Black Shoe Diaries

REMAIN CALM. ALL IS WELL.

2009-11-20T19:43:51Z

Penn State hits rock bottom and God love 'em, they just keep digging.

Special Teams Upgraded

2009-11-20T17:50:47Z

JayTweet, obviously.

BSD Staff Previews: Michigan State

2009-11-20T16:00:41Z

[Programming note: Penn State's basketball team tries to extract themselves from the quicksand today at 12:30 p.m. against Tulane (0-2). No front-page open thread for this one, so it'll be up to someone to put up a Fanpost. And here it is. - RUTS]

This must have been during a MSU-Notre Dame game. LOLtato.

BSD Mike: Oh, how I look forward to this game. It seems like every year Sparty comes into the season finale licking their wounds and hoping to squeak out an invitation to the Alamo Bowl. And every year it's such a pleasure to slap them back to reality. Last year was particularly fun because Sparty woke up that morning thinking they actually had a chance at the Rose Bowl. How cute. Then Daryll Clark torched them silly, and Dantonio went all pissy pants in the final seconds as we celebrated. Here's an idea, Mark. If you don't like our boys celebrating, try beating them. Of course, let's not forget Dantonio had no problems enjoying a Gatorade bath in 2007 while JoePa waited to shake his hand at midfield. What goes around comes around, dude.

This year I expect more of the same. Sparty hasn't beaten anyone with a pulse this year. Their passing defense is terrible. The rest of the team is nothing special. Though they'll be playing with that motivation of hoping to get a third tier bowl game, our boys will be playing for a possible invite to a BCS bowl. Just slightly higher stakes. Give the edge to the good guys, and Sparty can take a bus to the Motor City Bowl in Detroit.

Penn State 35, Michigan State 17

Kevin HD: I’m usually pretty good at blinding myself in games like these, but I’ve got to be honest: the more I look at this one the less enthused I am.

Yesterday’s Q&A’s had one theme for me: special teams. It’s not that we aren’t making any big plays in the kick game – we aren’t -- it’s that we’re bad, bad, bad on a level I didn’t quite realize. I mean, 100+ in most categories with the athletes we have?

The bottom line, though: Penn State is the more talented team, but Paterno/Hall need to commit to protecting the quarterback at all costs. When things break down Clark isn’t going to persevere anyway, but if you give him a chance with calculated risk he performs every time. Prediction: pain and Paternoball.

I think a blowout here and a struggle in the Iowa-Minnesota game gets us into the BCS, but I can’t predict that in good faith. Sure, the Iowa game might be ugly, but I suspect ours will be as well.

Penn State 20, Michigan State 17

Run Up The Score: Be prepared for a shootout, as both teams should have great success(!) passing the ball. Each team should excel in the passing game for different reasons, however -- Penn State, because MSU's secondary is garbage, and MSU because they protect the quarterback well and our defensive ends are having a below average year applying pressure. And quite frankly, Michigan State has more quality receivers than we can cover, especially with A.J. Wallace likely out of the lineup.

It's the special teams blunders that continue to terrorize the Nittany Lions -- really, the only disasters we're missing are a blocked field goal, giving up a kickoff return for a touchdown, and the dreaded "krumble" (kickoff return fumble). Michigan State has a clear edge in nearly every facet of the kicking game. Further, Sparty should be the looser team, having locked up some random, low-level bowl game while Penn State has to deal with the pressure of grabbing an at-large BCS bid while in a hostile environment.

The common denominator in Penn State's three (three! It's the 12th game!) previous road games at Illinois, Michigan, and Northwestern. Slow, slow starts. Expect another one tomorrow. On the other hand, Sparty struggled mightily with Purdue last week. They had 16 less first downs, 20 less minutes of possession, and gave up 524 yards to the Boilermakers...but still won due to special teams play. Sparty also lost to Central Michigan, Minnesota and Notre Dame. They needed overtime to beat Michigan. And yet they're only a three-point underdog at home. (Wouldn't touch this game with stolen money, by the way.)

I tend to get tagged as the negative editor around here, but I don't think I've picked against PSU all year. Bad feeling about this one, though. Michigan State starts fast, Penn State makes a run in the middle quarters, and another epic fail on special teams dooms the Lions in the end.

Michigan State 34, Penn State 31.

North Carolina Defeats Valiant Penn State, 80-69.

2009-11-20T02:11:29Z

Oh, forget it. I don't even have the heart to write the fake "Tarheels Beat Nittany Lions" post. This game was a disaster, practically from the opening tip. UNC-Wilmington (1-2) -- a team that went 7-25 and had a RPI ranking of 273 one year ago -- never lost the lead after breaking a 7-7 tie early in the first half, although Penn State (2-1) whittled the deficit to two points with three minutes remaining. Chris Babb, Andrew Jones, and Tim Frazier combined to shoot 4-28 from the field. Babb was an unconscionably bad 2-10 on his three-point attempts. Despite those awful shooting performances, Cammeron Woodyard couldn't get more than four minutes of playing time -- two more than Andrew Ott received. Talor Battle scored 29 points, but was 8-23 from the field. However, he was uncharacteristically great from the foul line (11-12).

How bad was it? Penn State had nine steals and only five turnovers, and still lost by 11. It was obvious that Ed DeChellis was frantically searching for a winning combination, like an 80 year old man about to bet his Social Security check at the racetrack. Nothing worked. Perhaps Penn State was flat due to playing a game two nights ago and traveling to South Carolina. Maybe it was just one of those games where four guys were ice cold at the same time -- the only two players to hit more than half of their field goals were David Jackson (4-5) and Jeff Brooks (4-6). Except for the unusual amount of made free throws, Penn State looked like the DeChellis teams of 3-5 years ago. Next to no production from the post players, awful perimeter defense, and lots of bricks on the offensive end.

It'll be filed under the "Bad Loss" category come March, if this team turns out to be bubble-worthy again. The Charleston Classic, just like the other in-season tournaments Penn State has particpated in recently, is already an epic failure. This was Penn State's chance to add some quality wins (or hell, some quality competition) to its resume, against teams like Miami, Davidson, or South Carolina. Instead, it's Tulane tomorrow afternoon at 12:30 p.m. No rest for the frigid.

Basketball Open Thread: PSU v. UNC-Something

2009-11-19T21:14:12Z

Game is on ESPNU and your usual PSU football/basketball radio stations. Good luck finding it elsewhere.

ESPN Game Cast (updates every 30 seconds)

Malicious Internet Interrogation, Part Two: The Only Colors

2009-11-19T19:20:39Z

1. If you were selling the Land Grant Trophy at a garage sale, what price would you put on the sticker?

I know that the strictures of blogging require me to say "i shud totes pay them 2 take it away, lololol," but really, I think there's a lot of value packed inside that beauty. You've got the exquisite mahogany frame (excellent as a replacement coffee table leg in a pinch), two bonus paperweights, fine campus art, that little plaque under the lion that looks sort of like a double light switch, and who couldn't use an impressive-looking trophy-action-guy to put on the ol' mantle? Seriously, you could furnish an entire apartment with this thing.

It's like an '85 Datsun: the parts themselves are worth far more than the sum of the parts. So, like, at least $3.75, FIRM.

Functional, but only when dismantled into 20 pieces.

2. Penn State's defensive weakness is against the pass, especially crossing routes in the middle of the field. Your guys aren't going to be total jerks and try stuff like that, right?

Of course not! Because if we've learned anything from the past few years, it's that Mark Dantonio will go to great lengths to appease opposing fans.

In all seriousness: yeah, that's probably exactly what we're going to do. Blair White is excellent from the slot, and although he had a relatively quiet week against Purdue, he did score a huge 4th quarter touchdown on--you guessed it--a shallow crossing route in the middle of the field. We've also got B.J. Cunningham, Mark Dell, and two tight ends (Charlie Gantt and Brian Linthicum) who are proficient at that sort of thing. Cunningham, White, and Keshawn Martin are each also serious deep threats. If we don't get a whole lot of production from them collectively, Penn State wins.

3. PSU's special teams are bad. And by "bad", I mean "run away from the television while sobbing uncontrollably." Michigan State ranks 7th nationally in kickoff returns and has the best placekicker in the conference. Is there any part of special teams where Penn State might have an advantage?

The only area where we've been at least semi-weak is on kickoff coverage. Swenson is an excellent kicker, but he's very average at kickoffs; most teams have been able to return kicks to the 30 with regularity, but we haven't allowed any touchdowns and it hasn't been horrible. It has been better the past few weeks (allowed Purdue less than 15 yards per return last Saturday), and really I'm not all that concerned about it anymore. Similarly, punt coverage has been kinda meh, but nothing disastrous.

Everywhere else: yeah, we're good. Keshawn Martin has been absolutely unreal at returning kicks the past few weeks: he had 227 return yards last week, including a return to Purdue's 10 yard line late in the 4th quarter, and a spectacular return for a touchdown against Minnesota. He's not quite as dangerous bringing back punts, but still quite good. As you say, Swenson is the best kicker in the conference, and he's coming off a 4-4 day last Saturday (including two 52 yarders).

This seems to be an area where MSU has a major edge, and we'll really need to take advantage of it in order to win.

4. Everyone knows about Greg Jones already, but who are some other players on MSU's defense we should be concerned with?

The linebackers as a unit are pretty good. Eric Gordon has had a very good season at weakside LB, and Jon Misch had a decent game last week at the other outside spot. Jones is certainly the leader, however. The two defensive tackles (Jerel Worthy and Oren Wilson) have both been very good; Worthy should certainly end up on the B10 all-freshman team. They've been let down by the defensive ends, however. We hoped that Trevor Anderson would be picking up bunches of sacks this year, but he's been mostly anonymous. We've had success pressuring opposing quarterbacks through linebacker blitzes, but that obviously creates problems for the secondary. And the secondary is terrible.

So, yeah, worry more about our offense and special teams than the defense.

5. Let's go back to the conclusion of last year's game, with the score 49-18, and Penn State passing out roses on their sideline:

MSU 1-15 at Psu36 Cousins, Kirk pass incomplete to Dell, Mark.
MSU 2-15 at Psu36 Timeout Michigan State, clock 00:09.
MSU 2-15 at Psu36 Timeout Michigan State, clock 00:09.
MSU 2-15 at Psu36 Cousins, Kirk pass incomplete to White, Blair
MSU 3-15 at Psu36 End of game, clock 00:00.

The team was down 31 points, it was about 25 degrees outside, and the Michigan State players were essentially yucking it up and taunting the Penn State fans who wanted to celebrate a conference title. So, what the hell? What was the reaction to those timeouts in Spartyland last year, and did Mark Dantonio inadvertently do all of us a little favor by injecting a little dickishness into this fabricated rivalry? Was there any justification ever given for that?

All right. So, it should be noted that from the beginning, I wasn't pleased with the move; I cringed when it happened and told the whole entire internets that I thought Dantonio was wrong. (Look for comments from "Ben." But most everyone commenting shared my sentiment, I think.) Dantonio never explained his actions, as far as I know, but I'm sure he would tell you that he was simply running his offense. I think it's more likely that he was pissed that roses were already being handed out well before the final whistle wanted to stick it to PSU a bit. Obviously, he was successful in getting under PSU fans' skin, if nothing else. It wasn't a classy move at all, but oh well.

But, like, aren't you guys blowing this a bit out of proportion? It's not like he killed your dog. At worst, the timeouts made your team wait an extra 90 seconds to be crowned as the conference champion. Dick move by Dantonio? Yes. Jihad-worthy? I don't think so. And anyway, I still don't have a whole lot of sympathy for the weather complaints. We cheer for teams that play in bad weather; it happens. I've seen my team get stomped on in worse weather than that; if I was watching MSU clinch a Rose Bowl berth, I'd be way too delirious with excitement and joy and happiness and so forth to even notice that it was 25 degrees outside.

Anyway, it's probably not a bad thing in the end. Like you said, this game needed a bit of spice. It at least sort of has it now.

Dantonio, in happier days.

6. What's your confidence level for this game, and how do you see it shaking out?

Not all that high, honestly. Clark picked our defense apart last year, and while you don't have Derrick Williams anymore, our pass defense is even worse this time around. Also, I have distressing visions of Jared Odrick pwning whoever's blocking him and not giving Cousins enough time to be comfortable.

More generally, Dantonio has done a lot of good things during his time at MSU, but beating teams with appreciably more talent certainly hasn't been one of those things. So, I'll remain skeptical until we finally win one of these games. It's at home, which is good, and I could definitely see the special teams stats ending up very lopsided in our favor. But PSU is the better team, and you're playing for more: a win for us would upgrade our bowl game slightly, but a win for PSU might send you guys to the BCS. So, an upset isn't out of the possibility, but I'm not particularly optimistic.

Malicious Internet Interrogation: The Only Colors

2009-11-19T17:29:20Z

More photos » by Amy Sancetta - AP

7 months ago: Peanut the dog, dressed in a Michigan State Spartan costume, is seen outside Ford Field before the semifinal game between Michigan State and Connecticut during the men's NCAA Final Four college basketball tournament Saturday, April 4, 2009, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

Browse more photos »

Part one of an exchange between myself and LVS of SBNation's fine Michigan State blog, "The Only Colors". His questions, my answers. The other half of Malicious Internet Interrogation will likely be up later today or tomorrow. And don't forget this afternoon's basketball game against UNC-Wilmington. Tip-off is at 4:00 p.m., game to be broadcast on ESPNU (and ~~presumably, ESPN360~~ yeah, apparently not). We'll have an open thread.

1. MSU-PSU: great rivalry or greatest rivalry?

Greatest, of course! How else could you explain two teams fighting over a pre-school arts and crafts monstrosity like the Land Grant Trophy?

2. Penn State allowed almost 300 yards passing against Indiana last Saturday; that statistic alone gives MSU fans at least some hope, as our offense is essentially pass-or-bust this year. How has PSU's pass defense been this season? Are there any clear vulnerabilities in the secondary?

Keep in mind that Indiana threw the ball 51 times and was playing from behind in the second half last week, but yes, the larger point is that teams know it's better to throw on Penn State than attempt to run. I would not be remotely surprised if MSU attempts close to 50 passes on Saturday, although I doubt they'll reach the 61 passes thrown by Brian Hoyer against PSU back in 2006 -- and that was in a 17-13 game. Penn State can be thrown on, but they do their best to protect any obvious liabilities in the secondary. Free Safety Nick Sukay has steadily improved throughout the year. Drew Astorino (#28) plays the other safety position, and it's no secret that he's trying to fight through a shoulder injury. CB A.J. Wallace sustained a concussion last week, he's listed as "possible" for Sparty. So there may be opportunities for you in the passing game.

[For the rest of our Q&A, including discussion of SPECIAL TEAMS FAIL and much more, please head over to The Only Colors.]

Great Timeout Weather This Saturday

2009-11-19T13:38:32Z

Great Timeout Weather This Saturday

They are predicting a high near 50 for Saturday, but most of the game will probably be played in the lower 40s. Supposedly no rain.

No, Sparty, No!

2009-11-18T19:15:08Z

Mark Dantonio, looking at the scoreboard to make sure he has no timeouts remaining. (AP Photo)

Nothing hurts more than the truth, and nothing says truth like charts.

Something I was interested in: just how true is the Spartan Slide? Sure they've blown monster leads against mediocre teams and lost to MAC schools, but that's early season stuff. How did John L. Smith earn such a fantastic reputation for late season collapse?

Winning percentage by month at Michigan State:

Isn't that awesome? Obligatory:

Slappy eventually slid off the bottom of that thing all the way to being the special teams coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Wait, what?! Special teams coach?

(This right after a blocked FG was returned for a touchdown, for
those of you who may have forgot, which is none of you.)

So, forced to pick up the pieces, the Spartans poached one of the nation's finest from Cincinnati, Mark Dantonio. I mean you're never going to get a guy better than 18-17 at a just barely Big East school, right?

Cincinnati has been devastated by this; all they've been able to manage since Dantonio's departure is a BCS bid and total control of the Big East so far this season.

I'm disappointed to report, however, that with an admittedly limited sample size, there has been a bit of a culture shift in ~~Left~~ Directional Lansing:

Mediocrity has a way of making trends less interesting, but these are the trade-offs we're forced to pick between when onside kick bliss double-timeout lameness are on the table.

[/HATEHATEHATE]

LOLtre Dame: Undercover Of The Flight

2009-11-18T17:21:12Z

LOLtre Dame: Undercover Of The Flight

The South Bend Tribune is reporting that Notre Dame has hilariously blocked their university plane from appearing on flightaware.com, thereby preventing fans from speculating about potential interviews of future head coaching candidates.

(t/f/j: Dr. Saturday)

Penn State vs. Michigan State Preview

2009-11-18T17:00:57Z

Penn State vs. Michigan State Preview

This preview from DrDetroit, whom you'll perhaps recognize from his frequent commenting here at BSD, appears over at our SBNation Sparty blog, The Only Colors. Enjoy. And hate. Hate, hate, hate.

HATE WEEK: Michigan State!

2009-11-17T23:41:16Z

[Hate or go home, kids. - RUTS]

Here it is: the Big One to the Buckeyes/Wolverines Big Two, the most earth-shaking of rivalries, the one that makes the movie "2012" look like a Sunday evening cake walk, the bloody series that puts the "iv" in "rivalry". IT’S LAND GRANT TROPHY WEEK! The regular season hate reaches its apex now, where the storied rivalry between these two schools descends into a maelstrom of pain, passion, and anger. Hate Week Michigan State never ends!

The Breakdown:

WHO

Is Sparty grabbing the statues... uh??? Hmm. So help me, I don’t know where the other hand is about to go, but I’m guessing it’s some sort of "Sword and the Stone" thing.

WHO: The Michigan State Spartans. One of the oldest rivalries in the Big Ten since 1993, the Spartans represent everything we hold dear except the opposite of that. Once again, Michigan State has nothing to play for in this series. Michigan State has faltered after contenting for the Big Ten title last year (how did that 2008 game end up, Sparty?) and now stands at 6-5 in the regular season, and is playing for the chance to represent the Big Ten in the Champs Sports Bowl. Whoopee.

If their coach was a West German music act from the late ‘70s/early ‘80s:

Guess the decade?

Sixth in a six-part series, but be prepared for some postseason hate. Why "Love System" by italo West German group The Twins? Remember MSU head coach Mark Dantonio’s decision to spend two time outs at the end of last year’s game? Well, this is the only thing more LAME than that.

WHAT

WHAT: The Land Grant Trophy. A trophy that was created by the same man who coined the "Little Caesars Pizza Pizza Bowl." That man was MSU coaching legend George Perles. Never heard of him? Me neither--some legend. As it stands, we are the only annual rivalry with a trophy featuring 1970s den shelves. A 2008 move to rechristen it the Abe Lincoln Land Grant trophy faltered, but the effort did end up with the unexpected result of becoming the primary source of inspiration behind the new Northwestern-Illinois "Land of Lincoln" Trophy, which is just a bronze top hat.

Secondary Source of Inspiration for the Land of Lincoln Trophy. Pennsylvania Avenue is worth more.

Although the trophy itself isn’t worthy of this great rivalry, I want to stress that we do not belittle the Land Grant game itself--for this game should mean something more than ourselves. I propose that this series evolve, that we not only represent Penn State in this series, but all Land Grant institutions south and east of Detroit:

BIG PICTURE! What the Land Grant Trophy represents. Suck it, Utah State University!

This has already become a sensation that crosses ten time zones and dozens of land grant institutions. Pictured here is the pandemonium surrounding the PSU-MSU pep rally on Monday at the University of the Virgin Islands. We Are!

We can’t let 'em down. The Land Grant Trophy belongs here in the East!

WHERE

A proud couple standing at ~~Nuremburg in the 1930s~~ Lansing in the 2000s. Seriously, that’s a whacked out statue. Did the ancient Spartans have no floating ribs and have poptarts for abs too?

Source: Scott Stetson Photography, I guess.

WHERE: Lansing. Screw their pretentious, "it’s East Lansing. If you don’t say ‘East Lansing’ you’re clearly an outsider." Whatever--like it’s supposed to embarrass me that I’m not from Michigan? Lansinglansinglansinglansing! You can easily see the State Capitol of Michigan while standing in East Lansing, so it's not like it's a massive mistake. Perhaps MSU students, alumni, and professors are ashamed of the Capitol, ashamed of their state and all it represents. MSU = unamerican? Hate Week reports, you decide.

WHEN

Pretty sure it's on Saturday.

WHEN: So help me I don’t know. Every time I put a time and a channel in one of these posts I get it wrong some how. How about I just say it’s this Saturday? Seems like a safe bet. Since it’s November, it won’t be a night game, so just hit the "Guide" button on your remote and figure it out. I hate the TV networks waffling about on where they put teams until a week or two before the game actually occurs. Let’s make it easy: in my unbiased opinion Penn State should be primetime, everytime.

WHY

JoePa after the 2007 loss. It. IS. ON.

WHY: Everything about this series is irritating. PSU owns the Spartans with a 12-4 overall record, but even in the Dark Years PSU went 4-1 and averaged 38.4 points per game in the series--capped with a 61-7 beatdown where Larry Johnson, Jr. turned the MSU defense into a walking Twitter post. A John L. Smith collapse was as reliable a November event as Thanksgiving falling on a Thursday. After watching the team put up 38+ points, most of us left the game/TV station scratching our heads going, "Where the hell was that all season long?"

Still, you could hardly choose worse years for the remaining three losses to occur. The 1997 loss cost us a berth in a BCS (technically Bowl Alliance) Bowl, the 1999 loss ended the worst season slide since 1914 and put a team that was #2 at the beginning of November in the Alamo Bowl, the 2007 loss was a monumental collapse that sealed He Who Formerly Could Not Be Named's position in the doghouse of Penn State QB lore. Ohhh, that game suuuuucked. It also began the irritating rise of Mark Dantonio, pictured below:

DANTONIKHAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!

This series has devolved into an endless sequence of beatdowns, occassionally punctuated with a devastating loss. It’s the worst of rhythms as you’re stuck somewhere between a PSU-Temple lopsided speedbump and a quality rivalry. So where are we? Stuck with a mediocre rivalry when an end-of-season game against Pitt or Wisconsin would be ten times as compelling. I hate MSU for being content with mediocrity. I hate Michigan State for never bringing anything to the table but leftovers. I hate Michigan State for making me sleep halfway trhough the game when I want to be entertained, and making me pull out my hair when I just want an easy win. I hate Michigan State for claiming it’s a football school when every November the basketball program is the only thing on everyone’s minds. I like the good-natured fans at Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio State--because deep down I know they want to see us openly weeping at the end of the game. I hate good-natured Michigan State fans because, deep down, it’s just a nice way to spend a Saturday. In short: I hate MSU for just being MSU. HATE! HATE! HATE!

Lose It Or Move It

2009-11-17T15:44:17Z

What is this view worth, anyway?

Mostly ignored in the commotion and tension of the Indiana game was David Jones' pre-game blockbuster detailing the changes coming for students and season ticket holders at Beaver Stadium, beginning with the 2011 season:

When asked about the plan Friday night at the Bryce Jordan Center, where he was watching the Penn State-Penn men’s basketball game, athletic director Tim Curley would neither confirm it nor discuss specifics. He responded with generalities about the athletic department’s need to raise additional money soon:

"The bottom line is, right now, everyone around the country is looking at ways to create new revenue sources. We’ve tapped out a number of sources so far — adding a 12th game, the Big Ten Network. We’ve tried to benchmark ourselves against other schools right now. And we’re looking at creative ways to generate more revenue.

"And now’s the time we need to do it. We need to create new revenue in order to maintain our broad-based program."

Exact details of the plan have not yet been released by Penn State, but based on multiple accounts, these seem to be the basics:

The current Nittany Lion Club point system as you know it will be abolished. Poof. (Update -- But they have to take past donations into account when figuring out who gets first shot at tickets, right? So perhaps it won't be totally abolished after all.)
The new giving levels will not be in addition to the current NLC minimums for football tickets.
There will be a per ticket charge, which is essentially a one-year lease on your seat. Obviously, this charge will be highest for midfield seats and decrease in cost approaching each end zone.
End zone seats between the goal lines will be subject to a $100 "lease", per seat. (Nobody knows what PSU will actually call these quasi-PSL's. I'm going with "lease", because it's only for one season and you don't own it.) According to Jones, seats between the goal lines and the 40's will cost $400/seat and seats between the 40's will be $600/seat. Loosely corroborated message board chatter indicates it may be more of a gradual increase from $100 to $500:

The color code for this: Gray (students), green (club seats), blue ($100), light green ($200), red ($300), white ($400), red ($500). This plan is more logical and less lucrative than the "everyone between the 40's and goal lines pay $400" plan, so you can probably guess which way Penn State will lean. Subsequent columns on this subject by the Altoona Mirror and Daily Collegian essentially parrot Jones' information, so nothing new there. We'll have the official numbers once the mass mailing goes out to season ticket holders following the Michigan State game.

In order to accommodate all of the expected shuffling, the student section is going to be shifted away from the east stands and further into the south endzone:

The student section would move from its current range of seats between the ED section and past the tunnel to seats between the EA and WA sections. That would include upper deck seating for students sitting in sections EA and WA. Students would also be permitted to enter the stadium through Gates A and B under the new plan.

According to the tentative plan, the student section could actually increase by up to 800 tickets, prompting ridiculous quotes like this:

"I don't wanna brag, but we're some of the most knowledgeable fans in the country," [Paternoville Coordination Committee (PCC) President Alex ] Cohen said. "We're passionate, and in the end I think we really do deserve these 800 seats. There are tons of people on campus who would love to go to every Penn State football game, and to add 800 more seats is great."

...

"The athletic department, every decision they make is in the best interest of the teams, the school and the fans. I trust them," Cohen said.

They're so knowledgeable that they don't know what time the game starts, right?

Okay, first, I'll point out that 800 seats might be added to the student section in 2011. Might. The students are being shunted into worse seats for 2011, and (cue the irresponsible speculation!) I would not be surprised if this alleged addition to the student section never materializes. It'll likely depend on the renewal rates of regular season ticket holders who don't want to pay the increased costs, and how many of them are moved to less desirable sections of the stadium...like the edges of the south end zone.

Second, no, no. Students don't deserve any additional seats after this season. And given the dregs that are on the schedule next season, not to mention what is probably a four-loss Penn State team, who thinks the student attendance will even be equal to their paltry 2009 attendance? Anyone? Alex has an organization to defend, and he's right to do so. Nobody can doubt the dedication of the Paternoville kids, but that passion simply doesn't extend to the rest of the student season ticket holders. We'll see how the students do with the ability to enter two gates next season. Maybe that will solve everything. I have my doubts.

You have questions.

Why are they doing this? Why does anyone do anything? Because they can. And the reality of the situation is that there are a lot of people who have been getting midfield seats for decades while making the minimum donation to the NLC. We can debate whether that's a good thing (loyalty to longtime ticket holders and older alumni) or a bad thing (come on, $60 a game for seats on the midfield stripe?!?), but Penn State sees a very good opportunity to tap some wallets here. And you know Penn State's love for some American cash money, especially when they can justify it by invoking the image of an adorable field hockey team crying on the shoulder of Route 22 because their 43 year old school bus broke down.

But me! How does this affect me? I don't know you, sorry. But let's say you're my father, and have had four tickets in section EJ for the last 15 years. He currently pays $100 for each seat, plus the face value of each ticket. Because these seats are in the area between the goal lines, the cost won't change for him in 2011 if what Jones reported ends up being correct. It would be an extra $100/seat under the color-coded diagram above.

What if I'm one of the lucky ducklings getting away with minimum donations at the 50 yard line? Time to pony up, sucker. Four tickets are going to cost somewhere between $2,000 and $2,400, and that's before you even pay for the actual tickets. These are people who have essentially been getting a free ride for premium seats -- the true, dead wood of the Nittany Lion fanbase -- and they are the people who are going to be hit the hardest:

For instance, there is currently a contribution level Penn State calls Lion Loyalty where NLC members must give between $400 and $799 in order to get four season tickets. Someone who's had seats for quite a while and has racked up NLC points over the years might have four seats between the 40 yard lines and be paying only $400 a year for the right to hold onto them.

These are the people, and others in similar situations, that the new arrangement is targeting. Season ticket holders between the 40s will all be asked to pony up $600 per ticket per year. Do the math for someone in these seats: 4x$600=$2,400 annually before you even buy the tickets themselves. Someone like this will have a substantially higher bill, hiked by $2,000 a year. If they don't want to pay, they'll have the option to move to less desirable seats.

And if I'm a young alumnus/alumna with money to spend, but currently stuck with crappy seats? Well, this is the opportunity you've been waiting for.

The other side of the coin: Let's say someone already gives between $2,200 and $2,999 annually, what PSU calls the Honorary Coach (unfortunately, you don't get to call in plays for Joe). For this, you get the right to buy up to 10 season tickets at $55 per game. But the real reason many people give at this level is that it's the minimum to get a reserved parking spot. Some only buy four season tickets; they just want the nice spot so they don't have to park in the fields.

So if, say, someone is already paying the minimum $2,200 to get the parking spot and only takes four season tickets, they'll only have to add on an extra $200 to account for that 4x$600=$2400.

So if you're somebody who gives a big chunk of money but is stuck in row 87 of Section UUSEUUU, this is an opportunity to seriously upgrade your seats. These are the people who are unbelievably happy with the proposed plan, and rightfully so.

Why is this happening in 2011 instead of 2010? Well, you see, uh, there's this.

2010 Home Schedule
September 4 Youngstown State
September 18 Kent State
September 25 Temple
October 9 Illinois
October 23 Michigan
October 30 Northwestern
November 20 Michigan State

2011 Home Schedule
September 3 Indiana State
September 10 Alabama
September 24 TBA
October 8 Ohio State
October 15 Iowa
October 29 Purdue
November 12 Wisconsin

There's going to be outrage whenever this is formally announced, and plenty of it. If Penn State tried to implement a re-seating plan for a slop schedule like 2010, there would also be mobs and torches and LOUD NOISES.

So this is an unconscionable money grab by a morally corrupt university, right? Well, yes and no. There are plenty of people who still believe that college football is about student-athletes and Success With Honor and all that stuff. That's fine. That's a sign of a healthy, sustainable program with proper moral bearings, and it makes us, as Penn State fans, rather proud. Nobody feels particularly good about their favorite team being on probation, having players constantly arrested, or 18% graduation rates. But at its heart, college football is a tremendous opportunity for universities to make tons of cash. That's why so many coaches are fired every year, that's why so many programs are willing to play on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights. That's why there's no playoff. For a self-sufficient athletic department like Penn State, money is even more important. There are only two programs that make money at Penn State -- football and men's basketball. In a sense, it's amazing that PSU held off this long in implementing a quasi-PSL program like the one about to be rolled out. It's going to generate millions of dollars each season.

Millions? Millions.

So they'll stop scheduling teams like Indiana State, Eastern Illinois, and Youngstown State? Sure, bongjockey. They'll get right on scheduling those home-and-home series with Texas and Florida. You're very likely to see the Parade Of Pastry continue marching through Beaver Stadium on early autumn Saturdays. Don't think for one minute that this will lead to more aggressive scheduling. Home games pay the bills.

How about a surprise? I love surprises! Well, there's this bit of information:

Penn State is giving season ticket holders the option of transferring tickets to not just relatives but anyone at all – for a one-time fee. The fees will vary by location of seats and there will be extra hoops to jump through in order to transfer the highest-priced seats.

That'll create a little flexibility, though I'm interested in what the "one-time fee" will be. And by "extra hoops", I'm assuming "extra donations."

The verdict, your honor? Tentatively approve, subject to a review of the full details of the plan. It's easy to feel some pangs of sympathy for the folks near midfield who will undoubtedly be quoted by surreptitious newspaper reporters looking to stoke the fires of this story. Wait, wait. Can I address this?

Just because for so many years the school decided not to address the fact that people in its best seats were paying the same as people in the end zone for the "right" to watch Eastern Illinois and Coastal Carolina and Florida International and Youngstown State and, in 2011, Indiana State, doesn't mean that all those people - some now on fixed incomes and having seen their personal investments dwindle - should have to swallow this increase in one full (or is it fool?) swoop.

Talk about sheep being herded toward the end zone.

That's just blatant pandering. You know what those people on fixed incomes and crippled 401(k)'s can do? Either move to a more affordable part of the stadium or not buy overpriced football tickets at all. Maybe that would be a sound financial decision. 'Till death do us part isn't being part of buying season tickets. Those people have been getting an absurdly good deal -- that can't be overstated -- on midfield seats for one of America's most storied football programs for decades. The (basically) free ride has to end at some point. Try getting midfield season tickets at Michigan or Ohio State. Run those numbers and tell me that those poor PSU fans haven't been treated fairly.

You were saying? Yeah. Tentatively approve, pending further information. Some fans may choose to walk away in a huff instead of ponying up the cash or moving to a different location. That's unfortunate but it's their choice to make. A great number of fans currently in the upper decks or end zones won't be affected at all, and will finally have an opportunity to upgrade their seats if they so choose.

Babb's Threes Ignite Lions

2009-11-17T14:22:13Z

Babb's Threes Ignite Lions

With Battle, the Lions' leading scorer last season, posting only eight points Monday, Babb said other players stepping up when Battle is struggling will be vital to the Lions' success this season.

"It's a great feeling that we're not just a one-man team," Babb said. "Talor's a great player, but everybody has off nights. Whenever he does do that, other players on the team can step up and knock down shots."

Hey, It's A Basketball Open Thread!

2009-11-17T00:28:16Z

No, it's not on television. Yes, you have to pay $2.99 for the BTN's apparently awful video feed. But don't despair, you can listen to the student broadcast for free. Click on the ComRadio logo at the top of the page for the audio. Game starts at 7:35 p.m.

Useful links:

Box score

Game notes from gopsusports.com

List of radio affiliates

Brandon Beachum (Officially) Tears ACL

2009-11-16T21:07:26Z

So sayeth The Daily Collegian:

Brandon Beachum will miss the remainder of the 2009 season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee on Saturday, according to a release issued by the Penn State football program.

Beachum, a true sophomore running back, hurt his knee while attempting to recover a Jerome Hayes fumble on a kickoff return on the first play of the third quarter in Penn State's 31-20 win over Indiana on Saturday.

Monday Questions, or "Let's Rationalize A Possible BCS Bid"

2009-11-16T14:00:56Z

More photos » by Carolyn Kaster - AP

Browse more photos »

If we're eligible, does it really matter who's ranked ahead of us?

Of course not. Iowa is ranked #13, Penn State is ranked #14, all of it is irrelevant. The BCS has two functions: to try and pick the two most deserving teams that will be allowed a shot at their crystal ball, and making money off of everyone else.

The best way to make money is not to pick the next best 10 teams, but to pick the teams with the best following who the general public believes will compete with their pairing. Remember none of these games matter anyway: nothing can be won or lost in any game that isn't the BCS MNC. It's always fun to win on a big stage, but the games are not a means to some kind of end.

So, if you want to be a purist about it, you have to pick the team with a bigger following and better TV ratings.

(It's worth noting that Iowa has a strong fan base and even buy their tickets. The point isn't one that tears down the Hawkeyes, but it's hard to defend the idea that Iowa will somehow make a bowl more money than Penn State if both teams finish with two losses.)

Let's get ethical: does Penn State even deserve a shot?

There are two standards here: one is the respect and aura we've built around the term "BCS team." Based on our performance against Iowa and Ohio State, I would probably agree with you in saying this team is not a typical BCS powerhouse.

But this is not a typical year. Outside of the top three to five teams, no one is doing anything.

So the real question is this: is Penn State one of the top 12 teams after you take into account the two-team-per rule?

It depends. Penn State lacks a quality win outside of Temple (other receiving votes woo wooo), but: (1) they also haven't lost to North Carolina State (2) he team has zero close calls against mid-majors and (3) their losses are to top 15 teams.

All three of those things are not true about Wisconsin, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Boise State and Pitt.

Penn State's best asset is that they don't currently have any stupid losses. I know that doesn't seem like much, but it's a strange year.

You don't have to be proud of it or pretend this is some kind of legendary effort, but the landscape is important.

Here is the real question: can we get picked ahead of Iowa?

And really there is no legit answer for this. Iowa has now lost their last two games. Stanzi is out and will likely be rusty at best in a bowl game. They lost to jNW, which should always be noted.

But they beat Penn State.

So what do you do?

Couldn't this all be a worthless and borderline embarrassing discussion?

You bet. Penn State is just a 3.5 point favorite against Michigan State this weekend. Iowa and Ohio State appear to be in much more comfortable games (favored by 9.5 and 12.5, respectively). This weekend is no sure thing.

So long live hate week.

Student Section To Shift In 2011

2009-11-16T06:29:36Z

Student Section To Shift In 2011

Guess which way? -KHD

Penn State #14 In BCS; Iowa #13

2009-11-16T01:36:29Z

Tip Of The Hate

2009-11-15T20:44:23Z

Poll

Black Shoe Diaries

REMAIN CALM. ALL IS WELL.

Special Teams Upgraded

BSD Staff Previews: Michigan State

North Carolina Defeats Valiant Penn State, 80-69.

Basketball Open Thread: PSU v. UNC-Something

Malicious Internet Interrogation, Part Two: The Only Colors

Malicious Internet Interrogation: The Only Colors

Great Timeout Weather This Saturday

Great Timeout Weather This Saturday

No, Sparty, No!

LOLtre Dame: Undercover Of The Flight

LOLtre Dame: Undercover Of The Flight

Penn State vs. Michigan State Preview

Penn State vs. Michigan State Preview

HATE WEEK: Michigan State!

The Breakdown:

WHO

WHAT

WHERE

WHEN

WHY

Lose It Or Move It

Babb's Threes Ignite Lions

Babb's Threes Ignite Lions

Hey, It's A Basketball Open Thread!

Brandon Beachum (Officially) Tears ACL

Monday Questions, or "Let's Rationalize A Possible BCS Bid"

Student Section To Shift In 2011

Student Section To Shift In 2011

Penn State #14 In BCS; Iowa #13

Tip Of The Hate

Why Is This Douchebag Smiling?