A Reality Check

Now that you guys have gotten a diagnosis from Dr. M-Will, I'm going to give you a rather straight to the point type article. You know, one of those ones with no punch lines, jokes, just straight to the point. M-Will addressed a lot of the issues and pretty much hit the nail on the head when he said that there was no good to come from the Illinois game. But here are some truths that you just simply need to know because a lot of you are ticking me off.

This past week I have received a lot of e-mail criticizing me for a few of my predictions. Well here's the truth people, some times when you analyze something, like the status of a football team, you do it with a group of givens. You have a certain body of work and you take that and do the best you can with it, and based on that body of work, you break it down as best as you can. When you are done, you make a calculated prediction (with some bias of course because you wouldn't be writing it without your own set of opinions) and here's the kicker, some times you are wrong.

This is relevant because, you all, the same group of people that are criticizing me (which I am okay with, and welcome it with open arms) are the same group of people that have packed it in for the rest of the season. I am not Yahoo, Rivals, or Fight On State. I am not M-Will who will reason with you and explain how your method of thinking is broken because you are too stubborn to understand it. So drop the attitude, the pessimistic approach, and listen up.

The truth is that we are not going to win the National Championship this year or the Big Ten. The team has not matched up to its expectations from the preseason, and yes we just got blown out of the water by an Illinois team we were supposed to beat. So what is going on? Why all the struggles in the red zone? Whose fault is this? See, there's the problem, instead of looking at what we've got, we keep looking for answers that we already have.

This Penn State team is not as bad of a team as the record shows. They are just as talented as any of the teams that they are facing; however, they are not executing as well as they would like to be. I know what you are thinking, as you are all heavy subscribers to the Bob Flounders and David Jones method of thinking, that "inexperience" as an excuse just doesn't cut it, and that "Joe Must Go" is the only option. If this team was 6-0 right now, you would be the same crowd that would be chanting "Joe Paterno" during pre-game warm-ups and throughout the game.

There is a reason why inexperience plays a huge factor, but I'll break it down for you in three elements. The first is familiarity with the current system, how much time have you spent in the system, and does it come to you naturally? Secondly, there is personal development (which is huge for the big guys in the trenches, they need a couple of years), have you developed the necessary strength to compete with other players at this level, can you keep up in the weight room with the big shots? Finally, there is the chemistry, this is the most overlooked aspect when people analyze a team. They simply break it down based on talent and the number of stars next to each players name on the roster, however, if the team has had time together and developed a foundation for success, it makes the transition easier for incoming (keep in mind, the transition is way easier for skill positions coming into college) players.

For example, lately I have heard the argument that Terrelle Pryor came into college as a true freshman and led his team to a Big Ten Title, and took them to a BCS bowl, no excuses for Bolden? I'm glad you had enough time to perform all the research on this topic, but that Ohio State team was a participant in the National Championship game the year before Pryor showed up. They already had the pieces in place to succeed, returning over 80% of their starters from the year before. They also did not have the same strength of schedule that PSU does now, as the level of competition has raised in the Big Ten (2 teams ranked in Top 25 that year at this point, this year 5) since, and they did not have to face 3 teams that were in BCS bowl games from the previous year as well.

What I'm saying is that you have to take a look at the whole picture, rather than focus on what is just frustrating you. I'm not telling you that you shouldn't be upset or disappointed by the season, but be honest with your expectations. Take a step back, and think that if a couple plays (literally a couple plays) went differently in those games against Iowa and Alabama, that Penn State could be looking at a much more attractive record. Also, look at the foundation of your argument, is it because you are mad and only looking for more reasons of why "Joe Must Go", or is it legitimate in its entirety.

So what is the whole picture? The truth is that this Penn State team is young and did not return a lot of starters on both sides of the ball. To put the blame fairly on the shoulders of a Stefen Wisniewski and Ollie Ogbu is not fair. You also have to look at what is going on off the field, I don't mean the coaches, but I mean the injuries. We lost difference makers in Curtis Drake, Gerald Hodges, Brandon Beachum, and Sczerba early in the year, and to think we lost 9 regulars throughout the game on defense during the Illinois game is just another shot to the chest. We also lost six guys to the NFL and two other regulars on defense to suspension, put that all together and you've got a make shift defense. Some times you just have to accept that stuff happens and move on.

As for the offensive struggles, let's just keep it simple, it is just going to happen at some point. You cannot expect perfection year in and year out. Sure, use the argument that these other schools continually re-load, but you and I both know that that is utter nonsense. We lost our starting RT Lou Eliades, LG Troutman came into the season out of shape, Wis has been our only solid returning starter on the line (and potential 1st round pick in next year's NFL draft), and the other two guys are brand new starters in Barham and Klopacz. Let's just be realistic (oh yeah, and did I mention we lost both starting Tight Ends to injury) and stop blaming Royster, Wis, and the coaches for everything. Sure, the coaches can do a better job with the play-calling, but that can only do so much with the lack of depth, experience, and execution alongside the offensive line. Let's just hope they are getting a little more out of the younger guys and preparing them well for the future.

For the rest of the season, this Penn State team is going to surprise you, let you down, give you hope, and bring you tears. This is both a beautiful thing and a curse because week in and week out, I just don't know what to expect. What I do know now is that this team no longer has a target on their backs, the pressure is relieved to a certain extent, and after these next two weeks, they can just get back to playing football. They will frustrate you at times, but by the year's end, I think they will outperform your newfound pessimistic expectations. Sure, I hear the I told you so's , but by the end of the year the consensus will once again be the same, Penn State will be great next year.

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