Life (and football) Goes On

I want to apologize to my faithful legion of readers, small group of readers, some guy in Quincy, MA who actually reads this blog, for the paucity of posts this summer.  I posted a guest column a few weeks ago, but I have not actually posted since May!

In my defense, my dad passed away on July 27th. after suffering multiple strokes.  I have not felt like blogging much.  You can read about my amazing golf ball story on my other blog.

My dad won't be attending games with me for the first time in my life.  He has missed a few games the past couple of years for various reasons.  He pretty much gave up the 8pm games since 2005.  But I always knew he COULD go.  There was a game against Michigan State back in the mid-1990's when we had travel plans to go to Disney.  My dad and I went to the game anyway.  We had to leave before the game was over to make our flight out of University Park Airport.  My daughter asked my wife what would happen if I didn't make it to the airport in time.  She answered, "We're going without him."  When she asked my mom what would happen if Pap Pap didn't make it, my mom replied, "We're going without him."  We did make it.  Barely.

And while I know he will be there in spirit, any son who has lost their dad will tell you it is not the same.

Yet, I find myself looking forward to this season starting.  Perhaps it is the anticipation of James Franklin and the opportunity to see what he can do with this team that many have written off as the "worst year of the sanctions."

Or perhaps it is this article about James Franklin leading Penn State back to glory.

Brick by brick. This is how one of the nation’s premier college football powers will be resurrected. It won’t happen today or tomorrow or even next year, but it will happen. It’s only a matter of time before a small, power-packed foundation grows into something more. You see a family, 16 grown men functioning as a unit. And it’s not just these men. It’s the wives and children who have celebrated the highs and lows in football and in life, at schools and at barbecues. You see this same family expanding, embracing open wounds with open arms, listening to those who have endured unspeakable change before worrying about more pressing football matters. You see a staff that was crafted to work in this very location. It’s as if this group were constructed for this purpose and this purpose alone, and the geographic familiarity is already paying dividends. You see a quarterback with a golden arm, an enormous Band-Aid at a time when it’s needed most. And you see why, eventually, this will all be so much bigger than it is now. You can’t help but admire the bricks being laid, one strategically placed block at a time.

Perhaps it is the news that Braxton Miller will be out for the season.  As if we needed any more of an advantage over those Buckeyes ;)!

Perhaps it is the news that the Holier-Than-Everyone-Else Notre Dame is investigating 4 football players for academic fraud.  Slightly amusing.  Probably deserved.  But after the glass house built by the media and Jerry Sandusky, it's really tough to pick up a stone right now.  But maybe I'll have some fun with this later.

Perhaps it is Penn State's 6th ranked recruiting class (according to Rivals) which beats the nearest Big Ten competitor by 10 slots.  If Franklin can coach half as good as he can recruit . . .

Perhaps it's the report that an Icelandic Volcano could threaten the travel plans for the match-up in Ireland against UCF.  I blame this on Joel Myers.  It's weather related--volcanic ash or some sort of excuse.

Or maybe it's this copy of a letter supposedly written by Peggy Bauer Glaser to Dr. Barron:

Whereas in 2012 the NCAA, based on the flawed Freeh report, criticized Joe Paterno and others for not investigating the allegations of Sandusky's sexual abuse of a child, now the NCAA is saying that no members of athletics should attempt to direct or intervene in a sexual abuse investigation. So now, they have concluded that Joe Paterno was correct in reporting the allegation and then stepping aside. If you will read my letter from 2012, that is exactly what Joe Paterno should have done--and what he did.  So Joe Paterno was fired for doing what he should have done from an HR policy position and from the ultimate position of the NCAA. 

Whereas in 2012 the NCAA, based on the flawed Freeh report, criticized Joe Paterno and others for allegedly covering up Sandusky's abuse, the Pennsylvania state prosecutor Frank Fina addressed the question of whether or not there was any evidence of the involvement of Joe Paterno in a cover up and he replied that no such evidence was found.So Joe Paterno was fired even though there was no evidence of a cover-up. 

Now is the time to formally recognize Joe Paterno. Recognition can be achieved by such actions as: return the statue, name the stadium field Paterno Field, seek the rightful return the 409 record built by success with honor, seek to overturn the sanctions, adopt a culture of standing up for the University, and let the alumni community know the University also believes in success with honor.  Do the honorable thing. . .

Not going to hold my breath on this, lest I turn bluer than I already am.

I don't know what it is, but I am really looking forward to this season!

What think you????

BUCKEYES GO DOWN AGAIN!

How sweet it is!

Urbie's win streak at THE ohio state went down to MSU and tonight, his undefeated record in BCS games went down as well.

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy and fan base!

Of course, Urban showed remarkable restraint in not punching out any Clemson players.

Clemson wins the Orange Bowl 40-35 with #5 throwing a pick to seal the deal.  Fine job!  well played, sir!

THANK YOU CLEMSON!

URBAN MEYER GOES DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

SPARTANS WIN 34-24!

 

BEST NIGHT OF THE SEASON!

 

THANK YOU MSU!

Crock of B(C)S

 

GO SPARTANS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Awwww Nuts!

First of all, there is probably not another fan out there who wanted Penn State to win more than me.  I trained in Ohio for four years in the heart of Buckeye country (Akron--not Columbus, but no less overzealous or rabid) from 1991-1994--the start of our Big Ten association with the Buckeyes.  Our victory in 1994, ironically enough a 63-14 beat down of the Buckeyes was AFTER I had graduated in May and moved back to Pennsylvania and the comfort of Lion Country.  I used to write a blog for PennLive--I am the founder of the 50-Yard Lion Blog--but was fired unceremoniously from that position after a BUCKEYE FAN complained about a personal email exchange that he initiated.  At the time, that cost me $2400 per year.  If your story of Buckeye misery can beat that--leave it in the comment section.  Perhaps I'll reward the best "worst" story with tickets to a game sometime.

But the above emotion notwithstanding, I am curiously not as enraged as I normally would be.  I have been known to break things after losses.  (I broke our front door off the hinges slamming it after Lloyd Carr stole a win from us in 2005.)  I have not broken a TV . . . yet.  Give me time.  I rode a bus from hell from Ann Arbor after a 14-9 loss and I swear, with God as my witness, had I had a gun, there would have been some dead THEM fans that night, and I would be rotting in a jail cell in Ypsilanti or some other God-forsaken Michigan town.  Probably bankrupt Detroit.  But I digress.

We got our helmets handed to us by the fourth ranked team in the nation.  The Buckeye roster has more stars on it than some small galaxies.  There is no shame in playing your heart out, making mistakes, defying the odds and coming up short--no matter how short that might be.  Even SEVEN touchdowns short.  I really don't want to see the Buckeyes win a National Title, so we must pray that all three (just to be sure because you never know what those BCS computers will do!) of the teams ahead of them continue to win, so we won't have to suffer that.

This is not the first time we were not competitive against this team.  24-6 in 1993.  38-7 in 1996 (when we were ranked 4th and they were 3rd!)  28-9 in 1998.  45-6 in 2000.  28-6 in 2006.  37-17 in 2007.  24-7 in 2009.  38-14 in 2010.  35-23 in 2012.  Despite our 63-14 win in 2004, this series has been lopsided, and our wins have often been by a touchdown or less, while the losses have been ridiculous.  In the Big Ten Era, Ohio State has outscored Penn State 551 to 367 in 21 games.  Ohio State leads the series 14-7 over that span.  That breaks down to 17.5 points per game scored by Penn State, while OSU scores 26.2 per game.

Fans are focusing on the fact that Penn State has given up over 40 points the past three games.  And they have.  Tru dat. 

And so the Sunday Morning Quarterback club has determined that we need a new defensive coordinator.  Perhaps even O'Brien isn't right for the job.  Should he be his own offensive coordinator, or should there be a separate play caller?  The sky is falling!  The sky is falling!

Take a step back from the ledge.  Look around.  Think about this for a minute.  We lost to Lehigh 106-0 in 1889.  Joe Paterno (who?) went 5-5 in his first season.  Thank God we didn't panic then!  We used to have a three-headed monster calling plays based on whoever won the rock-paper-scissors game.  Our defense used to keep us in 6-4 losses!  There are some things I don't miss.

If you fire OB, who is going to take this job right now????  Bill O'Brien (with the help of people like Mike Mauti and company) likely SAVED this program.  No likely about it.  He saved this program with a capital S.  Without these coaches AND players who stayed and committed, we could be losing 63-0 to Temple.  Or Eastern Michigan.  Seriously, dudes.  Get a grip.

We have been spoiled by the Paterno era, and the high standard of SUCCESS WITH HONOR that he brought to and BUILT THIS program with.  But that Chapter in Penn State history is over, with only some minor editing work left to do, such as restoring the victories to Paterno.  Bill O'Brien seems committed to keeping HONOR.  The success, if you so believe, will follow.  It will.

We will never be the same team again.  Deal with it.  It doesn't matter who you plug in as head coach or defensive coordinator.  It will never be the same.  I saw a JoePa sticker on a Cadillac.  A little voice inside my head said "Don't look back you can NEVER look back" I thought I knew what love was, what did I know? Those days are gone forever, I should just let them go.

This is John Butler's first year as DC.  Is that really the standard now?  Seven games and it's hit or quit?  Is that success with honor, or is it win at all costs?  To my knowledge, and according to his bio, he has never been a DC before at the FBS level.  Can we at least give him a chance through the end of the year? Of the sanctions even?  Might it not be helpful to recruit players that fit their system?  Won't they be able to recruit better athletes AFTER the sanctions are over?

We played a solid Buckeye team that, to their credit, played a nearly flawless game.  All the pressure was on them and they rose to the challenge.  There obviously was incentive for the Bucks to "run up" the score, but I honestly don't think they did that.  Braxton stopped playing with 3 minutes left in the third quarter.  They even brought in a third string QB in the fourth. 

What I do think was weenie, and worthy of a douche bag award, was challenging the spot on Penn State's fourth down attempt.  I don't feel the video evidence was INDISPUTABLE but the wonderful Refs of Oz felt otherwise.  BTW--it was another poorly officiated game, with OSU holding at will and not being called, but to be honest, it wouldn't have changed the outcome much.  Maybe 49-14.  Big deal.  It's just the principle--why bias the officiating at all, let alone when the winning team doesn't even need the help.  Everyone's human, but even my non-Penn State friends have noticed that the officiating always favors OSU and UM.  Wisconsin.  Iowa.  I think we did benefit from a questionable PI call against Minnesota a few years ago.  Woo freaking Hoo!  Sometimes we can overcome the bad calls, like two weeks ago.  Other times, we're just screwed.

Seriously?  You're winning 56-7 and you CHALLENGE a spot?  I never liked Mr. Meyer before, and I like him even less now.  He has joined Lloyd "drive-by handshake" Carr, Bret "I'll keep kicking off-sides all night long because the rules allow it" Bielema and Mark "Ima gonna call a needless timeout in subzero temps just to piss your crowd off" Dantonio on the list of B1G DOUCHEBAGS.  Congratulations Urban!  Come on down and collect your year's supply of Massengills.



BY THE NUMBERS:

From the GoPSUsports site:

	PSU	OSU
FIRST DOWNS...................	20	32
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............	40-120	51-408
PASSING YDS (NET).............	237	278
Passes Att-Comp-Int...........	34-19-2	26-20-0
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS.....	74-357	77-686
Fumble Returns-Yards..........	0-0	0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............	1-0	0-0
Kickoff Returns-Yards.........	5-71	1-49
Interception Returns-Yards....	0-0	2-0
Punts (Number-Avg)............	6-37.0	3-46.7
Fumbles-Lost..................	2-1	0-0
Penalties-Yards...............	2-10	6-49
Possession Time...............	26:39	33:21
Third-Down Conversions........	8 of 16	7 of 10
Fourth-Down Conversions.......	0 of 1	0 of 0
Red-Zone Scores-Chances.......	1-2	5-5
Sacks By: Number-Yards........	1-8	4-21

What can we say?  We all knew we'd have to score some points to win this game.  We failed.  We knew we'd have to create some opportunities (such as turn overs.)  We failed.  We knew we'd have to control Braxton.  We failed.  We knew we'd have to limit our own mistakes.  We failed.

What's funny . . . if you look just at the Penn State side of the stats sheet and ignore the turn-overs, it doesn't look that bad.   Three hundred and fifty seven total yards and 50% on third down conversions isn't bad for a game against the Number 4 team in the country. 

Unfortunately, there is a second side to the stat sheet.  And giving up 686 yards and 70% on third down isn't going to win many games, regardless of ranking.

But to pin this all on the defense is absurd.  The turn-overs put the defense into a hole early on.  The inability to maintain possession offensively, even when they don't score, hurts field position and doesn't give the D much time to catch their breath.  But that doesn't explain or atone for WIDE-OPEN receivers in the secondary or poor tackling which has been a problem all year.

INTANGIBLES:

Head Nut of Columbus

The Blue Band travelled to Columbus . . . no word on whether urine was involved or not.

Penn State won the toss and deferred.

A largely blood-red crowd of 105,889 watched the massacre.  The fans at home at least could flip over and watch the Penguins lose 4-1 to Toronto.  If a leaf falls on the ice, does anyone hear it?  IT WAS JUST A BAD NIGHT ALL AROUND.  Even Notre Dame won!

Pope Urban is undefeated as THE O$U head coach.  We are not amused.

But if you look at the programs he left behind, Florida is 4-3 with Georgia, South Carolina and F$U left on the schedule, and Utah is 4-4 with Arizona State, Washington State and Oregon left to play.  We can only hope that Urban leaves the Buckeyes in a similar state.  History repeats itself.  Hence the 63-14.  Karma has a way of biting one in the derrier.

THE B1G PICTURE:

The Nuts of Columbus lead it all.

Michigan State whipped the Illini 42-3.

Nebraska got cornholed by Minnesota, losing 34-23.

Iowa defated Northwestern, who has yet to win a B1G game, by the score of 17-10.

Future members lost as well, with Maryland falling to Clemson 40-27 and Houston had no problem defeating Rutgers 49-14.

SHEDDING TEARS:

1.  Pitt--defeated by the Midshipmen!  Anchors Aweigh!
2.  UConn--taken behind the woodshed by UCF 62-17.  Go Knights!
3.  Texas Tech--no longer unbeaten as they fell to OU 38-30.
4.  Missouri falls from the ranks of the unbeaten as well, losing to South Carolina 27-24.  Mizzou dinked a FG off the upright to lose in OT.
5.  UCLA lost to the Quackers 42-14.  GO DUCKS!
6.  Wake Forest came up short as Miami won late in the game again to go to 7-0 on the year.

LOOKING AHEAD:

The Lions travel to Illinois to take on the Illini (3-4, 0-3).

Here's the Illinois season to date:

W 42-34 over Southern Illinois
W 45-17 over Cincinnati
L  34-24 to Washington @ Soldier Field
W 50-14 over Miami (OH)
L  39-19 to Nebraska in Lincoln
L  56-32 to Wisconsin at home
L  42-3 to Michigan State in east Lansing

The Illini are looking for their first B1G win.  Penn State must regroup--this is where the coaching and leadership will be tested.  Good teams will rebound from a loss like this.  Not so good teams?  Well, they fold up the tents and start talking about next year.

Nothing has changed.  Penn State cannot go to a bowl game.  They cannot go to the B1G Championship game.  They are playing for pride and to hopefully sway and/or keep recruits. 

I don't want to say this is a MUST win game, because quite frankly, it is not.  But it is an important game nonetheless.  Purdue may be the closest thing to a "sure" win left on the schedule, and a loss to Illinois will probably foretell losses to Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin as well.  If Penn State wants to have a winning season--which is not an unreasonable goal at this point--I think they need to win this game.

GO STATE!  BEAT ILLINI!

Weekly Game Guide: The Bucks Stop Here Edition

Another week of college football is upon us, as Mississippi State leads Kentucky 21-10 at the half.

Cow bells ring . . . can you hear them?  During the game . . . can you stand them?

They're clanking in cheer, now I'm deaf in one ear

Cheering in a Southern Football Land.

Sure--Penn State has it's own Cowbell Man.  But that's one cowbell . . . in 108,000 fans.  Not a whole gaggle of clinking, clanking, clattering collection of caliginous junk!  But I digress.

Penn State travels to Columbus, OH to take on the Nuts of Columbus in a late brawl on Saturday evening.  Penn State is hoping to build on it's emotional, if not pretty, win over the wolverines in their last outing, while the Bucknuts need a marquee win to improve their BCS ranking, which is currently fourth, behind Alabama, Florida State and Oregon.

Let's face it . . . . the Big Ten is not impressive this year.  Both Iowa and Northwestern are at 4-3 and NW has not won a Big Ten game yet.  Wisconsin is 5-2, and that was a respectable win.  Buffalo is also 5-2, but this was the University they beat, not the Bills.  They beat Cal, who is now 1-6, with a lone victory over Portland State.  Did you know Cal was that bad?  The bucks defeated Florida A & M by a score of 76-0, but FAM is 2-5 and Ohio State is the only FCS team they have faced so far (they beat Mississippi Valley State and Savannah State.)

Maybe a 4-2 Penn State team that somehow lost to Indiana for the first time ever won't improve their rankings, but struggling to beat a Penn State team that lost to Indiana will likely hurt them.  And if they lose, well then you can probably kiss a date with the national championship game good bye.

And it would be Urban Myers' first loss as THE head coach at THE Ohio State College.  I can't even begin to tell you how much I want to blog about Urban's first loss this Sunday.  I'd give up a Klondike Bar to see that happen!  Aside from winning the lottery, I can't think of anything I want more right now than a win over the Buckeyes this Saturday.

But enough about me.

In the Big Ten Conference this weekend:

The Hawkeyes are favored by 4 over the Wildcats.  GO HAWKS!

Michigan State is an 11.5 point favorite over the Illini.  I still can't bring myself to root for Illinois after their little recruiting expedition to Penn State in our darkest hours.  GO SPARTY!

Minnesota hosts the Cornhuskers, who are favored by 10.5 points.  This is a hard game to pick.  We have to play both teams, so from a strength of schedule point of view, it's a wash.  Nebraska is ranked, which makes a win by us look better, so we'll have to pick the Huskers here.  GO BIG RED!

THEM, Wisconsin, Indiana and Purdue are all off this week. 

Future Big Member Rutgers is favored by 8 over Houston.  GO KNIGHTS!

Future Big Member Maryland will try to upset the reeling Clemson Tigers, thought Clemson is favored by 13.  The game is at Maryland.

And in games of interest outside the Big Ten:

Notre Dame (favored by 19.5) plays Air Force.  GO FALCONS!

Alabama is favored by 28 over Tennessee.  Interesting.  ROLL TIDE ROLL.

Oregon is favored by 21 over UCLA.  GO DUCKS!

Florida State is a 29.5 point favorite over NC State.  GO NOLES!

UCF is a 22.5 point favorite over UConn.  GO KNIGHTS!

Until Ohio State loses, I have to keep rooting for Alabama, Oregon and F$U.

Good Defense

As the shit-head Buckeye fan behind me said last night . . . that's not a penalty.  It's good defense!

Image from Scout.com

Are choke holds now allowed in the Big Ten?  Is this part of the NCAA sanctions . . . they limit our scholarships AND the number of flags that can be thrown against our opponents?

The Scarlet Better

I don't know about you, but I'm scared!

Red at night, Sailors delight, or so the old adage goes.  But Scarlet at night was not a Lion's delight, as the Buckeyes bullied their way through the Penn State White House to a 35-23 victory before the best crowd of the season in Beaver Stadium. 

Scarlet is just an arrogant variation of red, or a suspect in Clue--you decide.

Have you ever gone to the bathroom to poop, and instead of a simple dump, wipe and run, it's just a big old mess?  You keep wiping and there's just more poop.  You don't know where it's coming from.  You wipe so much you're sore and red scarlet, and you're still covered in it.  Saturday night was kind of like that, except the shit was sitting behind me, wearing a scarlet Ohio State shirt.

I really don't have a problem with someone coming to an away game and rooting for their team.  But can't you sit in the visitor's section?  And if the only ticket you can find is from a Penn State traitor that sells out for a few bucks-eyes, could you at least be a good sport instead of a sore winner?

After every Ohio State score, the bastard would ask aloud (very loud), "Why is it so quiet in here?  Anyone?"  He would also hoot after every successful buckeye play.  I never really knew what hooting and hollering was before, but he clearly 'hooted.'  It was an annoying sound like fingernails grating on a chalkboard.  When fans were doing the WE ARE . . . PENN STATE!  Cheer, he was yelling Ohio State, instead of Penn State.  Quaint, but do Penn State Fans yell P - E - N - N when Ohio fans in Columbus spell their state?  I saw a foursome of Buckeyes (foureyes?) doing their YMCA imitation with O-H-I-O in our north end zone.  You don't see Nittany Lion fans contorting to spell out P-E-N-N in the Horseshoe do you?   Maybe they do--but they should not.  And then there was the ubiquitous, "let's go Buckeyes," with the emphasis placed so it sounds like Ba - Kize.  It was like some scarlet bird cawing aloud.

And while Chuck (see comments on the side bar) doesn't think that the referees care who wins the game, I'm sure the conference that pays their wages does.  And the real sad part is that the Ba-Kize were the better team on Saturday night, with or without the plethora of yellow flags (defensive holding on a punt that certainly didn't look like holding anyway--  give me a break Chuck!)--and more importantly, the lack of yellow flags on egregious PI passes (on Allen Robinson, and on the fake field goal) and non-calls on obvious holding that sprung Toni Braxton free several times to sing and dance in the Penn State secondary like he was on dancing with the stars with Hines Ward.  Hines Ward he will never be, though.

For the first time this season, I think the team took a step back.  Up to this point, each game seemed to show some improvement somewhere on the field.  The offensive game plans of O'Brien have been laudable, and perhaps eventually good enough to land him Coach of the Year honors.  But Saturday night, the offensive play calling seemed uninspired, and perhaps too hell bent on establishing a running game with Belton, particularly on first down plays.  While Ohio State enjoyed third and short yardage situations most of the night, Penn State often found itself in third and long, and too much pass pressure on McGloin by the Buckeye D to make an effective play.

And just like the opening game against Ohio, the lack of offensive continuity and the ability to control time of possession, ended up with a tired defense in the fourth quarter that just could not keep Ohio State from scoring.

McGloin, who looked like a Heisman contender last week, looked like an AFLAC pretender this week, although the play-calling was a factor, and the fact that our offensive line looked like it forgot to show up.

We also shot ourselves in the foot several times with stupid penalties (false starts), the obligatory pick six (I swear we average one per every Ohio State game since entering the Big Ten, but I probably exaggerate there,) and the inability of our return game to set up any decent field position.  I do credit the special teams with the block and recovery for our first score, but in the final analysis, it was too little to make a difference, and couldn't over come the rest of the poor special teams plays.  Butterworth had some good punts to pin the Bucks deep, but also shanked one to give them good field position.  Call it a wash there.  The failed fake punt was poorly executed, but there should have been pass interference called on that one.  But as the scarlet dick behind me said, "that was just good defense."  Yeah, and that (was it Hartline?) catch that bounced off the turf a few years ago was just a good catch.

The Buckeyes were the better team.  My fingertips are burning just typing those words, but I really wonder how we might have done if we hadn't had to battle the refs as well.  But that is what it is, and we Penn State fans are whiners.  Do you think maybe we'd stop whining about the bad refereeing if we actually saw some fair refereeing?  Makes you wonder.

BY THE NUMBERS:

Penn State tied Ohio State in first downs and almost in total yardage, but only had 32 yards in the rushing game.  The time of possession actually favored PSU in the second half, but the Buckeyes had a 2:1 edge after the first, which I think ultimately gassed our defense.  This is going to be a bigger problem moving forward as the sanctions keep the depth chart thin.

Penn State was averaging 4.5 penalties per game.  We doubled that production thanks to the zebras.  Bonus checks all around, boys!

INTANGIBLES:

The Drum Major stuck both flips, but it didn't help us.  Matt Freeman twirled fire batons during halftime without setting himself on fire, so we had that going for us.

Someone dressed up as a Joe Paterno statue for Halloween.  Points for ingenuity.

Erickson was booed at half time.  It's not like he doesn't deserve it, but it is what it is.  Some fans were outraged over the Academic procession that failed to even mention the football team's academic achievements as a slap in the face.

Attendance was 107,818.  Probably won't see that kind of enthusiasm for the rest of the season, unfortunately.  (I hope I am wrong.)

Penn State won the toss and elected to defer.  It was an interesting choice--this week and last--but it initially looked like it would pay off as the Lions held on the first series and forced a four and out (first play was a first down, then a three and out) and a punt.  But then PSU fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half, recovered to set up poor field position, and then McGloin threw the pick six that pretty much quenched the mojo for Penn State, and negated the deferral.

THE BIG (TEN) PICTURE:

Northwestern beat Iowa 28-17, taking a little shine off our marquee win in Iowa City last week. Minnesota defeated Purdue 44-28.  But don't worry.  The Boilers and the refs will have their A-game on next week.   MSU beat the Badgers 16-13.  Those pesky Spartans just won't die, will they?  Nebraska beat THEM 23-9.  Indiana beat Illinois 31-17, so hopefully they won't feel the need to win any more Big Ten games.  Or, maybe we can't pencil that one in as a win yet.  Who knows?  It will be interesting to see how O'Brien can regroup this team, because let's face it.  This was our bowl game.  There is no post-season to play for, and while a conference division title is still possible, it is certainly not likely.  Can he regain the enthusiasm we saw building last week?

SHEDDING TEARS:

1.  Leggo my Legaux--Munchie throws a pick and comes up short as Cincy loses to Louisville 34-31 in OT.
2.  Temple lost to Pitt 44-17.  I have never been so disappointed by Hooters in all my life.
3. Ohio lost to Miami (OH) 23-20.  Our SOS is just being shot to hell here!
4. USC lost to Arizona 39-36.  Chuckle.
5. Rutgers suffers their first loss to . . . wait for it . . . KENT STATE.  35-23.  Now there's some irony right there in that score. 
6.  Denard Robinson not enough to beat the Huskers--lost 23-9.
7.  Oklahoma--lost at home to the 12 point under dog Irish.  Damned.  I'm actually going to have to root for Pitt next week.  Otherwise, USC may be our last hope to keep the Irish out of the BCS Title game, since BC and Wake Forest are a combined 6-10 on the season so far.

LOOKING AHEAD:

Penn State heads west to play Purdue in West Lafayette. 

The Boilers are a few points short of a good season, almost upsetting the Irish and the Buckeyes.  So far, here is their season:

W  Eastern Kentucky 48-6
L  Notre Dame 17-20
W Eastern Michigan W54-16
W Marshall 51-41
L THEM 44-13
L Wisconsin 38-14
L Ohio State 29-22 (OT)
L Minnesota 44-28

This is a test of the resilience of this team.  I think we have the senior leadership to regroup, but then I thought we had an offense that could score more than 23 points against the Buckeyes (16, since we can't count the blocked punt as offensive points now can we?)  This will also be a coaching test.  In the NFL, one loss in a conference doesn't necessarily eliminate you from contention.  In college, though, it can theoretically eliminate you not just from the National picture, but from winning the conference.  Hell, Oregon may go undefeated and watch Notre Dame play Alabama for the whole ball of wax.  Oh, the inhumanity!

Buck Season Opens Tomorrow

"EYE"-ing Up the Bucks

Here are the NCAA stats for Penn State versus Ohio State.

The over-all stat average difference this week (43.43 vs. 54.97) is even greater than last week (46.92 vs. 52.14 for Iowa.)  And we all know how well that worked out for the Hawkeyes.  On paper, Penn State should have an easier time with the Buckeyes.

The strength of Ohio State is their offense, and this is primarily on the ground.  How much last week's injury to Braxton Miller will have an effect remains to be seen. 

I actually am liking this match-up.  We have the better passing offense, and they have a significantly worse pass defense.  Both teams are tough defensively in the red zone, and against the run.  Penn State's rank in red zone offense still includes early season struggles and a lot of missed field goals, so that stat is skewed.  In other words, I think we are a better red zone team now than we were in the first four games.

Ohio State also appears to be better at fourth down conversions, but they have only attempted 8 conversions, making 6.  Penn State, on the other hand, by virtue of no kicking threat, have tried on fourth down 23 times!  And many of those were fourth and longer than a yard or two--I suspect most of the Buckeye's conversion were on fourth and short.

We are still woefully weak in almost all special teams areas--punting, kick-offs and returns.  In a close game, special teams problems could be huge.  I don't expect a quick fix here, so we have to hope that the offense can score enough points and control the ball like they did against Iowa to keep the special teams element a non-factor in this game.

It will be key for Penn State to jump on top quickly--it will keep the crowd in the game and put the pressure on the Buckeyes to respond in a hostile environment.  It will also be key to limit the mistakes as much as possible--fumbles, returns for TDs, etc.

I also fear the referees.  Neither of these teams is going to the post-season.  The outcome means nothing in terms of Big Ten representation in the bowl season.  But the Buckeyes are ranked in the Top 10, and one of only two Big Ten teams in the AP poll (THEM is ranked 20th, but may lose on the road to Nebraska this weekend.)  Thus, in the eyes of the conference, it is essential that the Buckeyes prevail.  Yeah, there's replay, if the Bucks don't line up faster than an offensive lineman at an all you can eat buffet and run a play before it can be reviewed.  Mark my words--the calls on the field will go in Ohio State's favor if there is any question, and we can only pray that instant replay will right the wrong. 

Check out the rankings for fewest penalties . . . PSU is 19th while the Bucks are 96th.  The actual numbers are 4.57 penalties per game for Penn State and 7.5 per game for the Bucks.  I will be more than surprised if those numbers aren't reversed Saturday.

But, it's not like this Penn State team hasn't faced and over come adversity this season.

Saturday is just one more test.  One more game.  One Team.  Another win.

Our Wife: Their Wife

THEIR WIFE:

Yahoo Sports reported that a pizza delivery guy was fired from his job after delivering a pizza to Buckeye Assistant Coach Luke Fickell's house.  The man "joked" to Mrs. Fickell that the Buckeye defense needs to improve its tackling (which, apparently, it does.)  This angered her and after a call to the pizza shop, the man is now unemployed.

But according to Lost Letterman, Ohio State has a different story.  (Those are not our tattoos.  There is no video issue.  You saw nothing.)

Ohio State refuted that claim in a statement: “The manager found out about the incident. The manager called the Fickells. Just like they did not place a call to complain, they also did not ask that anyone be fired. All they did was order pizza.”

So who do you believe?

OUR WIFE:

Coach Mac McWorther's wife helps out preparing Penn State players.  According to the Altoona Mirror:

Part of coach Bill O'Brien's coaching philosophy is to have a family orientated program. O'Brien sometimes allows coaches' children and spouses to attend practice, and he tries to make the team have a family friendly feel to it.

Becky McWorther, or Mamma Hog as she is affectionately known to the offensive linemen, is one of the wives that loves being around the players.

McWorther said on a conference call Wednesday that his wife even hugs every linemen after practice, no matter how sweaty or smelly they are.

Mamma Hog has a Friday ritual where she cooks up what McWorther described as hot treats for the linemen for them to have before the next day's game.

The ingredients in those treats remain a mystery, however.

"There are some things that she cooks up, and there are special ingredients in those things that allow them to play at a high level," McWorther joked on a conference call Wednesday. "I would really have to kill you if I told you what was in them, it is that secret."

In addition to cooking the treats for her hogs, Mamma Hog also prepares a speech for the players that tells them what the food will allow them to do the following day's game.

So which would you rather have?  A humorless cut throat, or hot tasty treats and a hug?

Can't Spell UNSPORTSMANLIKE without O-S-U

Did you know that Urban Meyer won his Big Ten debut game?

Did you know that Michigan State lodged a complaint against the Buckeyes before the game concerning game tapes?

And yes, I know you can't spell UnSPortsmanlike without a P-S-U either.  But the title is still catchy, doncha think? And in this context, more than alphabetically appropriate.

According to this USA Today report:

Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said Ohio State doctored the game film it was required to send to MSU before Saturday's game.

Narduzzi told the Detroit Free Press that Ohio State cut off pre-snap motions and shifts before plays on film of its four games prior to Saturday's 17-16 OSU win at Spartan Stadium.

"We had tape cut off all week, where they changed the tape, I'm not going to lie to you," Narduzzi said outside the MSU locker room. "They send you tape and they've got it all cut off, and you don't get to see shifts or motions or anything else."

Big Ten teams are required to provide game film to each other before they play, with footage shot by their respective video staffs. Narduzzi said MSU contacted Ohio State's non-league opponents and got film from them.

It's good to see that Urban Meyer is taking the high road at THE Ohio State U.  Oh, wait.  It's not his fault!

"I don't know anything about that," Meyer said after his news conference. "I don't handle the video. What are they saying?"

Apparently NCAA and Big Ten head coaches are responsible for former employees and investigating crimes, but are not responsible for the operations of their actual football teams.

Asked if he was concerned about a Big Ten inquiry, Meyer said: "There is no video issue here."

Narduzzi indicated that MSU complained to the Big Ten, but MSU associate athletics director John Lewandowski said MSU athletics director Mark Hollis and Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith settled the issue between them, with no Big Ten involvement.

No cover-up here.  You didn't see anything.  The penguins (and the buckeyes) are psychotic.  Or Gene Smith made them an offer they couldn't refuse.

Seriously, is this kind of nonsense really necessary?  This is reminiscent of the Pitt Tape Gate episode where Walt Harris refused to give PSU game tapes back in 1997.  I mean someone had to take the time to edit those tapes before they sent them.  This was a deliberate act--the tapes didn't edit themselves--not an accident.  Would it have made any difference in the outcome?  Who knows?!  It's just kind of sad if this is the kind of sophomoric behavior that Meyer has to stoop to to win games.

But at least he didn't descend on State College to recruit players away from O'Brien!

Buckeyes Get Burned

A THEM recruit, Logan Tuley-Tillman, has burned the Buckeyes before he even steps foot in THEM Stadium in Ann Arbor.

Apparently, the whimsical, fun-loving recruit tweeted a picture he took burning an envelope from Ohio State. 

The highly touted offensive tackle from Peoria, Ill., has committed to the Wolverines' 2013 recruiting class, and posted the photo Saturday.

''I wanted to do it and send a message because people kept saying I was going to flip to Ohio,'' Tuley-Tillman said. ''I don't know why they sent me that letter when they know I'm committed to Michigan. I don't like the state of Ohio or that school. I can't wait to play them.''

Don't you just have to love kids these days!  He doesn't even like the state of Ohio!  Michigan is a much nicer state.  Not.

I imagine the Buckeyes can't wait to play you, Logan.

Fox Sports reports on the backlash:

Tuley-Tillman told Yahoo! Sports that he has received death threats from Ohio State fans since posting the photo.

"There have been a couple death threats," he told the website. "And they've been sending my mom messages on Facebook. I just told her you can't listen to it because it's one of the biggest rivalries in [Michigan-Ohio] sports."

Logan talks about his trip to Columbus . . .

He told Yahoo! Sports that his experience with Ohio State fans while in Columbus led to his decision to commit to the Wolverines.

"I was up there and the fans were cussing me out and they were saying '(expletive) you' and stuff like that while I was walking through the mall," he told the website, while admitting that he was wearing a Michigan hat. "It wasn't like in my face. They were like saying things and then would power walk away. One of them actually threw something at me, but it didn't hit me. So, that's how it started."

You wore a THEM hat to your visit in Columbus?  Isn't that just begging inisisting asking for trouble with a capital T? I hope it wasn't the quarterback who threw something at you and missed!

We just have to hope that lighting dog poop isn't illegal in Illinois!

Lavender and Gray

Normally, I wouldn't even mention something like this, but apparently Eleven Warriors (or is that Eleven Worriers?) linked a picture I farked likening Jim Tressel to Richard Nixon.  This was in the context of a post praying suggesting that Penn State leave the Big Ten.  Along with Iowa.  That makes me feel better.

When I fantasized about casting Penn State's gutter-dwelling, cowardly fanbase out of the Big Ten, the only time I thought the Federal Justice Department would be involved included necrophilia charges centering on some sick abuse of Joe Paterno's corpse. (RIP Joe Paterno, who tragically was eaten alive by a pack of wild wasps in 2009.)

Sadly, the Federalés are now sniffing around an alleged cover-up of the Jerry Sandusky incident. I'm sure Penn State's fans/lawyers would argue something like "AW SHUCKS, it's just mere string of unfortunate coincidences over the course of nearly 15 years." I hope the judge shits on them when they do.

The Big Ten should not be associated with anything that is going to come out of this federal investigation into Penn State. Federal prosecutors, especially the one looking into Penn State, aren't known for games. So just know if Penn State catches a case, it's curtains for them.

If Penn State had any dignity, they would have forfeited the rest of their 2011 season. They didn't. In fact, they hired another football coach and plan on fielding a team in 2012. I hope it doesn't take a Federal incitement to prove how disgusting this is.

All Penn State players should be given their immediate and unconditional scholarship release and a stuffed Nittany Lion head should be mounted on the wall as a lesson to the next group of people who think "the brand" is more important than systematic child molestation. Trust me, Delaney, you won't regret this one.

Yes indeed.  Every single person in Pennsylvania--and especially the football fans of Penn State--feel that the Penn State name is more important than child molestation.  We should just dismantle Beaver Stadium, sell the scrap iron, and donate the money to rape victims.  The problem will be solved and no more kids will ever be molested again. 

Seriously?  So if you're girlfriend asks you to kill someone to prove that you love her, it's okay to do it?  Doing something wrong for a good reason doesn't make it good.  It's still wrong.  Blaming--and more importantly punishing the current team--does nothing to rectify the wrongs allegedly committed and doesn't provide one iota of relief to any victim that has suffered.  How can rational human beings have such convoluted thinking?  Oh wait!  It's a Buckeye site.  I answered my own question. 

Which brings me to the reason I actually started this post . . .

Apparently Pope Urban has pissed some people off already.

Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer sent a letter of apology to a campus lesbian and gay advocacy group for a team rule that punished "loafing" players by making them wear lavender jerseys during practice.

Responding to the Scarlet and Gay complaint, Meyer said players pulling up short for the second time during drills would be made to wear another color other than the "purple" jerseys.

"The use of purple was never intended to be used to offend anyone, but since it has, we have taken steps to change the color," Meyer wrote in his return letter March 1. "Please accept our sincere apologies."

Meyer added, "We have core values of respect and honor within our program, and these are two principles that are central to my personal life, my coaching and to Ohio State and its athletics programs. Bias has absolutely no role in how we think or operate."

Scarlet and Gay president Tim Valentine welcomed the swift change.

There's a Scarlet and Gay president?  I guess there's nothing wrong with that on multiple levels.  Is Northwestern pissed because he called the lavender jerseys purple?  Does Iowa still have the pink visitor's locker room?  Does anyone care?  Oh wait.  They want to throw Iowa out of the conference too!!!!

Nuttin' to It

WE BEAT THE BUCKEYES!!!!!!

The mighty Nuts of Columbus fell to the Nittany Lions 20-14.  What many expected to be a defensive struggle turned into a plethora of points in the first half, but in the end, defense was the name of the game in the second half.  Ohio State withstood a goal line stand, turning the men in white away with no points, while the Lions managed to recover two fumbles that helped keep the Buckeyes off the board.

The Penn State offense looked like it had found new life with the wildcat formation but in the end, we scored one less point than our season average of 21.  The addition of Belton and Drake seemed to spark the offense in the first half, but couldn't produce points in the second.  It was particularly disappointing and frustrating to see Penn State fail to convert on first and goal from the two.  It was like the 1979 Sugar Bowl all over again, sans Joe Paterno.

The play calling on that series was baffling.  Two fullback dives up the middle?  An ineffective QB sneak?  Another dive up the middle by Green?  Joe must have been on the phone calling plays!  Perhaps it's just easy to second guess from our armchairs, but seriously?  As imaginative as the offense seemed elsewhere on the field, the anal sphincter still squeezes tighter than a boa constrictor inside the red zone.

I said in my statistical analysis this week that the game would be won by the team that made the fewest mistakes.  They had two fumbles.  We threw one pick.  But it was not a pick six, so we had that going for us for once.  So we won by one score and one turnover.

And a win is sweet.  This is the first victory in the post-Paterno era.

The Lions advance to 9-2 on the season, 6-1 in the conference and they still control their own destiny.  Of course, so does Wisconsin.  Next week's battle in Madison will decide the Big Ten Leaders division.  Ohio State falls to 6-5 (3-4) and are still bowl eligible.  Perhaps they can salvage their season with a win over THEM next week.

After seeing our "new" offense today, I am more optimistic about our chances.  Consider this:  this was the first game we use Belton and Drake like this.  It now gives the Badgers something else they have to prepare for this week.  And it gives our coaches some options we didn't have before.  I am going to assume another week of practice will produce another wrinkle and better results.

Anthony Fera hit two field goals.  I was a little concerned about the kicking game, but he came through.

After watching Nebraska today, I can only wonder why that team didn't show up last week in Beaver Stadium.  With teams in the top ten falling right and left, who knows how far this team could have gone?

But, the still have another Big test next week.

This coaching staff is doing an amazing job of keeping this team focused and playing well.  I have been on record as saying I wasn't sure Bradley was "head coach" material.  I was wrong.  And if there is some way he can be the next coach--not just the interim coach--I am okay with that.

BY THE NUMBERS:

From the GoPSUsports site:

Team Totals	PSU	OSU
FIRST DOWNS	16	15
Rushing	9	10
Passing	5	4
Penalty	2	1
NET YARDS RUSHING	239	206
Rushing Attempts	39	43
Average Per Rush	6.1	4.8
Rushing Touchdowns	2	1
Yards Gained Rushing	241	235
Yards Lost Rushing	2	29
NET YARDS PASSING	88	83
Completions-Attempts-Int	10-18-1	7-17-0
Average Per Attempt	4.9	4.9
Average Per Completion	8.8	11.9
Passing Touchdowns	0	1
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS	327	289
Total offense plays	57	60
Average Gain Per Play	5.7	4.8
Fumbles: Number-Lost	0-0	2-2
Penalties: Number-Yards	5-40	6-32
PUNTS-YARDS	4-144	4-153
Average Yards Per Punt	36	38.2
Net Yards Per Punt	36	30.8
Inside 20	3	0
50+ Yards	0	0
Touchbacks	0	1
Fair catch	1	1
KICKOFFS-YARDS	4-277	3-203
Average Yards Per Kickoff	69.2	67.7
Net Yards Per Kickoff	46.2	49.7
Touchbacks	1	1
Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD	2-10-0	0-0-0
Average Per Return	5	0
Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD	2-34-0	3-72-0
Average Per Return	17	24
Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD	0-0-0	1-15-0
Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD	0-0-0	0-0-0
Miscellaneous Yards	0	0
Possession Time	30:08	29:52
1st Quarter	8:02	6:58
2nd Quarter	7:58	7:02
3rd Quarter	8:42	6:18
4th Quarter	5:26	9:34
Third-Down Conversions	6 of 13	7 of 13
Fourth-Down Conversions	0 of 1	0 of 2
Red-Zone Scores-Chances	1-2	1-1
Touchdowns	1-2	1-1
Field goals	0-2	0-1
Sacks By: Number-Yards	3-17	0-0
PAT Kicks	2-2	2-2
Field Goals	2-2	0-0

Time of possession is equal.  In fact, nearly every category is equal except for the fumbles.  Neither team passed well, and Penn State logged three sacks.

INTANGIBLES:

Ohio State won the toss and deferred.

Ohio State leads the all-time series 14-13.

Tom Bradley notches win #1.  408 more to go . . .

Attendance was listed at 105,493.

THE BIG (TEN) PICTURE:

Michigan State locked up the Legends division, throttling Indiana 55-3.

The Ann Arbor Aholes ran the score up on Nebraska 45-17. Welcome to the real Big Ten, Huskers.

Iowa beat Purdue 31-21.

Northwestern beat Minnesota 28-13.

Wisconsin forces game seven by beating Illinois 28-17.

Thankfully, the inaugural Big Ten Championship won't include O$U or THEM.  Hallelujah!

SHEDDING TEARS:

1.  Okie State--missed a field goal (maybe!) and threw an INT in OT to lose to ISU.
2.  Clemson--locked up ACC title game, but lost to NC State 37-13
3.  F$U--amazing loss as time expires on clock mismanagement, but then a review calls the play incomplete which stopped the clock.  A defensive penalty moves it five yards closer, but then the kicker misses anyway.  Virginia's first win ever in Tallahassee.
4.  Oregon falls to USC on a missed FG that would have tied them in regulation--doesn't anyone want to face LSU in the title game???
5.  Oklahoma lost to Baylor 45-38--doesn't anyone want to face LSU in the title game???

LOOKING AHEAD:

Okay, be honest.  Did you expect PSU to be playing for the Big Ten Championship game at this point?

Did you expect to see Wisconsin lose after the Badgers manhandled Nebraska?

But here we are.  One game away from Indianapolis.

And the Badgers are beatable.

Here is their season to date:

W  UNLV 51-17
W  Oregon State 35-0
W  Northern Illinois 49-7
W  South Dakota 59-10
W  Nebraska 48-17
W  Indiana 59-7
L  @ Michigan State 37-31
L  @ Ohio State 33-29
W  Purdue  62-17
W  @ Minnesota 42-13
W  @ Illinois 28-17

Wisconsin did not play an away game until OCTOBER 22.  Both losses are on the road, and were close.  But they struggled early against the Illini.  Penn State may be the best defensive team they will face all year.

And let us end with this thought from "not so fast" Lee Corso:

Statistically Speaking: Going Nuts Edition

Here are the NCAA statistical rankings for PSU and O$U:

NCAA Stats Comparison
Category:	Penn St.	Ohio St.	Delta
Rushing	58	27	-31
Passing Offense	87	118	31
Total Offense	88	108	20
Scoring Offense	102	74	-28
Rushing Defense	28	27	-1
Turnovers Gained	14	79	65
Passes Had Intercepted	31	4	-27
Pass Defense	5	28	23
Net Punting	92	35	-57
Punt Returns	78	33	-45
Kickoff Returns	19	10	-9
Turnover Margin	21	27	6
Fumbles Recovered	38	109	71
Passes Intercepted	9	33	24
Fumbles Lost	87	21	-66
Turnovers Lost	60	3	-57
Passing Efficiency	108	82	-26
Pass Efficiency Defense	4	46	42
Total Defense	8	15	7
Scoring Defense	3	16	13
Fewest Penalties Per Game	22	46	24
Fewest Yards Penalized Per Game	27	47	20
Punt Return Yardage Defense	62	30	-32
Kickoff Return Yardage Defense	67	11	-56
Offense Third-down Efficiency	96	78	-18
Offense Fourth-down Efficiency	12	21	9
Defense Third-down Efficiency	30	53	23
Defense Fourth-down Efficiency	56	48	-8
Tackles for Loss	16	61	45
Offense Tackles for Loss	7	98	91
Pass Sacks	28	38	10
Pass Sacks Allowed	24	116	92
Time of Possession	43	34	-9
First Downs	78	105	27
First Downs Allowed	14	17	3
Red Zone Efficiency	77	24	-53
Red Zone Efficiency - Defense	116	56	-60
Average NCAA Rank:	46.35	48.05	1.70
Weighted Avg. Rank:	50.33	50.25	-0.08

It almost goes without saying that Penn State has to minimize turnovers to win this game. I don't know if there is any other team that has thrown more pick sixes in Ohio Stadium since 1993. I pity them if they have.

But I also think we have to be better in the RED ZONE, both offensively and defensively, if we want to have much of a chance in this game.  The offense has been improving as the season wears on, but our defense is still ranked 116th out of 120 teams in the nation, allowing opponents to score 92% of the time when they reach the red zone.

Offensively, the Buckeyes are almost as bad as we are--in fact, we have an edge in total offense, but O$U has an edge in scoring offense.

Rushing defense is equal, with PSU having an edge in pass, pass efficiency, scoring and total defense.

I look for this to be a low scoring game with the team that makes the fewest mistakes prevailing.  Of course, that's almost as obvious as saying the team that scores the most points will win the game.  But I don't think either of these teams is going to light up the scoreboard much.  Last weeks gameplan still had Paterno's fingerprints on it, except for maybe the pass back to McGloin.  It will be interesting to see what Bradley comes up with this week, and whether we take any chances on the road--which we normally wouldn't do under Paterno.

I am also concerned about our kicking game, and this game may be decided by a field goal or two.  Last week's was.  And we came up short, er, wide right.

The Bucks are favored by a touchdown as of this writing.

Here is the season summary for the Bucknuts:

W  Akron 42-0 (Akron is 1-9)
W  Toledo 27-22
L   @ Miami (FL) 6-24
W  Colorado 37-17  (Colorado is 2-9)
L   Michigan State 7-10
L  @ Nebraska 27-34
W  Illinois 17-7
W  Wisconsin 33-29
W  Indiana 34-20
L  @Purdue 26-23 OT

In my preseason assessment, I ranked this game as the 4th toughest behind Bama, Wisconsin, and Nebraska.  A loss does not eliminate us from Big Ten contention, but it would be nice to get some positive momentum before heading to Madison for the final game.

Here was my preseason summary and prediction:

Now it may seem that I am counting the Bucks out this year. Au contraire. (That's French for not so fast.) I don't think we will win any game from this point on in the countdown. But of the remaining games, we might have a chance at this one if the wheels come off in Columbus. And I wouldn't be surprised if they do.

Will the team rally around Fickell and use this adversity to become better? They might. Or the distractions and changes might disrupt the Big Ten juggernaut and throw it out of its groove.

Prediction: I don't think we will win this game, as of typing this in August. If Penn State shows me something on the field, and Ohio State struggles with new coach/quarterback, then I might reconsider. I just hope that win or lose, we play a competitive game, and don't throw the game away with an overly conservative game plan on the road that plays right into their strength. Both wins over the Buckeyes came when we played conservative and they made the mistakes (the Troy Smith fumble in 2005 and the Pryor fumble in 2008.) Both were relatively low scoring, conservative games. Maybe that's the way to go, but if we get behind, I hope we try to make something happen instead of falling apart.

Well, at 6-4, O$U has struggled this season.  Of course, my Magic Eight Ball didn't tell me about the distractions that Penn State would face at this point.  I mean seriously, the odds of Paterno being fired before the end of the season had to be like infinity to 1.  WHO could have seen that coming?

Anyway, I think there is not enough at stake for us on the field, there are too many distractions, and with a reorganized coaching staff held together with band aids and duct tape, I don't think we can overcome the cheaters in Columbus.  I'd sacrifice a small animal, though, to win this game.  And the next one.  Two animals.  Small ones.  Vermin that no one likes anyway.  Maybe a mouse.  Or a gopher.  I'd even kill a wolverine for a couple of wins.  Just two more.

Can we do it????

More Buckeye Benefits

According to Ari Wasserman (wasn't Ari a White House Press Secretary--oh, wait, that was Fleischer--or was that Heidi Fleischer--oh, never mind!) three buckeyes have been suspended "indefinitely."

Ohio State will be without running back Boom Herron, receiver DeVier Posey and offensive lineman Marcus Hall indefinitely as part of an NCAA investigation into a summer employment issue. OSU athletic director Gene Smith said the three are out for the Nebraska game.
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith announced Monday afternoon that three football players have been suspended for Saturday’s away game at Nebraska for accepting improper benefits while employed for a Cleveland-area booster.

Smith acknowledged that he’s being held responsible for the repeated incidents off the field but doesn’t feel as if there is a systemic problem at Ohio State.

I guess he hasn't lost that lovin' feeling yet.  What is he feeling?  Indigestion?

So, how much you want to bet these jokers will be back on the field when we play them.  What?!  Like we should be penalized too?  If Nebraska doesn't have to face Robbin' Hoods merry men, why should we???

Pre-Season Countdown: #4

A recap of the list of games so far, from #12 the easiest to #4 . . .

12.  Indiana State University
11.  Eastern Michigan University
10. Temple
9.  Indiana
8.  Purdue
7.  Illinois
6.  Northwestern
5.  Iowa

And the #4 spot goes to . . .

OHIO STATE.

If the Buckeyes still had Jim Tressel as coach, and Terrell Pryor at the helm, this game would definitely be in the Top 2. But both are gone, don't let the stadium gate hit you on the ass on your way out.

Luke, I am yo daddy!

First year head coach Luke Fickell will have to prove himself.  He will be dealing with a new quarter back, the suspensions of Dan Herron, Mike Adams, and DeVier Posey for five games, as well as the general fall-out from last season's scandal.  If he can manage to get this mess back to a Big Ten Title, he deserves to be named coach of the year.

Don't get me wrong . . . O$U returns a load of talent,and there is no reason why they shouldn't be contending for a title.  But it is my humble opinion that teams in a conference like the Big Ten can't do that with a new, inexperienced  quarterback or a new head coach.  The Buckeyes have a double whammy.

With the loss of Pryor, the team returns only 11 starters.matching Wisconsin and Iowa for the fewest returning starters in the conference.

Penn State has won only one game in Columbus since joining the Big Ten.  But unlike Iowa, whom we can't seem to beat to save our life, we have matched up with the Buckeyes cleat to cleat with major victories in 2005 and 2008.  Two big games in a decade, though, is probably nothing to crow about, but at least we do have some wins.  We're 12-14 all-time against Ohio State.

NO ONE KNOWS HOW WELL OHIO STATE would have done, had they not cheated.  If recruits picked Ohio State because of the perceived benefits, then the record of the Buckeyes this past decade is suspect.

Now it may seem that I am counting the Bucks out this year.  Au contraire.  (That's French for not so fast.)  I don't think we will win any game from this point on in the countdown.  But of the remaining games, we might have a chance at this one if the wheels come off in Columbus.  And I wouldn't be surprised if they do.

Will the team rally around Fickell and use this adversity to become better? They might. Or the distractions and changes might disrupt the Big Ten juggernaut and throw it out of its groove.

Prediction: I don't think we will win this game, as of typing this in August. If Penn State shows me something on the field, and Ohio State struggles with new coach/quarterback, then I might reconsider. I just hope that win or lose, we play a competitive game, and don't throw the game away with an overly conservative game plan on the road that plays right into their strength. Both wins over the Buckeyes came when we played conservative and they made the mistakes (the Troy Smith fumble in 2005 and the Pryor fumble in 2008.) Both were relatively low scoring, conservative games. Maybe that's the way to go, but if we get behind, I hope we try to make something happen instead of falling apart.

From the creators of "Friends with Benefits"

Banned in Ohio

I apologize that this may seem like old news, but I am a little behind in blogging right now.
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg wrote on July 26th that Terrell Pryor had been banned from Ohio State for five years.

Ohio State on Tuesday declared Terrelle Pryor ineligible for the 2011 season and banned the former starting quarterback from associating with the program for five years.
The school's decision was exactly what Pryor wanted.

We are not shocked are we?  Most people would consider being banned from their alma mater a "bad thing."  Not Mr. Pryor.  Not when it serves his purposes.  Apparently Mr. It's-All-About-Me-I-Want-My-Name-On-My-Jersey is looking to use this to qualitfy for the NFL supplemental draft.

Pryor's attorney Larry James asked Ohio State for a letter stating that the quarterback wouldn't have been eligible for the entire 2011 season, rather than just suspended for the first five games for selling memorabilia items to Edward Rife. In order to be eligible for the NFL's supplemental draft, Pryor needed to show that his circumstances with Ohio State had changed significantly after the Jan. 15 deadline to apply for the NFL's regular draft.

But as Lee Corso would say, Not So Fast.

Bill Williamson of ESPN's NFL Nation Blog wrote yesterday that Terrell Pryor won't be participating in the supplemental draft.
Well, we can forget the notion of Terrelle Pryor becoming an Oakland Raider this season.
ESPN’s John Clayton is reporting that the former Ohio State quarterback is ineligible for the supplemental draft.

Clayton's link is a Tweet saying:

There may not be a supplemental draft this year because Terrelle Pryor isn't eligible and they may not be any players to select

Wouldn't it be nice to see a cheater actually punished for his mistake?  But I won't hold my breath until after the NFL season starts and Pryor is still not on a roster.  If there's a way fro TP to come out on top, I'm sure he will find it.