Black Shoe Diaries

The Familiar Fallout: Poll Drops, BCS Position, Next Week's Lines

2009-11-09T04:02:49Z

Yeah, it wasn't pretty. But it's time to take stock and look forward.

Polls. Penn State will end the season with just two ranked teams on the schedule - Wisconsin is on a two year break - and for the second time Paterno & Co. played too safe for their own good.

The Iowa game could be rationalized as an anomaly, the weather and blocked punt weren't expected or advantageous, but getting dominated by an Ohio State defense means this coping mechanism from the Iowa game is now much more truth and much less fun:

(Okay, but still a lot of fun.)

Now with a little more reality to go on, the polls were pretty punishing. The Coaches' say 17th. That puts Penn State behind fellow two-lossers OSU, USC, LSU, Miami and Oregon. It's a similar story from the Harris.

Random bullets:

The humans seem to have overreacted to Iowa's Stanziless loss. If Oklahoma was allowed to stay ranked for no reason simply because they lost their quarterback, I don't understand why the Hawkeyes shouldn't get the same treatment. They are 12 and 13 with the humans, but still 9th in the computers.
Probably a similar over-reaction for Ohio State, but obviously in the opposite direction. They jump all the way up to 8 in the polls but stay outside the BCS top 10 because of a T-13 computer ranking.
Both these last two points are extremely temporary, though, because they'll shift mightily depending on the outcome of next week's game.
And if you want proof that timing and reputation are way more important than records: USC is 10 in the human polls with two losses, Oregon is 14 and 16 with the same record. Not only did Oregon beat USC like no one else in the last 5 years, but they also have essentially the same exact resume: one win over a top 15 team, one loss to a top 15 team, and one inexcusable defeat to a Pac-10 mediocre squad. Nice, right?

BCS. Fugimaster runs down the BCS rankings and has your poll positions for the final BCS at-larges:

I think we can pretty confidently move TCU and Alabama into the "safe" column, and LSU would be eliminated by the 2 teams per conference rule (Thanks IcersGuy) so that leaves USC, Miami, Boise, and us for the final 2 at-larges. Is it a long shot? Probably, but stranger things have happened. I'm not giving up hope until December 5.

So there you have it, with the big assumption that Penn State wins out, of course. I suspect the reaction to this for a lot of you is "OMG BCS? STFU!" but let's keep things in perspective. Winning out is in the cards and anything can happen in a bowl game.

Lines. Vegas sent out the opens tonight as usual. Penn State is favored by 22 next week against Indiana, a line 70% of the betters think is too high. This lends credibility to the Pateroism that you're never as bad as they say you are after a loss. Plus it's still Indiana, although they've played Wisconsin, Iowa, Northwestern and Michigan all extremely tough.

Some other lines of note:

Wisconsin is a 9.5 point favorite against Michigan
Illinois is finally favored in a game again, -4 against Northwestern
Ohio State is a 13.5 point favorite against Iowa

And by the way, that OSU-Iowa game is one of only two contests between ranked opponents this week. The other one is an underwhelming Utah vs. TCU. The higher ranked school is favored by 18 points in that one.

And Here Come The Pretzels

2009-11-08T16:42:59Z

On yesterday's ESPN GameDay show, Chris Fowler and the crew passed along information that Penn State coaches indicated their offensive playbook would be uncharacteristically open against Ohio State. The coaching staff trusted the improved offensive line, and especially trusted Daryll Clark to win the game for Penn State. If such a strategy was ever in place for the Penn State offense, it was scrapped after their first offensive play of the game as defensive end Cameron Heyward bolted through Dennis Landolt and Evan Royster, defensive tackle Todd Denlinger spun around Johnnie Troutman, and defensive end Thaddeus Gibson hopped over a weak chop attempt by Ako Poti. The result, 2nd and 16, and 59 minutes of puckering.

And shame on you for not fighting through your doubleteam, Doug Worthington!

Sifting through the rubble this morning, and nothing has changed. Yesterday's game was an absolute owning of the home team -- coaches, players, fans, offense, defense, special teams -- from beginning to end. Cameron Heyward is an unblockable monster. No matter which Penn State offensive lineman he lined up against, they were quickly and embarrassingly thrown aside. Daryll Clark was hit and hurried, and again unable to carry the team in those circumstances.

Clark will take some justified heat for this loss. Fair or not, his place in Penn State quarterbacking history will be roughly alongside Wally Richardson's 1995-1996 run -- fondly remembered, but nowhere approaching legendary. Daryll will leave Penn State with a shared Big Ten title, love and respect from a vast majority of the fanbase, and gaudy stats against awful teams. People will be happy to see him when he returns to campus in 5, 10, 20 years. But he won't be a Penn State legend or anything close to it.

I suspect the coaching staff feels embarrassed this morning. There's absolutely zero excuse for the ongoing clusterfrick that is Penn State's special teams unit. If Joe Paterno expects to win games with defense and special teams, it's probably a fine idea to actually have good special teams. Given the athletes on this team, are we supposed to believe that Drew Astorino is our best ~~punt returner~~ designated fair catcher? Penn State's punt team practically handed Ohio State their first touchdown and took the life out of the crowd. And it's clearly not a matter of putting bad athletes on the field for kicking plays -- the players chasing Ray Small down the field on his first punt return are A.J. Wallace, Knowledge Timmons, Josh Hull, Chris Colasanti, Navorro Bowman, Brandon Beachum, and Andrew Quarless. And they were put in a bad position by an awful Jeremy Boone punt.

The playcalling was atrocious. If you don't have enough confidence to throw the ball on 3rd and 5, do us all a favor and kneel on the ball three straight plays and punt. Your defense will get the same amount of rest, and there's no risk at all! Beats the hell out of running the same tired crap right at Ohio State's strengths, or letting your quarterback get battered play after play.

Tom Bradley and the defense don't get a pass for this either -- they let the team down repeatedly on some crucial third downs. D'anton Lynn blew a coverage that led to DeVier Posey's long touchdown. On Pryor's rushing touchdown, Bowman had him dead in the backfield and was shaken off. They had their chances to turn the game around, or even just get off the damned field, and failed.

Finally, man up and give credit to Terrelle Pryor and Ohio State. This can't be stressed enough: they dominated every single aspect of the game. As for Penn State, they had their two toughest opponents at home and blew it. While 10-2 is still within reach and sounds great, this season has already been cast upon the disappointment heap. Penn State will end up in some middle-tier bowl with a cheesy sponsor. Don't worry. We'll pretend to care about it.

Here We Come, Baby!

2009-11-07T23:35:49Z

Well, before the year I said this had the look of a 10-2 team. And it looks like that's what we're going to get. More analysis at a later date, but for now there will be drinking. Lots of it.

The Indiana game can't get here soon enough.

Fourth Quarter Open Thread

2009-11-07T23:00:29Z

Third Quarter Open Thread

2009-11-07T22:15:23Z

Next Thread goes up at 6:00 PM.

Second Quarter Open Thread

2009-11-07T21:15:15Z

Next Thread goes up at 5:15 PM.

Game Day Open Thread - Ohio State Buckeyes

2009-11-07T20:30:25Z

Next Thread goes up at 4:15 PM.

Early Games Second Half Thread

2009-11-07T17:30:24Z

More photos » by Al Goldis - AP

12 days ago: FILE - In this Oct. 24, 2009, file photo, Iowa players, including Troy Johnson (48) and Ryan Donahue (5) celebrate their 15-13 win over Michigan State in an NCAA college football game in East Lansing, Mich. Seventh-ranked Iowa is off to the best start in school history, also one of its most dramatic. The Hawkeyes survived yet again last week, beating Michigan State on the final play. But how long can Iowa keep tempting fate? (AP Photo/Al Goldis, File)

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Next thread goes up at 3:30 PM.

Early Games Open Thread

2009-11-07T17:00:30Z

Games of Note:

Northwestern at #4 Iowa - ESPN

#21 Wisconsin at Indiana - Big Ten Network

Western Michigan at Michigan State - Big Ten Network

Purdue at Michigan - Big Ten Network

Illinois at Minnesota - Big Ten Network

Syaracuse at #13 Pitt - ESPNU

So Much On The Line

2009-11-07T15:12:06Z

More photos » by Carolyn Kaster - AP

10 days ago: In this Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, photo, Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark passes the ball during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Minnesota in State College, Pa. Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark has what seems to be an embarassment of playmaking options in a passing game that has the No. 12 Nittany Lions rolling into Northwestern this weekend on a four-game roll. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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Before the season we all circled this game as the one that would make or break the season. Sure, many of us figured we would be 9-0 and competing for a national championship, but those dreams went out the window that soggy night in September. A chance at back-to-back Big Ten championships likely fluttered away as well, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to play for today.

There's a chance at a BCS at-large bid at stake, but there's more than that. This is the game that will define this team. All season long this team has been fighting the label of the soft schedule. After losing to Iowa, Penn State dropped out of the top ten. Though other teams in the top ten have lost, Penn State has not moved up because voters don't want to believe. Penn State has even been passed by teams like Oregon while they hang around just outside the top ten. A win today may or may not correct that. Many voters will surely say all Penn State did was beat a three-loss Ohio State team that lost to Purdue and give them no respect anyway. But if Penn State loses, there will be no shortage of critics who say the 2009 Nittany Lions were fools gold from the beginning. The legacy of this team is at stake.

And beyond that, there is the legacy of Daryll Clark. Though he's been tremendous in his two years as a starter, there are those who doubt his conviction. There are those who doubt he is capable of winning "the big game". Remember last year how we said each week was the new "biggest test" for Penn State. Going into Madison was supposed to be Penn State's biggest test. Then beating Michigan was supposed to be Penn State's biggest test. Then winning in Columbus was supposed to be their biggest test. And week after week Penn State passed the test with Daryll Clark at the helm, but each week the detractors conveniently forgot to give Clark and Penn State credit for passing the test.

Though Ohio State fans refuse to admit it, they are our rival. I've seen a level of vitrol from the Ohio State fanbase unlike any I've seen from them all year. If they consider us nothing more than the equivalent of playing Wisconsin, you could have fooled me. They insult our coach. They insult our fans. They insult our defense. And they insult our quarterback. They hate us, and it shows. Though they refuse to acknowledge it, this is a rivalry game. Both teams hate each other, and the stakes are high.

Of all the games on the schedule, this is the game I want the most. Regardless of what happens in the BCS picture, beating Michigan and Ohio State in back-to-back years is a success in my book. I think this team can get it done.

Go get 'em, boys. Take no prisoners.

Go State. Beat the Buckeyes.

When You've Lost The Redneck Rocker

2009-11-06T16:43:41Z

You've lost all of central Ohio, my friends.

The Redneck Rocker Returns To Address Ohio State Vs Penn State (via RedneckRockerTV)

BSD Staff Predictions: Ohio State

2009-11-06T14:58:48Z

More photos » by Carolyn Kaster - AP

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Alas, all hate things must come to an end. Here's how we see tomorrow's game shaking out.

BSD Mike:

Honestly, I can see this game going either way. Both defenses should dominate, and the score should be low. Really low. A big special teams play, or a key turnover could swing the balance.

But having said that, I like Penn State's chances in this game. I've watched a lot of Ohio State football this year, and I just don't see any cohesion on offense. Do they run the spread or a pro-style offense? Is Terrelle Pryor a pocket passer or a spread option quarterback? I can't tell. But I can tell you he's far from being a polished quarterback. And the players around him at running back and offensive line don't exactly make his life any easier. But his receivers are capable of bailing him out when he punts on third down.

When Penn State gets the ball, I'm expecting a lot of frustration. They're not going to move the ball easily, but they won't get dominated. They'll win some battles, but the Ohio State defense will win their share as well.

Both teams are going to struggle offensively. Barring a bunch of turnovers, this game is going to come down to which team can put together one or two good drives and come away with points. Though Penn State will go through a lot of frustration, I think their offense is better suited to put together one or two drives, and I think that will be the difference.

Prediction: Penn State 17, Ohio State 10

Kevin HD:

Why isn’t this game going to play out exactly like last year’s?

The only difference I can come up with is that Pryor lacks a Robiskie to bring down the jump balls. Add in some downgrades on both offensive lines, maybe compensate for the fact that the Buckeyes haven’t really found a true replacement for Wells….and, honestly, most of that seems a wash.

The wildcard is Daryll Clark and the offense. While we like to boast about the Penn State defense around here, Ohio State’s is at least as good. They may lack some of the real standouts up front and at linebacker, but they make up for it with balance.

The offense is going to be kept on a very short leash, which is something you can’t really blame Paterno for considering the situation. Can Clark, with the über-safe playbook, move down the field three or four times? I'll say just barely. Add in a couple of missed Ohio State field goals, and the defense rides this one home.

Penn State 13, Ohio State 6

Run Up The Score:

I expect to see a very similar Penn State offense to what we watched last week at Northwestern, with lots of quick, safe throws to the wide receivers. The Nittany Lion offensive line has slowly improved throughout the season, but Ohio State is too good and too fast at the front of their defense to try repeated five and seven-step drops. If Penn State is going to go deep, expect them to do it like they did against Northwestern -- play-action and rolling Clark away from the rush. If they can get the team around 100-125 rushing yards, that should keep the Buckeye defense sufficiently honest.

Defensively, you're likely to see a repeat of last year's scheme in Columbus. Basically, they'll try to keep Pryor in front of them and force him to win with his brain and arm. In that sense, losing Aaron Maybin to the NFL isn't as big of a deal against Ohio State compared to other opponents. Jack Crawford and the other defensive ends will most often be asked to contain the quarterback, not attack him. And don't forget about the biggest difference between this year's PSU defense and the 2008 version -- Sean Lee is back, which gives the coaching staff additional flexibility. Should be interesting to see if Navorro Bowman acts as a QB spy, like he did at times against Tate Forcier. The place to beat Penn State is between the safeties. If that means Terrelle Pryor is going to throw the ball across the middle, I'm all for it.

Amazingly, this may be a rare 2009 instance in which Penn State has an advantage on special teams. Collin Wagner has settled in quite nicely. No, he'll never give you a legitimate shot at a 52 yard field goal, but how likely would Joe Paterno be to attempt such a kick in what is going to be a field position battle, anyway? Ohio State is dealing with the loss of their kicker to a knee injury. The replacement, Devin Barclay, is a former MLS player who went 1-for-3 last week with misses from 36 and 47 yards -- and that's in a no-pressure game at home against New Mexico State.

There's a path to victory for Ohio State that includes forcing turnovers from Clark and a big play in the kicking game. In reality, the game should be decided by only two or three big, big plays, so it's not like there's a ton of room for error on either side. Still, in this type of game, give me the better and more mature QB at home, every time. Ohio State doesn't have enough playmakers on offense to take the pressure off Terrelle Pryor, and he's just not good enough -- not yet, hopefully -- to win this kind of game on his own. A fourth quarter touchdown after a Buckeye turnover ices it for the good guys.

Penn State 20, Ohio State 7

GRRHATEKILL.

2009-11-06T01:17:19Z

Penn State vs Ohio State 2009 (via DemCPBoiz)

Poisonous! Nuts!

2009-11-05T13:46:28Z

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

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For a little Hate Week(tm) recon, let's check on the Ohio State blogs.

Eleven Warriors is hoping for a breakout game from You Know Who:

His teammates are saying he’s playing excited in practice this week, and you hope that he’s starting to see what the little things like squaring the shoulders outside the pocket and running with a purpose can do to help dictate the flow of a game.
There’s definite concern given his body of work in what could be considered big games during his tenure: Michigan, Texas and USC, and the Penn State defense will operate at a speed he hasn’t seen since the tilt with the Trojans, but one of these days he’s going to go off. 300/150 off. And wouldn’t that be sweet if that day was Saturday?

Can't blame a guy for optimism, though I recall saying very similar things about QB14. This is the week he'll break out. No, this is the week! 11W is right -- Pryor may very well have one of those monster games eventually, but Ohio State needs him to be smart and composed on Saturday against PSU. I think the chances of that happening are slim, personally. Pryor's a highly emotional guy and not exactly a model of quarterbacking fundamentals when things break down around him. However, if it's a tight, defensive game, he'll still scare the hell out of me with the ball in his hands. In fact, he'll scare fans on both sides of the fence.

Elsewhere, The Buckeye Blog might want to do a few extra seconds of self-scouting:

While the Penn State stats look good on paper, consider that their seven wins come against Akron, Syracuse, Temple, Illinois, Eastern Illinois, Michigan and Northwestern. Not really a powerhouse of college football. Last week Northwestern, who gave Syracuse their only win of the season, gave the Lions something to think about. The Penn State defense that we keep hearing about also allowed 17 points against Illinois — one of the least effective offenses in the Big Ten this year.

New Mexico State. Toledo, Navy, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and OH MY GOD DUDE YOU LOST TO PURDUE DO YOU REALLY WANT TO GET INTO THIS? Come on, man! Didn't Temple just beat Navy, the team Ohio State nearly gagged against earlier this season? I'll have you know that Temple is Philadelphia's second best college football team this season, and Syracuse has three wins, thank you.

Did Penn State give up 17 whole points to Illinois? Yeah, the Illini scored two meaningless fourth quarter touchdowns after Penn State took a 28-3 lead. But he's right about one thing, Illinois is one of the least effective offenses in the Big Ten. In fact, they score the lowest points per game in the league even after the GERGing last weekend. But you know who else kind of sucks in that regard?

10.Purdue 18.2 ppg
11.Illinois 16.2 ppg

Yet they managed to put up 26 against Ohio State.

However, If there was an award for ridiculous analysis and blind faith in Ohio State's offense, BlockONation wins it, Lifetime Achievement style. Nevermind the pilfering of your diligent photoshopping, take a look at this special brand of homerism:

Statistically, PSU has the top defense in the Big Ten but that 'D' will be tested this week as Ohio State might just be a little better than Akron, Temple, Syracuse, Eastern Illinois, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, or Northwestern.

Considering that Penn State's main weakness is against good passing offenses, and Ohio State is 11th in Big Ten passing yardage and 10th in red zone efficiency, are they really better equipped to beat Penn State's defense than Minnesota, Michigan, or Northwestern? Among Buckeye fans, the main complaints about Ohio State's offense are (a) they can't block, (b) their running backs aren't that good, and (c) despite his obvious athleticism, Terrelle Pryor kind of stinks. So forgive some of us for thinking that if Penn State simply takes care of the ball and doesn't get annihilated in the kicking game, we're likely in pretty good shape on Saturday.

Then again, this is the same blog which contended that Terrelle Pryor "barely fumbled" the game away last year in Columbus.

Never change, Block O Nation. Never change.

So, Buckeye Commentary has this theory. Pryor only goes as far as the offensive line takes him.

Terrelle Pryor has been pretty good passing the ball the last two games. I mean good to the tune of 24/48 (50%), 374 yds, 3 TDs, and only 1 INT. While the completion percentage doesn’t look quite like Colt McCoy’s the TD:INT ratio is where I like to see it. Want to hear something more surprising than those numbers? In the past two games, Pryor has only been sacked once. Now, granted, one of these games was against New Mexico State, but that doesn’t mean that the starting 11 doesn’t have to go out there on Saturdays and do their jobs right.

The other game included in that two-game analysis was against Minnesota, which has seven sacks in six Big Ten games. They're not exactly striking fear in any opposing quarterbacks, either. By contrast, Penn State has 17 sacks in five conference games. And with Ohio State's offensive line struggling a bit -- surprising, given their recent recruiting prowess at that position -- the only reason to think that Pryor will have time to throw is if Penn State employs another "mush rush" against the quarterback, hoping to prevent any scrambling runs and daring Pryor to throw downfield.

Finally, Our Honor Defend has a little injury news from Columbus, in addition to the knee injury to K Aaron Pettrey:

Terrelle Pryor was the other injury story to develop from the last game. His loss would be a bigger blow than Pettrey for obvious reasons, but is not the story because I didn’t seem most thought he’d be out for the game. Pryor felt a little dinged up after taking a hit on a scramble in the second quarter. Surprisingly, he didn’t play the second half. It seems implausible at the moment that he’ll miss the Penn State game.

Also, Justin Boren will be back in action as will Dexter Larimore, our very good nose guard. It’ll be worth watching how productive Larimore can be after the extended time on the sideline.

So, this is a guaranteed 17-7 win for Penn State, right? Not quite. Ohio State's defense certainly has the skill and athletes to force offensive and special teams mistakes -- just ask Wisconsin. You know that Paterno wants this to be a controlled, orderly battle of field goals and field position. If Ohio State is able to cause a few turnovers and cash them in for points, Joe Paterno and staff will have to come out of their offensive shell and make a few things happen.

A Lesson In Penn State-Ohio State History

2008-10-22T17:30:06Z

(Ed. - This story originally ran last year. It's still just as funny.)

The year was 1912. Penn State was coming off of an 8-0-1 season in 1911, their greatest record to date. They had made the jump from a respectable team to an eastern power that was beating traditional eastern powers like Pitt, Penn, and Cornell. Under the direction of head coach Bill Hollenback Penn State was facing unprecedented success. But Hollenback had bigger ambitions. He wanted to take Penn State from being an eastern power to a national power. To do that, he looked west.

Ohio State was set to join the Western Conference (which would later become the Big Ten Conference) starting the following year. While they had enjoyed several successful years in the Ohio Athletic Conference, many questioned their worthiness to join the Western Conference due to the poor level of competition. Ohio State coach John Richards felt that a win over an eastern team would give his team more prestige and quiet their critics.

So on November 16, 1912 the two schools of Penn State and Ohio State met for the first time in Columbus, Ohio not realizing how intense this rivalry would become nearly 100 years later.

When the Penn State players arrived in Columbus they were shocked by the greeting they recieved. The local media gave them little respect arrogantly predicting a two touchdown victory for the scarlet and gray. And the local fans were equally rude and disrespectful. (Some things never change.) Before the game Hollenback shared several headlines from the local papers with the team. They all predicted a rout in favor of Ohio State. By the time kickoff came around the Penn State players were ready to rip someone's head off.

As the players took the field the 3,500 Ohio State fans in attendance laughed at the small town hicks from the Pennsylvania farmer school. They especially had a good laugh at the Penn State quarterback named "Shorty". Shorty Miller stood five-feet-five-inches tall and weighed just 145 pounds. But what Ohio State didn't realize was that Shorty was an old school version of Derrick Williams, a small player with darting speed that could cut on a dime. Had OSU known Shorty Miller would one day have a place in the College Football Hall of Fame along with his teammates Pete Mauthe and Dex Very, they probably wouldn't have been laughing so hard.

When the game started Penn State showed Ohio State how they played football back east. They blocked, they tackled, they pushed, they shoved, and they may have thrown a few elbows and fists. This was nothing new to Penn State. This was typical violence associated with the game to teams back east. But Ohio State and their fans cried foul. The Lions jumped out to a quick 16-0 lead off of a 30 yard touchdown run by Shorty Miller to close out the first quarter.

Ohio State head coach John Richards complained to the officials about the unnecessary roughness from the Penn State players. But the officials ignored his pleas saying there was plenty of rough play by both sides. The second quarter was extremely bloody with Penn State's Al Wilson getting knocked out cold and losing several teeth. Red Bebout (who later died in World War I) was severely lacerated from being stomped in the face. But hey, it's not like Ohio State was playing dirty or anything. Both men sucked it up and got back in the game.

At halftime the Penn State players decided to rest under a nearby tree since the dressing rooms were a very far walk from the field. Fans came down out of the stands and circled the Penn State players taunting them and even threatening them. It only served to make the visitors from the "farmer school" even more angry.

The second half started with Ohio State's quarterback fumbling the ball. Dex Very picked it up and ran it back 35 yards for the touchdown. Then just before the end of the third quarter Shorty Miller picked up a botched handoff from the center and darted 35 yards for his third touchdown and a 30-0 Penn State lead.

Early in the fourth quarter Penn State was down at the one yard line about to score again when one of Ohio State's star linemen challenged Miller to run the ball in his direction. Miller warned, "All right, cocky, here she comes," and he gave the ball to Pete Mauthe who smashed through the line for another score. The extra point was good and Penn State took a commanding 37-0 lead.

With about nine minutes left in the game State kicked off. On the return Dex Very completely layed out an Ohio State player with a particulary vicious hit. "That's enough," said coach Richards. "Illegal block. Illegal block. We're outta here." He pointed toward the dressing room and Ohio State walked off the field with nine minutes to go in the game as the partisan fans booed and jeered the Penn State players.

As the victorious team began to walk off the field the judge (who was probably a scarlet and gray fan) informed them the rules stated they would have to remain on the field until the clock expired in order to claim the forfeit. So the Penn State players walked about the field as the hometown fans threw insults and debris at them. One spectator came down out of the stands and began to rush them, but he got no further than assistant coach Dick Harlow who knocked him out cold with a single right fist. Police rushed the field to surround the Penn State players and protect them as fans grabbed some blue and white bunting under one of the goalposts and set it on fire.

Finally after five minutes expired the referee signaled the game was over and Penn State got the hell out of dodge. Ohio State officials met with the Penn State team at the hotel the next day to apologize, but the damage was done. The game was such an insult to both teams that it would be another 44 years until the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions would meet again.

Officially the game was scored a 1-0 forfeit, but anywhere you see the game in Penn State record books (or on the game ball on dispay in the Penn State Football Hall of Fame room) it is recorded as a 37-0 victory.

(HT to the amazing Penn State Football Encyclopedia by Lou Prato)

Sanderson Locks, Loads, and....Locks Again

2009-11-05T02:02:24Z

Penn State wrestling's version of Midnight Madness kicks off tonight with Coach Cael Sanderson changing the usual wrestle-off format for starting spots into an intra-squad scrimmage. Preliminary eliminations have whittled the weight classes down to the top two (more or less), and the scrimmage winners will begin the season as starters. Except when they won't.

Confused? Then read on.

Sanderson has decided to redshirt (if possible, and injuries permit) his entire ass-kicking '09 recruiting class, even if some win in tonight's scrimmage. This isn't remarkable in itself; freshmen have a difficult time adjusting to both the physical and mental rigors of big time D-1 wrestling (Coach Cael being one obvious exception). Wrestling doesn't lend itself to Frosh Phenoms like other sports do, as wrestlers don't have the luxury of being specialists (e.g. nickel backs, kick returners, short yardage backs, etc.). They need to do it all themselves - offense, defense, 2-minute drill and running out the clock. It's very tough for an 18 year old to compete with a twenty-two or twenty-three year old with years of experience and mature man-strength in a one-on-one situation.

As much as we'd like to get a look at David Taylor (nation's #1 ranked recruit), Ed Ruth (#3) Jake Kemmerer (#9), and Luke Macchiaroli, it likely won't happen in a varsity setting this year.

Expect the same with next year's nasty group ('10 class), which already includes the Alton twins (Andrew #2, Dylan #5), Sam Sherlock (#17), and Dirk Cowburn (#47). Unconfirmed rumors indicate more gunslingers will be joining them; Sanderson is a HUGE draw for PSU.

Locking and loading is great, but...relocking? Sanderson plans on also redshirting '08 NCAA runner-up and senior Bubba Jenkins. Jenkins currently has academic issues, and isn't eligible until January anyway. Injuries kept him from repeating his NCAA showing last year, so another year in the practice room getting splattered by Cael should do wonders. He's National Champ material.

Relocking? Another unexpected redshirt is soph Quentin Wright, who had to step up last year as a true frosh because of lineup injuries. Boy, did he deliver: 33-13, and 6th at Nationals. That is amazing, especially at 174 pounds where he battled juniors and seniors all year. Coming back next season with sophomore eligibility and a year under Cael will be tremendous for PSU. More National Champ material.

These guys won't be stashed in a closet all year, though. All are allowed to wrestle in Open tourneys throughout the season, listed as 'Penn State - Unattached', and will gain invaluable experience. By season's end, our 'unofficial' team may be stronger than our varsity. Weird, but waaay cool for the upcoming years.

Sanderson also just received a committment from HS junior ('11) Nico Megaludis, currently the #2 ranked 112 pounder in the country. He was a Pa. State Champ last year as a soph, and a tough little dude. In other words - just our type. More commits for both '10 and '11 should begin rolling in after January

While this list of guys that WON'T be competing this year is impressive, it doesn't mean we'll be throwing out a team of stiffs this season. Far from it. The next update will focus on who IS wrestling, and we'll have a better handle on it after tonight.

I just wanted to give you a glimpse of what's in store for the next few years. Lots and lots of fun for us, but not so much for everyone else.

Cael Sanderson rocks.

Nitt Picks Is Asking "What Streak?"

2009-11-04T18:45:22Z

More photos » by Pat Little - AP

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At least it's not a pizza bowl. The Big Ten is officially in Texas to stay. It's the Dallas Football Classic in the recently rejected Cotton Bowl (Stadium):

Following is the four-year schedule (selection placement shown for the Big Ten and Big 12 excludes BCS selections):

January 1, 2011 - Big 12 (#7) vs. Big Ten (#6)
January 1, 2012 - Conference USA vs. Big Ten (#6)
January 1, 2013 - Big 12 (#7) vs. Big Ten (#6)
January 1, 2014 - Conference USA vs. Big Ten (#6)

(Should an "at-large" selection be required, Conference USA will provide a back-up team in years 2011 and 2013, and the Big 12 will provide a back-up team in years 2012 and 2014.)

Why aren't bowls doing more of this? Alternating with CUSA isn't much of a draw, but it would be a lot more fun to see the Capital One Bowl rotate the #2's around, and we might finally get to see a regularly scheduled decent matchup in a bowl game with someone other than the SEC or Southern Cal.

The (fake) streak is on the line. 11W wrote an entire post about Penn State ~~without making a joke about soiled pants. Congrats guys~~ (never mind, I missed the photo caption) (better luck next year):

If the Buckeyes want any shot of making the Rose Bowl and winning a fifth straight Big Ten title...[LOLZ -ed]

If you are not a fan of Tressel punting on 4th and 1 from the opponent 37 yard line, you will not be happy in the coming weeks. If JT was conservative with his play calling when Aaron Pettrey was healthy, imagine what it will be like this week with either an inexperienced Barclay or Buchanan at the helm.

You've seen it in the stats: this game is likely to mirror the offense hating ways of the 2008 contest. A year ago, scoring went like this: a QB sneak for a touchdown and field goals of 31, 41, 26 and 25 yards. That's it. Not the kind of game you want to break a kicker in on. Especially if he was one for three in last weeks exhibition.

Stop it. I feel like I've been hard on Rittenberg lately, I think he does a good job, but give it a rest already:

When scanning the BCS standings, it's pretty easy to formulate a one-sentence summary for each team to this point in the season.

Examples: [...]

Then you get to No. 11 Penn State. What do we really know about this team?

What do we know about a team with this schedule: LA-Monroe, Wyoming, Texas Tech, UTEP, Colorado, Oklahoma, Missouri, Oklahoma State?

Or this one: Rutgers, SE Missouri St., Oregon State, Fresno State, Miami Ohio, South Florida, Louisville, Syracuse?

The schedules are so watered down anymore, only teams with preconceived "identities" can really "prove" anything. See: Texas, Florida and Alabama as the only three teams anyone cares about even though they aren't the only undefeateds.

Even if Penn State wins this weekend, which is no guarantee, what will we know then? Will a home win over a (then) three-loss Ohio State team change the rhetoric? Probably not.

There is still some question. He might not be around to see it, he admits as much, but Wanny had a little chat with Joe Paterno about renewing the rivalry and told a reporter his thoughts on the reality of the situation:

Do you want to play Penn State every year?

"We [Pitt, obviously] need to be playing Penn State. I was on the job about a month and I talked to Coach Paterno about it. It probably won't happen until he retires and I understand that. It's his prerogative. But it'll happen. Maybe I won't even be here, either [when it happens]. We should play each other. It's a great, great national [emphasis HIS. -ed] in-state rivalry. We should be playing each other. There is no question about that. There probably isn't anyone who would disagree with that."

In scores of other games. Some in-house stuff, DA Madeira gets Pwned!...In Defense of Statistics is back...and maybe this is a little much.

Ohio State Preview By The Numbers

2009-11-04T13:00:22Z

Penn State	Value (Nat'l Rank)	Value (Nat'l Rank)	Ohio State Buckeyes	Advantage
Rushing Offense (ypg)	182.0 (33)	86.4 (6)	Rushing Defense (ypg)
Passing Offense (ypg)	247.1 (34)	173.6 (14)	Passing Defense (ypg)	Push
Pass Efficiency	146.6 (20)	96.7 (8)	Pass Efficiency Defense	Push
Total Offense (ypg)	429.1 (24)	260.0 (6)	Total Defense (ypg)	Push
Scoring Offense (ppg)	30.7 (33)	11.7 (6)	Scoring Defense (ppg)
Rushing Defense (ypg)	84.1 (5)	186.6 (26)	Rushing Offense (ypg)	Push
Passing Defense (ypg)	170.7 (12)	189.6 (94)	Passing Offense (ypg)
Pass Efficiency Defense	95.7 (6)	128.5 (60)	Pass Efficiency
Total Defense (ypg)	254.8 (5)	376.1 (63)	Total Offense (ypg)
Scoring Defense (ppg)	9.3 (1)	31.0 (29)	Scoring Offense (ppg)
Net Punting Yds	32.0 (114)	6.1 (93)	Punt Return Yds	Push
Punt Return Yds	5.4 (101)	37.2 (35)	Net Punting Yds
Kickoff Return Yds	18.1 (110)	18,8 (13)	Kickoff Return Defense
Kickoff Return Defense	22.0 (77)	24.8 (19)	Kickoff Return Yds
Turnover Margin	0.56 (34)	0.89 (14)	Turnover Margin	Push
Penalty Yds/Game	36.4 (4)	38.4 (6)	Penalty Yds/Game	Push
Sacks	3.56 (4)	1.67 (50)	Sacks Allowed
Sacks Allowed	1.11 (17)	2.78 (20)	Sacks	Push
Redzone Offense (%)	0.86 (30)	0.80 (51)	Redzone Defense (%)	Push
Redzone Defense (%)	0.57 (1)	0.73 (103)	Redzone Offense (%)
Redzone TD %	0.62	0.51	Redzone TD % Defense
Redzone TD % Defense	0.29	0.60	Redzone TD %
3rd Down Conv. %	51.6 (6)	32.3 (15)	3rd Down Defense %	Push
3rd Down Defense %	30.3 (10)	41.9 (47)	3rd Down Conv. %

Legend

Difference <25 in National Rank = Push

Difference >25 in National Rank =

Difference >50 in National Rank =

Difference >75 in National Rank =

Differences >100 in National Rank =

Note: The Redzone TD% and Redzone TD% Defense are calculated by me and not ranked by the NCAA. Determining who has the advantage in these categories is strictly my arbitrary judgement.

More analysis after the jump.

Best Matchup

Good God is it going to be fun watching the Penn State offense and Ohio State defense go toe to toe. Both units are pretty evenly matched. I think we'll see both teams win their share of battles.

Both teams commit very few penalties. So it should be a pretty clean game, unless the Big Ten officials decide to finally start calling holding for a change. Or if they flag Sean Lee with yet another unnecessary roughness penalty, cuz, ya know, he's the most dirty player in the league for hitting tight ends in the chest with his shoulder pad.

Worst Matchup

Nothing really. I guess neither team is spectacular in the punting game.

Advantages for Ohio State

As usual, Penn State gives up a lot in the kicking game. Expect Penn State to be starting with poor field position most of the night, and don't be surprised if Ohio State gets a good return or two. But keep in mind that Ohio State's kicker is out for the year. So maybe there's hope there.

Advantages for Penn State

All those 's really stick out when Penn State is on defense, don't they? The Buckeyes have a pretty good rushing game, but I suspect a lot of those yards are Terrelle Pryor. If Penn State can contain him or get a lead where Jim Tressel has to abandon the running game, it could spell doom for the Buckeye offense.

I'm really surprised with Ohio State's ability to score in the redzone. You would think with a weapon like Pryor they would score every time down there. Or turn it over. Everybody does. Whatever. Penn State, on the other hand, leads the nation in turning teams away when they start knocking on the goal line. So if Ohio State stalls in the redzone once or twice, you can smile with knowing glee.

Ohio State Team Stats

Passing

		Passing									Rushing					Sacks
	G	Rating	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/G	Y/A	TD	INT	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Sack	YdsL
Joe Bauserman	5	86.4	6	19	31.6	124	24.8	6.5	0	0	9	10	2	1.1	0	-	-
Terrelle Pryor	9	129.2	112	206	54.4	1543	171.4	7.5	13	9	110	554	61.6	5	6	-	-

Rushing

		Rushing					Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD
Joe Bauserman	5	9	10	2	1.1	0	0	0	0	0	0
K.C. Christian	2	5	14	7	2.8	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bo DeLande	1	3	5	5	1.7	0	0	0	0	0	0
Joe Gantz	2	4	6	3	1.5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Daniel Herron	6	72	307	51.2	4.3	6	5	34	5.7	6.8	0
Jermil Martin	3	11	84	28	7.6	1	0	0	0	0	0
Terrelle Pryor	9	110	554	61.6	5	6	0	0	0	0	0
Brandon Saine	9	88	439	48.8	5	1	10	143	15.9	14.3	0
Dane Sanzenbacher	8	2	11	1.4	5.5	0	22	453	56.6	20.6	6
Ray Small	8	3	27	3.4	9	0	12	153	19.1	12.8	0
Lamaar Thomas	8	1	6	.800	6	0	1	10	1.3	10	0

Receiving

		Receiving
	G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	AVG	TD
Jake Ballard	7	9	98	14	10.9	0
Zach Boren	2	2	14	7	7	1
Duron Carter	5	12	164	32.8	13.7	1
Daniel Herron	6	5	34	5.7	6.8	0
DeVier Posey	9	43	595	66.1	13.8	6
Brandon Saine	9	10	143	15.9	14.3	0
Dane Sanzenbacher	8	22	453	56.6	20.6	6
Ray Small	8	12	153	19.1	12.8	0
Jake Stoneburner	2	2	30	15	15	0
Lamaar Thomas	8	1	10	1.3	10	0

Kicking

		Field Goals								PAT
	G	0-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+	FGM	FGA	PCT	XPM	XPA	PCT	pts
Devin Barclay	1	-	-	-	-	-	1	3	30.0%	3	3	100.0%	6
Aaron Pettrey	9	-	-	-	-	-	13	19	70.0%	28	29	100.0%	67

Penn State Team Stats

Passing

		Passing									Rushing					Sacks
	G	Rating	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/G	Y/A	TD	INT	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Sack	YdsL
Daryll Clark	9	149.3	166	254	65.4	2158	239.8	8.5	18	7	48	148	16.4	3.1	5	-	-
Matthew McGloin	1	0.0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-	-
Kevin Newsome	6	123.1	8	11	72.7	66	11	6	0	0	16	85	14.2	5.3	1	-	-

Rushing

		Rushing					Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD
Brandon Beachum	6	21	106	17.7	5	1	3	29	4.8	9.7	0
Brent Carter	4	11	40	10	3.6	1	0	0	0	0	0
Daryll Clark	9	48	148	16.4	3.1	5	0	0	0	0	0
Curtis Drake	3	1	-17	-5.7	-17	0	3	30	10	10	0
Stephfon Green	7	49	248	35.4	5.1	3	3	37	5.3	12.3	0
Derek Moye	9	1	-3	-0.3	-3	0	39	648	72	16.6	5
Kevin Newsome	6	16	85	14.2	5.3	1	0	0	0	0	0
Chaz Powell	8	6	53	6.6	8.8	0	26	355	44.4	13.7	3
Evan Royster	9	145	859	95.4	5.9	5	11	145	16.1	13.2	1
Devon Smith	6	4	33	5.5	8.3	0	4	30	5	7.5	0
Joe Suhey	9	13	38	4.2	2.9	0	14	114	12.7	8.1	0
Shaine Thompson	1	1	4	4	4	0	0	0	0	0	0

Receiving

		Receiving
	G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	AVG	TD
Brandon Beachum	6	3	29	4.8	9.7	0
Brett Brackett	2	2	-5	-2.5	-2.5	1
Justin Brown	2	4	72	36	18	0
Curtis Drake	3	3	30	10	10	0
Stephfon Green	7	3	37	5.3	12.3	0
Derek Moye	9	39	648	72	16.6	5
Chaz Powell	8	26	355	44.4	13.7	3
Andrew Quarless	9	25	340	37.8	13.6	1
Evan Royster	9	11	145	16.1	13.2	1
Mickey Shuler	6	9	73	12.2	8.1	2
Devon Smith	6	4	30	5	7.5	0
Joe Suhey	9	14	114	12.7	8.1	0
Andrew Szczerba	1	1	6	6	6	0
Graham Zug	8	30	350	43.8	11.7	5

Kicking

		Field Goals								PAT
	G	0-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+	FGM	FGA	PCT	XPM	XPA	PCT	pts
Collin Wagner	9	-	-	-	-	-	10	14	70.0%	34	34	100.0%	64

HATE WEEK: OHIO $TATE

2009-11-03T20:38:27Z

It's hate week, it's real, and it's on now.

The Breakdown:

WHO

The Ohio State Way.
Source: Not the NCAA Committee on Infractions, apparently.

WHO: Ohio $tate University, or "The reason all of this Mainstream Media Hate on the Big Ten is Happening University." This team's continued ability to NOT show up against teams with less than three losses has negated any and all of the rest of the Big Ten's success over the past four years. So we didn't pull it out in the Rose Bowl last year, do you really think it would have changed anyone's perception of the conference since the Buckeyes lost to Texas? This team may have fallen to third place in the Big Ten standings, but they are still the alpha dog in this fight. Penn State, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Miami, Notre Dame... all of these teams know what it's like to go through a some dark years. Buckeye fans are nervous, they know their team isn't performing up to par, that they might be entering a period of uncertainty. Every downturn starts with a double-whammy: a HORROR loss to a terrible team (Michigan v App State, Penn State v Toledo), and a demolishing loss to a top-rated squad. They had the first shoe drop with the loss to Purdue, but they still lack that game, that 29-5 beatdown to USC that leaves you exposed and weak, that 39-7 beatdown to Oregon that shows Your Way is dated and on its way out. Penn State has the skills to give them that soulcrushing loss that sends them bleary-eyed to Alamo Bowl, wondering what happened to their run to the championship. It's time to give them what they deserve.

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

Come to Ohio $chtaten!
Source: Home video.

The fourth in a six-part series. Unlike previous editions of ITCWAWGMAFTL70s/E80s, this movie actually features Ohio State Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel. After twenty seconds of intro by a guy in the official "poser rebel" wardrobe of 1978, he shakes the hand of Jim Tressel, decked out in a Buckeye red shirt. Look! No sweater vest! Then, he and future assistant coaches begin to perform their recruiting pitch to a live TV audience. It's a bit difficult to understand, but they essentially discuss their offensive game plan while mimicking one of the many iso plays away from motion that they've run for the past decade. Hey it worked to get Terrell Pryor (and provided the impetus for one of Mike Myers funniest skits), so they must have something here.

WHAT

The The looks up The in thesaurus for The Ohio $tate.
Source: The Internet.

WHAT: The. You know what I'm talking about: you're at home, settling down early in the first quarter to watch Sunday Night Football when the players state their names and the university/high school where they played. Up comes some player who cocks one eyebrow, smirks at the camera, and goes "(name), THE Ohio $tate University." As if we're supposed to be blown back by their use of a definite article. The Ohio $tate University. Thanks. Without the "the" I'd have figured it was one of many potential Ohio $tates. Perhaps you went to Ohio $tate University de Paraguay. Good thing you spelled it out for me, genius.

Here's what you really spelled out: "I'm a conceited idiot, and I think I'm more specialer than you." Congratulations, you sold me!

WHERE

The first image that comes up in a google image search for "Happy Valley." Man, it's changed since I was last there!
Source: Google Images. Perhaps I need to go to Bing.

WHERE: On the Banks of the Mighty Spring Creek. OK, just above it and that old old iron forge thing next to College Ave and Porter Road. This is a home game and is a rare non-crappy 2009 opponent. For once, there is NO RAIN IN THE FORECAST! So we have a big time opponent, a BCS bowl appearance on the line, mild weather, and a good start time. Anything less than a full, crazy, wild crowd in the Best Stadium in the Country (it's on Bleacher Report so it must be true) is impossible. Let's give Turkish Soccer a run for their money. PSU is 5-4 all time at State College in the Penn State-Ohio $tate rivalry and was embarrassed the last time the Buckeyes came to town in a 37-17 loss. This will change.

WHEN

November Sunset and Moonrise at Penn State
Source: http://live.psu.edu/image/23030

WHEN: 3:30pm Eastern on the ABC/ESPN system. Restrictions on night games be damned, this is State College in November. It means the lights will be on, the crowd will be glowing white, and Pryor will be introduced to tall fescue by Jared Odrick. Repeatedly. Which brings me to...

WHY

Tamba Hali and Navorro Bowman celebrate Ohio $tate's Big Ten championship titles in 2005 and 2008.

Source: Ohio Sports Hall of Fame.

WHY: If you have to ask why, then you haven't been following Penn State football long enough. I'll try to bring you up to speed. Why? Because of "four consecutive Big Ten titles". Because 324 happened against Ohio $tate. Because of 1912. Because of the Big 33. Because we're too country. Because 63-14. Because 63 points leaves us wanting 70. Because of the scene. Because of the stakes. Because they bring out the best in us. Because you don't need a Hate Week post to know it's Hate Week. Because its our season. Because we are not normal. Because We Are. Penn State! Hate. Hate! HATE! HATE!

Grading the Penn State Offense Against Northwestern

2009-11-03T13:15:14Z

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

8 days ago: Penn State's Evan Royster(22) runs for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Northwestern in Evanston, Ill., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009. Penn State won 34-13. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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It was slow to get started, but eventually the Penn State offense came to life in the fourth quarter and scored three touchdowns on three consecutive offensive snaps.

Quarterbacks

Another fantastic stat line for the senior captain.

vs Northwestern / 10.31.09	Passing					Rushing
	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD	Rush	Yds	Avg	TD
Daryll Clark	22	31	70.0	274	1	6	16	2.7	1

It shocks me to see commentary on some of the Penn State message boards about Daryll Clark not looking very impressive. Excuse me, but, what else do you want? He's on pace to smash just about every single season passing record in Penn State history. He's about to take the career passing touchdown record. He's leading the conference in passing efficiency, and he's No. 14 in the nation. He has now gone three games without throwing an interception, and he's only thrown one interception in his past five games. I don't see how he can play much better than this.

On Saturday, I can't think of any glaring mistakes. He made good decisions. His throws were right on time with the pattern. He tucked the ball and ran when he needed to. He spread the ball around completing passes to ten different recievers. Even his fakes score points. Royster's long touchdown run was set up by a pump fake to a wide receiver in the flat. It froze the linebackers and pulled the safeties out of position opening up the middle for Royster's scamper. Clark is just playing at an incredibly high level right now.

Final Grade: A

Receivers

It's hard to believe that Derek Moye is just a sophomore. Saturday was his third 100 yard receiving game of the season. He and Daryll Clark appear to be completely in sync right now. Take a look at his stats for the season.

	Receiving
G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	AVG	TD
9	39	648	72.0	16.6	5

With three games and a bowl game, he only needs 88 yards per game to eclipse 1000 yards on the year. He can pass the mark in the regular season with 117 yards per game. If you're counting at home, Bobby Engram has the school record for single season receiving yards with 1084. It's a difficult mark to reach from here, but it's achievable.

Graham Zug had an off day. He had four catches for 34 yards, but he also dropped a wide open pass that would have gone for a big gain, and dropped an easy touchdown in the endzone. Also, what's up with fair catching a punt at the six yard line?

Eight other guys caught passes in the game. It was a really good team effort.

Final Grade: B+

Running Backs

Royster had trouble finding room to run through much of the game. Northwestern was stuffing the box with eight defenders to slow him down. Many of his early yards came when he ran away from the designed direction of the play. But the deep pass to Moye loosened things up. Northwestern was paying a ton of attention to the flankers, so when Clark pump faked a bubble screen and handed Royster the ball on a draw play, there was nothing but 69 yards of grass between him and the endzone.

vs Northwestern / 10.31.09	Rushing				Receiving
	Rush	Yards	Avg	TD	Rec	Yards	Avg	TD
Evan Royster	15	118	7.9	1	1	7	7	0

Brandon Beachumeven got in the game for a few carries to give Royster a rest. He finished with an impressive 25 yards and a touchdown on only four carries.

Final Grade: A

Offensive Line

Once again I was not impressed. I mentioned that many of Roysters yards came on his own. They did a lot of pulling with Landolt and Troutman, but Wisniewski and Eliades weren't getting much push so the end effect was Landolt and Troutman just getting in Royster's way. But then Northwestern only recorded three TFL and one sack, and the Wildcats were stuffing the box, and Penn State did manage 163 yards rushing, so maybe it's not as bad as I think it is. But I'm scared as Hell thinking about the Buckeye defensive line this Saturday.

Final Grade: B

Offensive Coaching

I wasn't impressed with the play calling in the early going. It was a lot of running into the eight man brick wall and short passes designed to pick up six or seven yards. This was partly due to Penn State's poor starting position on the field the entire first half. We all know Joe Paterno hates to take chances on his 20 yard line.

But the key drive started with just under seven minutes to go in the second quarter. That's when Penn State said, "Screw it. We're done trying to run the ball." They took over at their own 7 yard line and tried to pass the ball on every play of a 93 yard drive that ended in a touchdown. They came out and tried to pass on three straight plays of their next drive. Though that drive went three and out, the message was sent loud and clear to Northwestern. If you are going to stack the box, we will throw on every single down if we have to. Penn State found the Northwestern defense much easier to work with in the second half because of it.

The touchdown pass to Moye and the draw play to Royster were brilliantly set up and executed.

Final Grade: B