robinson.

But the Penn State offense will have to show up as well.  It is the immovable object meeting the immovable force.  A poor defense against a poor offense.  Who will win the match-up?  In the pre-season, I liked our chances at home against THEM.  But having actually seen our performance on the field, I don't know if we can pull this one out or not.  I don't think we can win a shoot-out--we don't have the offensive consistency or confidence to do that.  But we cannot expect our defense--certainly not the way they have been playing---to keep THEM off the scoreboard.

The Wolverines cracked the USA Today Poll at #25.  They are 5-2 overall with an identical conference record to us.  Here is their season to date:

W  Connecticut 30-10
W  Notre Dame 28-24
W  U Mass 42-37
W  Bowling Green 65-21
W  Indiana 42-35
L  Michigan State 34-17
L  Iowa 38-28

Their marquee win over the Irish is fading as fast as our marquee victory over Temple.  The Irish are now 4-4 with an OT loss to the Spartans.

Can Penn State come to play next Saturday?  Can we translate some emotion into some execution?  Will Bolden be back, or will we be platooning Newsome and McGloin.  I am actually kind of neutral in this respect--i.e. I don't know which would be better for us.  I do know that Clark didn't do well after a concussion versus the Buckeyes in 2008, so I kind of hope we don't rush things with Bolden this week.  On the other hand, Bolden looked pretty good before his injury. . . I guess we'll have to wait and see.