Penn State is still No. 14 in the latest Coaches Poll this week. Ohio State (#2), Iowa (#9) and Wisconsin (#11) are the other conference teams in the Top 25. Nebraska is now #6.

The Nittany Lions take on #1 Alabama on Saturday night on the road.

Welcome to 2010! Here we present our first of the season coaches rankings. And this morning, we’re giving credit where it is due.

1. Rich Rodriguez, Michigan

You don’t know how difficult it was to put Coach Rich on top of this list. Still, Michigan looked very good against a Connecticut team that was supposed to do more at the Big House, but didn’t. Still, Michigan went 4-0 last season before losing seven of their last eight. Time will tell if Rodriguez remains on top or quickly falls to the bottom. For this week, great job coach.

2. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa

Armed with a new contract that will keep him at Iowa through 2020, Ferentz’s team continues to play with a heart and soul missing from many schools. If any team can finally bring the Buckeyes down and take the conference title out of Columbus, it could be the Hawkeyes.

3. Jim Tressel, Ohio State

Tressel’s task gets larger this weekend when Miami (FL) comes to town. Still, this is probably going to be another magical season for the Buckeyes, which just reloads and impresses.

4. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern

The Northwestern coach is always calm under pressure, and his team is always on the cusp of something special. If there is one coach that deserves a special season, it’s this one.

5. Bret Bielema, Wisconsin

Bielema just wins. It’s nothing special, but Wisconsin plays old-time college football. And, often times, they are on the winning side.

6. Joe Paterno, Penn State

After a lackluster first half against Youngstown State, Joe Paterno proved why he has been coaching for 45 years. By designating a true freshman as his quarterback, Paterno’s foes were ready to pounce. But it didn’t happen, as Rob Bolden amazed. This week, however, Alabama looms large.

7. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State

Dantonio will have to prove if he can win the ones he isn’t supposed to win, before Michigan State is truly on the map.

8. Tim Brewster, Minnesota

Careful, Brewster. You almost lost that one.

9. Bill Lynch, Indiana

Indiana hasn’t had a problem winning non-conference games. It’s when the big boys come calling that the Hoosiers always show their true colors. Is this year going to be different?

10. Danny Hope, Purdue

In his second season as coach, Hope will have to start proving that he belongs. While the game against Notre Dame wasn’t too bad, a loss is a loss.

11. Ron Zook, Illinois

Poor, poor Ron Zook. The clock is ticking and it’s about to strike 12.

Penn State is often criticized for scheduling weak non-conference opponents However, they won’t be saying that after this weekend. When the Nittany Lions travel to Alabama to face the defending national champ, the eyes of the college football world will be watching.

PSU and Alabama haven’t played since 1990, which is quite amazing. As a 1993 graduate of Penn State, I remember the often-played games against the Crimson Tide quite well. In 1989, the last time Alabama visited Beaver Stadium, Joe Paterno’s squad went down 17-16 after a last-second field goal. In can still remember the disbelief of the crowd.

In 1990, Penn State visited Alabama for its final meeting, winning 9-0.

The game on Saturday night is certainly not one that the Nittany Lions are supposed to win. After all, we have a young quarterback (welcome to a road game, Rob Bolden). Still, I am excited about this one.

Alabama and Penn State represent what college football is all about. No matter the outcome on Saturday, both will meet again next season at Beaver Stadium.

Enjoy.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Rob Bolden stood tall in the pocket, displayed a rocket arm and made some clutch throws — a promising debut for the first true freshman quarterback to start a season opener in coach Joe Paterno’s 45 years on the sideline at Penn State.

Bolden passed for 239 yards and two touchdowns, Chaz Powell tiptoed down the sideline on a 100-yard kickoff return to open the second half and the 19th-ranked Nittany Lions routed FCS school Youngstown State 44-14 on Saturday.

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Game 1: Youngstown State at Penn State

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Youngstown State at No. 19/14 Penn State

Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010 • Noon ET • University Park, Pa. • Beaver Stadium (107,282)

Big Ten Network • Announcers: Eric Collins, Chris Martin, Charissa Thompson
Series: Penn State leads, 1-0 • Last Meeting: Sept. 16, 2006: Penn State 37, Youngstown State 3

Saturday might be a great day to be in Happy Valley, but for the Youngstown State Penguins, history says it will be a mountain, not a valley, they will encounter.  Consider this… the last time the Guins won a season opener on the road was 1993 (at Western Michigan) and the last time the team scored a touchdown against an FBS school was in 2003 at Kent State. Three years later YSU faced Penn State for the first time, and despite playing the first 15 minutes to a scoreless tie, the Nittany Lions scored 20 points in the second quarter and went on to win 37-3.  In the teams’ second meeting Saturday, Penn State’s Joe Paterno will be make his 527th start as a head coach.  YSU head coach Eric Wolford will be making his first.

One thing is for sure, JoePa seems to be taking all the time he can get in figuring out a replacement for graduated quarterback star Daryll Clark. Sophomores Matt McGloin and Kevin Newsome and freshman Robert Bolden are all listed with the first team on the depth chart.  Fortunately for the Nittany Lions, they don’t have the same predicament with the running back situation.  Enter Evan Royster, who starts the season just 481 yards shy of Curt Warner’s school rushing mark of 3,398 career yards.  Last year Royster finished with runner-up rushing marks in the conference after earning 1,169 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. YSU allowed 137.5 yards per game and 18 touchdowns in 2009, while giving up 184 yards in the air with 11 TDs.  However, there is reason to believe the defense is heading in the right direction.  After giving up 382.7 yards and 29.2 points a contest in 2008, YSU improved those marks last season to 321.0 and 22.1, respectively. Senior DB Brandian Ross and senior free safety Andre Elliott are expected to lead the Guins’ defensive efforts.

Much like Penn State. YSU does face some unknowns on the offensive side of the ball, but it involves both the rushing and passing games.  The five tailbacks and lone healthy fullback have a combined total of 20 career rushing attempts, while the four quarterbacks on the roster have a combined four passing attempts and three completions. Outside of Dominique Barnes, the remaining wide receivers have a combined 10 career receptions, including four by sophomore Jelani Berassa, who is out for the year with a knee injury. Redshirt freshman quarterback Kurt Hess has earned the starting spot Saturday, marking his first game in
a YSU uniform after not playing a year ago. Barnes, who has caught a pass in 23 consecutive games, has 101 career receptions for 1,151 yards and 11 touchdowns. Sophomore Jamaine Cook had 20 carries for 111 rushing yards last year.  The Guins threw for 2,378 yards while rushing for 1,313 last season.  Defense has always been a standard at Penn State and last year was no different.  The Nittany Lions’ scoring defense (12.2 ppg) ranked third in the country last year and returns defensive linemen Ollie Ogbu and Jack Crawford to the unit. Ogbu had two sacks and three forced fumbles last season, while Crawford was second on the team with 5 1/2 sacks and 14 1/2 tackles for a loss.

Source: The Big Ten

Purdue at Notre Dame

Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010 • 3:30 p.m. ET • South Bend, Ind. • Notre Dame Stadium (80,795)

NBC • Announcers: Tom Hammond, Mike Mayock, Alex Flanagan
Series: Notre Dame leads, 45-27-1 • Last Meeting: Sept. 26, 2009: Notre Dame 24, Purdue 21

The Shillelagh Trophy will be up for grabs as Purdue and Notre Dame take to the field Saturday for the 82nd meeting between the non-conference rivals. Notre Dame has opened its season with Purdue on seven previous occasions with the Irish holding a 6-1 record in those meetings.  UND also boasts the series lead at 53-26-2 and has won seven of the last 10 overall and 15 of its last 16 against the Boilermakers in South Bend. Purdue is 72-44-6 in openers and has claimed its last six season intros by a winning margin of 306-124.

A rebuilding effort is underway with the Purdue offense as major moves have been made at both the quarterback and tailback positions.  New under center this year is Miami (FL) transfer Robert Marve, who tossed nine touchdowns to 13 INTs as a starter for the Hurricanes in 2008.  Keith Smith returns to a receiving unit that hauled in 23 touchdowns last season, six of which belonged to Smith – the Big Ten’s leader in receptions (7.58) and receiving yards (91.7) per game.  Tight end Kyle Adams is the only other returning player to average more than two catches a game last year.  Boilermaker fans had hopes that Ralph Bolden would turn ina nother impressive season on the ground but an ACL tear during spring ball as Purdue looking elsewhere for a rusher.  Enter Al-Terek McBurse and Keith Carlos, although it is noted that Marve ran from center 59 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns while at Miami.  New Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has introduced the 3-4 formation on defense and ends Ethan Johnson and Kapron Lewis-Moore are expected to shine in the new scheme.  Pressure will be required up front for a young Irish defense that boasts only four DBs on scholarship this season.

Stepping into the new offensive scheme for ND will be quarterback Dayne Crist, who struggled with a knee injury last season and according to Kelly this week, “will see his first tackle and first hit against Purdue.”  That means it has been hands off the Irish quarterback throughout practice, which isn’t all that uncommon, but shows that Crist is the best and perhaps the only option Notre Dame has right now under center.  Luckily for the youngster, he has experienced wideouts returning in Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph. “Do Everything” Armando Allen is in his fourth season in the starting backfield and will be charged with mentoring Robert Hughes, Jonas Gray, and Cierre Wood throughout the year.  Allen has not only rushed for 1,630 yards in his career, but hauled in 102 receptions for 695 yards, added 1,247 yards on kickoff returns and added another 66 yards on punt returns.  On defense, all eyes will be locked on Purdue’s Ryan Kerrigan, who led the Big Ten in sacks last season (13) and enters the 2010 campaign tied for fifth on the school’s career sacks list (21.0). Last year he led the nation in fumbles forced per game (.58).  The Boilermakers also welcome back six members of their front seven, however the unit will be charged with limiting the opposition’s rushing yards this year after allowing 173 yards on the ground each game last season.  Linebackers Joe Holland, Chris Carlino, and Jason Werner combined for 229 tackles in 2009, while Werner added 14.5 tackles for loss.

Source: The Big Ten

No. 12/12 Wisconsin at UNLV

Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010 • 8 p.m. PT • Las Vegas, Nev. • Sam Boyd Stadium (36,800)

Versus • Announcers: Joe Benina, Kelly Stouffer, Lindsay Soto
Series: Wisconsin leads, 6-2 • Last Meeting: Sept. 8, 2007: Wisconsin 20, UNLV 13

Wisconsin heads west to open the 2010 campaign against UNLV – a team that is more than happy to welcome the Badgers to Las Vegas.  Despite UW leading the all-time series against the Rebels 6-2, including three wins in four meetings in the desert, UNLV’s three highest-attended home games in school history have all come against the Badgers.  This is the ninth meeting between the two teams, including the seventh in the last 15 years.  In three of the last six contests in the series, Wisconsin has held UNLV to seven points or less.  The Badgers are looking to extend their non-conference regular-season winning streak to 25 games with a win on Saturday.  Ironically, its last regular season loss outside the Big Ten came at home to UNLV on Sept. 13, 2003.

There are certainly some Big Ten teams that are still trying to find that right fit at quarterback, but not the Badgers.  For the first time in five years, Wisconsin opens with an experience QB in Scott Tolzien.  En route to a 10-3 record, Tolzien threw for 2,705 passing yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while leading the Big Ten in pass efficiency at 143.0, the third-best mark in school history.  Wide receiver Nick Toon led the Badgers with 54 catches and 805 yards.  UW posted the conference’s top scoring mark of 31.8 points per outing, as well as the top rushing average at 203.8 yards per game.  That total had a lot to do with John Clay, the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2009. Clay ended last season with six straight 100-yard games and amassed 1,517 yards with 18 touchdowns.  That could pose a real threat to a UNLV defense that gave up 32.4 points per game last season and ranked 112th with 220.6 rushing yards allowed per game.  Ramsey Feagai and Isaako Aaitui will anchor the line that hopes to improve on that mark and keep Clay in check.  Senior linebackers Starr Fuimaono (67 tackles) and Ronny Paulo (59 tackles) are also expected to lead the Rebels’ defense.

UNLV enters the season with a new offensive attack under new head coach Bobby Hauck, whose Montana teams did nothing but produce and put points on the board.  The Rebels will have two experienced quarterbacks hit the field on Saturday. Senior Omar Clayton (2,230 yards, 13 TDs, 12 INT in 2009) has two years under his belt, as does junior Mike Clausen (1,230 yards, 9 TDs, 4 INT). Tailbacks Channing Trotter (541 yards, 9 TDs) and C.J. Cox (173 yards, 1 TD, injuries) should combine with Clayton and Claussen to provide a solid attack on the ground. Junior wideouts Phillip Payne (58 catches, 661 yards, 7 TDs) and Michael Johnson (43 catches, 484 yards, 1 TD) will anchor the aerial attack.  Wisconsin allowed 305.7 yards per game lat year, which ranked 17th in the nation, but five starters are gone from that unit, including the “always there” end O’Brien Schofield, who totaled 12.0 sacks and 24.5 TFLs.  In addition, the Badgers will look to continue their dominance defending the run, as they led the Big Ten and ranked fifth in the country in rushing defense last year, allowing just 88.2 yards per game on the ground.  Stepping up on defense will be returnees J.J. Watt and Chris Borland – the 2009 Big Ten Freshman of the Year – who combined for 26.0 TFLs and 9.5 sacks. Borland also tied for the conference lead with three fumble recoveries after forcing five, which tied for second in the Big Ten and sixth in the nation.

Source: The Big Ten

Northwestern at Vanderbilt

Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010 • 6:30 p.m. CT • Nashville, Tenn. • Vanderbilt Stadium (39,773)

ESPN3.com/Charter Sports Southeast • Announcers: Matt Stewart, Chris Doering, Allison Williams
Series: Vanderbilt leads, 1-0-1 • Last Meeting: Oct. 4, 1952: Northwestern 20, Vanderbilt 20

Northwestern opens the 2010 season by hitting the road to SEC country, facing a Vanderbilt team that is still reeling from a 2-10 season last year and the sudden retirement of head coach Bobby Johnson in July after posting a bowl-winning 7-6 season in 2008.  The Wildcats are 74-44-4 in season-opening contests, winners of their last five, and eagerly looking to get back to their winning ways after concluding last year with a 38-35 heartbreaker to Auburn in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day.  Northwestern (12th in the latest U.S. News college rankings) and Vanderbilt (17th), widely recognized as the top academic institutions in the Big Ten and SEC, respectively, are meeting on the gridiron for the first time in 58 years. NU and Vandy last met on Oct. 4, 1952 in Evanston, and played to a 20-20 tie. Vanderbilt won the only other meeting, a 3-0 decision in 1947, which also was played in Evanston.

Northwestern returns eight of 16 starters on the offensive side of the ball, but one of those eight is not the Wildcats’ quarterback.  Despite playing in 21 career games and having earned significant game minutes against Penn State and Iowa last year, Saturday marks the first collegiate start for QB Dan Persa.  Pardon the pun, but Persa will need to hurry up and get comfortable in NU’s hurry-up offense, one which set an NCAA record with 115 offensive plays vs. Auburn in the 2010 Outback Bowl. Senior Stephen Simmons, who is one of three Wildcats who could start at running back Saturday night, is Northwestern’s leading active career rusher with 408 yards.  Senior Sidney Stewart is Northwestern’s leading active career receiver with 59 catches, while superback Drake Dunsmore leads all current players with 664 receiving yards.  Only five starters return to the Vanderbilt defensive unit, but the Commodores should be equipped on each front.  The line is led by junior defensive end Tim Fugger and senior defensive tackle Adam Smotherman, while junior linebacker Chris Marve anchors the middle.  Marve led the Commodores with 121 tackles last season, including 5.5 that went for a loss.  DB Casey Hayward and safety Sean Richardson return to the secondary, which will be forced to shut down an always pass-happy NU offense.  We’ll see if the Commodores’ unit, which ranked No. 9 nationally in 2009 allowing just 164.2 passing yards a game, can contain the Wildcats’ four-and five-receiver spread offense, which was the NCAA’s 13th best pass attack last year.

Speaking of passing attacks, Vanderbilt’s is a work in progress.  QB Larry Smith is expected to retain his starting position, but he threw for only 1,126 yards last year, completed 47 percent of his passes, and tossed seven interceptions to only four touchdowns.  Warren Norman and Zac Stacy return in the backfield, but questions remain about the status of Norman, who is a 2010 preseason first-team All-SEC selection after leading the league with 1,951 all-purpose yards in 2009, breaking Herschel Walker’s SEC freshman record.  Having undergone arthroscopic surgery last week, it remains to be seen if head coach Robbie Caldwell will give him the nod.  Stacy posted three scores and racked up 478 yards last season in a backup role.  Northwestern returns an experienced defensive unit, that ranked in the nation’s top 20 last season for interceptions (17) and turnovers gained (30). Northwestern’s leading active career tackler is senior linebacker Quentin Davie, who has racked up 172 tackles thus far in his career. Fellow linebacker Nate Williams ranks second on the squad with 158 career hits.  Davie (8.5), along with defensive end Vince Browne (9), are the Wildcats’ top career sack leaders.

Source: The Big Ten