The year has come and gone, there are still plenty of rumors with life, and Penn State has one last game to play. With all the speculation about JoePa's health, his retirement, Urban's retirement, Penn State's next coach, and assistants jumping ship (yes this sentence was meant to be as excessive as all the statements listed above), it seems as if everyone has forgotten about the Outback Bowl. This was supposed to be a match up of two storied programs seeking redemption for sub-par seasons; however, it has turned into one of the finest media circuses out there.
Let's just try and focus on tomorrow's game.
On the Offensive:
Penn State has struggled all season long to find an identity on offense, playing a game of Jekyll and Hide all season long. It seems like every time this team has established some sort of rhythm on offense, some one has taken a wrench and jammed up the gears. It has been the worst up and down roller coaster that I have had to experience watching because it is so promising, but I keep forgetting that that is all it is. Potential, waiting to be fulfilled over the next couple of seasons.
With that being said, I would expect Penn State to struggle a little bit on offense against this Florida defense. Whether or not Janorris Jenkins is sitting out, the Gator's boast two other defensive backs that are bound to be early round picks in this year's upcoming NFL Draft, in Ahmad Black and Will Hill. This is one of the best ball hawking defenses in the country folks, so I wouldn't be expecting Penn State to stick with its game-plan of setting up the run with the pass in this game. If they do, they better think of some more routes to run then wheels, flats, screens, and skinny posts. If they do not, then Penn State will be in for a long afternoon. The best match-up for Penn State is their O-line against Florida's D-line. They could expose the inexperience along the line, and get to UF's very raw linebackers. If they do not capitalize on this match-up, then look forward to shaking your head to the tune of at least two picks by mid-third quarter and a very frustrating contest in all.
Don't get me wrong, Penn State will be able to move the ball against this defense, but will they be able to capitalize on their opportunities?
On the Defensive:
Even though we've played one SEC team already this year, and faced many teams that run the spread, this will be the toughest test for Penn State's defense. For common college football fans (Big Ten fans that don't watch any SEC games) the consistent belief is that Florida's offense is rather inept this year, and this poses a great match-up for Penn State's defense. The fact remains that there is no truth to that statement whatsoever; yes, Florida's offense had their fare share of struggles, but they are very far from inept. They are just two plays away from being 9-3 rather than 7-5 on the year, so stop rationalizing and convincing yourselves that this team is far worse than it actually is.
Florida poses at least five running threats on the offensive side of the ball, two in QBs Trey Burton and Jordan Reed, the other three in Demps, Rainey, and Moody. These guys do not need a lot of room to run the ball, and are blazing fast. I don't mean 4.4 fast either, both these guys have been clocked at sub 4.3 times in the forty and one of them is the current NCAA champ in the 100 meter sprint with a time of 9.96. This isn't the argument of SEC speed versus Big Ten, this is the argument that this team has a consistent pace all game long. This is going to be the key to the game for Florida, running out of the spread, and exposing match-ups working for the outside-in trying to create lanes for all these guys.
Penn State will have to play strict assignment football if they have any chance of stopping this attack, and they are very capable of doing it as well. The defensive line has to stay healthy throughout the game and prevent themselves from getting too far up field (which creates running lanes for UF's ball carriers). The key for our defense to have success is to play contain rather than to push the issue of creating pressure around the QB. Florida's offense is designed to thrive under constant pressure because their philosophy is simple: Let the defense play their way out of the picture, find the soft spot underneath, and put the ball in the hands of their play-makers in space. Lucky for us, Penn State's defense does a great job of keeping everything in front with our safe play philosophy; however, we have to tackle in open space and work together.
Florida will be able to move the ball at will as long as they execute well and refrain from taking too many shots down the field. Earlier in the year, they lost their identity and tried to do too much with Brantley's arm, if they can refrain themselves from getting overzealous, they will have a lot of success.
Final Prediction:
Florida 34 -- 24 Penn State
Shocking Prediction: Regardless of all the quieting of the rumors, I'm going to stick with my guns and say that Joe Paterno does in fact retire shortly after the end of the season. The only factor remains is National Signing Day, will he wait until Penn State has wrapped up this year's recruiting, or will he leave shortly after the Outback Bowl.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Joe Paterno Loyalists Must Calm Down
Okay, so here's the deal, within the next couple of years (if not this year) JoePa is going to be leaving the Penn State program. He is finally going to unroll his khaki's, remove the coke bottle thick glasses from his face, and hang up his black sneakers. I know that for some of you this might signal the end of the world, but it will also usher in a new era at Penn State. For some of you, when we talk about this you get hopeful and excited for the unknown, what the future can bring; however, for others you get really defensive and seem to think that all will be lost with JoePa gone.
But here's the truth of the matter, college football today is a new beast. It is all about the money, recruiting nationally, and maintaining and energized program (which comes with winning). Now if there is one thing that JoePa is known for, it has been winning, and I mean winning both on and off the field. He has a great reputation for building men out of boys, establishing one of the highest graduation rates for the players he has coached throughout the decades. He has brought championships to Penn State, affected the use of replay in college football, for goodness sake the man has the library named after him on campus well before talks of re-naming Beaver Stadium after him started. He has accomplished so many things for Penn State, the institution of college football, and student athletes everywhere.
JoePa has definitely cemented his legacy as one of the best coaches of all time (if not the best coach of all time) by setting a certain standard for his program. He has maintained the integrity of the student-athlete throughout the years while scandals have been abound every where across the country. Very rarely does a JoePa coached athlete go under investigation for receiving benefits while they played under him, and hardly ever do they recruit guys that have character issues. Yeah you can point out a few that had their fare share of troubles, but if you take a look at the whole picture, 20 guys out of the hundreds of guys JoePa has coached in his 60 years on campus is really not that bad (especially during an era where scandals are popping up every week in college football).
So where does that leave us now?
With all due respect and love to JoePa, the change that most people are calling for is for the better (it is not just because of the struggles of this team last year, which many of you will use as your justification to disregard articles such as these). As hard as it is for most of you to believe (because you are simply in denial and think every call for a change is a shot at JoePa), but Penn State is a huge sleeping giant in college football today. The program lacks the enthusiasm, the energy, and excitement of other programs across the country. With their location, facilities, and deals with Nike, Penn State could easily be among the elite year in and year out. Now most of you JoePa loyalists are already prepping your response to the tune of, look at USC, Florida, and Texas this year, they've all had bad years, but this is not just about winning. Even though those programs had bad years this past year, their programs are still surrounded with excitement, they have a certain life that is in them, and high profile players want to play there.
Now on to Part II of how Penn State is a sleeping giant. Penn State, year in and year out, is always in the top 10 for attendance for home games. Now with the STEP program in place, they can take advantage of all of their wealthy alumni. Go ahead and grit your teeth and say that the program is already going downhill and losing integrity with every step, but you are the same people that are going to fund this program. There is one reason and one reason only to instill this program, because the Athletic Department knows that they are going to build up some excitement that maximizes revenue for them. In simple terms, it means that they are going to hire a big name coach that is going to generate major excitement, and fans are going to pay up to come see them. They have plans to usher in a new era, an era that hopefully wins, but definitely an era that brings in the cash. The final interpretation of the STEP program also indicates to the rest of the country that this is going to be a premier spot when it opens up, so believe me, there will be no shortage of big name candidates when JoePa leaves the program.
Now onto Part III, the location of Penn State is key. At a time where the Big East is reeling, and the biggest name in the conference is located in Texas, and the ACC is mediocre all over the board, Penn State could own the East Coast in terms of recruiting. In case you don't believe me, ask Joe Paterno himself, he used to reap the benefits of plucking players away from those conferences when we used to recruit the Carolina's, Georgia, and Florida really well. Yes, we used to recruit those areas and recruit them well, all because we had an energetic coach that didn't take no for an answer, a coach that carried a certain enthusiasm that was so contagious that you would be a fool to deny it. How is it that Stanford (outside the military academies, has the most difficult job recruiting players that meet their admissions standards) has 8 four-star recruits from 7 different states, but Penn State only has 1 four-star recruit total? Basically what I'm saying is that we could own the East Coast in terms of recruiting, including major areas in Big East and ACC country.
Finally, we need for our coach to go out on top, before anything can happen to tarnish his legacy. But the sad thing is that even if something happens, with the way college football runs now, everyone will quickly forget and move forward. No more reports of players tweeting about how out of it Joe Paterno was at the Senior Banquet, no more e-mails about JoePa prepping for a Thanksgiving Day Bowl, and no more radio interviews that become instant YouTube hits for all the wrong reasons. Will JoePa know when the time is right to step down and cement his legacy for good? I don't know, but what I do know is that Penn State will finally catch up with modern times and be injected with so much energy when he leaves. Let me remind you, the only reason why that will be possible, the only reason Penn State is going to be one of the top jobs in the country in the near future is because of JoePa. He's the one who made it happen and made it possible. So for you JoePa loyalists that are thinking the calling for a change is going to decimate JoePa's legacy, you are completely wrong because it is his legacy that made this job what it is today.
WE ARE.......................
But here's the truth of the matter, college football today is a new beast. It is all about the money, recruiting nationally, and maintaining and energized program (which comes with winning). Now if there is one thing that JoePa is known for, it has been winning, and I mean winning both on and off the field. He has a great reputation for building men out of boys, establishing one of the highest graduation rates for the players he has coached throughout the decades. He has brought championships to Penn State, affected the use of replay in college football, for goodness sake the man has the library named after him on campus well before talks of re-naming Beaver Stadium after him started. He has accomplished so many things for Penn State, the institution of college football, and student athletes everywhere.
JoePa has definitely cemented his legacy as one of the best coaches of all time (if not the best coach of all time) by setting a certain standard for his program. He has maintained the integrity of the student-athlete throughout the years while scandals have been abound every where across the country. Very rarely does a JoePa coached athlete go under investigation for receiving benefits while they played under him, and hardly ever do they recruit guys that have character issues. Yeah you can point out a few that had their fare share of troubles, but if you take a look at the whole picture, 20 guys out of the hundreds of guys JoePa has coached in his 60 years on campus is really not that bad (especially during an era where scandals are popping up every week in college football).
So where does that leave us now?
With all due respect and love to JoePa, the change that most people are calling for is for the better (it is not just because of the struggles of this team last year, which many of you will use as your justification to disregard articles such as these). As hard as it is for most of you to believe (because you are simply in denial and think every call for a change is a shot at JoePa), but Penn State is a huge sleeping giant in college football today. The program lacks the enthusiasm, the energy, and excitement of other programs across the country. With their location, facilities, and deals with Nike, Penn State could easily be among the elite year in and year out. Now most of you JoePa loyalists are already prepping your response to the tune of, look at USC, Florida, and Texas this year, they've all had bad years, but this is not just about winning. Even though those programs had bad years this past year, their programs are still surrounded with excitement, they have a certain life that is in them, and high profile players want to play there.
Now on to Part II of how Penn State is a sleeping giant. Penn State, year in and year out, is always in the top 10 for attendance for home games. Now with the STEP program in place, they can take advantage of all of their wealthy alumni. Go ahead and grit your teeth and say that the program is already going downhill and losing integrity with every step, but you are the same people that are going to fund this program. There is one reason and one reason only to instill this program, because the Athletic Department knows that they are going to build up some excitement that maximizes revenue for them. In simple terms, it means that they are going to hire a big name coach that is going to generate major excitement, and fans are going to pay up to come see them. They have plans to usher in a new era, an era that hopefully wins, but definitely an era that brings in the cash. The final interpretation of the STEP program also indicates to the rest of the country that this is going to be a premier spot when it opens up, so believe me, there will be no shortage of big name candidates when JoePa leaves the program.
Now onto Part III, the location of Penn State is key. At a time where the Big East is reeling, and the biggest name in the conference is located in Texas, and the ACC is mediocre all over the board, Penn State could own the East Coast in terms of recruiting. In case you don't believe me, ask Joe Paterno himself, he used to reap the benefits of plucking players away from those conferences when we used to recruit the Carolina's, Georgia, and Florida really well. Yes, we used to recruit those areas and recruit them well, all because we had an energetic coach that didn't take no for an answer, a coach that carried a certain enthusiasm that was so contagious that you would be a fool to deny it. How is it that Stanford (outside the military academies, has the most difficult job recruiting players that meet their admissions standards) has 8 four-star recruits from 7 different states, but Penn State only has 1 four-star recruit total? Basically what I'm saying is that we could own the East Coast in terms of recruiting, including major areas in Big East and ACC country.
Finally, we need for our coach to go out on top, before anything can happen to tarnish his legacy. But the sad thing is that even if something happens, with the way college football runs now, everyone will quickly forget and move forward. No more reports of players tweeting about how out of it Joe Paterno was at the Senior Banquet, no more e-mails about JoePa prepping for a Thanksgiving Day Bowl, and no more radio interviews that become instant YouTube hits for all the wrong reasons. Will JoePa know when the time is right to step down and cement his legacy for good? I don't know, but what I do know is that Penn State will finally catch up with modern times and be injected with so much energy when he leaves. Let me remind you, the only reason why that will be possible, the only reason Penn State is going to be one of the top jobs in the country in the near future is because of JoePa. He's the one who made it happen and made it possible. So for you JoePa loyalists that are thinking the calling for a change is going to decimate JoePa's legacy, you are completely wrong because it is his legacy that made this job what it is today.
WE ARE.......................
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Joe Might Go (JoePa Rumors Deciphered)
Call it speculation, call it e-mail rumors, and for some you can even call it hope. The word is alive and spreading like wildfire that this may be JoePa's last year. Some people want to claim that it is his diminishing quality of health (stomach cancer, hearing at conferences, speech issues, etc.) and others want to claim that it is because of his sub par performance this past year. The truth is that no one really knows the truth behind these things because they jump the gun, make assumptions, and want to be right when the news does finally break. The problem is that most of these people are always wrong and don't take five minutes to examine the situation in its entirety, which is why I exist because most of you are too lazy to do the research and I'm obsessed with the art of persuasion.
So let us take a look at the facts that have everyone jumping the gun. There are two main factors as to why everyone is going crazy. The first of which is this e-mail rumor that is going around that JoePa has some sort of stomach or intestinal cancer. Now there is no way of knowing if there is any truth to these rumors, but for heaven's sake, I hope none of these rumors are true. There is one thing that I'm certain of, and that is if JoePa does have cancer, he would definitely downplay the seriousness of the issue, and the best part of this is that he would definitely be a fighter. In the end, we would all be the last to officially find out from JoePa because he would not want to create any distractions, as well as take anything away from the players in their bowl game (remember when 400 was just another game?).
Now the second part of the equation is the fact that his assistants are being very proactive in searching for openings around the country. Most of his assistants, including big names, such as Vandy and Bradley, have been putting their name out there in consideration for other jobs. The speculation here is that JoePa is definitely done after this season and that these coaches need to find a new place to call home for the future. I assure you, that none of these coaches will go unemployed longer than a few months, especially with other coaches knowing their pedigree and degree of success. However, to use this as an argument to reinforce the primary claim that Paterno has cancer does not necessarily make it true.
What does ring true from these events is exactly what I have been preaching the past couple of years. That when Joe Paterno does leave the Penn State Program, that the new coach hired will be from outside of the Penn State football family. A lot of you are already moaning and groaning, crying about the integrity of the program going down hill, and Penn State losing its integrity, but none of that is true. What is true is that the new candidate will have a huge legacy to follow and carry on, but with their hiring, they will usher in a new excitement to the Penn State program. Just take a look at some of the most recent Penn State hires, they have been from outside the Penn State family, big names, and paid big money:
Whether or not JoePa is leaving, there is one truth we can take out of all this speculation. The main point is that the future of this program is going to be in the hands of someone that does not have any ties to Penn State. That the program, when Joe does leave, is going to be put into great hands, a guy with a proven track record, and a guy that has had great success at this level and/or even the next level. Finally, that when Joe does pass on his legacy, that the new candidate will not only be just a big name hire, he will be a candidate to further Joe's legacy. So let the Tony Dungy, Dan Mullen, and Chris Peterson (the only one that fits the profile) rumors transpire and catch fire among the blogosphere because JoePa doesn't care about the hearsay. He's just got one thing on his mind and that's the Florida Gators.
WE ARE........................
So let us take a look at the facts that have everyone jumping the gun. There are two main factors as to why everyone is going crazy. The first of which is this e-mail rumor that is going around that JoePa has some sort of stomach or intestinal cancer. Now there is no way of knowing if there is any truth to these rumors, but for heaven's sake, I hope none of these rumors are true. There is one thing that I'm certain of, and that is if JoePa does have cancer, he would definitely downplay the seriousness of the issue, and the best part of this is that he would definitely be a fighter. In the end, we would all be the last to officially find out from JoePa because he would not want to create any distractions, as well as take anything away from the players in their bowl game (remember when 400 was just another game?).
Now the second part of the equation is the fact that his assistants are being very proactive in searching for openings around the country. Most of his assistants, including big names, such as Vandy and Bradley, have been putting their name out there in consideration for other jobs. The speculation here is that JoePa is definitely done after this season and that these coaches need to find a new place to call home for the future. I assure you, that none of these coaches will go unemployed longer than a few months, especially with other coaches knowing their pedigree and degree of success. However, to use this as an argument to reinforce the primary claim that Paterno has cancer does not necessarily make it true.
What does ring true from these events is exactly what I have been preaching the past couple of years. That when Joe Paterno does leave the Penn State Program, that the new coach hired will be from outside of the Penn State football family. A lot of you are already moaning and groaning, crying about the integrity of the program going down hill, and Penn State losing its integrity, but none of that is true. What is true is that the new candidate will have a huge legacy to follow and carry on, but with their hiring, they will usher in a new excitement to the Penn State program. Just take a look at some of the most recent Penn State hires, they have been from outside the Penn State family, big names, and paid big money:
- Cael Sanderson, graduated from Iowa State University, previous post was at Iowa State University, hired as Penn State's new wrestling coach 2 years ago. Sanderson is the most decorated athlete in collegiate athletic history, as he is the only wrestler to go 159-0 and win four National Titles (add an Olympic Gold Medal from 2004) during his time as a Cyclone, and Curley lured him away from his Alma Mater.
- Coquese Washington, graduated Notre Dame, previous post was an assistant at Notre Dame, hired as Penn State's Women's Basketball Coach in 2007. She was an integral part of the coaching staff that led Notre Dame to win the National Championship in 2001.
- Bob Warming, graduated Berea College, previous post was Head Coach at Creighton University, hired as Penn State's head soccer coach in May of 2010. Warming is 15th in Division 1 history with 376 wins over 32 full seasons as a head coach. He has led two different teams to the Collegiate level Championships (only coach in history to do so), and in his 12 years at Creighton, he only failed to reach the Championship tournament just once.
Whether or not JoePa is leaving, there is one truth we can take out of all this speculation. The main point is that the future of this program is going to be in the hands of someone that does not have any ties to Penn State. That the program, when Joe does leave, is going to be put into great hands, a guy with a proven track record, and a guy that has had great success at this level and/or even the next level. Finally, that when Joe does pass on his legacy, that the new candidate will not only be just a big name hire, he will be a candidate to further Joe's legacy. So let the Tony Dungy, Dan Mullen, and Chris Peterson (the only one that fits the profile) rumors transpire and catch fire among the blogosphere because JoePa doesn't care about the hearsay. He's just got one thing on his mind and that's the Florida Gators.
WE ARE........................
Friday, December 17, 2010
To Be Young and in Love
I can tell you exactly when I fell in love.
We had been hanging out for a few weeks, spending Saturday afternoons and a few Friday night pep rallies together. We always had a lot of fun, tailgating with my parents near East Halls and thumping some unfortunate opponent at the games, but our relationship was pretty casual.
It wasn’t until October 8, 2005 that I knew it was serious. Penn State was playing Ohio State in a night game that became the stuff of legend, and I was there for it all. I was there for the birth of Paternoville. I waited outside the student gate in the mob that became the next year’s football poster, making friends with people I never saw again, doing “We Are!” chants for the recruits Mike McQueary was escorting. After fighting my way through a scary, pressing crowd of bodies that made me understand why Simba was scared of the stampede, I was standing in the sixth row under the bright lights, watching gladiators clad in crisp white and navy duke it out for the glory of Old State. I was entranced by the shine of my pom-pom against the black night sky, and I screamed at the top of my lungs with the deafening roar of the 12th man and the thunderous echoes of “We Are…Penn State!”
It was then that I knew that Penn State Football was the new love of my life.Football spent the next few months spoiling me. Game after game was filled with thrilling drama as he teased me with the agony of defeat before swooping in with a miraculous, highlight reel-worthy play to win the game and let me drink again from the cup of sweet victory. The Orange Bowl that year was really just Football’s way of toying with my emotions, but the ending was worth every heart palpitation.
It was puppy love at its best, but also at its worst. I could only see the good about my new love, and anyone who dared criticize Penn State Football or any coach or player would quickly find himself on the receiving end of my ire and wrath. Any time that State lost, I could easily place the blame on the referees. Such was my loyalty to my Dear Old State that I started to believe that the state of Iowa didn’t really exist. What’s in between Illinois and Nebraska? Eh, just a vacant cornfield. Any time the team lost, I did my best to quickly forget the game and turn the final score into a repressed memory. What was the final score of the Northwestern game, and how big was the comeback? That, I remember. What was the score when Penn State played USC in the Rose Bowl? Couldn’t tell you.
Not that Football and I never had a disagreement; we’ve had our fair share. Like when it snowed during the Michigan State game in 2008 and I slipped on a bleacher, smashing up my shin and making a bump that’s still there today. Or when I didn’t get tickets for my senior year, or when a small student oligarchy put itself in charge of Paternoville. Or when Football broke my heart, losing at home for the first time during my tenure as a student in a game that, obviously, I can barely remember.But what is a love for Dear Old State really about? Why did I fall in love with Penn State football? Was it because they won? Of course not, because that would mean I don’t love them when they lose, and folks, the saying is “Penn State Forever,” not “Penn State Only When the Team Beats Michigan.” Rabid loyalty is a good thing, but Football doesn’t need me to defend him to critics to prove my love. All he wants is for me to put on my blue hat and lion earrings and spent some quality time with him. That’s what a love for football is about for a student fan.
It’s about the tailgates before the game, bringing your friends to meet your parents and score some free cheeseburgers. It’s about the facepaint, taking turns lathering a friend’s face with white and topping it off with blue pawprints. It’s about yelling in harmony to block the sound of the snap count and the high fives when the opponent gets a false start penalty. It’s about laughing and smack talking on a road trip to watch the team play in the Big House or the Horseshoe. It’s about jumping up and down to Zombie Nation and holding each other up so no one fell, it’s about swaying together and singing the Alma Mater, and it’s about the wave, complete with fast- and slow-motion. It’s about the time you spend and the friends you make while congregating for a single purpose. I don’t love Penn State Football because sports are inherently that awesome. I love Penn State Football because it gives us all something to cheer for, to talk about, to share with each other.Now, a bachelor’s degree, two minors, and a Master’s degree later, I’m teetering on the cusp of graduation, but walking away with my diplomas does not mean I’m walking away from my college sweetheart. It’s a love I’ll never fully outgrow. After all, I’m a State-R-Us kid. I’m sure there are still plenty of Saturday afternoons in the future for Football and me. And someday when I’m wearing a Penn State Grandma sweatshirt and my grandkids are bringing their friends to my tailgate, I’ll be sharing the love just as our Penn State predecessors shared with us.
We Are. Penn State. Forever.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Luck of the Lions
With the season in hand about 70 college teams are prepping these next few weeks for a bowl game, while the other 49 are getting a head start for the holidays. Bowl season also means two other things, the first of which is more time to focus on recruiting, in-home visits with athletes all around the country, and seeing where you stand coming into the final stretch until signing day. The second is the changing landscape in college football, as many universities are evaluating the status of their programs and making major changes. Where these two collide for Penn State has to deal with the most recent news of Dave Wannstedt's firing at the University of Pittsburgh.
With all due respect to Dave Wannstedt, who I think has done more than a great job at Pitt and didn't deserve to get fired, this is great news for Penn State. It is great news because I truly believe that this was a rebuilding year for Pitt as they were breaking in a new quarterback, and that next year would've have launched Wannstedt's Pitt program into a competition for the best team in the state of Pennsylvania. If you don't believe me, just go ahead and ask the slew of recruits that had committed to Pitt over Penn State with the firm belief that Pitt was on the verge of something great. Wannstedt was compiling a top 25 recruiting class, with many of the top recruits from our very own backyard, but now with him gone I am expecting for some of those commitments to waver.
Couple that with the current state and perception of the Big East (seriously, UConn lost to Temple and Michigan this year and are playing in the BCS) and you've got some wavering thoughts going on. This is the out that most of these players were looking for. A lot of these players have also built bonds with each other at high school football camps and want to continue to play together at the collegiate level, and the most likely place that these players have a common offer from is Penn State. Throw in the fact that over a handful of these players came down between Pitt and Penn State and simply chose Pitt because of Dave Wannstedt, and the slow developing interest from Penn State as they were taking their time on the recruiting trail. Now that Dave is gone, none of that matters, the only thing that matters is who's calling now.
With Wannstedt gone, I would expect that many coaches from the surrounding area are using this situation to take advantage of the current instability at Pitt. This is the perfect opportunity for coaches from surrounding programs to get back in touch with these players and pull them their way. Nonetheless, I expect that the Penn State coaching staff just got the spark they needed to get back in the hunt for some of the top talent in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia. This is the turn they needed, and if they don't come away with at least three to four of Pitt's top commitments, I would be heavily surprise. Just be on the lookout to hear some news from Kyshoen Jarrett, Terrell Chestnut, Bill Belton, and Marquise Wright. These would be the home runs Penn State needs to shore up this recruiting class.
We still got a long way to go until signing day, but continue to watch the threads, and we'll see if the coaches can capitalize on this situation. For all you Penn State fans, enjoy the Outback Bowl, it'll be a great one to watch on New Year's Day. For all you Pitt fans, I guess you'll just have to continue wondering why you'll never work your way back up to elite status, but for now enjoy watching Randall Cobb tear up your defense in the Compass Bowl.
WE ARE................
With all due respect to Dave Wannstedt, who I think has done more than a great job at Pitt and didn't deserve to get fired, this is great news for Penn State. It is great news because I truly believe that this was a rebuilding year for Pitt as they were breaking in a new quarterback, and that next year would've have launched Wannstedt's Pitt program into a competition for the best team in the state of Pennsylvania. If you don't believe me, just go ahead and ask the slew of recruits that had committed to Pitt over Penn State with the firm belief that Pitt was on the verge of something great. Wannstedt was compiling a top 25 recruiting class, with many of the top recruits from our very own backyard, but now with him gone I am expecting for some of those commitments to waver.
Couple that with the current state and perception of the Big East (seriously, UConn lost to Temple and Michigan this year and are playing in the BCS) and you've got some wavering thoughts going on. This is the out that most of these players were looking for. A lot of these players have also built bonds with each other at high school football camps and want to continue to play together at the collegiate level, and the most likely place that these players have a common offer from is Penn State. Throw in the fact that over a handful of these players came down between Pitt and Penn State and simply chose Pitt because of Dave Wannstedt, and the slow developing interest from Penn State as they were taking their time on the recruiting trail. Now that Dave is gone, none of that matters, the only thing that matters is who's calling now.
With Wannstedt gone, I would expect that many coaches from the surrounding area are using this situation to take advantage of the current instability at Pitt. This is the perfect opportunity for coaches from surrounding programs to get back in touch with these players and pull them their way. Nonetheless, I expect that the Penn State coaching staff just got the spark they needed to get back in the hunt for some of the top talent in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia. This is the turn they needed, and if they don't come away with at least three to four of Pitt's top commitments, I would be heavily surprise. Just be on the lookout to hear some news from Kyshoen Jarrett, Terrell Chestnut, Bill Belton, and Marquise Wright. These would be the home runs Penn State needs to shore up this recruiting class.
We still got a long way to go until signing day, but continue to watch the threads, and we'll see if the coaches can capitalize on this situation. For all you Penn State fans, enjoy the Outback Bowl, it'll be a great one to watch on New Year's Day. For all you Pitt fans, I guess you'll just have to continue wondering why you'll never work your way back up to elite status, but for now enjoy watching Randall Cobb tear up your defense in the Compass Bowl.
WE ARE................
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Championship Saturday
Here it is, the last time that the Big Ten will be excluded from Championship weekend and late season exposure around the country. At this time next year, two Big Ten teams will be gearing up to meet in the first annual Big Ten Championship game. The beauty of it all is that the game will be played indoors at Lucas Oil Stadium, which serves as the home to Peyton Manning, the Indianapolis Colts, and the NFL Combine. Just imagining what it is going to feel like is giving me chills, but for now, I'm just as excited for this upcoming weekend.
You might not think that this weekend has any effect on the Big Ten because we stopped conference play last weekend, but I'm here to tell you that this weekend has a major effect on how the Big Ten Bowl picture is going to line up. Aside from the Big 12 championship game, the DE facto Big East Championship Game (UConn vs. USF), meaningless ACC Championship Game (Seriously, FSU got smashed by Oklahoma and VTech lost to James Madison), there are two games that are going to have a major effect on the outcome of this year's bowl lineup. They are none other than the Civil War (annual rivalry game between Oregon State and Oregon) and the SEC championship game (previously known as the annual match-up between Florida and Alabama).
Basically the outcome of these two games has a major affect on the outcome of where Big Ten teams will be placed in terms of BCS Bowl games, and more importantly who we are going to face on New Year's Day in the Outback Bowl. So let's go ahead and get started with the scenarios and see how each one plays out and what the results can do for Penn State's match-up in their bowl game as well.
Both Auburn and Oregon win:
This one is pretty simple:
BCS Championship Game: Auburn vs. Oregon
Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs. TCU
Sugar Bowl: Ohio State vs. Arkansas
Orange Bowl: FSU/VT (ACC Champ) vs. Stanford (at-large)
Fiesta Bowl: OU/Neb (Big 12 Champ) vs. UCONN/WVU/Pitt (Big East Champ)
Capital One Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan State
Cotton Bowl: LSU vs. OU/Neb
Outback Bowl: Penn State vs. South Carolina
Now here is where it starts to get pretty ugly, If Auburn loses and Oregon wins:
BCS Championship game: Wisconsin vs. Oregon
Rose Bowl: TCU vs. Stanford
Sugar Bowl: South Carolina vs. Ohio State
Orange Bowl: FSU/VT (ACC Champ) vs. Auburn
Fiesta: OU/Neb vs. UCONN/WVU/Pitt
Capital One Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan State
Cotton Bowl: Arkansas vs. OU/Neb
Outback Bowl: Penn State vs. LSU
If Oregon loses and Auburn wins:
BCS Championship Game: Wisconsin vs. Auburn
Rose Bowl: TCU vs. Oregon
Sugar Bowl: Arkansas vs. Ohio State
Orange Bowl: FSU/VT vs.Stanford
Fiesta Bowl: OU/Neb vs. UCONN/WVU/Pitt
Capital One Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan State
Cotton Bowl: LSU vs. OU/Neb
Outback Bowl: Penn State vs. South Carolina
If Both Lose:
BCS Championship Game: Wisconsin vs. TCU (BCS will have no choice justifying a team that didn't win their conference to jump TCU to play in the National Title Game, this is everyone's worst nightmare)
Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon
Sugar Bowl: South Carolina vs. Stanford
Orange Bowl: FSU/VT vs. Auburn
Fiesta Bowl: OU/Neb vs. UCONN/WVU/Pitt
Capital One Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan State
Cotton Bowl: Arkansas vs. OU/Neb
Outback Bowl: Penn State vs. LSU
Those are the four basic scenarios of what will most likely happen depending on the outcome of those two games this weekend. It also shows the politics behind each game, and how important a conference championship game is this late in the season. It definitely makes it much more interesting than just the BCS rankings. Two main questions that I know are going to be asked when I publish this, why would the Capital One bowl select Alabama over LSU if both are available, the simple answer, the Capital One bowl likes the draw of Saban versus Sparty since he used to coach their, and answer number two, they want to avoid giving the Outback a re-match of Penn State versus Alabama since they already played earlier this year. The main reason is because the officials for all of these bowls watch each other's backs, and they know that the intrigue of another Penn State vs. Bama match-up this year might not be as big of a draw considering how Bama handled Penn State earlier this year.
Question number two that is going to be asked, is why would the Cotton Bowl get Arkansas, if LSU, Arkansas, and Bama are all available. There is one simple answer to that question as well........money. The Cotton Bowl will be played in Big 12 country in Dallas' new stadium, and Arkansas provides an intriguing match up with a Big 12 team because they have been courted multiple times by the Big 12 in the past and they border Big 12 country. The final reason is because Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, is probably the most famous Razorback alumni (famous Kappa Sigma alumni as well) in the country and he would love to play host to his Alma mater in a huge January Bowl Game (especially since his Cowboys won't be playing in the Super Bowl this year in his home stadium). He would most definitely love to see one of his teams have great success in his new house.
Enjoy Championship weekend, and when it is all said and done come back and take a look and see how I did. I will admit that I do believe that the winners of the Big 12 and Big East will be Nebraska and UCONN, but since there was no definite was the reason why I outlined the match-ups the way that I did. So when the picture is complete and the match-ups are made final on Sunday, come back and see how I measured up to reality. Until then enjoy the weekend and get ready for a trip to Tampa on New Years Day.
WE ARE.........................
You might not think that this weekend has any effect on the Big Ten because we stopped conference play last weekend, but I'm here to tell you that this weekend has a major effect on how the Big Ten Bowl picture is going to line up. Aside from the Big 12 championship game, the DE facto Big East Championship Game (UConn vs. USF), meaningless ACC Championship Game (Seriously, FSU got smashed by Oklahoma and VTech lost to James Madison), there are two games that are going to have a major effect on the outcome of this year's bowl lineup. They are none other than the Civil War (annual rivalry game between Oregon State and Oregon) and the SEC championship game (previously known as the annual match-up between Florida and Alabama).
Basically the outcome of these two games has a major affect on the outcome of where Big Ten teams will be placed in terms of BCS Bowl games, and more importantly who we are going to face on New Year's Day in the Outback Bowl. So let's go ahead and get started with the scenarios and see how each one plays out and what the results can do for Penn State's match-up in their bowl game as well.
Both Auburn and Oregon win:
This one is pretty simple:
BCS Championship Game: Auburn vs. Oregon
Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs. TCU
Sugar Bowl: Ohio State vs. Arkansas
Orange Bowl: FSU/VT (ACC Champ) vs. Stanford (at-large)
Fiesta Bowl: OU/Neb (Big 12 Champ) vs. UCONN/WVU/Pitt (Big East Champ)
Capital One Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan State
Cotton Bowl: LSU vs. OU/Neb
Outback Bowl: Penn State vs. South Carolina
Now here is where it starts to get pretty ugly, If Auburn loses and Oregon wins:
BCS Championship game: Wisconsin vs. Oregon
Rose Bowl: TCU vs. Stanford
Sugar Bowl: South Carolina vs. Ohio State
Orange Bowl: FSU/VT (ACC Champ) vs. Auburn
Fiesta: OU/Neb vs. UCONN/WVU/Pitt
Capital One Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan State
Cotton Bowl: Arkansas vs. OU/Neb
Outback Bowl: Penn State vs. LSU
If Oregon loses and Auburn wins:
BCS Championship Game: Wisconsin vs. Auburn
Rose Bowl: TCU vs. Oregon
Sugar Bowl: Arkansas vs. Ohio State
Orange Bowl: FSU/VT vs.Stanford
Fiesta Bowl: OU/Neb vs. UCONN/WVU/Pitt
Capital One Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan State
Cotton Bowl: LSU vs. OU/Neb
Outback Bowl: Penn State vs. South Carolina
If Both Lose:
BCS Championship Game: Wisconsin vs. TCU (BCS will have no choice justifying a team that didn't win their conference to jump TCU to play in the National Title Game, this is everyone's worst nightmare)
Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon
Sugar Bowl: South Carolina vs. Stanford
Orange Bowl: FSU/VT vs. Auburn
Fiesta Bowl: OU/Neb vs. UCONN/WVU/Pitt
Capital One Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan State
Cotton Bowl: Arkansas vs. OU/Neb
Outback Bowl: Penn State vs. LSU
Those are the four basic scenarios of what will most likely happen depending on the outcome of those two games this weekend. It also shows the politics behind each game, and how important a conference championship game is this late in the season. It definitely makes it much more interesting than just the BCS rankings. Two main questions that I know are going to be asked when I publish this, why would the Capital One bowl select Alabama over LSU if both are available, the simple answer, the Capital One bowl likes the draw of Saban versus Sparty since he used to coach their, and answer number two, they want to avoid giving the Outback a re-match of Penn State versus Alabama since they already played earlier this year. The main reason is because the officials for all of these bowls watch each other's backs, and they know that the intrigue of another Penn State vs. Bama match-up this year might not be as big of a draw considering how Bama handled Penn State earlier this year.
Question number two that is going to be asked, is why would the Cotton Bowl get Arkansas, if LSU, Arkansas, and Bama are all available. There is one simple answer to that question as well........money. The Cotton Bowl will be played in Big 12 country in Dallas' new stadium, and Arkansas provides an intriguing match up with a Big 12 team because they have been courted multiple times by the Big 12 in the past and they border Big 12 country. The final reason is because Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, is probably the most famous Razorback alumni (famous Kappa Sigma alumni as well) in the country and he would love to play host to his Alma mater in a huge January Bowl Game (especially since his Cowboys won't be playing in the Super Bowl this year in his home stadium). He would most definitely love to see one of his teams have great success in his new house.
Enjoy Championship weekend, and when it is all said and done come back and take a look and see how I did. I will admit that I do believe that the winners of the Big 12 and Big East will be Nebraska and UCONN, but since there was no definite was the reason why I outlined the match-ups the way that I did. So when the picture is complete and the match-ups are made final on Sunday, come back and see how I measured up to reality. Until then enjoy the weekend and get ready for a trip to Tampa on New Years Day.
WE ARE.........................
Monday, November 29, 2010
Outback Bowl Bound
Outback Bowl here we come. I know that I'm being a little presumptive on where we are going to be playing come January (that's right, I said January), but there is a reason for my madness. At the beginning of this year, no one would have expected the Big Ten to finish with a three way tie, more-so with that three way tie including Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Ohio State. This was suppose to be the year of the show down between Iowa and Ohio State, but with Iowa finishing with a 7-5 record, that has long since been history.
Taking a closer look at bowl match-ups, the top three of the Big Ten picture become a little more clear after the most recent BCS standings. Since there is a three way tie at the top of the Big Ten, the BCS rankings serve as the tie breaker, leaving the top ranked team with the automatic BCS bid for the Big Ten. So from the looks of the most recent standings, Wisconsin looks bound for the Rose Bowl (barring any major upsets, an outside shot at the National Title Game) and Ohio State seems ready to lock up an at-large bid for one of the remaining BCS Bowls, most likely the Sugar or the Fiesta. If that scenario plays out, that would leave Michigan State as the clear cut favorite to face Alabama (not LSU because they will enjoying the confines of Cowboys stadium and the Cotton Bowl) in the Capital One Bowl. Now that we've got that out of the way, we can start focusing on the logjam of contention for the Outback Bowl.
I know a lot of you have been reading the tie-ins and bowl predictions for all of the bowl games recently, and most of them say the Outback Bowl goes to the 3rd place team in the Big Ten. Keeping that in mind, there is a three way tie for first in the Big Ten, which coincidentally has left a three way tie for fourth. Considering we're losing two teams to the BCS, and MSU to the Capital One Bowl, consider it a three way tie for third, and the representative that is going to be playing in the Outback Bowl on January 1st, 2011.
Now that three way tie consists of Penn State, Iowa, and Illinois, which leaves the Outback bowl committee to pick between us, the Hawkeyes, and the Illini. There is a reason why I mentioned the teams twice, because the major focus on this three way tie is a committee, not an installed tie-breaker that can separate these teams that would automatically send one of these teams to the Outback Bowl. This committee basically gets to choose who they want, and their criteria is sometimes weighted by win and losses, but in this situation none of that matters, since all three have identical Big Ten records.
So the first tiebreaker for the committee is going to be which one of these teams is going to create the most revenue. What this breaks down too, is which team has a better traveling fan base, which team's alumni are going to come to the game and make them some money. With that in mind, Iowa played in the Orange Bowl last year, and they were very well represented in Florida (Outback Bowl is played in Tampa) in terms of fan base, Illinois does not have a proven track record of a traveling fan base, and Penn State is by and far the most reputable program out of these three in showing up for road games. Based on that alone, the Outback Bowl committee has already limited their choices between the Nittany Lions and the Hawkeyes.
Now you are thinking to yourself that the Hawkeyes have the advantage because they beat the Nittany Lions in head to head competition this year, but the truth is that none of that matters to the committee. Their next criteria that they are going to use to pick a team for this game is how they played down the final stretch of the season. Based on this they are going to determine which team would be a more exciting draw for fans to come out and watch (basically use this as an excuse to pick who they really want, the team that is going to make them the most money). Politically speaking they are going to compare the records of Penn State and Iowa during their last six games of the season, and more closely examine how they ended the season. As for Iowa, they went 2-4 (almost 1-5 is Belcher didn't drop that last second TD grab for Indiana) down the stretch with a season ending loss to the worst team in the Big Ten in Minnesota. Penn State on the other hand, went 4-2, with those two losses coming against two teams ranked in the top ten of the BCS standings, including a close match-up against Michigan State.
Basically what I'm saying is that nobody wants to go watch and Iowa team that just lost to Minnesota to end off the season, while Penn State fans will always want to go watch their team no matter who they are facing. The Lions will also get a little more grace considering the fact that they had the toughest schedule in the nation this year. But all reasoning and theories aside, the Nittany
WE ARE..................
Taking a closer look at bowl match-ups, the top three of the Big Ten picture become a little more clear after the most recent BCS standings. Since there is a three way tie at the top of the Big Ten, the BCS rankings serve as the tie breaker, leaving the top ranked team with the automatic BCS bid for the Big Ten. So from the looks of the most recent standings, Wisconsin looks bound for the Rose Bowl (barring any major upsets, an outside shot at the National Title Game) and Ohio State seems ready to lock up an at-large bid for one of the remaining BCS Bowls, most likely the Sugar or the Fiesta. If that scenario plays out, that would leave Michigan State as the clear cut favorite to face Alabama (not LSU because they will enjoying the confines of Cowboys stadium and the Cotton Bowl) in the Capital One Bowl. Now that we've got that out of the way, we can start focusing on the logjam of contention for the Outback Bowl.
I know a lot of you have been reading the tie-ins and bowl predictions for all of the bowl games recently, and most of them say the Outback Bowl goes to the 3rd place team in the Big Ten. Keeping that in mind, there is a three way tie for first in the Big Ten, which coincidentally has left a three way tie for fourth. Considering we're losing two teams to the BCS, and MSU to the Capital One Bowl, consider it a three way tie for third, and the representative that is going to be playing in the Outback Bowl on January 1st, 2011.
Now that three way tie consists of Penn State, Iowa, and Illinois, which leaves the Outback bowl committee to pick between us, the Hawkeyes, and the Illini. There is a reason why I mentioned the teams twice, because the major focus on this three way tie is a committee, not an installed tie-breaker that can separate these teams that would automatically send one of these teams to the Outback Bowl. This committee basically gets to choose who they want, and their criteria is sometimes weighted by win and losses, but in this situation none of that matters, since all three have identical Big Ten records.
So the first tiebreaker for the committee is going to be which one of these teams is going to create the most revenue. What this breaks down too, is which team has a better traveling fan base, which team's alumni are going to come to the game and make them some money. With that in mind, Iowa played in the Orange Bowl last year, and they were very well represented in Florida (Outback Bowl is played in Tampa) in terms of fan base, Illinois does not have a proven track record of a traveling fan base, and Penn State is by and far the most reputable program out of these three in showing up for road games. Based on that alone, the Outback Bowl committee has already limited their choices between the Nittany Lions and the Hawkeyes.
Now you are thinking to yourself that the Hawkeyes have the advantage because they beat the Nittany Lions in head to head competition this year, but the truth is that none of that matters to the committee. Their next criteria that they are going to use to pick a team for this game is how they played down the final stretch of the season. Based on this they are going to determine which team would be a more exciting draw for fans to come out and watch (basically use this as an excuse to pick who they really want, the team that is going to make them the most money). Politically speaking they are going to compare the records of Penn State and Iowa during their last six games of the season, and more closely examine how they ended the season. As for Iowa, they went 2-4 (almost 1-5 is Belcher didn't drop that last second TD grab for Indiana) down the stretch with a season ending loss to the worst team in the Big Ten in Minnesota. Penn State on the other hand, went 4-2, with those two losses coming against two teams ranked in the top ten of the BCS standings, including a close match-up against Michigan State.
Basically what I'm saying is that nobody wants to go watch and Iowa team that just lost to Minnesota to end off the season, while Penn State fans will always want to go watch their team no matter who they are facing. The Lions will also get a little more grace considering the fact that they had the toughest schedule in the nation this year. But all reasoning and theories aside, the Nittany
WE ARE..................
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Remember the Spartans
As the snow flakes fell to the ground in Happy Valley today, along with cheers coming from the visitor's section of the stadium, Penn State's rebuilding year came to a close. Another week of heartbreak and disappointment that put an exclamation point on this up and down season for Penn State. Let's go ahead and recap today's game and begin to wrap up the regular season as we start getting ready for Bowl season to start. Since I'm feeling a little pessimistic today, I'm going to go ahead and start with the ugly.
The Ugly:
I know that I'm going to take a lot of flack for this, but the ugly was most definitely the quarterback play today in Beaver Stadium. I know all you fans that are blinded by the improbable stat line of McGloin's 312 (23/42 52% completion rate = ugly) passing yards are going to give me flack for this, but I really don't care. The truth is that I would hope that if you throw the ball at least 42 times during the game, especially with an offense that only averages 64 plays a game, I would hope you would throw for at least 300 yards. If you want to argue with me, go ahead and re-watch the game, Michigan State's secondary dropped 6 would be interceptions, and that is not an exaggeration. If this guy didn't have the luck of the Irish, his last TD would've never happened either since MSU's defensive back fumbled his interception within the red zone on the four yard line, giving McGloin one more shot at the end zone.
The Bad:
The team was definitely sleeping the entire game until the fourth quarter. I don't understand how the coaches are having such a hard time getting these guys ready for the game, but you could also make the argument that MSU let up a little bit in the fourth quarter which led to the mini-revival that just fell short. Either way, the only guys that had a nonstop motor the entire game have to be given credit, and those guys are Nate Stupar, Evan Royster, and Stefen Wisniewski. These guys were playing mad the whole game and I loved watching Stoops flying all over the field on the defensive side of the ball, the guy was everywhere.
The Bad Continued:
We're losing some quality guys off of the field this year, especially with the losses of guys like Wisniewski, Royster, Brackett, Ogbu, etc. I just wanted to go ahead and take a second and thank these guys for the last four/five years of football that they have played for us. They laid it on the line for us week in and week out, and for that, on behalf of the Nittany Lions faithful I want to thank you for all of the great memories that you provided for us. Good luck with your future endeavors and I'm sure you will continue to make us proud.
The Good:
There is some great news that comes out of this. We finished the season on a little bit of a positive note. Even though we lost to Michigan State, we have definitely developed some chemistry on this team as the season has gone on. We have some guys that have been stepping up and developing an identity, especially with guys like Mauti, Stupar, Redd, Willis, and Justin Brown. These guys are stepping up and showing us that the future is most definitely bright, they have played well during the latter stages of the season, and I'm definitely excited to see how they impact this team during Bowl Season. Couple that with some time to heal for this Penn State squad, and our bowl game will be the statement game before we start talking about Spring practice. On another note, the worst possible bowl game for us to go to (especially since most of the fans packed it in after the Illinois game) is going to be the Outback Bowl. Yes, at 7-5 we will most likely be playing in Tampa thanks to the fact that the Big Ten has three 11-1 teams ranked in the top ten of the BCS Standings. Wisconsin will most likely go to the Rose Bowl (barring any upsets next week, they have an outside shot of backing into the National Title Game, but I doubt it), and Ohio State will get the at-large. Leaving Sparty to the Capital One Bowl, and PSU to the Outback Bowl. Tampa here we come.
WE ARE.....................
The Ugly:
I know that I'm going to take a lot of flack for this, but the ugly was most definitely the quarterback play today in Beaver Stadium. I know all you fans that are blinded by the improbable stat line of McGloin's 312 (23/42 52% completion rate = ugly) passing yards are going to give me flack for this, but I really don't care. The truth is that I would hope that if you throw the ball at least 42 times during the game, especially with an offense that only averages 64 plays a game, I would hope you would throw for at least 300 yards. If you want to argue with me, go ahead and re-watch the game, Michigan State's secondary dropped 6 would be interceptions, and that is not an exaggeration. If this guy didn't have the luck of the Irish, his last TD would've never happened either since MSU's defensive back fumbled his interception within the red zone on the four yard line, giving McGloin one more shot at the end zone.
The Bad:
The team was definitely sleeping the entire game until the fourth quarter. I don't understand how the coaches are having such a hard time getting these guys ready for the game, but you could also make the argument that MSU let up a little bit in the fourth quarter which led to the mini-revival that just fell short. Either way, the only guys that had a nonstop motor the entire game have to be given credit, and those guys are Nate Stupar, Evan Royster, and Stefen Wisniewski. These guys were playing mad the whole game and I loved watching Stoops flying all over the field on the defensive side of the ball, the guy was everywhere.
The Bad Continued:
We're losing some quality guys off of the field this year, especially with the losses of guys like Wisniewski, Royster, Brackett, Ogbu, etc. I just wanted to go ahead and take a second and thank these guys for the last four/five years of football that they have played for us. They laid it on the line for us week in and week out, and for that, on behalf of the Nittany Lions faithful I want to thank you for all of the great memories that you provided for us. Good luck with your future endeavors and I'm sure you will continue to make us proud.
The Good:
There is some great news that comes out of this. We finished the season on a little bit of a positive note. Even though we lost to Michigan State, we have definitely developed some chemistry on this team as the season has gone on. We have some guys that have been stepping up and developing an identity, especially with guys like Mauti, Stupar, Redd, Willis, and Justin Brown. These guys are stepping up and showing us that the future is most definitely bright, they have played well during the latter stages of the season, and I'm definitely excited to see how they impact this team during Bowl Season. Couple that with some time to heal for this Penn State squad, and our bowl game will be the statement game before we start talking about Spring practice. On another note, the worst possible bowl game for us to go to (especially since most of the fans packed it in after the Illinois game) is going to be the Outback Bowl. Yes, at 7-5 we will most likely be playing in Tampa thanks to the fact that the Big Ten has three 11-1 teams ranked in the top ten of the BCS Standings. Wisconsin will most likely go to the Rose Bowl (barring any upsets next week, they have an outside shot of backing into the National Title Game, but I doubt it), and Ohio State will get the at-large. Leaving Sparty to the Capital One Bowl, and PSU to the Outback Bowl. Tampa here we come.
WE ARE.....................
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
The Best Coach in the Big Ten
The Best Coach in the Big Ten
In recent days, I have found myself spending free moments watching old TED Conference presentations on Youtube. I found myself in such a place yesterday, watching Barry Schwartz explain why expanded choice leads not to greater freedom, but shockingly less. He explained that choice allows us to get better things but we feel worse about them, because we wonder if another option would have made a more positive impact. We expect perfection, and therefore our inflated expectations increase the opportunity cost of any alternative to the point that any choice will leave us unsatisfied. In such a world, perhaps the only thing that can make us happy is delaying choices altogether.
While my introduction is more of a digression that I found interesting rather than a proper introduction, I do believe that inflated expectations cause us to despise any choice we make and immediately decide to pursue any or every other option. Inflated expectations can cause fans of a premiere college football program to call for the firing of the greatest coach in the history of college football, during every year in which a top 20 finish is unlikely. We are an anxious people, especially those of us who are members of the self-described “lost generation.” We want the best and we want it now. If Chris Peterson can win every game at Boise State, we should bring him on over to Penn State, because Joe Paterno is always losing between two and five.
Indeed, between 2002 and 2008, Joe Paterno’s record with Penn State ranks fifth in the Big Ten. He won fifty-six of eighty-seven games for a winning percentage of 64.4%, placing the Lions behind Ohio State (84.4%), Wisconsin (68.9%), and Iowa and Michigan (both 67%). Indeed, Lloyd Carr’s winning percentage from 2002-2007 was vastly superior to Paterno’s, and he was dismissed very publicly for his failure to win enough football games. Penn State’s record during the seven years in the middle of the aughts was only better than Purdue (54.5%), Minnesota (52.3%), Michigan State (48.8%), Northwestern (47.7%), and Illinois and Indiana (both 32.5%). If coaching is judged solely on the basis of wins and losses, it seems that the old coach is losing his touch, dipping into the dreaded second tier of the Big Ten.
But, Robert Inchausti says that teaching is a profession of the sublime, and indeed college coaching is more of a sublime art than a scale in which very light wins are to tip the balance away from the heavy losses. Every choice is accompanied by the inevitable what-if? What if Penn State had fired Joe in 2004 after just seven wins in two years? What if he had left after 2005? Would Penn State have won a National Championship by now? Frankly, if it were up to my rash friends and I, Joe would have been gone years ago. I wrote as much in a much maligned email sent in September 2005. Fortunately the choice did not belong to my “lost generation.” Joe Paterno has stayed, and I can say that between 2002 and 2008, he was without question the best coach in the Big Ten.
How I Came to that Conclusion
To begin with, only three schools maintained the same coach from 2002 to 2008, Ohio State, Penn State and Iowa. We soon see the cream rise to the crop with Coaches Tressel, Paterno and Ferentz. Lloyd Carr would easily be among these three, had the Michigan decision makers understood that making a choice just because we feel like something is a bad fit at the moment does not make us feel more liberated, but less so. Ask any Michigan fan if they still wish that Carr was fired in 2007, only the crazy ones will say yes. (Then again, I’m still glad Donovan McNabb is out of Philly, and his stats tell me he was the greatest QB in the history of the organization. All things are contradictory in some ways I suppose. But still the NFL is different from college. At least that’s how I rationalize this apparent contradiction.)
College football is different because of that first word, college. Let’s not forget or be quick to forget that college is what is most important to the young men who go to these programs. Brad Banks won the Davey O’Brien award in 2002 for best Quarterback in College. Have you ever heard of him? Well, he does lead the offense of a professional football team, and they play in an arena, on a fifty-yard field in Orlando. The point is that graduating your players, even the supposed superstars, is the most important thing a coach can do, and if he wins a few championships too, that’s great.
The incoming classes from 1998 to 2003 made up the bulk of all of the teams from 2002 to 2008. Of the students who came to Penn State to play football between 1998 and 2003, more than 81% graduated. Penn State’s graduation rate in that time period was second in the Big Ten to Northwestern who graduated an astonishing 92.67%. Indeed, I think that the measure of a great coach is the sum of his graduation rate and his winning percentage. Tressell certainly has Ohio State on the right track, and you cannot blame him for the low graduation rates the first few years he was in Columbus, but the Buckeyes graduated only 56.5% of its players who came to the school between 1998 and 2003. The Hawkeyes, on the other hand graduated 70.67% of its players. Still, no coach can compare with Paterno’s winning and his graduation rate. Perhaps we need to take another moment to consider the impact of his accomplishments.
Paterno’s worst incoming class from 1998 to 2003 graduated 76% of its players. That number is higher than the average of 9 other Big Ten Schools in that same time span, and higher than the highest graduation rate in that time span of six other Big Ten Schools. Consider this, only five schools in the Big Ten won more than 60% of their games from 2002-2008 (mentioned above), with one clear outlier being Ohio State who won more than 80%. That means that Penn State was one of the elite teams in the Big Ten over that stretch. With those same players, only five schools graduated more than 70%, (Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Penn State and Northwestern), with Northwestern as a clear outlier. Iowa, Penn State and Michigan are the only teams who ranked in the top five in both categories, and Penn State’s winning percentage is nominally lower than Michigan and Iowa (3%), while their graduation rate is significantly higher (10%). You can see the statistics below, and I won’t belabor the point.
Being a good coach is all about balancing the scale of light wins and heavy losses. Being a great coach is a sublime art, and I hope that it is not a lost one. As I began with thoughts from one of my recent favorite scholars, let me end with the same. This one is from Tamba Hali, he writes:
“To be honest with you, Penn State was my worst visit. I was pretty much bored. But I liked it here because I wasn’t coming here to party. I was really coming to go to school and play football. [Coach Paterno] had a plan for every player, to put in their minds that they wanted to come here and get an education, go to classes, be a good citizen and abide by all the rules he established.”
So, please let not the choices we make limit our liberty. Let us be proud of the old coach, and honor what he’s accomplished. Thanks Joe, for everything!
Statistics:
Big 10: Incoming Classes 1998-2003
Football Graduating Classes 2003- 2008
Team | Average GSR | Low GSR | High GSR |
Illinois | 71.333333% | 67% (1999) | 76% (2003) |
Indiana | 69.833333% | 67% (2000 and 2) | 77% (1999) |
Iowa | 70.666666% | 58% (1998) | 79% (2003) |
Michigan State | 48.5% | 41% (1998) | 56% (2003) |
Michigan | 70.833333% | 68% (1998) | 73% (2000) |
Minnesota | 49.166666% | 41% (1998) | 56% (2003) |
Northwestern | 92.666666% | 91% (1999) | 95% (2003) |
Ohio State | 56.5% | 52% (2001) | 63% (2003) |
Penn State | 81.166666% | 76% (2000) | 85% (2002) |
Purdue | 65% | 70% (1998 and 2000) | 59% (2002) |
Wisconsin | 63.833333% | 67% (1998) | 61% (2000) |
Big Ten Records 2002-8
School | Record (’02-’08) | Best Record | Worst Record |
Illinois | 27 – 56 (32.5) | 9-4 (2007) | 1 -11 (2003) |
Indiana | 27 – 56 (32.5) | 7-6 (2007) | 2-10 (2003) |
Iowa | 59 – 29 (67%) | 11-2 (2002 and 9) | 6-7 (2006) |
Michigan State | 42 – 44 (48.8) | 9-4 (2008) | 4-8 (2002 and 6) |
Michigan | 59 – 29 (67) | 11-2 (2006) | 3-9 (2008) |
Minnesota | 46 – 42 (52.3) | 10-3 (2003) | 1-11 (2007) |
Northwestern | 41 – 45 (47.7) | 9-4 (2008) | 3-9 (2002) |
Ohio State | 76 – 14 (84.4) | 14-0 (2002) | 8-4 (2004) |
Penn State | 56 – 31 (64.4) | 11-1 (2005) | 3-9 (2003) |
Purdue | 48 – 40 (54.5) | 9-4 (2003) | 4-8 (2008) |
Wisconsin | 62 – 28 (68.9) | 12-1 (2006) | 7-6 (2003 and 8) |
GSR= Graduation Success Rate
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