Hey everyone,
I just wanted to let you all know that I am not going to be able to blog for the next couple of weeks. I am actually getting married this weekend, but I will be back on November 2nd, and will pick up right where we left off. I haven't had much time to formulate my thoughts for this week, but the truth is that we are going to blowout Michigan, in Michigan, and I'm going to enjoy hearing the news on my wedding night while I'm rocking to zombie nation on the dance floor. Good luck Nits, kick some Ann Arbor tail for me.
WE ARE.............
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Interesting Matchups
This week in college football hosts some interesting matchups that could definitely affect that national title game picture. Some of these matchups have great implications, others you just don't even give a second thought. For this week, I am going to give you my three potential upset picks of the week, and a few other games to keep an eye on.
The first of these games will be Iowa at Wisconsin. Wisconsin is coming off a game against Ohio State where they simply just beat themselves. While Iowa is coming off a battle with Michigan that went late into the fourth quarter. The truth is that Wisconsin is a great team this year, possess one of the best offensive line units in the Big Ten, and run the ball better than anyone in this conference. Iowa on the other hand, has been controlling the trenches on both sides of the ball, and playing a smart controlled game, waiting for turnovers to present themselves. With Wisconsin possessing the stronger ground game and the ability to control the trenches on the offensive side of the ball and Iowa's track record of slow starts for noon games, expect the Badgers to shake up the Big Ten picture this week.
The next game on the docket will be Texas and Oklahoma. This Texas team has not yet faced a firm test and when will a McCoy vs. Bradford matchup not live up to the hype. Both of these teams are much different than the two that met up in the Cooton bowl last year, but they both still possess a lot of talent. The truth is that Texas is determined and still feels slighted for not getting a shot at the title game last year, but Oklahoma is playing in a game with pretty much nothing to lose. This is a huge trap game for Texas, with Oklahoma losing two tight games without Bradford and having already faced adversity, I say don't be too suprised if the Sooners come out on top this year.
Finally, the last of the big three for this week is going to be Notre Dame and USC. I'm going to go ahead and go out on a limb and say that the Fighting Irish are going to win this game for the first time in years. Let's be honest, USC has been anything but McKnight on offense and there defense has not exactly been as consistent as it was in the past. They have kept their opponents to low scores, but is that from their ability on defense or the conservative gameplans that other teams have when they play the Trojans. Jimmy Clausen is the truth, as much as I hate saying that, but with an experienced offensive line and a playmaker in Golden Tate, Notre Dame is finally going to get a "W" over USC this year.
As for the rest of the college schedule this weekend, here are some other games to keep an eye on for upsets that could affect the national title picture:
Tulsa vs. 5 Boise State
1 Florida vs. Arkansas
22 South Carolina vs. 2 Alabama
Colorado State vs. 12 TCU
These are my four other matchups on upset alert. Not picking them to get upset, but stating that these games are definitely a possibility.
The first of these games will be Iowa at Wisconsin. Wisconsin is coming off a game against Ohio State where they simply just beat themselves. While Iowa is coming off a battle with Michigan that went late into the fourth quarter. The truth is that Wisconsin is a great team this year, possess one of the best offensive line units in the Big Ten, and run the ball better than anyone in this conference. Iowa on the other hand, has been controlling the trenches on both sides of the ball, and playing a smart controlled game, waiting for turnovers to present themselves. With Wisconsin possessing the stronger ground game and the ability to control the trenches on the offensive side of the ball and Iowa's track record of slow starts for noon games, expect the Badgers to shake up the Big Ten picture this week.
The next game on the docket will be Texas and Oklahoma. This Texas team has not yet faced a firm test and when will a McCoy vs. Bradford matchup not live up to the hype. Both of these teams are much different than the two that met up in the Cooton bowl last year, but they both still possess a lot of talent. The truth is that Texas is determined and still feels slighted for not getting a shot at the title game last year, but Oklahoma is playing in a game with pretty much nothing to lose. This is a huge trap game for Texas, with Oklahoma losing two tight games without Bradford and having already faced adversity, I say don't be too suprised if the Sooners come out on top this year.
Finally, the last of the big three for this week is going to be Notre Dame and USC. I'm going to go ahead and go out on a limb and say that the Fighting Irish are going to win this game for the first time in years. Let's be honest, USC has been anything but McKnight on offense and there defense has not exactly been as consistent as it was in the past. They have kept their opponents to low scores, but is that from their ability on defense or the conservative gameplans that other teams have when they play the Trojans. Jimmy Clausen is the truth, as much as I hate saying that, but with an experienced offensive line and a playmaker in Golden Tate, Notre Dame is finally going to get a "W" over USC this year.
As for the rest of the college schedule this weekend, here are some other games to keep an eye on for upsets that could affect the national title picture:
Tulsa vs. 5 Boise State
1 Florida vs. Arkansas
22 South Carolina vs. 2 Alabama
Colorado State vs. 12 TCU
These are my four other matchups on upset alert. Not picking them to get upset, but stating that these games are definitely a possibility.
Eastern Illinois
Here's a post that is long overdue. Sorry about the delay folks, have just been a bit busy with wedding planning, paperwork, etc. But once October 24th comes, which will be the big day for me and my future wife, I will leave you guys hanging for a week and pick the blog back up on November 1st. But as for now, I will continue to blog until the 24th, and hopefully keep all of you updated on my thoughts on College Football.
As for Eastern Illinois, the review is simple, we beat them hard, we beat them bad. This has to have been the most complete game of the year that the Lions have played. They ran the ball well, the passed the ball well, and the defense made big plays. There's not too much to critique about this game, especially because it was an FCS opponent, but it was great to see the younger guys get out there and get some repititions.
What I would like to talk about is the upside. The fact that the team came out with a goal, believed in it, and accomplished it. That's one thing that has been different about this year's team from last year. Last year, we came out onto the field with a goal and that goal was to control the game from the get go and our team got after it. This year, there have been glimpses of that attitude, but I feel as if this team is finally getting its confidence back. With wins over Illinois and Eastern Illinois serving as those confidence boosters, which is what worries me, but this week will be an indicator of that mentality and how we will handle ourselves for the rest of the season.
Other than that, look for a good football game to be played this weekend against a good Minnesota football team. Most interesting matchup this weekend will be our secondary versus their wide receivers. Here is what to look for this weekend:
-Penn State getting the short game going early through the running game and some short screens in order to control the tempo of the game. Watch as they start to move the ball downfield with this method.
-I would look for Penn State to take a few shots downfield as another interesting matchup is our receivers vs. their secondary.
-Look for Gerald Hodges and Sean Stanley to get more reps with the first team defense and work their way into the defensive rotation
- Look for AJ Wallace to be assigned to cover Eric Decker, whichever side he lines up on expect Wallace to line up directly over him and try to shut him down.
- Royster will get his next 100 yard rushing effort of the year
-Also, if Clark is under more pressure, look for him to run the ball a few more times than usual and expand the play.
Final Score
Penn State 41
Minnesota 24
WE ARE...............
As for Eastern Illinois, the review is simple, we beat them hard, we beat them bad. This has to have been the most complete game of the year that the Lions have played. They ran the ball well, the passed the ball well, and the defense made big plays. There's not too much to critique about this game, especially because it was an FCS opponent, but it was great to see the younger guys get out there and get some repititions.
What I would like to talk about is the upside. The fact that the team came out with a goal, believed in it, and accomplished it. That's one thing that has been different about this year's team from last year. Last year, we came out onto the field with a goal and that goal was to control the game from the get go and our team got after it. This year, there have been glimpses of that attitude, but I feel as if this team is finally getting its confidence back. With wins over Illinois and Eastern Illinois serving as those confidence boosters, which is what worries me, but this week will be an indicator of that mentality and how we will handle ourselves for the rest of the season.
Other than that, look for a good football game to be played this weekend against a good Minnesota football team. Most interesting matchup this weekend will be our secondary versus their wide receivers. Here is what to look for this weekend:
-Penn State getting the short game going early through the running game and some short screens in order to control the tempo of the game. Watch as they start to move the ball downfield with this method.
-I would look for Penn State to take a few shots downfield as another interesting matchup is our receivers vs. their secondary.
-Look for Gerald Hodges and Sean Stanley to get more reps with the first team defense and work their way into the defensive rotation
- Look for AJ Wallace to be assigned to cover Eric Decker, whichever side he lines up on expect Wallace to line up directly over him and try to shut him down.
- Royster will get his next 100 yard rushing effort of the year
-Also, if Clark is under more pressure, look for him to run the ball a few more times than usual and expand the play.
Final Score
Penn State 41
Minnesota 24
WE ARE...............
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Bowden, Auburn, Fortt.....
As the lions return to their winning ways, the rest of the college football world moves forward as well. Interesting bits in college football include everything from another excessive celebration controversy, Stoops coming up short in Miami again, and will Tebow be ready for Florida's game against LSU. I know that there is a lot going on, but for this week, we are going to focus on the Bobby Bowden Saga, Gene Chizik's return to Auburn, and a little bit of recruiting news for the Nittany Lions.
We are going to start off with more great news for the Nittany Lions. The Nittany Lions are looking to finish in the top 5 in recruiting rankings this year on signing day and that just became more of a possibility with the commitment of inside linebacker (ILB) Khairi Fortt. Fortt is the second ranked ILB prospect in the entire country and already possesses a collegiate frame. At 6'3", 225 lbs, Fortt has the build and ability to contribute right away. As Fortt is enrolling early this spring, look for him to get some playing time as a true freshman next year.
Last spring, when Ed Hanna, Charles Barkley, and myself had heard of Auburn's decision to hire Gene Chizik, who had been 5-19 in his two years at Iowa City, we all just wrote Auburn out of the SEC picture. Barkley even went as far as calling the hiring of Gene Chizik as racist because Auburn chose to hire a white man with a 5-19 record over other candidates, such as Turner Gill of Buffalo.
The smack on Chizik is that he's 5-0 in his first five games at Auburn and looks to have that team on the path to win and to win this year. Chizik is now 18-0 is his last 18 games at Auburn, dating back to when he was last with the team as its defensive coordinator when they went 13-0 and won the national title back in 2004. Not only has he restored the winning tradition to that university, but he has brought back its identity as well. Auburn has returned to its smash mouth, run first, run heavy, and defensive ways. They might not win the title this year, but believe it or not folks, Auburn is back. Look for them to build around Chizik's traditional ways and return to their blue collar ways of winning.
Finally, here we are, 23 years, 309 wins, 2 National Titles, and 14 consecutive top 5 finishes later. Bobby Bowden, one of the greatest legends to ever coach this game. One of the old school coaches that still has values and doesn't sell his soul to recruits to build his program. He was the 90s in college football, was there ever a year in that decade that didn't include one of his teams in consideration for the National Title. This man has done so much for that University and what does he get in return, a loudmouth, disrespectful, and classless trustee talking about things he has no control of.
Honestly, this guy who has no control over any decisions or POWER regarding athletic personnel at FSU should have just kept his mouth shut. You can make the argument that Bowden has lost his touch and Florida State has only won ten games once this decade, blah, blah, etc. But the only reason those expectations exist were because Bowden's teams had created those expectations. It was because of his success that FSU is expected to win, with Bowden gone, the program will lose a lot of its luster, or whatever of it is left after the way they chose to handle this situation.
The truth is that Bowden's teams are not performing as well as they used to, but that does not mean that things could not have been handled differently. The administration of the university should have held a private discussion with Bowden at the end of the season and allowed him to render his resignation. Bowden has earned the right to go out on his own terms and he also deserves the respect of resigning rather than leaving with the image that he was forced out of college football.
Florida State, good luck with trying to establish a winning program as you've destroyed any chance of success at your institution with this classless display. Look for UNC, Virginia Tech, Miami, and Georgia Tech to continue to grow as the class of the ACC, as everyone will always remember how Florida State handled this situation.
As for Bowden, thank you so much Coach for one of the greatest decades in college football history. Thank you for all that you have done for the game, the students at that university, and the values that you brought to coaching. You will always be remembered as a legend and the college football world will always respect you and will never forget you.............that is when you decide to step down.
WE ARE....................
We are going to start off with more great news for the Nittany Lions. The Nittany Lions are looking to finish in the top 5 in recruiting rankings this year on signing day and that just became more of a possibility with the commitment of inside linebacker (ILB) Khairi Fortt. Fortt is the second ranked ILB prospect in the entire country and already possesses a collegiate frame. At 6'3", 225 lbs, Fortt has the build and ability to contribute right away. As Fortt is enrolling early this spring, look for him to get some playing time as a true freshman next year.
Last spring, when Ed Hanna, Charles Barkley, and myself had heard of Auburn's decision to hire Gene Chizik, who had been 5-19 in his two years at Iowa City, we all just wrote Auburn out of the SEC picture. Barkley even went as far as calling the hiring of Gene Chizik as racist because Auburn chose to hire a white man with a 5-19 record over other candidates, such as Turner Gill of Buffalo.
The smack on Chizik is that he's 5-0 in his first five games at Auburn and looks to have that team on the path to win and to win this year. Chizik is now 18-0 is his last 18 games at Auburn, dating back to when he was last with the team as its defensive coordinator when they went 13-0 and won the national title back in 2004. Not only has he restored the winning tradition to that university, but he has brought back its identity as well. Auburn has returned to its smash mouth, run first, run heavy, and defensive ways. They might not win the title this year, but believe it or not folks, Auburn is back. Look for them to build around Chizik's traditional ways and return to their blue collar ways of winning.
Finally, here we are, 23 years, 309 wins, 2 National Titles, and 14 consecutive top 5 finishes later. Bobby Bowden, one of the greatest legends to ever coach this game. One of the old school coaches that still has values and doesn't sell his soul to recruits to build his program. He was the 90s in college football, was there ever a year in that decade that didn't include one of his teams in consideration for the National Title. This man has done so much for that University and what does he get in return, a loudmouth, disrespectful, and classless trustee talking about things he has no control of.
Honestly, this guy who has no control over any decisions or POWER regarding athletic personnel at FSU should have just kept his mouth shut. You can make the argument that Bowden has lost his touch and Florida State has only won ten games once this decade, blah, blah, etc. But the only reason those expectations exist were because Bowden's teams had created those expectations. It was because of his success that FSU is expected to win, with Bowden gone, the program will lose a lot of its luster, or whatever of it is left after the way they chose to handle this situation.
The truth is that Bowden's teams are not performing as well as they used to, but that does not mean that things could not have been handled differently. The administration of the university should have held a private discussion with Bowden at the end of the season and allowed him to render his resignation. Bowden has earned the right to go out on his own terms and he also deserves the respect of resigning rather than leaving with the image that he was forced out of college football.
Florida State, good luck with trying to establish a winning program as you've destroyed any chance of success at your institution with this classless display. Look for UNC, Virginia Tech, Miami, and Georgia Tech to continue to grow as the class of the ACC, as everyone will always remember how Florida State handled this situation.
As for Bowden, thank you so much Coach for one of the greatest decades in college football history. Thank you for all that you have done for the game, the students at that university, and the values that you brought to coaching. You will always be remembered as a legend and the college football world will always respect you and will never forget you.............that is when you decide to step down.
WE ARE....................
ILLINOIS
Here we go......
We finally got a glimpse of what the Lions are capable of doing. We can sit here and say that they played Illinois, but Illinois held their own quite well, until the Lions decided to go to their undiscovered strength of the running game. Last week, in the Iowa write up, I said that we would probably get off to a slow start, but that the running game would get going in that game. The hunch was not based on a feeling, but based on the truth.
The offensive linemen were great all throughout the Illinois game. So what was the difference this week from the previous games this year. There were two things that stood out to me that opened up the run game last week. One of the two was the consistency of the offensive line, they were on the same page. By that I mean that when they blocked well, they blocked well together, and that when someone would blow their assignment, they would pick up for each other as well. It seems as if there was a change in communication up front and whatever it was, look for that unit to grow on that basis.
The second thing that stood out, was relieving some of that pressure off of the offensive line. The play calling from the second half on not only lifted some pressure off the offensive line, but also set the tempo and allowed them to establish a nasty streak. They did this by calling some quick screen passes, underneath routes to the tight ends, and designed runs by Clark. By doing so, they allowed the offensive line to get into a rhythm and gain some confidence. Look for more of this style of play as the season progresses and Penn State finally gets ready to open up that Spread HD again.
All in all, the entire team played a full football game, but there are still areas that need attention. The secondary played a great game, especially well considering that they had to deal with one of the most talented receiving units in the Big Ten with Benn and Fayson. But they need to learn to keep the pressure on and safety play needs to improve at the Hero position. Penn State fans, continue to get excited with the play of Stephon Morris and watch for him to become more and more of a playmaker as the season progresses. Look for him to keep his head up a little more and if he does, he will end up with more interceptions as opposing quarterbacks are looking to throw his way.
As for the rest of the defense, the defensive line is currently leading the Big Ten in sacks with 15, but if they increase the pressure and learn to create for each other, it could lead to an increase in turnovers for our defense. I know the linebacker play has been all over the place this season with injuries and different trios on the field every other drive, but you have to give credit where it is due. That credit is going to go to Josh Hull. It seems like no matter what this guy does, that people will always overlook it, or find a way to voice their dissatisfaction. Well here is the truth about this guy, not only does he fuel our defense emotionally, but he has been the only constant on our defense all year. Here's a fun stat for all of you that have not noticed yet, but Josh Hull has been our leading individual tackler for the past three games and look for him to continue this sort of play all year long.
As for Eastern Illinois, do not be surprised if this game isn't as easy it looks on paper. Eastern Illinois is an FCS school that is sporting FBS talent. Look for Eastern Illinois to give our unit everything they've got, however the Nittany Lions will prove to be too much in the end. What to expect when we play them this weekend:
-Penn State to set the tempo early and get off an running with Royster and Green building on last weeks performance.
-Look for Clark to move the pocket a little more after last week.
-Expect the tight ends to get more touches this week as well as some more screen plays to the running backs this week.
-This is the week that Penn State scores a touchdown on a special teams play.
-Look for the defense to rack up 5+ sacks and look for the secondary to get two more interceptions in this game.
WE ARE...............
We finally got a glimpse of what the Lions are capable of doing. We can sit here and say that they played Illinois, but Illinois held their own quite well, until the Lions decided to go to their undiscovered strength of the running game. Last week, in the Iowa write up, I said that we would probably get off to a slow start, but that the running game would get going in that game. The hunch was not based on a feeling, but based on the truth.
The offensive linemen were great all throughout the Illinois game. So what was the difference this week from the previous games this year. There were two things that stood out to me that opened up the run game last week. One of the two was the consistency of the offensive line, they were on the same page. By that I mean that when they blocked well, they blocked well together, and that when someone would blow their assignment, they would pick up for each other as well. It seems as if there was a change in communication up front and whatever it was, look for that unit to grow on that basis.
The second thing that stood out, was relieving some of that pressure off of the offensive line. The play calling from the second half on not only lifted some pressure off the offensive line, but also set the tempo and allowed them to establish a nasty streak. They did this by calling some quick screen passes, underneath routes to the tight ends, and designed runs by Clark. By doing so, they allowed the offensive line to get into a rhythm and gain some confidence. Look for more of this style of play as the season progresses and Penn State finally gets ready to open up that Spread HD again.
All in all, the entire team played a full football game, but there are still areas that need attention. The secondary played a great game, especially well considering that they had to deal with one of the most talented receiving units in the Big Ten with Benn and Fayson. But they need to learn to keep the pressure on and safety play needs to improve at the Hero position. Penn State fans, continue to get excited with the play of Stephon Morris and watch for him to become more and more of a playmaker as the season progresses. Look for him to keep his head up a little more and if he does, he will end up with more interceptions as opposing quarterbacks are looking to throw his way.
As for the rest of the defense, the defensive line is currently leading the Big Ten in sacks with 15, but if they increase the pressure and learn to create for each other, it could lead to an increase in turnovers for our defense. I know the linebacker play has been all over the place this season with injuries and different trios on the field every other drive, but you have to give credit where it is due. That credit is going to go to Josh Hull. It seems like no matter what this guy does, that people will always overlook it, or find a way to voice their dissatisfaction. Well here is the truth about this guy, not only does he fuel our defense emotionally, but he has been the only constant on our defense all year. Here's a fun stat for all of you that have not noticed yet, but Josh Hull has been our leading individual tackler for the past three games and look for him to continue this sort of play all year long.
As for Eastern Illinois, do not be surprised if this game isn't as easy it looks on paper. Eastern Illinois is an FCS school that is sporting FBS talent. Look for Eastern Illinois to give our unit everything they've got, however the Nittany Lions will prove to be too much in the end. What to expect when we play them this weekend:
-Penn State to set the tempo early and get off an running with Royster and Green building on last weeks performance.
-Look for Clark to move the pocket a little more after last week.
-Expect the tight ends to get more touches this week as well as some more screen plays to the running backs this week.
-This is the week that Penn State scores a touchdown on a special teams play.
-Look for the defense to rack up 5+ sacks and look for the secondary to get two more interceptions in this game.
WE ARE...............
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