Senior day has finally arrived and the Hoosiers are on their way into town. Usually when Indiana comes into town, it's a major relief, but I have to voice a little concern over this weekend. I'm still sticking with our Nittany Lions for the game, but I would not be surprised if Indiana makes this a closer game than we all think.
Let's go ahead and start out with the outlook for the game this weekend. The Lions definitely possess a much more talented and athletic team. The truth is that Indiana will have a tough time matching the Lions tit for tat, but that doesn't mean that they won't give them trouble throughout the game.
The strengths of the Lions in this match up will be their play making ability and defensive front seven against Indiana's offense. The Lions should have no trouble getting to the quarterback this week. However, the Lions should be on the lookout for quick and easy passes from Chappell to Tandon Doss as the two have hooked up 65 times this year for over 800 yards of offense. In other words, the secondary should have its hands full with Doss, but this should not be the overturning matchup of the game. Even though Doss will challenge the defense quite a bit, the defense should keep a strong hold on the game and force a few turnovers by games end.
The interesting matchup of the game now, will be the matchup in the trenches. It will be interesting to see how Penn State's line responds after a rough game last week against Cameron Heyward and no one else from Ohio State. The truth is that this week could be a much more difficult matchup then last week as Indiana probably has the best defensive end tandem in the league. The two are Greg Middleton and Jammie Kirlew, they both have recorded double digit sacks while at Indiana and in their first season playing with each other have terrorized opposing defenses. The two this year have combined for 84 tacklers, 21 tfl, 8.5 sacks, and 6 forced fumbles. Look for these guys to push the tempo upfront and for the Penn State tackles to gain some major experience on the outside. In the end, the speed in the backfield and a couple draw plays from Clark will help tame this attack, but we'll just have to wait and see if the coaches make the right adjustments for this week.
I'm going to go ahead and say that the game will be at either end of the spectrum. The game will either blow up in the beginning and go the Lions way right from the start as they are trying to reestablish themselves after last week, or start off slow and the Lions eventually take control of the game. The game in no way should be a grind it out style of game, and if it is, God help us all.
What I would like to see from the Nittany Lions:
- More risks on special teams, and by that I mean that I would like to see us field one punt and return it.
- A commitment to the running game, especially since we have a ridiculous stable of running backs in Royster, Green, and Beachum.
- More man to man coverage in the secondary, allow those corners to develop into playmakers.
- Devon Smith back there fielding punts and trying to make something happen.
- More pass plays directed towards Moye and Powell on underneath routes, let them catch it and make something happen.
- More reps for Justin Brown and Gerald Hodges
- Better playcalling to help relieve some of that pressure from the offensive line.
WE ARE.................
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Ohio State Review
Well, there's no other way to say this, but I was completely off on my assessment for this week. With Iowa's loss and Ohio State coming out on top in Happy Valley, the Big Ten comes down to a showdown next week in Columbus between the Buckeyes and Iowa.
As for the Penn State vs. Ohio State game, the Lions just came out on the wrong end of field position from the very beginning. The Lions got torched on special teams from the beginning of the game, and let it get even more away from them a little more in the second half. Combine that with a terrible game plan and a much better rushing effort from Ohio State and we got ourselves into some trouble.
From the start of the game, the Penn State defense was pursuing everything inside out, as oppose to last year when we played contain and filled in the running lanes. Combine that with a soft zone and cover two for the pass defense and the Buckeyes got the few chances that they needed to score on offense. My belief is that if we matched our much better athletes on the defensive side of the ball in man coverage, spied a linebacker, and played outside in, that Pryor would've been forced to stay in the pocket and make more precision passes. Rather than receivers running through and past zones at will because the db's had to keep their eyes in the backfield while working their zones. I will give credit to the Bucks offensive line as they opened up lanes all night for Saine and Herron.
On the offensive side of the ball, the coaches did nothing to help relieve the pressure from Clark all night. There were not that many underneath pass plays, screens, or draw plays to help relieve some of that pressure that was forced by the play of Cameron Heyward. Heyward had a field day upfront, working himself to two sacks, and double digit tackles by the end of the night. Combine that with more dropped passes from our receivers, no commitment to the run game, and a great wall by Ohio State's defense and our offense was stagnant all night long. The offense also completely forgot about Derek Moye, as he did not have the ball thrown his way more than once the entire night, and the only time they chose to throw his way, he drew a pass interference call in the end zone setting up Penn State's lone touchdown.
Ohio State played a good game, not a great game, but a good game with the game ball going to Ray Small because he won the field position battle for them from the beginning. From this point forward, Penn State needs to improve on special teams, Boone is a great punter, but his lack of hang time is killing the coverage men down field. The defense needs to keep playing the way they do, but they need to play more man on the outside allowing those talented db's to shape up into cover corners.
The good is that Pryor did not have the breakout game that everyone anticipated, the bad is that we lost when we had a chance to control our own destiny, and the ugly is that Ohio State has a chance to extend its streak of Big Ten supremacy. On a more positive note, the power is shifting in the Big Ten, and as these next two years unfold look for Penn State to become a faster, more athletic team. Also, look for them to continue to build on this year's success as this year is still a rebuilding year. Keep your head's up Lions, our time is coming, but for now let's just hope we don't have a let down to Indiana next weekend.
WE ARE...................
As for the Penn State vs. Ohio State game, the Lions just came out on the wrong end of field position from the very beginning. The Lions got torched on special teams from the beginning of the game, and let it get even more away from them a little more in the second half. Combine that with a terrible game plan and a much better rushing effort from Ohio State and we got ourselves into some trouble.
From the start of the game, the Penn State defense was pursuing everything inside out, as oppose to last year when we played contain and filled in the running lanes. Combine that with a soft zone and cover two for the pass defense and the Buckeyes got the few chances that they needed to score on offense. My belief is that if we matched our much better athletes on the defensive side of the ball in man coverage, spied a linebacker, and played outside in, that Pryor would've been forced to stay in the pocket and make more precision passes. Rather than receivers running through and past zones at will because the db's had to keep their eyes in the backfield while working their zones. I will give credit to the Bucks offensive line as they opened up lanes all night for Saine and Herron.
On the offensive side of the ball, the coaches did nothing to help relieve the pressure from Clark all night. There were not that many underneath pass plays, screens, or draw plays to help relieve some of that pressure that was forced by the play of Cameron Heyward. Heyward had a field day upfront, working himself to two sacks, and double digit tackles by the end of the night. Combine that with more dropped passes from our receivers, no commitment to the run game, and a great wall by Ohio State's defense and our offense was stagnant all night long. The offense also completely forgot about Derek Moye, as he did not have the ball thrown his way more than once the entire night, and the only time they chose to throw his way, he drew a pass interference call in the end zone setting up Penn State's lone touchdown.
Ohio State played a good game, not a great game, but a good game with the game ball going to Ray Small because he won the field position battle for them from the beginning. From this point forward, Penn State needs to improve on special teams, Boone is a great punter, but his lack of hang time is killing the coverage men down field. The defense needs to keep playing the way they do, but they need to play more man on the outside allowing those talented db's to shape up into cover corners.
The good is that Pryor did not have the breakout game that everyone anticipated, the bad is that we lost when we had a chance to control our own destiny, and the ugly is that Ohio State has a chance to extend its streak of Big Ten supremacy. On a more positive note, the power is shifting in the Big Ten, and as these next two years unfold look for Penn State to become a faster, more athletic team. Also, look for them to continue to build on this year's success as this year is still a rebuilding year. Keep your head's up Lions, our time is coming, but for now let's just hope we don't have a let down to Indiana next weekend.
WE ARE...................
Friday, November 6, 2009
UPSET ALERT
Teams that are on upset alert this week. I am not going to go too in depth this week, I'm just going to go ahead and post the games that I think are viable upsets this week. Feel free to comment at the end of the post on any of the teams I have put on upset watch, especially if you disagree, it'll be great to see what you all think. Ed Hanna, I'm going to go ahead and make the first pick in your favor, so enjoy it because this will be one of the few times I pick the Bayou Bengals.
First pick is going to be LSU over Alabama. The reasoning behind this pick is simple, LSU has big game experience this year, a defense that can match Alabama's offense, and the athleticism to not only match the Crimson Tide, but to eclipse the Tide's talent. The key to the game will be the runing backs for both squads, we all know about Ingram, but I'm going to go ahead and say the key to LSU's success will be in the hands of Charles Scott. Upset alert: LSU by 10
Other teams on upset alert.
Northwestern vs. Iowa.
NW by4
Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech:
WF by 1
Cincinnati vs. UConn
UConn by 7
As for the rest of the weekend, enjoy college football and expect the unexpected. Let's hope for entertainment and fun that there are some huge upsets this weekend. I'm rooting for LSU, Vandy, UCF, Northwestern, UConn, Lousiana Tech, and San Diego State. Let's Go State!
We Are.....
First pick is going to be LSU over Alabama. The reasoning behind this pick is simple, LSU has big game experience this year, a defense that can match Alabama's offense, and the athleticism to not only match the Crimson Tide, but to eclipse the Tide's talent. The key to the game will be the runing backs for both squads, we all know about Ingram, but I'm going to go ahead and say the key to LSU's success will be in the hands of Charles Scott. Upset alert: LSU by 10
Other teams on upset alert.
Northwestern vs. Iowa.
NW by4
Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech:
WF by 1
Cincinnati vs. UConn
UConn by 7
As for the rest of the weekend, enjoy college football and expect the unexpected. Let's hope for entertainment and fun that there are some huge upsets this weekend. I'm rooting for LSU, Vandy, UCF, Northwestern, UConn, Lousiana Tech, and San Diego State. Let's Go State!
We Are.....
We're back and OHIO STATE
So after a three week vacation from Nittany Lions Go, I am back. I know all a lot of you are itching to know where I have been, to sum it up, the past three weeks have included a new job, moving, getting married, and honeymooning! As for now, back to the real world, adjusting to the speed of the game, and blogging for all of you.
I'm sure all of you have kept up with the team and the college football world, so under that assumption, I am not going to recap the past couple of weeks. I will, however, remind all of you that Penn State beat Michigan in Ann Arbor on my wedding day, so thank you Lions for a great wedding present!
As for this weekend, we got a lot on the docket for Penn State Football. Not only is this weekend a big matchup with Ohio State, but its our biggest weekend for hosting recruits. So when you are at the game, be on the lookout for big time recruits in Marcus Lattimore, Nick Jones, and Mike Thornton. There will also be a familiar face in sight in Maika Polamalu, the younger cousin of the Steeler's safety Troy Polamalu. Maika Polamalu will be visiting along with teammate Terrell Chestnut, both of which are two of the top junior recruits in the state of Pennsylvania for next year.
As for the game, it's a classic. It's a game that is scheduled every year in the Big Ten, what reporters have referred to as the "New Border War" since Michigan has not been Michigan as of late. The game will be your classic defensive battle as Penn State and Ohio State possess the Number 5 and 6 best defenses in the country respectively. The difference however, sticks out on the offensive side of the ball, as Penn State posts the number one offense in the conference, while Ohio State ranks 94th in the country. So what does this tell us for the game this weekend.
The truth is that Ohio State has a great defense, but they have not face a great offense yet this season. They have posted losses against USC and Purdue, and USC is not the USC of old, and Purdue is in a rebuilding year with a brand new coach. The reasoning behind their wins is their defense. Also, their offense has not face a defense of equal or greater caliber just yet as well. I believe that this is the year that the conservative, grindout theme of this rivalry will be broken.
This is the year that Penn State will post a double digit win over Ohio State. Ohio State has yet to play a team with an offense as balanced as these Nittany Lions. Scouts want to go ahead and talk about their defensive front seven and how tough it is to run on the Buckeyes, but the two teams that beat them picked them apart with great rushing efforts and underscreen pass plays from their running backs. Even if Ohio State does have the defense to hang in there with the Lions, they are no where close in having the offense that can put many points up against this Penn State defense.
I would look for Pryor facing a lot of pressure in a contain style rush, with Navorro Bowman and Sean Lee taking turns spying him in the pocket. Expect a lot of frustration on his behalf, a few scrambles, and a couple on interceptions throughout the game. Ohio State will also have a tough time getting their running game going, but look for them to get a few breaks with underneath passes to Dane Sanzenbacher. As for the defensive side of the ball, look for the Buckeyes to hang in there at the beginning of the game, but for Clark and Royster to gradually begin to get rolling. I actually wouldn't even be suprised if our offensive line came out and punched Ohio State in the mouth and set the tempo early. In other words, look for one way or another, for this offense to get rolling.
As for the Lions, I would look for Clark to have a trademark game. He is going to have a career game, he might start off a little shaky trying to establish the tempo early, but once the adrenaline settles down a bit and he gets zoned in, look for a career type performance from him. Look for the Lions to set up the running game, whether its through spreading the ball out with their depth at receiver and those big tight ends or an early mean streak established by the offensive line. Look for a few more designed draws from Clark as well, but expect a 100 yard + performance from Royster and at least a couple passing throws from Clark.
This is it, this is the game that finally dethrones Ohio State as the lone horse of the Big Ten. With the win, it keeps the Lions in contention for a possible share of the Big Ten crown, which would only be possible if Iowa drops a game by the end of the year. As for the battle of Big Ten supremacy, this win could also be a shift in power from Ohio State to Penn State for years to come. So keep your fingers crossed and enjoy the game this weekend.
WE ARE..........................
I'm sure all of you have kept up with the team and the college football world, so under that assumption, I am not going to recap the past couple of weeks. I will, however, remind all of you that Penn State beat Michigan in Ann Arbor on my wedding day, so thank you Lions for a great wedding present!
As for this weekend, we got a lot on the docket for Penn State Football. Not only is this weekend a big matchup with Ohio State, but its our biggest weekend for hosting recruits. So when you are at the game, be on the lookout for big time recruits in Marcus Lattimore, Nick Jones, and Mike Thornton. There will also be a familiar face in sight in Maika Polamalu, the younger cousin of the Steeler's safety Troy Polamalu. Maika Polamalu will be visiting along with teammate Terrell Chestnut, both of which are two of the top junior recruits in the state of Pennsylvania for next year.
As for the game, it's a classic. It's a game that is scheduled every year in the Big Ten, what reporters have referred to as the "New Border War" since Michigan has not been Michigan as of late. The game will be your classic defensive battle as Penn State and Ohio State possess the Number 5 and 6 best defenses in the country respectively. The difference however, sticks out on the offensive side of the ball, as Penn State posts the number one offense in the conference, while Ohio State ranks 94th in the country. So what does this tell us for the game this weekend.
The truth is that Ohio State has a great defense, but they have not face a great offense yet this season. They have posted losses against USC and Purdue, and USC is not the USC of old, and Purdue is in a rebuilding year with a brand new coach. The reasoning behind their wins is their defense. Also, their offense has not face a defense of equal or greater caliber just yet as well. I believe that this is the year that the conservative, grindout theme of this rivalry will be broken.
This is the year that Penn State will post a double digit win over Ohio State. Ohio State has yet to play a team with an offense as balanced as these Nittany Lions. Scouts want to go ahead and talk about their defensive front seven and how tough it is to run on the Buckeyes, but the two teams that beat them picked them apart with great rushing efforts and underscreen pass plays from their running backs. Even if Ohio State does have the defense to hang in there with the Lions, they are no where close in having the offense that can put many points up against this Penn State defense.
I would look for Pryor facing a lot of pressure in a contain style rush, with Navorro Bowman and Sean Lee taking turns spying him in the pocket. Expect a lot of frustration on his behalf, a few scrambles, and a couple on interceptions throughout the game. Ohio State will also have a tough time getting their running game going, but look for them to get a few breaks with underneath passes to Dane Sanzenbacher. As for the defensive side of the ball, look for the Buckeyes to hang in there at the beginning of the game, but for Clark and Royster to gradually begin to get rolling. I actually wouldn't even be suprised if our offensive line came out and punched Ohio State in the mouth and set the tempo early. In other words, look for one way or another, for this offense to get rolling.
As for the Lions, I would look for Clark to have a trademark game. He is going to have a career game, he might start off a little shaky trying to establish the tempo early, but once the adrenaline settles down a bit and he gets zoned in, look for a career type performance from him. Look for the Lions to set up the running game, whether its through spreading the ball out with their depth at receiver and those big tight ends or an early mean streak established by the offensive line. Look for a few more designed draws from Clark as well, but expect a 100 yard + performance from Royster and at least a couple passing throws from Clark.
This is it, this is the game that finally dethrones Ohio State as the lone horse of the Big Ten. With the win, it keeps the Lions in contention for a possible share of the Big Ten crown, which would only be possible if Iowa drops a game by the end of the year. As for the battle of Big Ten supremacy, this win could also be a shift in power from Ohio State to Penn State for years to come. So keep your fingers crossed and enjoy the game this weekend.
WE ARE..........................
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