The First Two Fall

After the Board of Trustees met last night, Curley has requested administrative leave and Schultz has retired.

From The Altoona Mirror front page:

Two top Penn State officials charged with covering up allegations of an explosive child-sex abuse scandal related to a former defensive coordinator stepped down late Sunday after an emergency meeting of the university's Board of Trustees.
Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley requested to be placed on administrative leave so he could devote the time needed to defend himself against perjury and other charges, university President Graham Spanier said. Gary Schultz, vice president for finance and business, will step down and go back into retirement, Spanier said. He declined to comment to reporters after the meeting.

Resignations of famed football coach Joe Paterno and Spanier weren't discussed at the meeting, which was arranged Sunday and lasted two hours, university spokesman Bill Mahon said.

This snowball is just starting to roll . . .

Bye Week Blues

Silly me . . . I was sure Penn State couldn't lose this past weekend.  Boy was I wrong.  There's a really good read on the subject at The Nittany Turkey.

Amid all the accusations and speculations, I have seen some scenarios where Curley and possibly Spanier may lose their jobs, depending on how this plays out.  Most of what I've read have painted Paterno in a good light, at least legally, if not morally.

So one has to wonder . . . will Joe become acting and/or permanent AD?  And as such, would he then determine how long he will coach (as if he isn't already) and who his successor will be????

And we didn't fare much better on the football field either, as Nebraska managed to screw up against Northwestern.  So instead of a 3:30 game next Saturday for Senior Day, the game will be played in the insignificant noon slot.  If we sleepwalk through another first quarter, and play prevent offense with Bolden in the second, this could be an ugly game against a Nebraska team that is now in a must-win mode to stay alive in their division.

Well, at least we should move up in the polls.

Tada!

Penn State is 12th in the BCS.  And also the highest ranked Big Ten team. Imagine that!

LSU Kicks Bama out of National Championship Game

With a field goal kick in OT, LSU edged past Alabama 9-6.  Alabama missed three field goals in the game, including a 53-yarder in the OT, and had another one blocked.  And while Alabama could still sneak into the BCS Championship, it is very unlikely.  LSU controls their own destiny.

Now, why is it when LSU and Alabama play a 9-6 game with nothing but field goals, it's a good old fashioned slug fest, but when Penn State and Ohio State play the same type of game it is boring?

And in other news, Eastern Michigan lost too, so there goes our strength of schedule.

Nebraska was upset at home by Northwestern 28-25.

As I predicted, Bielema took his frustrations out on the first team he could, pummelling Purdue 62-17.

Upsets in the Top 25 include West Virginia falling to Louisville 38-35 and Arizona State losing to UCLA 29-28.

As of this time, my other favorite team, Boise State, is on upset alert, tied 14-14 with UNLV at the half.

Pitt lost 26-23 to Cincinnati.  Teehee.

HAWKS WIN!

No Nuts were injured in the playing of today's game

The Mighty Denard Robinson's come up short in Iowa City, losing 24-16.  And I didn't even have to sacrifice any small animals.  The only animal injured in the making of this contest was a wolverine.

Unfortunately, the Hoosiers came up short against the Cheateyes, losing 34-20, but they were tied going into the fourth quarter at 20.  So close, yet so far away.

Michigan State survives a gopher scare, preserving a 31-24 win with an INT on Minnesota's final drive.

Sandusky/Curley Indicted

I don't even know how to respond to this.

We have known--for what--several years that a Grand Jury was investigating former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.  As time went by, I assumed they didn't have enough evidence, and hence the delay in bringing actual charges.

But there is no longer any delay.

And the mess may be greater than we feared.

According to this AP news release by Mark Scolforo:

Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and another school administrator were charged Saturday with perjury and failure to report in an investigation into allegations that former football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky sexually abused eight young men, state prosecutors said.
The attorney general's office said Sandusky, 67, of State College, was arrested Saturday. Curley, 57, and Penn State vice president for finance and business Gary Schultz, 62, both of Boalsburg, were expected to turn themselves in Monday in Harrisburg, according to the attorney general's office. Schultz's position includes oversight of the university's police department.

Sandusky, who worked with at-risk children through his Second Mile organization, was charged with seven counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse; eight counts of corruption of minors, eight counts of endangering the welfare of a child, seven counts of indecent assault and other offenses.

Attorney General Linda Kelly called Sandusky "a sexual predator who used his position within the university and community to repeatedly prey on young boys."

"It is also a case about high-ranking university officials who allegedly failed to report the sexual assault of a young boy after the information was brought to their attention, and later made false statements to a grand jury," Kelly said.

The grand jury identified eight young men who were targets of sexual advances or assaults by Sandusky from 1994 to 2009, prosecutors said.

Wow.  Seriously.  I am stunned beyond words.

I have always had the utmost admiration for Jerry Sandusky.  I always thought he would have made a great head coach (I have not gotten that same vibe from Tom Bradley.)  I have heard him talk several times about his involvement in The Second Mile.  I knew his sister or sister-in-law (I can't remember which) and loved her stories about Jerry at Penn State--things that were talked about around the Thanksgiving table that you didn't hear about in public.  THIS--was never one of those subjects.

Innocent until proven guilty, but the overwhelming, reeking, smoke from this whole thing leads me to believe that something must be going on.  And that something is not good.

I had always hoped this is how I would remember Jerry:

Weekly Game Guide

For Whom Do We Root?

Penn State  and Illinois are idle this weekend.

In the Big Ten:

Ohio State is favored by 27.5 over the Hoosiers.  An upset win by the Hoosiers here would be simply HUGE.  Is it going to happen.  Sadly, I'm afraid not.  But we're going to root for the Hoosiers anyway. GO INDIANA!

Nebraska is favored by 17.5 over the Wildcats.  Both teams are in the Legends Division, so the outcome doesn't affect Penn State much.  Although I like to see Northwestern upset teams not called Penn State, I actually think it is better for Penn State for the Huskers to win.  We don't want to face them in a must win mode.  A defeat could make them vulnerable to further let down, but I wouldn't count on that.  Let's root for the Huskers in a close, physical game that wears them out a bit.  OT would be nice.  Is that likely to happen?  See O$U above.  But anyway, GO HUSKERS!

Purdue is a heavy underdog (26 points) to Wisconsin.  The Badgers have lost two in a row and have tumbled from the top 10.  They are looking for somone to bitchslap.  Sorry Purdue.  But . . . this is another game where an emotional letdown and Purdue playing over their heads could create an upset that can only help PSU in the divisional standings.  GO BOILERS!

MSU is a 28 point favorite over Minnesota.  Who cares?  Pick your favorite color in this one.  Maroon or Green?

How wonderful would it be for Iowa, coming off a one point loss to the Gophers, to upset THEM in Iowa City?  I would sacrifice a small animal to make that happen.  I would sacrifice a large animal to make that happen.  Of course, I'd do that for a Klondike Bar too.  The wolverines are favored by 4 on the road.  GO HAWKEYES!

In games of past opponents:

Temple lost to Ohio last night 35-31.  Bad Owls.  Bad.  Bad.  Bad.

Alabama is favored by 4.5 over LSU.  I don't think the game will live up to the hype, but then that's what SEC football is all about.  Having lost to Bama, I feel obligated to root for them.  And it improves our strength of schedule.  ROLL TIDE, ROLL!

Eastern Michigan is favored over Ball State by 2.5.  GO EMU!

Indiana State (5-3) hosts undefeated North Dakota State (motto:  "We beat Minnesota--again!"). GO TREES!

Tuesday Todds and Ends

The team may have a bye week, but a blogger never takes a break.

Let's start off with William C. Rhoden in The New York Times, writing about the milestone that Paterno will probably not eclipse--that of John Gagliardi.

With a 47-14 victory over Carleton College on Saturday, Gagliardi has won 482 games in a head-coaching career that covers more than six decades.

While Paterno has been awarded two mythical national championships, Gagliardi has won four titles in tournament-style competition: N.A.I.A. championships in 1963 and 1965 and N.C.A.A. Division III championships in 1976 and 2003.
Critics may dismiss Gagliardi’s record as a product of inferior competition, but competition is relative. Gagliardi argues, as Eddie Robinson argued, that he played who was in front of him.
“Everybody’s going to push their own agenda,” Gagliardi said. “Heavyweight boxers feel that they’re a lot tougher, and I’m sure it probably is, but those guys fighting welterweight, that isn’t easy either. It’s all relative.”

Those who place greater weight on Paterno’s achievement do so because, in their estimation, he has had to perform on a much higher wire. But pressure is relative and losses hurt the same.
What unites Paterno and Gagliardi is not the wins, but those losses.

During a recent news conference, Paterno said the only time he felt like walking away was after a loss to Alabama in the 1979 Sugar Bowl when he felt his decision-making cost his team the game and — in that case — the national title.
 
Gagliardi was never driven to resign by a loss, but he said that while the 482 victories brought accolades, the 133 losses left scars. “The thrill of victory doesn’t counter the agony of defeat,” he said. “The defeats stay longer.”

I'm not going to debate the issue, but 482 wins over teams like Carleton College doesn't impress me as much as what Paterno achieved.  In the end, you are comparing apples to oranges.  Paterno is king of the apples; Gagliardi is king of the oranges.
 
Next up, Chris Spielman reveals some scouting on Nebraska, per Phil Mushnik.

Chris Spielman, ex-star linebacker, said he had detected a “tip,” one worth keeping an eye on:


Rodriguez lined up about two feet short of the line of scrimmage, and actually farther back than the left tackle. This, suggested Spielman, “tells me he’s pulling,” and that when he does, the play would go in his direction.

ESPN lost sight of Spielman’s tout after that, but at least one viewer didn’t. For the rest of the game, when Nebraska had the ball, I kept an eye on No. 63, Rodriguez, and darn, the other times he lined up slightly removed from the line of scrimmage, he pulled left or right -- and the play followed him.

Are you reading this Tom????  Of course, so is Nebraska, or so we must assume.  I wonder if we'll see it this weekend?  Get your DVRs ready guys.

Matthew Boyle gives three reasons why PSU will make it to Indy.

1: Paterno’s newfound commitment to McGloin
I’m still not sure if this will hold up, but as far as I can see McGloin has now taken hold of the offense and should remain the starter for the rest of the season. McGloin brings a sense of consistency in the offense. Think of his talent as you wish, but taking all (or at least the vast majority) of the offensive snaps every week can only help him gather a rhythm.
 
2: Silas Redd
Enough can’t be said for Silas Redd’s impact on the team and its success. Redd is only the tenth individual player in Nittany Lions history to rush for over 1,000 yards. He’s averaging over five yards per carry and has seven touchdowns on the year. Since Big Ten play has started Redd has really turned it on, Silas Redd led all FBS players with 703 rushing yards in October.
 
3: 2.5
2.5 is Penn State’s current lead in the Leaders division race over Wisconsin, Ohio State and Purdue. Yes, the schedule Penn State owns over the next three weeks is a rough road, but that could help the Nittany Lions temper their game against top competition. Wisconsin still has Minnesota and Illinois left to play and Ohio State has Purdue and Michigan on the schedule. Penn State has the toughest route to Indy from here, but 2.5 games means Penn State is in the driver’s seat. They could easily win only one of their last three and still come out on top in the Leaders division.

And how many reasons are there why PSU won't be going to Indy???  (Hint: there's at least three--Wisconsin, O$U and Nebraska.)  I like his optimism, though.  The reasoning is valid, but I'm not sure about McGloin.  I thought the Bolden Experiment had already been shelved before the Illinois game.  Can we really assume Paterno won't play Bolden in two weeks.  Or God forbid, in OHIO?  Their defense will score on his mistakes for sure.  (They may score a McPick Six as well!)  But from what I've seen in 9 games so far, McGloin gives this team the best chance to find a way to win.
 
And here's another look at the PI on Moye.  Hmmmmmmm.  Still can't tell for sure.  But the referee was right there.