Roll Tide

As the second game of the season approaches, all of Nittany Nation has been focused on one thing and one thing only....BAMA. That is all I have heard this week, how great their running backs are, how great they recruit, how they are the new USC, etc. Well it is finally here, which means we can almost stop talking about it and just enjoy the marquee match-up of this weekend.

Here it is, the stiffest test of the season, we're going to be facing the Defending National Champions of College Football. As you have heard, we are going to get crushed, Alabama is going to cruise through this game. Joepa even said that we are going to be "out-manned" throughout this game and doesn't seem optimistic. The question lies here, with all the media and assumptions aside, what should we truly expect this weekend?

I would go ahead and say to expect one of the most exciting games of the season. It might not be the prettiest game of the season, but it will be exciting none the less. I would expect a close, grind it out type game, with flashes of brilliance from both sides. I would expect your heart to go through many ups and downs throughout this game, as Penn State will give Bama an unexpected run for the win. If Joepa knows one thing when it comes to big games, the man knows how to prepare for them. If you think that the team has not been focused and preparing for Alabama all summer, then you must be crazy.

If you also think that Penn State cannot match up with Alabama with talent wise and skill wise at each position, you are also naive. You are still stuck in that mindset that the talent from the teams in the South is much more superior to the talent on the teams in our conference. The truth is that the success of Alabama and Florida the last two years (more so last year Ed Hanna, I know you're shaking your head), masked the mediocrity of the rest of the Southeastern Conference. The rest of college football is catching up to the speed game of the South, and it will be very evident this weekend with match-ups between PSU and Bama, and also Ohio State vs. Miami.

Enough of my biased opinion of the talent level in each conference (I'll admit it, I'll give the SEC a little bit more of an edge Ed with the depth of talent, I hope you're happy), but I do think that the top teams in our conference match up talent wise with the top teams in every other conference. More specifically, I'll refocus to Penn State versus Alabama this weekend. I will go ahead and start off with the focus being their offense vs. our defense.

The truth is that everyone is talking about Alabama's offense this season, how it is a high powered machine, how they are going to just steam roll everyone. Well I'm going to go ahead and say it, there is some truth to that. They are experienced and explosive at every skill position on that side of the ball, they are massive up front on the offensive line, and they've got a great decision maker at quarterback. However, their offense is not built by design to steam roll every opponent they face.

Saban takes a PHYSICAL and systematic approach on offense. Strategically, Saban designs his offense to physically ware defenses down and then he hits them with a big play here and there, to stretch the field. He likes to run into the heart of the defense, keep possession of the ball, and overpower you in the trenches, which sets up opportunities to stretch the field later in the drive. He does this for three simple reasons; one, because Saban likes to control the game, time wise, and to keep his defense fresh; two, he likes to use this to ware a defense out and then eventually exploit them down the field; three, he likes to win ball games. It is a simple approach, you control the game, you control the score, and you win.

Now how does this apply to our game this weekend? It applies in the sense that Alabama does not play with a style that is designed for blowing opponents out. Saban knows that Penn State is not a San Jose State and has too much respect for our program, which is even more reason as to why he will stick to his guns and try to ware our defense out. Now this does not mean that Bama will not hit on big plays because they are very talented on the outside with Maze and Jones, but it would surprise me if that was their focus or if it happened often.

Another reason why Saban is going to want to control the tempo and the time of the game is because they are running very thin on defense. If Saban knows one thing, it is defense and he will have his boys ready, but the truth is that the depth of this defense is not nearly as strong as it has been the past two years. He has to replace 9 starters on defense, one of the returning starters is coming back from a torn ACL, and their returning Defensive MVP of the National Championship game is out due to a suspension. In other words, he is going to want to protect his defense as they form their chemistry, and establish depth on that side of the ball.

In other words, look for this match-up between Penn State's defense and Alabama's offense to be very physical. It will be a battle in the trenches on every down, and it will be interesting to see how Alabama chooses to attack the line of scrimmage. As you have all heard, Ingram will most likely be out for the game. This changes the entire dynamic of the way they run the ball, Richardson is just as talented as Ingram, but in different ways. Richardson likes to run between the tackles, cut and go; while Ingram uses their zone blocking scheme, his vision, and open field ability to run all over a defense. Look for Richardson to get at least 100 yards rushing, but on a heavy workload, which a great thing for our defense. I like the way the size of our front seven and their O-line match up. A match up to watch is going to be the battle at Right Tackle with DJ Fluker and Jack Crawford, our defensive end. Both of them are very talented individuals, and still pretty raw, which makes it an even more intriguing match-up.

These match-ups will also be pretty key to Alabama's passing game. I like McElroy back there as their starter, but he is nothing more than a game manager. Most of his down-field passes are successful because he is given the light of day to make the throw, and his receivers are always making fantastic adjustments to the ball. With that being said, I think the ultimate match up where I would give Alabama an edge would be their receivers against our defensive backs. In order for Penn State to be successful in this match-up, the DBs will need to be physical up front on the line of scrimmage, and the LBs will need to help up by bumping receivers that are coming across the middle. The only way we will succeed will be with help coverage, physical play from the line of scrimmage, and the front seven putting pressure on the QB.

The interesting match up here will be D'Antonn Lynn matched up with Julio Jones. If Lynn (6-1, 202 lbs) can have a break out game and be the physical player that everyone says he is suppose to be, then I think he can do a decent job of keeping Jones in check. The truth is, that he'll need our D-line's help in order to achieve this feat, none the less, it will be an interesting match-up all night long. But I also want to stress the importance of the match up of Stephon Morris with Maze on the other side of the field, Jones may be known as their big play threat, but in my opinion it is Maze that kills opposing defenses with his speed and he's more of a go to guy for McElroy when he's in trouble.

Now I'm going to shift the focus a little more to our team since I now reassured you that Bama is not going to stomp our offense, I'm going to try to rid you of your insecurities regarding our offense vs. their defense. The simple truth about this match-up is that no one knows what to expect for two reasons; one, we have a very raw, but promising player at the QB position in Robert Bolden; two, this is going to be Bama's first real test of their new defense. Both of these units carry a lot of uncertainties but also possess a lot of promise and potential. The key is going to be preparation and execution for this match-up.

As you read in my recap of the game against YSU, Penn State's offense did not really give us anything to go off of (more importantly, they didn't give Bama anything to work with either). They ran everything out of a base offense and simply just broke in a freshman Quarterback. Based on information I have been receiving though, I would expect a lot more passing from Robert Bolden in this game against Alabama. I know a lot of you think I'm crazy for saying that, but the truth is that Bama is going to stack the box against us and dare a freshman QB to throw. This will actually be in our benefit because Bolden can break the pocket, throw on the run, and even make a play with his feet. Rumor has it that Bolden is the fastest incoming freshman on the team, faster than Alex Kenney and Silas Redd who have been clocked at sub 4.4 speed in the forty yard dash. Do not be surprised if Penn State uses Bolden's ability to break to pocket to set up the run against the defense and make Alabama an honest defense.

As for Alabama on the defensive side of the ball, look for them to scheme and disguise blitz packages all over the field. They are going to try and confuse the freshman QB and put him in uncomfortable positions he has yet to be in. It will definitely be interesting to see how they are going to pressure him with their madman Marcell Dareus watching from the sidelines. Their entire defensive line are all new starters, the most intriguing match-up on this side of the ball is definitely without a doubt in my mind the battle in the trenches.

Penn State definitely has more size on the line than Bama does, especially with the loss of Cody to the NFL and Dareus to his suspension. However, it will be interesting to see if they can capitalize on this and pick up the blitzes and give Bolden some time to make some things happen back there. I like this match-up especially because the way Penn State runs the ball out of the spread is a wonderful match-up to attack an aggressive 3-4 defense. With the defense spread out, it allows for the O-line to get to the second level blocking more quickly and the running back to use his vision and ability to get up the field. This is the same tactic that Auburn used to attack Bama on the ground last year. Look for the run game to get going a little more in this game and Royster to have somewhat of a statement game against a nationally respected defense. The key to this match-up will be how a very raw and talented secondary will help in run support.

Which is the second match-up I want to focus on, our wide receivers against their secondary. Last year, Alabama had a very experienced and physical secondary, abusing opposing wide receivers throughout every game. This year, Alabama is breaking in three new skill players in the defensive backfield, and their veteran in Barron is an All - SEC defensive player, but will he be able to handle the burden of being the backbone of this new unit. Last year, Barron's responsibilities were simple, let the corners do their job, play center field, and punish opposing players. It will just be interesting to see how he handles his job this year without the experience and support that allowed him to roam free last year.

Also, how will Bama'a secondary play in the game, knowing that they are thin at the position. Will they be as aggressive as the guys from last year, and how will they match up with our wide receivers. This group of wide receivers as Penn State possesses great size and speed. With the likes of Brown, Zug, Moye, and Brackett, the shortest of which is 6' 2", will they be able to play the same physical style. Will they be able to get off of those blocks and provide support in the run game. I know that they have the ability to cover these guys, but do they have the necessary experience.

The most interesting aspect of this match-up will definitely be how they match-up in four/five receiver sets. Do they have the depth/experience to match up across the field with all those guys, and how will it affect their run support on designed run plays out of that set. I would go ahead and give the advantage to Penn State in this match-up, they just have too much size, experience, and motivation (protecting a freshman QB). If the coaches are smart, they will run many plays out of this set to create as many match-up problems as possible.

All in all, I think that these two teams have just as many questions as answers. It is early in the season, but Bama is the Defending National Champions which definitely gives them an edge. In the end, it is going to be a great match-up all throughout the game, and the team that has prepared the best, executes the best will come out on top. I'm just excited to see how it all plays out this weekend.

In my opinion, I am going to go ahead and say that Penn State pulls the upset. I was a little hesitant with my thinking in this, but I just have a little bit of a hunch that Bama is overrated this year, they just have too many holes on defense. I think that both defenses will cause turnovers and stall drives, but in the end the physical style of play will favor the Nittany Lions. I say that the Lions will come out on top 21-17 in a very tight game. Does this mean that I think that State will go undefeated....HECK NO, but it does mean that I think that they will beat the likes of Alabama this weekend.

Predictions
-Bolden has his freshman moments and some mistakes, but establishes himself as one of the premium freshman in the country this year.
-Both defenses will have great success and might cause the game to stall at times, but each offense will have its moments of brilliance.
- Royster will get back on track this week with at least 17 touches and breaks the century mark.
- Bolden accounts for two of the touchdowns, with Brown having a breakout game at wide receiver.
- Zug will have a great game as a possession receiver moving the ball down the field.
-Richardson will show flashes of brilliance and show why Saban had the confidence in starting him and protecting Ingram by having him get his surgery this early in the season.
-McElroy will be forced into some bad decisions, Lynn will come up with an Int.
-Jones and Maze will cause match-up problems for our defense, and any hiccups will be a result of their play.
- PHYSICAL, PHYSICAL, PHYSICAL play throughout the entire game
-Special teams will play a major factor in the outcome of the game, as it will be a battle of field position until later in the game when the offenses start opening things up a little bit.
-This will be the best game of the weekend

WE ARE................................