- Penn State should see its starting linebackers return to the field against Minnesota. This is a big deal. All three of these guys are big-time playmakers and their presence has been sorely missed. Just about everyone else who has been out for injury won't be returning.
- No more wondering about why Sean Stanley was suspended from playing/traveling with the team... He's been charged with marijuana possession. No official word yet on Derrick Thomas who was also suspended at the same time. Rumors were traveling around that Thomas' issue was of an academic nature, but the timing of the two suspensions as well as the fact that Thomas is named in the search warrant would seem to suggest that Thomas' suspension may also be linked to marijuana. Legality/morality of marijuana use aside, you have to wonder about someone who gets the opportunity to play football at the Division 1-A level, at a school as recognized as Penn State, and is willing to risk that opportunity and all the potential that goes with it for a temporary high.
- Linebacker U reminds us of the 2005 game against Minnesota where Penn State's offense had its first opportunity against a quality opponent that season and people started to take notice that PSU could have something special.
- Minnesota is trying to pump themselves up with a reminder about a game that occurred 11 years ago. At least they're trying. They need to do something to boost morale after their head coach got sacked on Sunday. The 1-6 record (including a loss to 1-AA South Dakota) can't help either.
- JoePa thinks the best way to reduce illegal/malicious hits is to eliminate the facemask. Cue the old man jokes...
- Penn State gets so many accolades like this that they barely even make the news when they happen, but the 2009 Penn State football team earned the 2010 BCS Student Athlete Champion award. This just goes to show what I said in my previous post - other teams may get more wins, and other teams may be more academically successful - but no other team does both of those things as well as Penn State does (and that's not just limited to football either). Definitely something to be proud of.
Quick Thoughts On Minne
JoePa said in his Tuesday press conference that he didn't consider this game a "must win;" that what needed to happen was for the team to play better. I agree with him. We all know too well how much this team needs to just play better and execute. At the same time, Minnesota is 1-6 including a loss to a 1-AA team. Their head coach just got fired. They're easily the worst team in the Big Ten. This is one game that PSU absolutely should have in the bag.
I generally refrain from making game outcome predictions, but I'm gonna go ahead and predict this a win. If I'm wrong, or if it's even still much of a game in the 4th quarter, you can be pretty certain that Penn State wasn't able to turn things around at all during the bye week The season's not over til it's over, but if Penn State can't take care of Minnesota, then it's probably reasonable to abandon any and all remaining hope for even moderate success throughout the rest of the season.
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