12th team in the Big Ten

Joe Paterno has been known to support the idea of having a 12th school join the Big Ten. However, yesterday he let us know which schools he is thinking and as a PSU fan, I must disagree with him.

Joe Paterno claims he would add Syracuse, Pitt or Rutgers, in no particular order. He also said that Notre Dame lost their chance when they turned down the offer in the past.

Ahhhh stubborn ol' Joe! It doesn't matter if they turned us down in the past, they are still the team that makes the most sense.

His reasons for Rutgers, which seems to be his top choice, and for Syracuse, is to add the NYC market to the Big Ten. This would make for nice ratings and more Big Ten Coverage on the east coast. 

However, this would hurt Penn State more then any other team in the Big Ten.

In 2005 through 2009, Penn State has recruited 105 players with 22 of those coming from New York or New Jersey. That's roughly 20% of their incoming freshman in the last 5 years coming from those two states.

12 of those 22 are from NJ.

This is not counting players who Penn State may be looking at and then chose another Big Ten school, or some other program in the South (Georgia for Knowshown Moreno) or West (Brian Cushing to USC), who may have stayed local had the schools been more "big time" which by joining the Big Ten could potentially happen to a Syracuse or Rutgers.

It would definitely be an upgrade from Big East Football.

I think by joining the Big Ten, a school like Rutgers or Syracuse will benefit more then anyone else in the conference. Neither school is really a Football powerhouse and by joining a power conference, they will have new recruiting benefits.

(It may also actually hurt a school like Syracuse in the world of NCAA Basketball which is obviously what the school is known for and being in the Big East is probably better for basketball.)

Rutgers will be able to maintain more kids from NJ rather then losing them to Penn State who is the closest big time football program to NJ. Same applies to Syracuse and keeping kids in New York.

Pitt already competes with Penn State for players just based on an in state rivalry. However, given that the Big Ten is a more powerful football conference, Pitt would be able to keep more kids who may be choosing between the two schools. Right now, Penn State usually has the upper hand in those battles.

As for Notre Dame, this is a obviously a school that does not need help in recruiting. This is one of the few schools who can sign the top recruited quarterback in the nation, from California, and make him move to the Mid West (Jimmy Clausen). They also fit right in the middle of big ten country. 

Having PSU, Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame would give the Big Ten 4 of the top 7 winningest programs of all time.

Having Notre Dame join would actually benefit the Big Ten more then it would do for the University itself, and making the Big Ten better is what is most important when looking for a 12th school. 

Obviously monetarily this wouldn't make sense for ND due to their lucrative contract with NBC. Hopefully when that runs out, and ND begins to feel effects of kids picking schools where they can play for a conference championship, if not a national, may make the school rethink their old fashion ways.

Right now after 1-2 losses, ND is virtually playing for nothing since they are independent and don't win an actually conference. All the other schools after losing 1-2 may be out of the national race, but can still battle for a conference title, which could effect how incoming freshman pick their school. 

My point is that in the interest of Penn State recruiting, adding a New York area team would hurt Penn State the most, not to mention the negative effects it would have on the big east.

The Big Ten needs to find a team that will make the Big Ten better and not just make the school that is joining better.

Shaq Never Won Without Kobe!

Why is it that Kobe is treated like a player who has no rings, just because he never won one without Shaq?

Before getting into it, I hope this article turns out null and void in a couple weeks when/if the Lakers win the Finals.

However, right now, after a Game Two loss, people are discussing why Kobe can't win alone and reminding you that he never won without Shaq on his team.

Lets take a closer look at Shaq's career.

He has been to the Finals with three teams, and each time he has had an All-Star guard. In his time on the Magic with Penny Hardaway, Shaq was too young.  He had to match up against two Hall-of-Fame centers (Ewing and Hakeem) during their prime years and was unable to win. His team took advantage of a year without Michael Jordan and won the East.

Once Shaq reached his stride and became what we know him as, he was playing on a team with a top-tier player in Kobe Bryant, and was matching up against Ewing and Hakeem well past their prime, Duncan—who was too young at that point—and that is pretty much it.

In those years, LA had great match ups vs. the Kings but Shaq was being guarded by Chris Webber! These were years when there were no real big men in the league, so Shaq was able to dominate, along with having the privilege of playing with Kobe Bryant.

In the mid 2000s the West began to get much more competitive then the East, and there were big men who were able to actually compete. Tim Duncan became a real foe to Shaq, Yao Ming came into the league, and while Dirk may not have been a big man who can match up with Shaq the Mavs became a competitor with his addition.

Kevin Garnett even had his T-Wolves in the Conference Finals in 2003-2004. Conveniently, this is when the Kobe vs. Shaq feud peaked and Shaq was moved to the weaker Eastern Conference and the Miami Heat.

Moving to the East allowed a less-dominant Shaq to be in a conference which was very weak at the time and had no big men even close to Shaq's size or skill set. He was again able to dominate—and was able to team up with a new top-tier guard in Dwayne Wade.

Shaq got his fourth ring, and the media was quick to point out that he won without Kobe, while Kobe and his young, depleted team team were unable to get out of the first round. The fact that D. Wade was the 2006 Finals MVP was overshadowed by the fact that Shaq left LA and won again. Almost as if he had done it alone.

Kobe has never won with out Shaq, that is true, but Shaq has never won without a top tier player and while having to match up against any top tier opponents at his position.

Kobe is always matched up against the opponent's best player—Shaq is not.

In his four championships, he faced an over-the-hill Rik Smits, Dikembe Mutombo, Jason Collins and DeSagana Diop.

In his two losses in the the NBA Finals, Shaq went against Hakeem Olajuwon and a defensively-dominant but smaller Ben Wallace.

In the year the Lakers were going for a four-peat in 2003, they were knocked out by Tim Duncan and the Spurs.

Do you see a correlation here between the caliber of Shaq's opponent and his win-loss record?

To give Shaq a pass but treat Kobe, a man with three rings, as if he has none is unfair.

If Kobe is able to win this year or next, in a conference and league that is much more competitive then in 2000-2004, before Bynum becomes an All Star, with Lamar Odom—who is known to not be a finisher—without a legit point guard, and with a bunch of soft European players, he deserves more credit then Shaq for his winnings.

Lebron/Kobe vs. Lebron/Melo - What do YOU want to see?

With the conference finals about to be set, most of the sports world is assuming a clash between Kobe and the Lakers vs. Lebron and the Cavs in the NBA finals. This seems to be the epic match-up between the 2 best players in the league. No one can debate the fact that his would be a great finals match up. Kobe going for his first ring without Shaq, and Lebron going for - well - his first ring.

Kobe is going to be 31 this year and has 12 years under his belt. His prime may last 2-3 more years at most at which point Lebron will be reaching HIS prime. The dream match up of Kobe vs. Lebron is more of a short term rivalry while Lebron is going to need a rival for the rest of his career which may be upwards of 10 more years.

I would definitely enjoy the Kobe vs. Lebron match-up, however no one is really paying attention to another possible match up, which may be more likely then some think.

Melo vs. Lebron - Matching up the 2 highest profile players from the 2003 draft, and possibly setting up a career long rivalry.

Denver has been playing great basketball during the playoffs and seem to be the perfect team to challenge the Lakers with their solid front line and great point guard play by Chauncey Billups. Chauncey who was the third overall pick out of Colorado in the 1997 draft seems to have new life playing in his home town again. His stats for this year have remained consistent to his career stats, if not even better. If he can keep this up for a few more years, we can see Melo vs. Lebron match up multiple times and can have our modern day Magic vs. Bird match up.

Three Penn State Players Suspend: Blessing In Disguise?!?!

Usually I am very critical of my Nittany Lions. I watch each game on edge and think they can always do more.

Last week I was disappointed with the one touchdown they gave up because I saw it as the Linebackers being out of position and getting beat against a far inferior team. Yes they won 66-10, but I thought 66-3 would be much better.

However for some reason, with the current news coming out of State College, I went from extremely nervous about our season on Wednesday morning when the news broke, to thinking this could turn out to be a blessing in disguise after I heard what Joe Paterno’s punishment was, and giving this more thought.

One Tuesday night, University police were summoned to the Nittany Apartment Complex, which is where all the football players live. A complaint about a loud party at Apt. 5204, as well as the smell of burning marijuana is what the police report said. (Let me just say that loud music, and some burning marijuana at 8pm should not attract 4 police cars. Student housing has Resident Assistants for these types of matters. There does seem to be a chip on the shoulder of the State College Police against Joe Paterno and the football team.)

No charges have been made as of yet, however police said, players Abe Koroma, Andrew Quarless, AJ Wallace and Maurice Evans were named as the apartment's residents.

All but Cornerback AJ Wallace will sit out this weekend’s game against the Oregon State Beavers. Word is that Wallace was not involved with the incident, however there are reports that both Koroma and Evans were not present at the time the Police came either.

Again, details are still being investigated, and no charges have been pressed against any of these players. The suspension is a punishment by Joe Paterno to send a strong message to his team.

"It's unfortunate. We preach, preach, preach and they stepped out of line. They deserve what they're going to get. Whatever that's going to be, I don't know” Joe Paterno said during his weekly radio show yesterday. “My feeling on all of this is they have a responsibility to the program, they have a responsibility to themselves, to their family. They have responsibility to their teammates. And if they do something as dumb as it appears they did, and I'm not saying if they did or they didn't yet, but even being close to that kind of thing, I'm not going to play any one of those three kids this weekend."

As evidence comes out, the fate of the other three will be determined. Already, rumors are swirling that all three passed their urine tests and that early next week we should get some good news. These are all just rumors right, but of course Nittany Nation is anxiously waiting and hoping for good news as Koroma and Evans are a major part of the Defensive Line. Losing them would be a major blow to any hopes of a Big Ten title that the Nittany Lions have.

With that being said, you may ask why I think this can be a positive situation. Well, assuming (and we all know what happens when you assume but lets hope) nothing major happens to these other three players, and they are back in time (at the latest) for the Big Ten schedule staring on September 27 against Illinois. Penn State will have 3 weeks to develop some of these second team guys who do have experience and have proven themselves but now have a chance to really step up.

Word is Jerome Hayes, Jared Odrick, Ollie Ogbu and Josh Gaines will be this weeks starters. Hayes and Odrick both saw significant play time last season, until both had season ending injuries in mid season. Ogbu and Gaines are this years starters, and both have past experience.

Of course the major issue will be depth. There are really only 3 or 4 players behind this weekends starting four, with maybe the addition of some freshman that would be red shirted had this not happened.

With all this being said, I think, and expect that, we have enough talent on both the offensive and the defensive side of the ball to beat Oregon State (knock on wood) who is traveling across the country to play in front of 110,000 fans and just lost to a weak Stanford team.

If these kids have to sit out more then just this game, we travel to Syracuse the following week, and have Temple at home on Sept. 20, both of which should be easier then Oregon State this weekend.

The problem arises if they are forced to sit out any games starting Sept. 27 and on which is when we start the Big Ten Schedule.

So as you can see, I think this will help develop our depth even more, force first year starting Quarterback Daryll Clark to step up even more and be a solid leader, as well as force all the senior captains, including Derrick Williams to assume a much greater and more important leadership role. All of this could/should help our future.

Don’t get me wrong, losing these guys for even one game is not “Good News” but I am just trying to keep things in perspective and take the positive from the situation.

My point of view may change if we get bad news next week and these players need to sit out more then just one – three games, but we will cross that bridge when/if we get there.

Penn State Football: Week 1 Recap/My Prediction Grade

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On 8.25.08, below is what I predicted for the 8.30.08 game vs. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. Below that you will find out how I grade myself on my week 1 predictions.
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This should be a nice opening game for Penn State to finally apply this new offense to a meaningful game. This will also be a great way to start for Daryl Clark and/or Pat Devlin against a team that uses a mix of 4-3 and 3-4 defensive looks.

Coastal Carolina does return 21 starters, so this is a team with experience. The Chanticleers are picked to finish second in the Big South but should be extremely overmatched when they visit Happy Valley.

I predict a very fast start for this Penn State offense, as Joe Paterno likes to open up early in these early non-conference matchups (see Akron 2004, 2007, etc.). I think both Clark and Devlin should see significant playing time in this game with the fans getting to see how each can/will be used.

Penn State will score touchdowns in all sorts of ways in this game: Daryl Clark running and throwing, Stephon Green returning a kick, Evan Royster running the ball, and let’s throw in an interception and a big start for what should be a big season for Anthony Scirrotto.
In the end, Penn State will win this game, 49-3.
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First of all, the game ended in a 66-10 rout, but lets take a look at how on/off my predictions where in other facets of the game.

This game was an easy opener to fine tune some of the things the players learned in the off-season against an actual opponent rather then their own defense in practice. Although we do hear that only a snippet of the offensive playbook was exposed, it’s still nice to practice against a team who does not know the playbook you are using.

The Chanticleers (which I learned are The Roosters from some of their fans over the weekend) were definitely overwhelmed to be playing in front of such a huge crowd. Penn State scored on two of its first three drives. After Penn State was forced to punt on its third drive, the Chanticleers found a weakness in the middle of the Lions defense and scored their only touchdown on a 33 yard play by Trent Usher, their senior wide-receiver.

You could say that given the way the rest of the game went after this Coastal Carolina TD, I was correct on the “slow start” prediction. The Nittany Lions defense was not caught sleeping after that.

Following the Derrick Williams return on the kickoff after the Chanticleers touchdown, the Penn State defense locked up.

The Penn State offense also took off scoring on each of its next 8 possessions, all which were touchdowns except for one Kevin Kelly field goal at the end of the first half.

As for scoring, I did predict touchdowns in every which way a they can be scored. I was correct on all but one. Penn State did get an interception, but did not get a pick six as I predicted.

Daryll Clark threw for 146 yards and a TD, (he did not get a rushing TD) Stephon Green ran for 89 yards and 2 TDs, Evan Royster ran for 64 yards and 3 TDS, Brent Carter ran for 67 yards, no TDs, and both Chaz Powell and Brandon Beachum got significant play time for freshmen and both scored a rushing touchdown.

Finally, I predicted that Stephon Green would return a kick for a touchdown. Well half of that was correct. There was a kick returned for a TD, but it was Derrick Williams rather then Stephon Green.

I am sure Green will get his at some point this year. That guy amazing speed around the edge!

Overall I would give myself a B. I underestimated our offense, and overestimated our defense in this case. I did not think they would let up a touchdown, especially against the first team defense.

This is something that the team needs to work on in order to keep winning this season. It looked like the pass coverage was not very tight at times, and the Chantincleers were able to pass for 198 yards.

I was also correct, for the most part, on scoring in every which way, minus the pick six, but did not predict each player correctly.

Bottom line is a B for me, and most importantly a W for Penn State

Tate Forcier Commits to Michigan

Although he said he would not rush to a decision, Tate Forcier did commit to Michigan during his visit this weekend.

After meeting with Coach Rich Rodriguez yesterday morning, Forcier said he '"got that feeling" and did not want to second-guess himself. He walked into Rodriguez's office and gave him the verbal commitment face-to-face.

After watching this weekend's game, it is safe to say Forcier can see himself competing for and winning the starting job as a freshman. Not to say either QB played that poorly, however neither Sheridan nor Threet displayed the true ability to lead this Michigan team and be able to run the new offense during their home loss to Utah.

Forcier has not commented on canceling any future visits he has planned like Penn State next week. Hopefully, the Penn State coaches will not give up and will continue to recruit him.

As we saw with Kevin Newsome, who de-committed from Michigan last month, these kids do have changes of heart, and it is important not to end the recruitment process until signing day in February.

Tate Forcier making official Penn State visit for night game vs. Illinois

San Diego stand out High School QB has mad his plans final on his visit to Happy Valley. Forcier was said to be changing his official visit to September 6th for the Oregon State game, however that has not worked out and Forcier will be coming to Penn State on September 27th for the night game versus Illinois.

I think this is great for Penn State and their chances to land this kid. There should be a full stadium "White Out" for the game, and the crowd should be in full effect given the 8pm kick off. (See Notre Dame Game 2007 below)

In addition, Forcier's official visit to Michigan will be this weekend for the game versus Utah. Many think Utah can pull off this upset as App. State did last year. Week 1 should be tough for Michigan to come together as an offense and hopefully Utah can take advantage of this. Hopefully the former "Big House" will become the "Quiet House" and Forcier can then see what a real crowd is like when he comes to the new "Biggest House" in Happy Valley.

Here are some specs on Tate Forcier:

Dual-threat quarterback

Position Ranking: 6 (4 Stars)

San Diego (CA) Scripps Ranch
Ht: 6-foot-1

Wt: 184 lbs

Forty: 4.55 secs

Vertical: 35 inches
Shuttle: 4.41 secs

GPA: 3.3

Class: 2009 (HS - December Grad)

Joe Paterno names Daryll Clark as Penn State Starter for Week 1

Not a huge surprise here but Clark will start this Saturday against Coastal Carolina. Paterno does claim that Pat Devlin will get some time as well, but stresses he does not want Clark to feel like he needs to look over his shoulder.

It is in Penn States interest to make sure Devlin does see time this year in order to make sure there is a Quarterback for the future. He was a top recruit and because Clark has 2 more years of eligibility, there are rumors that Devlin would transfer if he does not get to play. I would not fault him for that as all these kids ultimate goal is to make the NFL.

Behind Devlin, Penn State does not have any top QB recruits so it is very important to develop him now, and to recruit a top QB this year. With Kevin Newsome decommiting from Michigan and Tate Forcier planning his official visit to Penn State for week two's match up against Oregon State, Penn State coaches need to make sure one of these two kids chooses the Nittany Lions.

ESPN Got it Wrong: Penn State never WAS Perfect

Watch the video then read the article below refuting what ESPN is presenting.
Penn State is not the first or the last to have these problems. However Penn State is fighting off its own perfect image which is causing all the added attention to this current problem.

ESPN OTL Penn State Segement

David Jones Article refuting ESPN "Outside The Lines"

Penn State Looks to Make Push for Rose Bowl Bid in 2008

My 2008 Game by Game Penn State Football Preview

With the Penn State football season just days away, it's time for my game-by-game analysis and predictions for how this football season will turn out.

Going into this, I have had some mixed feelings. I feel that this is a team that should win at least 10 games, but with the questions about the coaching staff and how conservative they get in big road games—of which we have a couple this year—I fear for a possible eight-win season.

This would be a huge disappointment given that we have so much experience returning on both sides of the ball, including the top receiving corps in the Big Ten, and the entire offensive line.
This is an offense that many were down on last year because of our performance in big games. However, Penn State did score 394 total points last year (Ohio State scored 408), proving that they can be explosive at times.

The problem was our two lowest-scoring games were against the ‘The Big Two’ of the Big Ten, Ohio State and Michigan, including just a nine-point outing at "The (former) Big House."
With the return of the spread offense this year, I think things will be more like 2005, when Penn State won the Big Ten.

With that said, let’s begin.

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

This should be a nice opening game for Penn State to finally apply this new offense to a meaningful game. This will also be a great way to start for Daryl Clark and/or Pat Devlin against a team that uses a mix of 4-3 and 3-4 defensive looks.

Coastal Carolina does return 21 starters, so this is a team with experience. The Chanticleers are picked to finish second in the Big South but should be extremely overmatched when they visit Happy Valley.

I predict a very fast start for this Penn State offense, as Joe Paterno likes to open up early in these early non-conference matchups (see Akron 2004, 2007, etc.). I think both Clark and Devlin should see significant playing time in this game with the fans getting to see how each can/will be used.

Penn State will score touchdowns in all sorts of ways in this game: Daryl Clark running and throwing, Stephon Green returning a kick, Evan Royster running the ball, and let’s throw in an interception and a big start for what should be a big season for Anthony Scirrotto.
In the end, Penn State will win this game, 49-3.

Oregon State Beavers

Week Two brings the Oregon State Beavers of the Pac-10 into Beaver Stadium. This is a team that finished 9-4 last year and was in the middle of the pack in the Pac-10. However, only three starters from last year’s team return for the 2008 campaign. OSU will be relying on junior college transfers on defense who do have some college experience.

Lyle Moevao has proven to be a reliable starter at QB for the Beavers after stepping in late in the season in 2007 and going 4-0. The main concern on the offensive side of the ball is replacing running back Yvenson Bernard. Depth at the offensive line should help the Beavers' running back by committee strategy early in the season.

However, losing so much experience on the defensive side of the ball will prove to be too much for this team. Penn State will not have to deal with a front seven that recorded 44 sacks last year (only two returning on the front seven) and should be able to run the ball effectively on this young Beavers defense.

I expect a big game for Evan Royster, with Brent Carter and Stephon Green handling the ball as well. I believe this is the game we really see what Stephon Green can do with his electrifying speed. Penn State should win this game, 38-10.

@ Syracuse Orange

This is a team that has experienced the worst three-year stretch in their history. Based on their lack of experience and schedule, year four does not appear to be any better. This could be the last year for Greg Robinson if his Orange does not improve.

Their offensive line has been their main problem for the past few years, and it should be a problem again when the Nittany Lions come to town with one of the top defensive lines in the nation. Expect there to be lots of blue and white at the Carrier Dome on Sep. 13, and expect another big win for the Nittany Lions.

With many issues in the secondary for the Orange, expect Daryl Clark to show off what he can do in the passing game, with Pat Devlin also receiving time. Penn State wins this game, 41-7.

Temple Owls

Al Golden has done a great job improving Temple over the years, and many say he will be the one to succeed Joe Paterno at Penn State. However, Temple is still a team that will be overmatched on this day. Temple's strength is its defense, which was one of the best in the MAC in 2007 and was tops in Red Zone defense.

The Owls struggled on offense and don't appear to be much improved in 2008. Averaging just 16 points a game last year ranked them 116th nationally on offense, and facing an experienced Penn State defense with one of the best defensive lines in the nation won't help Temple.

Expect both teams to struggle to score points early. Penn State will have some issues dealing with the Owls', front seven but eventually the talent level will prevail. Penn State wins this matchup, 42-3.

Illinois Fighting Illini

Now we begin the Big Ten Schedule with a nationally televised night game against the Illinois Fighting Illini. This is a team that surprised many last year and beat both Penn State and Ohio State on its way to a Rose Bowl bid.

Ron Zook has obviously done a great job recruiting and has put Illinois back on the map as a formidable team in the Big Ten. Returning 13 total starters (seven on offense and five on defense, plus one kicker) gives this team a chance to be a top team in the Big Ten again. Their opening game at Missouri will provide a litmus test on how good this team really can be.
Juice Williams has shown inconsistency in the passing game but has found a way to win games with his legs. Running back Rashard Mendenhall's departure will be very tough to replace and will put more pressure on Juice to make big plays with his legs.

I expect the combination of the experienced Penn State front line, along with the full stadium "White Out," to be too much for Illinois offense to handle. I see Penn State containing Juice and forcing him to throw, which will prove to be a problem as well against Penn State’s experience in the defensive backfield.

The key to this game will be Penn State's defense against Juice Williams. If the Nittany Lions can contain him—which I believe they will with the help of a rowdy crowd—Penn State should win this game, 24-17.

@ Purdue Boilermakers

This matchup could prove to be a trap game for the Nittany Lions. Several factors make me nervous: This game follows an emotional night game vs. Illinois, it's right before a tough stretch of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio State, and it's a road game against a team that always has a strong offense and will be extra motivated for coach Joe Tiller's last year as head football coach.
That being said, I fear that Penn State comes out flat and Purdue takes advantage with their experience on offense. Curtis Painter is a quarterback that has NFL potential and throws the ball all over the field.

In the end, using last year’s 26-19 victory as a starting point, I think Penn State should find a way to regroup in the second half and slow the Purdue offense down. Penn State will have to rely on its passing game and experience at the wide receiver position to win, as Purdue's secondary is the weakest link of their defense.

Again, I see Daryl Clark running the offense on this day, with Devlin seeing limited action throughout the game. I predict a 27-23 win for Penn State.

@ Wisconsin Badgers

Being that this is a road game, and Camp Randall is a tough place to play, I understand why many think this should be a loss for Penn State. However, when you look at it more closely, I think this game should be easier than Purdue.

Wisconsin is a team that is very similar to Penn State in that both return most of their starters. Both also need to replace their quarterbacks, and both should be solid at the RB position.
That said, Penn State played its best game of the 2007 season against Wisconsin, winning that game 38-7. Granted, that was at Beaver Stadium, and we all know how much better Penn State plays at home. Penn State also has not won in Camp Randall since 2002.

However, I think that this team will be able to disrupt the Badgers' first-year starter at quarterback with its solid defensive line play. Wisconsin's inexperience at the wide receiver position will also make it easier for the Penn State defense to get to the quarterback.
I also believe that the spread offense will cause Wisconsin lots of problems on defense, as it did in 2005, and as it did last year for them vs. Illinois.

Wisconsin will try to pound the ball with P.J. Hill, but the experience and depth of the Penn State's front seven should be able to keep them in the game and slow Hill down.
I think only the Penn State coaching staff and its historic conservative style of play on the road can hold this team back. If that does not happen, which many say won't this year, Penn State should win this game, 31-21.

Michigan Wolverines

Ahhh...a team that Penn State has not beat in over 10 years. Well, this HAS to be the year, right? New coach, new system, home game—everything is in Penn State’s favor.
At this point in the season we should know what to expect from this Michigan offense. Right now it is hard to say, but I don't expect this to be the high-powered offense Rich Rodriguez ran in West Virginia, at least not yet.

Steven Threet will be the starting quarterback and is a transfer from Georgia Tech who is seen more as a "pass first" QB with some mobility. Pass first is not really a Rodriguez style of offense.
The strong point of this team will be the seven returning starters on defense and a strong front seven. Michigan will rely on their defense this year to stay in games, as I don't see their offense providing much cushion at this point.

In the end, the streak should end and Penn State should find a way to win. If they can beat the spread vs. Illinois, Penn State should be able to handle the first year spread at Michigan. Given the magnitude of this game, what with a chance to finally get over the hump and beat Michigan, the crowd will be a big help in this 4:30 pm ET start game.

Again I see Daryl Clark leading this offense to a win, with a lot of help from the running game attacking the inexperienced Michigan linebacking corps. Penn State wins this game, 20-14.

@ Ohio State Buckeyes

Since joining the Big Ten in 1993, Penn State has not won in Columbus, and unfortunately all signs point to the same ol' story again. Ohio State returns one of its best teams in years. There seem to be no weaknesses on either side of the ball with 18 returning starters.

For Ohio State, the key game is @ USC on Sep. 6. It's hard to admit this, but I really want Ohio State to win that game for the sake of the Big Ten. On the off chance the Nittany Lions can pull off this upset, it will look that much better.

However, I also don't think this will be that easy of a game for Ohio State. These two teams play each other very tough, regardless of how good or bad a season each is having.

Penn State, as I have mentioned, does return a lot of starters and does have a great defensive and offensive line. This should keep Penn State in the game.

I think Ohio State will use Terrelle Pryor very effectively throughout the season, causing opposing defenses many problems by switching the style of play when he comes in, similar to what Florida did with Tebow in 2006.

In the end, I think Penn State's conservative coaching style on the road will come out in this game. I think Clark/Devlin will have some problems with this very experienced and strong Ohio State defense.

I don't think Ohio State can just check this game off as a win like many think, and I see this as a low-scoring defensive battle, as most PSU-OSU games are. Ohio State wins this one, 21-17.

@ Iowa Hawkeyes

This is a team that has underperformed the last few years. Expectations are usually pretty high, but the team cannot live up to them.

Last year, injuries to their top receiving threats left quarterback Jake Christensen without much to work with. He ended with just a 53.5 percent completion rate. Luckily for him and the running game, the offensive line is intact, and both of his favorite targets—WR Andy Brodell and TE Tony Moeaki—are healthy this year.

On the defensive side there has been much turnover, but the returners are some of the best in the Big Ten, including both tackles on the defensive line. Also, most of the new starters, including both defensive ends and both cornerbacks, did play significant time last year and were impressive.

This is a strong Iowa team that as always has the potential to be solid. However, potential and what actually happens are very different things.

Penn State’s defense should be able to contain the Iowa offense and disrupt Christensen as it did last year. If the coaching staff does not hold this team back in another important road game, the Penn State offense, which I expect to have a tough time at first, should eventually be able to pass on the first year starting cornerbacks of Iowa and use the experience at the WR position to take advantage of the secondary.

This should be another game where Clark, and a little bit of Devlin, should be able to pass and run the spread in order to soften up the front seven and let Royster, Carter, and Green close the game out in the fourth quarter. Penn State wins this one, 27-10.

Indiana Hoosiers

After a tough stretch of games against the top tier of the Big Ten, as well as being on the road for two weeks, the Nittany Lions return home and face the Hoosiers of Indiana.

Kellen Lewis is a very solid dual-threat QB and caused Penn State problems last year. However, his top target James Hardy, who abused Justin King, is now in the NFL on the Buffalo Bills.

Penn State's secondary should be able to contain the Hoosiers' WRs and will need to focus on Lewis and his legs. He is another quarterback that PSU will see that can win by running around.
The Hoosiers also return depth at the RB position. However, losing three starters on the offensive line will not help Lewis and his running backs against the strong Penn State defensive front.

The Hoosiers do return seven starters on a defense that made a lot of big plays in 2007, forcing 31 turnovers and registering 42 sacks. However, they also gave up a lot of yards (403.4 yards per game) and a lot of points (28.5 per game). This should continue again this year, and Penn State should be able to run its offense effectively in this matchup.

Penn State scored 36 points on Indiana last year, and I see a similar outcome this year. Penn State wins this game, 38-21.

Michigan State Spartans

Here is a team that is always hard to predict: always has talent, always starts strong, but seems to find a way to underperform at the end of the season. Michigan State beat Penn State last year when Penn State blew a huge halftime lead. Penn State will look to avenge that loss, and it will help being at home this year.

Several key pieces of the MSU offense have left for the NFL: running back Jehuu Caulcrick, who ran for 872 yards and 21 scores last season; WR Devin Thomas, who accounted for 2,590 all-purpose yards and was drafted in the second round of this year's NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins; and TE Kellen Davis, who had 32 catches for 513 yards and six touchdowns as a senior and was drafted in the fifth round by the Chicago Bears.

This is a lot to replace, but luckily QB Brian Hoyer does return and has a full year of experience under his belt. There are many new names that have impressed the staff during the offseason. If someone can step up on offense, Hoyer should be successful again, as he proved to be a formidable college quarterback.

On the defensive side, MSU is another team that made big plays on defense last year but still gave up 26.6 ppg. They lose several key playmakers this year, leading me to believe that things won't get much better. Penn State lost 35-31 last year, and until the fourth quarter was scoring a lot at will.

With key losses on both sides of the ball, as well as this game being at Penn State this year, I don't see Michigan State pulling off the upset. Penn State remembers what happened last year and avenges that loss with a solid 45-20 victory.

With this analysis, I have predicted Penn State to go 11-1. I also predict a total of 399 points without the bowl game included. Last year they scored 394 points with the bowl game included, so I do expect this offense to be more effective than last year.

I do worry about the Purdue game the most because of the letdown factor. Of course Wisconsin could be a problem as well, being that it is a road game at a site where Penn State does struggle, but the trap game vs. Purdue is my greatest concern. If Penn State does lose more than the one game to Ohio State, I would say these are the two teams I would expect the losses to come from.
9-3 is the worst I see this team going and is the lowest number of victories that I would be "OK" with, although I think this is at the very least a 10-win team.

Of course there is always a chance that somehow the upset in Columbus is pulled off, in which case I will be very happy to be wrong.

There is also the chance of injuries or other crazy things that can throw this all off. Let's hope that does not happen.

With Ohio State being undefeated, the media will be forced to put them in the BCS Championship game again, although very reluctantly after the last two years. I see Ohio State facing a team from the Big 12, probably Big Game Bob and his Sooners.

Oklahoma will be on a mission this year to make up for the last two disappointing ends to their seasons and return a solid team and experience at the quarterback position, which is key in college.

This leaves Penn State at 11-1 and second in the Big Ten, and they will get a Rose Bowl bid to face the Trojans of Southern California. This would match up two of the best defensive lines in the nation and feature two teams with a first year starter on offense.

It is hard to pick against Pete Carroll in bowl games, especially in their own backyard. I would begrudgingly say that the USC defense will lead them to victory over Penn State, although Joe Paterno is a great bowl game coach when he has six weeks to prepare and does have the most bowl wins in history.

I get the sense that this game would be closer than most think right now, but I do not want to show too much bias and say Penn State will win the Rose bowl.

My prediction is 11-2 and a loss in the Rose Bowl to USC, a prediction that forecasts a successful season but also leaves some room for me being wrong in a positive direction, although not that much room indeed.

The next question is, what will Joe do following this 2008 campaign when his contract runs out?

Fox Sports Penn State Season Preview

Finally someone who knows what he is talking about. A fair preview with out the nonesense.

FOX Sports

Penn State Orange Bowl Collage