IT IS TIMES LIKE THIS THAT I MISS BOB HOPE

Remember all those Bob Hope Christmas Specials? Okay, neither do I, save for one thing -- Brooke Shields and the AP All-America Football team. Actually, I could care less about Shields, but I thought it was cool that Bob would have all the first team All-Americans on the show, in uniform. If you close your eyes and pretend, you can visualize that this year's special with Bob talking to LB Paul Posluszny and DE Tamba Hali, probably mispronouncing both of their names. Fly baby!

Somebody needs to have an annual special again and bring the All-Americans on. Of course, it would probably be Ryan Seacrest, so maybe not.

Posluszny, Hali make All-America first team; Zemaitis, Brown on second team - AP/CDT

Labels: PSU Football 2005

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posted by WFY @ 5:47 AM | |

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ON PENN STATE FOOTBALL...

QB Mike Robinson finished fifth in the Heisman voting (50 Yard Lion on pennlive.com), which about where he should have been. No New York invitation though.

Paul Posluszny won the Butkus Award (CDT) for being the nation's top linebacker, which kind of surprises me. I figured A.J. Hawk would win it because he is a senior and Poz is just a junior, but I cannot argue with the decision. Posluszny is just excellent, period. Looks like that Sports Illustrated cover story went a long way...

So it is the Orange Bowl against Free Shoes University...okay, I can get excited -- a chance for Joe Paterno to pick up some wins on Bobby Bowden. One drawback -- I don't really know any Seminoles to make some sort of wager. I had been hoping for Miami (my cousin went there), but they laid an egg against Georgia Tech. I was then hoping for Virginia Tech, but Marcus Vick must have been thinking about underage girls again (MSNBC) and the lost the ACC Championship to the seemingly inferior FSU. Oh well, should be fine either way. Dag gummit!

Penn State picked up I-AA Youngstown State to fill a hole created by Louisiana Tech backing out of the September 16 game next year. This is a TRAP game, because Youngstown State is historically an excellent program. Jim Tressel was their coach before going to The Ohio State. One upside, the nickname is Penguins and as longtime WWN readers know, I enjoy it when my teams beat flightless birds. Speaking of Penguins, sorry Sam and Jake...

Labels: PSU Football 2005

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posted by WFY @ 8:36 AM | |

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PLAYER SHUFFLE

Bowden Heats Up the Stove - The Post
DC baseball champion Tom Boswell analyzes the overall moves made by Jim Bowden this year, but does make a frightening point right up front--with no owner and a ballpark deal gone completely awry, Jim Bowden is the best thing the Nats have right now, for better or worse. That's kind of a bleak assessment, yes?

Soriano Jockeys for Position- The Post
The age-old question, varied for the Nats: now that they have Soriano, what do they do with him? Second base is covered by Jose Vidro, and I've already heard one report that will put Soriano in the outfield.

More from The Wash. Times: The Soriano questions

Wilkerson Shocked, but Calls Rangers a 'Positive Situation' - The Post
I have to admit, I have mixed feelings about Brad Wilkerson being traded away. It's hard to let go of his achievements in the inaugural season, most notably the Nats' first cycle. (And who can forget those Chevy Chase bank commercials?)

Council set to debate lease agreement, cost estimate - The Times
May God have mercy on us all.

---

BOWL NEWS

State College Is the Place to Be - The Post
Wow! How often does my alma mater make The Post? Mostly about recruiting, but I had to post it for the very fact that it made a Washington paper.

With game nearly 4 weeks away, Bowden and Paterno go face to face - The Patriot-News
Like the famous coffeeshop scene in Heat, where Al Pacino and Robert De Niro have an amicable meeting with mutual respect and admiration, but silently vow to take the other down, so do JoePa and Bobby Bowden meet face to face.

---

Today's postings brought to you by Deputy Editor Fritz Hamme, who isn't afraid of an inch of snow.

Labels: Nats/MLB 2005, PSU Football 2005

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posted by Fritz @ 8:58 AM | |

I would like to go on record that this bowl matchup sucks. It's a lose-lose, where if we win then so what. If we lose, uggh... Plus even if we win, we could still get jumped in the polls by Ohio State if the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame.

# posted by  Brad Stratton : Friday, December 09, 2005 7:44:00 PM  

AN ANGRY JOE!

Angry Paterno trashes media- The Patriot-News
Newsflash: JoePa doesn't like the media! This was never more evident than yesterday when he lambasted the media. As an alum, I can't help but love it when JoePa gets mad--but then again, it's mostly at football games that it's exciting to see that side of him.

Even after 31 trips, bowls don't get old - The Patriot-News
And after 4 losing seasons out of 5, it feels glorious to be in a bowl matchup again!

---

WHAT'LL YOU TAKE IN TRADE?

Nationals Get a Big Bat in Soriano - The Post
Washington bids adieu to Brad Wilkerson and Terrmel Sledge, and in exchange gets 2nd baseman Alfonso Soriano.

No news on the ballpark today. I guess they were too busy haggling over the smoking ban.

---

SNOW OR ARMAGEDDON?

Messy Winter Storm Heads Toward Region- The Post
I'm recalling the night before Thanksgiving, when William, Erica, and I were leaving the MCI Center. Snow was falling to the ground, and in quintessential William fashion, he shouted out, "SNOWWWWW!!!!! Bread, milk, eggs!!! Close all the schools, abandon your cars!! We're all gonna die!!!" Yup, that about sums it up. One of these days DC will learn how to handle snow. One day... Being a Pennsylvania boy myself, I was used to going to school in much worse than this, and still managing to get on with my life.

---

Today's postings brought to you by Deputy Editor Fritz Hamme, who's the only one in his apartment building who a) owns a shovel, and b) knows how to use it.

Labels: PSU Football 2005

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posted by Fritz @ 1:10 PM | |

Actually, it is BREAD! MILK! TOLIET PAPER!

# posted by  WFY : Tuesday, December 13, 2005 5:58:00 AM  

ORANGE BOWL!!!

Coaching matchup dominates Orange Bowl hype - ESPN.com
It's official! Penn State is going head-to-head with Florida State in the Orange Bowl! My father called me tonight to tell me the news, and personally, I was hoping for a Notre Dame matchup, but I can easily wait until September to clobber the Irish again. But truth be told, I'm just happy to be in a bowl matchup again after so many losing seasons!!!

William would like to take this moment to chime in from afar:

Ha! Good job Virginia Tech. While this seems lopsided, you know Free Shoes University has the athletes and will bring their "A" game. This is a great chance for Joe Paterno to pick up ground on Bobby Bowden's overinflated win total too remind everyone that the REAL winningest coach in I-A is in Happy Valley. Also, check the similarities -- people think the game has passed Bowden by and he needs to let his offensive coordinator son go.

---

Today's posting brought to you by Deputy Editor Fritz Hamme, with distant input from William himself--both of us proud Penn Staters!

Labels: PSU Football 2005

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posted by Fritz @ 8:21 PM | |

WWN PENN STATE PREGAME #11

#5 Penn State at MICHIGAN STATE

Everybody excited?! Even though Ohio State had more hype, this is the BIGGEST game that Penn State has played since 1994, because the stakes - a Big11Ten championship/BCS bid -- are the highest since then. If they win, they are in, if they lose, they probably head to Orlando or Tampa and somebody like Ohio State or Michigan will get the BCS bid.

Perhaps showing the significance of Penn State's resurgence, or just boredom with Columbus and Ann Arbor, ESPN College GameDay will be in East Lansing (The Collegian) for the game. I guess I will have to watch some of it this week. The university is also doing a send-off and welcome back event.

Despite the apparent mismatch based on the standings, I have butterflies in my stomach over this one; the Spartans are very dangerous, averaging 500 yards a game on offense. Dave Jones of the Patriot-News warns us that since 1997, the Spartans are 9-1 vs. top ten teams. He offers a great way of describing MSU:

Ever know a hot chick in college who, down deep, was never very happy; never really had her life together, but instead seemed to take great pleasure in messing up other people's lives?

The Spartans are that girl. Talented. Look great on paper. But always carrying around a suitcase full of issues so that they never really accomplish anything themselves.

Adding to that, the team in Ann Arbor is still in the race, and that always makes me nervous. As Admiral Ackbar would say, "it's a twap, it's a twap!"

LAST WEEK

The Lions were off. How did you enjoy your off week?

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT: MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS

Penn State may be #4 in the BCS, but when the Land-Grant Trophy is up for grabs, all bets are off.

When Penn State joined the conference, Michigan State asked to be our designated rival, something Paterno alludes to in this week's press conference. The Lions have played the Spartans more than any other Big11Ten school, holding a 9-4 edge since joining the conference. Somebody decided this rivalry needed to be a trophy game and since both institutions were founded in 1855 as land grant schools for their states, it was decided to create the Land Grant Trophy.

Historically, the Spartans have been a hot and cold team. This year, they started off hot, beating Notre Dame, but have been cold since then, losing five in a row. They need to win to be bowl eligible.

Overall, games in the series tend to be either close or complete blowouts. Here is a look at the matchup since I started following the Lions.

1995 - A last second strike from Wally Richardson to Bobby Engram won the game in East Lansing.
1996 - A Brent Conway field goal in the last minute iced the game, 32-29, in frigid Beaver Stadium.
1997 - Michigan State pulled away in the second half behind power running (two backs with over 200 yards EACH) and routed PSU 49 - 14, costing the Lions a Bowl Alliance/coalition game.
1998 - Another lopsided game, this time in Penn State's favor, 51-28 on Thanksgiving Saturday.
1999 - The Lions lose a thriller in East Lansing, 35-28. They had rallied from 21-0 to tie, but simply could not get over the hump during their awful November.
2000 - Revenge! The underachieving Lions scored on their first four possessions to go up 28-0 and crush the Spartans. The lone, obnoxious Spartan fan who had been taunting us throughout the pregame was gone before the first half was over.
2001 - Penn State came back from a 24-7 deficit and won 42-37 to keep bowl hopes alive.
2002 - Larry Johnson went over 2,000 yards a TD run in the second half and the Lions rolled to a 61-7 victory.
2003 - The Lions played uninspired football and lost 41-10 in East Lansing.
2004 - Zack Mills had a senior day to remember with the Lions winning, 37-13 in a game where the score was not very close.

So, for any dismissiveness we may have for this rivalry, it has produced some exciting games.

NEW RANKING

Even though Penn State was idle, they still picked up a spot in both major polls to reach #5 due to Alabama losing to LSU. Even better news is that the Lions are #4 in the BCS poll.

PRESS CONFERENCE RECAP

Here is the press conference transcript from goPSUsports.com and audio from FightOnState.com. Some points: Mike Robinson does not get enough credit and not paying attention BCS.

YOU GOTTA LIKE MIKE!

In what can best be described as a sea change, Penn State is actually promoting one of its players for postseason awards. QB Mike Robinson's season is being celebrated here.

ARTICLES FROM THIS WEEK

Always moving forward, but when will Paterno move on? - USA Today
In shocking news, Paterno says the he wants to coach another four or five years. No, this article was not written in 1983. But seriously, it is a bit in depth about the greatest living coach in the twilight of his days.

Fall and rise of Paterno's Nittany Lion empire - YDR
Another article on the resurgence of the Nittany Lions that once again points to the goal-line stand at Indiana last year. You may recall that last year, Jay Paterno had this to say about that stand:

We felt the whole year, if we can just get one win, we might not lose for two years. And [last week's win over Indiana] might be -- 20 years from now we might look at it, and that goal-line stand might be the most important four plays in the history of Penn State football, who knows. And we're gonna try and make it that way.

Jay is looking a little prophetic...so far. Beating the Spartans this Saturday would go a long way.

PSU fans, players celebrate at lovefest with an electric beat - Post-Gazette
A lengthy look at Zombie Nation's Kernkraft 400 and Guido D'Elia, director of communications and branding, behind using it at Beaver Stadium. I was hard on D'Elia earlier in the season for the hamfisted approach to stadium music. To his credit, he addressed it and listen to the concerns of alumni like me and toned down the hip hop.

ESPN crew films Posluszny feature - The Collegian
A Collegian reporter tags along with the camera crew during the Paul Posluszny feature taping. He is finalist for the Lombardi (Post-Gazette) and Butkus (Patriot-News) awards.

Inconsistent Spartans cannot be taken for granted - Post-Gazette
Another series of warnings about MSU, whom in a roundabout way Paterno said was a rival. There is also a photo of the Land Grant Trophy.

BEANO WATCH

Carroll H. Cook ('54 Pitt) had his last chat of Penn State's regular season. He let them off pretty easily for a change.

Alex, Columbia, SC: Who do you think is coming off a bigger win last week, South Carolina or Clemson and how will that effect the game this week?

Beano Cook: I think this is the game to be at. Steve Spurrier, if he wins this game and Penn STate loses, Spurrier should be coach of the year. If Paterno wins, he's the coach of the year. SC-Clemson is the most intriguing game of the day. I loved the T-shirt after SC beat Florida. It said 'It was big and it was easy.'

Even if Penn State wins, I have to wonder if Paterno really deserves coach of the year. Penn State is supposed to contend for the Big11Ten title in my book, though I am not opposed to Paterno being named coach of the year.

Jim (Phila.): Beano, do you think JoePa has it turned around at Penn State, or is this year a one time thing, like in 2002.

Beano Cook: No, I don't know if they're going to win 9 of 10 next year, but he had a couple of bad years. They'll lose a lot of players, next year will be tough. But in 2007 they'll be tough. The schedule will be in their favor that year. Paterno will coach at least through 2008 if his health remains the way it is now. Shame on those people who wanted to see Paterno retire. Shame, shame, shame, shame.

Beano Cook: Isn't it strange that this Saturday Michigan fans will be rooting for Michigan State? If MSU beats Penn State and Michigan beats OSU, Michigan is in a BCS bowl.

I agree that it is too early to say that PSU has turned it around, a few years of sustained winning with some excellent seasons sprinkled in will tell me that Penn State is back.

Abraham: , San Diego: Who would win if Penn State played UM in the Orange Bowl ?

Beano Cook: Miami.

Beano does not even give reasons for his position, which is unusual for him. I have to think this means he feels strongly about it.

TELEVISION

The contest is being televised nationally on ESPN at 4 p.m. Mike Tirico, Mike Gottfried and Alex Flanagan will be the calling the action.

PREDICTIONS

Like many of the games in the series, I expect this one to be a little wild. MSU may even have a lead for a while and Penn State having trouble putting them away. Nevertheless, I predict a 34-26 victory for the Lions with a big sigh of relief (and bourbon) at the end.

MORE COVERAGE

Penn State Football Official Site - from the "Kremlin"

CDT coverage

Patriot-News coverage

Post-Gazette coverage

Tribune-Review coverage

50 Yard Lion Blog - an Altoona dentist; daily

PA Sports Blog - mostly recruiting, if that is your thing

Nittany Lines Blog -- sports ed. from The Morning Call

Dan Victor's Front Row -- student football columnist at the CDT

Ask Jeff Q & A

FightOnState.com -- free

Blue White Illustrated -- Phil Grosz, subscription required

IN CLOSING

GO STATE, beat SPARTANS!

Labels: Beano Cook, Beano Watch, PSU Football 2005

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posted by WFY @ 8:59 PM | |

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BEANO WATCH

Penn State may have a bye week, but that does not mean that Carroll H. Cook ('54 Pitt) did not have a few things to say about the Nittany Lions during his weekly ESPN SportsNation chat.

Larry (Wash., D.C.): Hey Beano! What's the biggest story in college football this year thus far?

Beano Cook: Notre Dame, Penn State, Alabama and USC.

Okay, I will go along with that, except for Notre Dame. Two losses a bandwagon should not make.

Steve Hershey PA: Why isn't Michael Robinson listed with the Heisman Contenders?

Beano Cook: Because he isn't one. He is, but not in the top echelon. He has had a great season, but realistically the top four will be Bush, Young, Leinart and Quinn, not necessarily in that order. I know there are plenty of other quality guys who deserve consideration. The top four will be those guys.

Beano is right, MRob has had quite a season, but he is not one of the four best players in the country. He might be second team All-Big11Ten.

Brian (Chicago, IL): Will Kurt Ferentz be the next coach at PSU?

Beano Cook: First of all, it is Kirk, not Kurt. Paterno will be there for at least three more years, so if Ferentz wants to wait...Paterno stays in Happy Valley unless there are health problems.

Remember when this sort of question was asked weekly? Bradley will get an interview, but Big11Ten regulations may make it hard for Ferentz to move to PSU.

Jacob (Greenwich, CT):
I personally am tired of ND getting preferential treatment not only by their exclusive clauses in the BCS but also by the media and the pollsters that continue to overrate them.

Beano Cook: That's your opinion.

Beano Cook: Believe me, I am not a particular fan of Notre Dame, but give credit where credit is due. The Irish will always play a quality non-league schedule. Next season Michigan and Penn State visit South Bend early.

It will be interesting to see how many Penn Staters make it into South Bend next September.

Frank (Cincinnati): Any truth to rumors that Galen Hall might leave PSU for another job?

Beano Cook: If he was offered a head coaching job, perhaps. If he is offered a coordinator position, no.

This is the first I have heard this rumor, so methinks it is not a strong one. Galen Hall is on the record as saying he is sticking around as long as Joe Paterno is head coach and I doubt he has much incentive to go back on that statement. It has to be a lot more fun for him this year.

Well, that is all, kind of a ho-hum Beano Watch this week, but I fully expect him to have more to say over the next two weeks.

Labels: Beano Cook, Beano Watch, PSU Football 2005

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posted by WFY @ 5:25 AM | |

WWN PENN STATE POST-GAME

#10 PENN STATE 35 #14 Wisconsin 14

This past Saturday was just about as perfect a football Saturday as you can get. The weather was great, the tailgate (biggest of the year) was lots of fun, and the Lions got a big win over a ranked team, their closest competitor for the Big11Ten title. I also won a year's worth of bragging rights over a couple of people.

As for the game itself, it reminded me of all those games in the '90s when Penn State would pounce on an opponent and then had trouble putting them away. Though the game was not really in doubt, the Lions never broke the Badgers will, which is saying something. The defensive line had a fantastic day in the Badgers backfield, picking up nine sacks and many tackles for a loss. Incredible. The only thing stopping the Penn State offense was itself, with Michael Robinson having tough times in the middle of the game after taking a big hit in the second quarter. Thankfully, he had already gotten the Lions up 21-0, so it hardly mattered. In the end, he regained his form and the Lions finally put the Badgers away.

Roar to the Fore - CDT
PSU's defense places clamps on Wisconsin - Patriot-News
Boxscore - ESPN.com

NEW RANKING

The big win vaulted Penn State all the way up to #6 in the rankings in both major polls, leapfrogging Notre Dame. Even more important is the #5 BCS ranking.

MORE ARTICLES

Dave Jones of the Patriot-News thinks if Penn State defeats Michigan State it would probably wind up in the Orange Bowl against either Florida State or Miami, which are both appealing matchups. Penn State could clinch the conference this weekend during the bye week if the right teams win/lose. The normally grumpy Bob Smizik of the Post-Gazette has a column about how the Lions could get to the Rose Bowl. Don't count on it.

THE HOT LIST - Patriot-News

Not much has changed with Paterno - Post-Gazette

PAT FORDE - Confidence fuels Nittany Lions revival - ESPN.com

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME

A little tough this week, because despite having a lot of total yards and TD passes, Mike Robinson had 2 INTs. Tony Hunt had 151 yards on the ground and a TD. I think I have to go with him because he consistent throughout the game, whereas MRob had a tough time in the late second quarter into the fourth. It's really a tough call.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME

For the second week in a row, it is Tamba Hali. He had four sacks and 7 TFL. He probably just made himself millions of dollars by assuring a higher position in April's NFL draft. LB Paul Posluszny also had an outstanding game and indicated he will almost certainly be back next year.

MORE NOTES

This was the second largest crowd at Beaver Stadium ever.

Robinson got the loudest ovation during the Senior Day ceremonies.

Senior CB Anwar Phillips was again victimized on a long pass. He will not be missed.

PR Calvin Lowry had the longest punt return of his career, but otherwise still stunk.

Justin King is playing tenative on offense.

I won a blog bet with my friend Brenda. Go to her blog and take in the victory!

Regular WWN commenter (or would that be commentator?) David, a Wisconsin grad, blogged his thoughts (and photos) on his trip to Happy Valley today. He liked it.

Wisconsin never gave up and kept fighting all day long. In particular, QB John Stocco was tough as nails, getting sacked 9 times, but never giving in or losing his poise.

We scored a yellow parking pass from a scalper. He said it cost $30, but he would give it to us for $25. Fool! I told him it cost $10 and I would give him $15. It was worth an extra $5 to park in Lot 12. He was naive to try and charge folks wearing blue that exorbanant rate, maybe the folks in red would have fallen for it.

The Giant on North Atherton has trouble keeping Nittany Lion beef franks in stock.

We had our best turnout for a tailgate all year.

Kim had to be carted away from the post-game tailgate with a severe ankle injury. Get well wishes to her.

Kim is carted off Lot 12 by Penn State EMTs. She is listed as doubtful for Michigan State.

The cops and EMTs who helped Kim out were professional and did not get in the way of a good time. Granted, we were all behaving well, so they had no reason to give us a hard time.

All the majorettes twirled flaming batons during halftime, which was pretty cool.

We were set up right next to the Blue Band building, so we got to see the band march in and out to bookend our day of tailgating.

Programming note: Beano Watch will still appear on WWN even though there is no game this week.

Penn State won despite no pregame prediction from the esteemed Maryland Bureau Chief, Sam Basile. He will be excused this time (his first child was born), but subsequent absences will be treated accordingly.

MORE COVERAGE

Penn State Football Official Site - from the "Kremlin"

CDT coverage

Patriot-News coverage

Post-Gazette coverage

Tribune-Review coverage

50 Yard Lion Blog - an Altoona dentist; daily

PA Sports Blog - mostly recruiting, if that is your thing

Nittany Lines Blog -- sports ed. from The Morning Call

Dan Victor's Front Row -- student football columnist at the CDT

Ask Jeff Q & A

FightOnState.com -- free

Blue White Illustrated -- Phil Grosz, subscription required

Labels: Beano Cook, Beano Watch, I Was There, PSU Football 2005

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posted by WFY @ 7:43 PM | |

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PATERNO AND RACE

Paterno links black athletes to increased scoring - ESPN.com
An old friend out in San Francisco asked me in an e-mail if there would be any fallout from Joe Paterno's statements on black athletes during the Big11Ten conference call yesterday. Off Wing Opinion also noted it.

You have to be careful the way you say things sometimes. Poor [Air Force coach] Fisher DeBerry got in trouble, but the black athlete has made a big difference. They have changed the whole tempo of the game. Black athletes have just done a great job as athletes and as people in turning the game around.

I don't see anybody getting terribly upset about this as it comes across a little more articulate than what Fisher DeBerry was saying. Plus, Paterno has national credibility that DeBerry does not have and a strong record in racial matters. I think ESPN is just looking for a story.

Labels: PSU Football 2005

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posted by WFY @ 6:59 AM | |

ESPN changed the headline to "Penn State coach offers his take on black athletes." The article has a 3:48 p.m. timestamp on it now.

(Thanks to Off Wing Opinion for pointing this out)

This is a non-story and I only posted it because I was specifically asked about it.

# posted by  WFY : Friday, November 04, 2005 5:25:00 PM  

WWN PENN STATE PREGAME #10

#10 PENN STATE vs. #14 Wisconsin

Happy Senior Day! Saturday is the last appearance for a whole lot of Nittany Lions (Post Gazette) in Beaver Stadium including most of the lines, all of the secondary, the starting quarterback and the special team standout and underachiever. It should be a heck of a crowd; tents are already going up at Gate A (Front Row/CDT) and the student section will be having another White Out and pep rally.

Football vs. Wisconsin Game Notes (PDF)

TAILGATE

For the last time in 2005, we will be in Lot 11 or 12. Look for the Yurasko flag. Expect the usual assortment of delights as well as more cider and hot chocolate.

LAST WEEK

Penn State came out a little flat (as did the crowd) and generally played a little sloppy in a 33-15 win over Purdue. Mike Robinson was not sharp and was getting blitzed frequently. Calvin Lowry continued his assault on the art of returning punts with another stupefying performance. The big bright spot was the ground attack, which had over 300 yards on the day against a previously tough Boilermaker defense. Tony Hunt was the player of the game with 129 yards. WWN Recap

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT: WISCONSIN BADGERS

Okay everyone, say it with me:

Badgers? Badgers! We don't need no stinking Badgers!*

In addition to Penn State's return to the upper echelon of the Big11Ten, Wisconsin's 8-1 season is one of the bigger surprises in the conference this year. This is Barry Alvarez's last season as head coach there, which is probably good for the Lions. Under him, the Badgers are 3-1 at Beaver Stadium. This is far from all that Alvarez did though, he led Wisconsin to three Rose Bowl victories and heights not reached in Madison in generations (if ever). He is a class act, but I am not going to say that we will miss him.

*Drinks on me for the first person to get me that sound file. Offer expires 12:00 p.m. Friday. We have a winner -- my brother Christopher found the file. Thanks!

His final team was expected to be in the middle of the pack of the Big11Ten, so this season is already a success for them. However, I am sure the squad will not be content to just have an above average year, they want the conference title and are going to play hard for it.

This week, as a special to WWN, Wisconsin grad David I. Leavitt offers an assessment of the Badgers:

Wisconsin's defense is beat up. Their entire front four (literally) from last year went to the NFL. So they started the season with some new guys. And since then, it's gone downhill. Three out of the four new starters have suffered season-ending injuries. So our defensive line play has been TERRIBLE.

At defensive back, Brett Bell is a senior. But he's been benched recently in favor of a platoon of freshman and sophomores who haven't done much better.

In short, the defense -- which used to be our strength -- doesn't do very much. That is, they get no pressure on the QB and they can't tackle people coming right at them. (This is great news, as last year's Badgers took out two QBs in the first quarter)

On the other hand, the offense is one of the best in school history. Brian Calhoun has better per-game numbers at this point in the season than Ron Dayne had during his Heisman year. He's a little guy, but he makes good reads and his hard to tackle. Best of all, he's a great receiver. Look for them to dump the ball off to him or get the ball to him via screen plays. To be honest, he's pretty much the whole offense. If he's in the game, they hand the ball to him or they throw it to him nearly every play.

Wisconsin runs a lot of screen plays. In obvious passing downs, watch for it. Especially the middle screen to TE Owen Daniels.

Our starting WRs are both seniors. Orr is the so-called deep threat, although his size makes him a better possession receiver in my opinion. Brandon Williams, who also returns kicks and punts, is the No. 1 receiver.

Our starting fullback, Matt Bernstein (I remember what Matt Bernstein did to us after the sun went down last year. He will not be missed by Lions fans!), is out for the year with an injury (see a pattern here?). As a result, the blocking hasn't been great. But our backup FBs, including Pressley, seem to be doing pretty well.

So far, Wisconsin has won games based on its offense and special teams. (Our punter seems to get one of his kicks downed inside the 5 yard line each game.) (Hmmm, a good punter is bad news for the Nittany Lions with Calvin Lowry still inexplicably returning punts.)

My fear is that Penn State will be able to run on Wisconsin, given our poor tackling, and that's going to be bad news, since it seems like the only way to beat Penn State is to force Robinson to beat you through the air.(Robinson has shown he is capable of this but is historically inconsistent).

Last week, the Illinois QB broke a school record by scrambling for 140 yards against us. (I think he had 120 total, but that was due to a couple sacks.) And we all know how bad Illinois is.(Ouch!)

So, there you go. I'm afraid to say I think this is Penn State's game to lose. If you give Wisconsin a lead based on, say an early turnover or something, I have confidence that Calhoun and our offense can do some things. But since our defense hasn't really been able to stop anyone (just look at the scores of some of our games), I don't see any other way we can do it.

Still, I'll be there wearing red and hoping Wisconsin pulls it out.

Thanks for the analysis, David, have a good time in Happy Valley.

PRESS CONFERENCE RECAP

Here is the transcript from goPSUsports.com, I guess the Post-Gazette never got around to it this week. Audio is available at FightOnState.com. Paterno's main point -- we are only looking at Purdue and not ahead of them. Also, he acknowledges the similarities between the '05 Boilermakers and the '04 Nittany Lions but says that Purdue is the better of the two.

BOWL SCENARIOS AND OTHER ARTICLES

David Jones has another rundown on bowl scenarios for the Nittany Lions and it looks positive, even so much so that he thinks a win vs. Wisky and a loss vs. Michigan State could still mean BCS. Pittsburgh's Tribune-Review also notes that Fiesta Bowl could be in Lions' future.

Posluszny hasn't ruled out leaving school early - Tribune-Review
I think the chances of Paul Posluszny leaving early for the NFL draft are slim and he would be better served by another season at PSU. Don't do it Poz!

THE HOT LIST - Patriot-News

OFF WISCONSIN!

There is yet another Wisconsin connection this week. For the second consecutive year, my friend Brenda, a MPA/JD student in Madison, and I are doing a blog bet on the game. Regrettably, she won last year and I had to post "On Wisconsin" on the blog and give her a concession speech. We talked about doing the mayor's bet (wagering regional foodstuffs) but came to the conclusion that the universal currency of respect/admiration or humiliation would be sufficient.

BEANO WATCH

Well, you certainly had to wade through a lot to get to this point, the review Carroll H. Cook's ('54 Pitt) weekly ESPN SportsNation chat.

Rob (Detroit): Answering your question about the Big Ten. If either Wisconsin or Penn State win out, they'll go. If Penn State and Iowa beat Wisconsin then PSU loses one of their final two games and if Michigan can win out, they'll go. If Ohio State wins out and Penn State loses, they'll likely go over Wisconsin.

Beano Cook: Let's wait and see. I guess I made a mistake asking the question this early, but that would be a wild scenario. If I had to bet on one team right now to go, it would be Penn State. Though facing Brian Calhoun of the Badgers won't be easy.

What Rob is saying makes little sense according to what we have read elsewhere. Beano is right that Wisconsin will not be easy.

Ken (New York, NY): Beano, Is this the best job Joe Paterno has done at Penn State? Do you think Paul Posluszny wins the Butkus award?

Beano Cook: I think he has a very good chance. He, AJ Hawk, Spencer Havner and DeMeco Ryans could be the top four right now. Paterno has done a great job and I don't know why people are surprised...they will be good for the next few years. It should be pointed out that against Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin, Paterno is 11-21. That is a stat that can't be ignored.

I cannot disagree with anything Beano says here, though someone else does...

Derek (Switzerland): I hate to burst your bubble, Beano, but you said Penn State will be good the next few years. I am a huge Nittany Lion fan, but they are losing 4 DB's to the NFL, their WHOLE O-line, Michael Robinson, one of the best scrambling QBs, and Tamba Hali, who should be a top 10-20 pick in the NFL draft. So how will they be good next year?

Beano Cook: If they don't play well, I hope people will forget what I said.

I think the Lions will be good, but not "great" like they *might* be this year. Let's think about next year, next year and focus on Wisconsin.

Funny, non-Penn State quote:

Joe, Metairie, LA: beano, what are your thoughts on florida and va tech's HORRID uniforms? What's with the mismatched orange shoulder? Are they Stormtroopers out looking for droids on Tattooine?

Beano Cook: You are talking to a person whom Howard Cosell once said I would come back as an unmade bed...you are asking the wrong person.

Hmmm, there are probably a few ways you could deconstruct that Cosell line, but it is probably for the best that we do not. As for the orange sleeves, Nike (the designer) should have to appear at The Hague for this crime against humanity.

I was expecting Beano to make PSU vs. UW his weekly prediction, but he went with Texas Tech vs. Texas A&M instead.

WEATHER

The forecast looks good, even better than last week. Highs will be in the lower sixties with lows in the 50s, which means that one university administrator I have been sitting near will be able to wear his PSU Hawaiian shirt. Even more important than Dr. Hilton's choice of attire is the fact that the weather will be dry.

TELEVISION

Maryland Bureau Chief Sam Basile tipped us off that the game is televised regionally by ABC and this week and thankfully that includes Washington's WJLA Channel 7. Hopefully, we will have a better result than the last time the Lions were shown on 7. If you happen to go to Rhino Bar (I don't know why you would) make sure you don't chant CHANNEL SEVEN because the wussy bartenders can't handle it.

Baltimore's WMAR Channel 2 is NOT televising the game though -- no word if Peter Angelo$ had anything to do with that decision.

Here is the coverage map (PDF) to find out if it is available in your neck of the woods.

PREDICTIONS

Well, the Badger contributor is saying that it is Penn State's game to lose which is a little stronger than I would put it, but I think Brenda will be calling me with a concession speech. Penn State will be victorious, 28 - 17, but it won't be easy. Penn State is good enough on both sides of the ball to win, the crowd will be jumping, and the seniors, especially Michael Robinson will be very determined to get it done. Now, we just need a prediction from the Maryland Bureau Chief and we will be set.

MORE COVERAGE

Penn State Football Official Site - from the "Kremlin"

CDT coverage

Patriot-News coverage

Post-Gazette coverage

Tribune-Review coverage

50 Yard Lion Blog - an Altoona dentist; daily

PA Sports Blog - mostly recruiting, if that is your thing

Nittany Lines Blog -- sports ed. from The Morning Call

Dan Victor's Front Row -- student football columnist at the CDT

Ask Jeff Q & A

FightOnState.com -- free

Blue White Illustrated -- Phil Grosz, subscription required

IN CLOSING

GO STATE, beat BADGERS!

Labels: Beano Cook, Beano Watch, PSU Football 2005

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posted by WFY @ 5:10 PM | |

I didn't mean to sound so down on my own team. But I'm trying to be realistic -- Wisconsin is an 11-point underdog. Their defense gave up 42 points to Bowling Green, and in conference play has given up 20, 24, 51, 34, 20 and 24 points in the six games so far. Hey, if our defense shows up then we'll have a great game because I have confidence in our offense. Calhoun, who is a junior and sat out last year after transferring from Colorado, is a joy to watch.

# posted by  dl004d : Friday, November 04, 2005 7:59:00 AM  

Don't worry about sounding down on the Badgers, Penn Staters can go head to head with anyone when it comes to being cynical about their own team.

# posted by  WFY : Friday, November 04, 2005 8:37:00 AM  

WWN PENN STATE POST-GAME #9

#11 PENN STATE 33 Purdue 15

Another one in the win column for Penn State. It was not a terribly pretty victory over Purdue, but I am not going to complain too much about a 33-15 final.

After weeks of saying "Tony Hunt is going to have a breakout game" he finally did. He ran for 129 yards and put the game away in fourth quarter. Mike Robinson, despite seemingly getting stopped for not much yardage on most runs, somehow gained 97 yards. The defense was fairly solid, but gave up a 1st half TD on a short field and a fourth quarter TD when they were too busy going for interceptions instead of making tackles.

The special teams continued to be mixed. Kevin Kelly had a strong outing with four field goals and Ethan Kilmer excelled as the gunner on punts. Calvin Lowrey continued to frustrate everyone with his terrible play as punt returner. He boggles the mind, but perhaps what is most flabbergasting is the coaching staff's reluctance to put someone else in there.

PSU still on track - CDT
Not perfect ... not needed - Patriot-News
Boxscore - ESPN.com

NEW RANKING

With #6 Georgia losing to Florida, a bunch of teams behind them have moved up one, including the Nittany Lions who re-enter the AP Top Ten at #10.

JOEPA FALL DOWN GO BOOM

Joe Paterno pulled a Velma -- getting knocked down without his glasses, when Jim Shaw ran into him during warmups. He was okay.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

This was is easy -- Tony Hunt. The junior RB had 129 yards on 20+ carries, easily his best outing of the season. He rarely goes down on first contact, and often spins off of tacklers. His running put the game away in the fourth. He has been overdue for a breakout.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME

If you went by official stats, DE Tamba Hali's performance did not standout. However, the Purdue player blocking him got whistled for five penalties. That speaks volumes. He has really become a standout player since moving from DT to DE.

SPEICAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE GAME

Ethan Kilmer has continued to amaze on special teams (Patriot-News). He made SIX tackles on punt coverage on Saturday. He is just so fast and has a nose for the ball. What would Fisher DeBerry say about him?

TRAFFIC WOES

On the way up US 322 WEST, traffic through Seven Mountains was backed up about a mile. The primary reason -- rubbernecking due to a t-shirt stand that had set up just beyond the lane drop. Ridiculous.

On the way back, traffic was stopped on US 22/322 EAST coming out of Lewistown for about 45 minutes, for no apparent reason.

MORE COVERAGE

Penn State Football Official Site - from the "Kremlin"

CDT coverage

Patriot-News coverage

Post-Gazette coverage

Tribune-Review coverage

50 Yard Lion Blog - an Altoona dentist; daily

PA Sports Blog - mostly recruiting, if that is your thing

Nittany Lines Blog -- sports ed. from The Morning Call

Dan Victor's Front Row -- student football columnist at the CDT

Ask Jeff Q & A

FightOnState.com -- free

Blue White Illustrated -- Phil Grosz, subscription required

Labels: I Was There, PSU Football 2005

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posted by WFY @ 8:30 PM | |

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WWN PENN STATE PREGAME #9

#10 PENN STATE vs. Purdue

Happy Homecoming! Get ready for fall foilage, hot apple cider, the Alumni Blue Band, and sorrority girls in new windbreakers. Oh yeah, there is a football game too.

The Lions return from a two game, 1-1 roadtrip to face the Boilermarkers, who are a surprising 2-5, though 4-3 Indiana are probably a bigger suprise in the Hooiser state. Due to Big11Ten scheduling quirks, Purdue is playing in Happy Valley for the second consecutive year. Last year's contest, a 20 - 13 loss for the Lions, was also played on Homecoming.

The Big11Ten is pretty top heavy with a handful of teams with one loss in conference play. Penn State pretty much controls it's own destiny though -- win out and win the conference (outright if Michigan stumbles) for the second time. But let us not get ahead of ourselves, because Purdue is going to be hungry for a win and beating Penn State would salvage their season for at least a week.

TAILGATE

We will be hosting the tailgate again after three long weeks. We will be in Lot 11 or 12. Look for the Yurasko flag. We will have the usual goodies as well as some hot apple cider and coccoa to help us with the seasonable weather.

LAST WEEK

After a skaky start on defense, the Lions offense took over and proved unstoppable, lead by Mike Robinson's 4 TD passes and 2 TD runs. The defense buckled down and the Lions coasted to a 63 - 10 win. It got hard to watch.

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT: PURDUE BOILERMAKERS

Going into the season many picked Purdue to win the Big11Ten because they had 11 starters coming back on defense and avoided Ohio State and Michigan. Thus far, they are 2 - 5, including a the current five games skid (Patriot-News), so that is not going to happen. They have not been blown out though and have lost twice in overtime. Is Joe Paterno concerned? You betcha and I am too. A team as well-coached as Purdue does not take to going 2 - 4 well, particularly when they are as senior laden as this one. This is probably "their Rose Bowl," so expect them to play very hard.

PRESS CONFERENCE RECAP

Here is the transcript from the Post-Gazette. Audio is available at FightOnState.com. Paterno's main point -- we are only looking at Purdue and not ahead of them. Also, he acknowledges the similarities between the '05 Boilermakers and the '04 Nittany Lions but says that Purdue is the better of the two.

THINKING TOO FAR AHEAD

In Tuesday's Patriot-News, Dave Jones was talking BCS possibilities and Bob Flounders was stumping for Michael Robinson to get invited to the Heisman Trophy presentation. Fellas, there are still three games (over four weeks) left to play for the Lions, and then the conference championship games in December. Nothing is going to be decided for almost two months. I hope the team is not looking that far ahead.

BEANO WATCH

For years, Carroll H. Cook's ('54 Pitt) comments on Penn State football have a vital part of my pregame coverage. More than one person has said Beano Watch was their favorite part, so imagine my dissapointment when he blew off Penn State in this week's chat. He only mentioned Penn State a few times and never answered a specific Penn State question, including my excellent one about Casablanca being written by a Penn Stater.

Will (PA): Beano,Do you see Charlie Weis ever returning to the NFL to coach? Will ND run the table and get a BCS bearth?

Beano Cook: I think Notre Dame will run the table but would have to fight to get a BCS berth, battling UCLA, Georgia and Alabama, as it stands right now. If Penn State wins the Big Ten, I feel ND vs. Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl...we will see. I think Weis will be at ND for at least five years but I don't think he will be there 10 years. He will win a national championship very shortly. We are not hearing anything about the tough academics at Notre Dame any more, as we?

Dave Jones also suggested that as a possible scenario for the Lions. That would be something, playing Notre Dame twice in three games as the second game of the 2006 season is PSU at ND.

John (Boulder): Beano - Is there any chance Northwestern could win the Big 10?

Beano Cook: If the Wildcats didn't lose a big lead vs. Penn State, they would be in the driver's seat. Penn State completed a 4th and 15 pass and then scored with 52 seconds left in that game. Northwestern had a chance.

As much as we wonder "oh what might have been" over the last play two weeks ago, Northwestern is in the same boat as us with the 4th and 15 conversion.

That is all Beano had to say about the biggest program in the east, no prediction either. I wonder why he is ignoring the Lions and if that is good or bad.

WEATHER

As of Thursday morning, the forecast for Saturday has been upgraded to DRY. State College based Accuweather says the high will be 49F and the low will be 36F, so Nittany Kittens are going to need their mittens and blankets. It snowed earlier in the week in Central Pennsylvania and there may be a mix of it on Friday too.

TELEVISION

Alas, the ABC Regional telecast does not include Washington. WJLA is putting Maryland vs. Free Shoes University on instead. Here is the coverage map anyway, for those of you living in the Northeast and Midwest. You can always go to aMetro Washington Chapter of Penn State Alumni Association viewing site (other than Rhino Bar of course) to watch the game. Uncle Jed's in Bethasda seems to be the least crowded and has excellent wings.

PREDICTIONS

Penn State gets more of a game than it would like, but in the end they Nittany Lions are too good for the Boilermakers. I think the final score will be 31 - 20.

MORE COVERAGE

Penn State Football Official Site - from the "Kremlin"

CDT coverage

Patriot-News coverage

Post-Gazette coverage

Tribune-Review coverage

50 Yard Lion Blog - an Altoona dentist; daily

PA Sports Blog - mostly recruiting, if that is your thing

Nittany Lines Blog -- sports ed. from The Morning Call

Dan Victor's Front Row -- student football columnist at the CDT

Ask Jeff Q & A

FightOnState.com -- free

Blue White Illustrated -- Phil Grosz, subscription required

IN CLOSING

Go STATE, beat BOILERMARKERS!

Labels: Beano Cook, Beano Watch, PSU Football 2005

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posted by WFY @ 5:28 AM | |

One correction to the Pre-Game: PSU doesn't need Michigan to stumble to win the conference outright. PSU wins the conference outright if they win out, and the Northwestern-Ohio State winner (they play in November) picks up a loss somewhere else. I still think winning out will be enough to put them in the BCS. The BCS is about money, and if they can pick PSU, they will.

# posted by  Sam B : Friday, October 28, 2005 9:31:00 AM  

Thanks for the clarification Sam, I thought they had a tiebreaker advantage over us if they won out.

I think you owe us a prediction though.

# posted by  WFY : Friday, October 28, 2005 12:46:00 PM  

WWN POST-GAME #8

#12 Penn State 63 ILLINOIS 10

The first question the comes to mind is whether Penn State can score as many points aganist Illinois in men's basketball as they did in football. I do not believe that they can.

Ladies and gentleman, what we witnessed last night on ESPN2's national telecast was a good old-fashioned rout, like the kind Penn State used to have a couple of times a season back in the '90s. After an initial opening drive where the only that stopped the Illini offense was a holding penalty ended in a field goal, Penn State came to life. Mike Robinson began his assault on the Illini, leading seven consecutive touchdown drives. The defense buckled down and scored on a LB Dan Connor fumble return and a CB Nolan McCready interception. It was just complete domination by superior athletes with chips on their shoulders. I think everyone got caught off guard by that, but especially Illinois.

Popping Champaign - CDT
Flawless half makes history - Patriot-News
Boxscore - ESPN.com

DAVID JONES - No moping on Michigan was allowed - Patriot-News

NEW RANKING

With #10 Texas Tech losing to #2 Texas and falling to #17, the teams right behind them all picked a spot in the AP Top 25 College Football Poll, including the Nittany Lions who move up to #11. BCS Standings come out tomorrow. The ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll has PSU at #12 now.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME

Who else could it be but Mike Robinson? The last player to have that good a half in Illinois was Red Grange Four touchdown passes and two touchdown runs in 30 minutes. I doubt MRob has ever had a practice that good. He has really grown into the role and looks like a much different quarterback than he did in game one.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME

For the first time in a long time, LB Paul Posluzny is not the DPOTG. For the first time, that honor goes to Posluzny's fellow backer, Dan Connor. The true sophomore led the team with nine tackles and scored on a fumble return.

MORE NOTES

WR Ethan Kilmer was listed as a starter and scored on a slant pattern. He is a senior and a walk-on who started college at Shippensburg University. It was great to see him to score, but I could not help but wonder how much better we could have been if he had been here all four years. He is so fast.

Also, I have been remiss in commenting on his excellent special teams coverage this season. Is it too late to wonder if he can return punts?

DE Tamba Hali simply lit up QB Tim Brasic with a devestating, but clean, sack. Hali came in without being touched. It was a like a movie I once saw.

I would have liked to have seen the starters pulled earlier than they were, but Paterno let them finish the first half.

Anthony Morelli finally got some time in at QB, though he only attempted two passes.

RB Austin Scott saw the most action of the season, getting 14 carries in mop-up duty.

Tony Hunt showed us in six carries why he is the starter, as he was hard to get down. One
of these days, he is going to get to have a big day and carry the team.

By the beginning of the second quarter it was quite clear that Illinois had lost the will to play, if not to live. It may have happened earlier, but on TV that was the point when it was plainly obvious.

I did not mind the last minute touchdown by Illinois, they needed for something to go right.

We saw a rare ejection, after Illini player swung at three times at a Penn State player's helmet (Anwar Phillips?) on a punt.

Penn State set a personal record for first half points with 56.

Two quotes come to mind from last night's game:

"Stop, stop he's already dead."

Oh the humanity!

While I hate to bring up the 6-4 debacle aganist Iowa last year, take comfort in fact that coach Al (D'oh) Groh lead #23 THE UVa. to a 7-5 loss to UNC yesterday.

Beano Cook successfully picked Penn State to win again for the third time in four weeks. He is 3-0 picking the Nittany Lions this season.

MORE COVERAGE

Penn State Football Official Site - from the "Kremlin"

CDT coverage

Patriot-News coverage

Post-Gazette coverage

Tribune-Review coverage

50 Yard Lion Blog - an Altoona dentist; daily

PA Sports Blog - mostly recruiting, if that is your thing

Nittany Lines Blog -- sports ed. from The Morning Call

Dan Victor's Front Row -- student football columnist at the CDT

Ask Jeff Q & A

FightOnState.com -- free

Blue White Illustrated -- Phil Grosz, subscription required

Labels: Beano Cook, Beano Watch, PSU Football 2005

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posted by WFY @ 3:41 PM | |

Another 3:30 kickoff...this time for Wisconsin. That's 8 out of 10 games starting at 3:30 or later. Is that a record?

# posted by  Sam B : Monday, October 24, 2005 7:38:00 PM  

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WWN PENN STATE PREGAME #8

#12 Penn State at ILLINOIS

We no longer have the burden of wondering whether Penn State will get left out if there is a glut of undefeated teams on Jan. 1. That being said, there is still the chance of winning the Big11Ten, which the Lions are leading (with Wisconsin). The run for the conference title continues this Saturday at 7 p.m.

Nittany Lion Football Gameday Central - goPSUsports.com

LAST WEEK

Let's face, the loss to Michigan had been beaten to death already by Monday morning. It stunk but life goes on. You can relive it (why?) if you would like with the Postgame.

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT: ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI

is it just me or does Illinois seem to be the Big11Ten school that generates the least amount of interest as a matchup? Maybe it is because we did not play them the first two years of my college career, but I simply cannot find anything interesting about playing the Illini. I mean, even Indiana gets me a little excited because they have been dominated by the Lions all these years and the Northwestern series has had some exciting and meaningful games too. Keeping all this in mind, I am perfectly content for it to remain and unexciting matchup, if you get my drift.

The latest coach to try and turn around the Illini is Ron Zook, who was run out of Florida after chasing down some frat boys or something. Oh, and for not being Steve Spurrier. I wonder if he just chose the first school available with uniforms similar to the Gators. His new team is winless in the Big11Ten and 2 - 4 overall. They did beat a resurgent Rutgers in OT though, for whatever that is worth. Illinois is also coming off a bye-week.

Penn State leads the overall series 8-1. Hopefully they can get a rout going early so that they can get Anthony Morelli (remember him?) some snaps.

PRESS CONFERENCE RECAP

Joe Paterno was not too talkative during the press conference; still exhausted from arriving back in Happy Valley after 2 a.m. due to plane problems. The main point -- he did not want to touch the officiating with a 10-foot pole. Good move, coach.

Here is the transcript from the Post-Gazette. Audio is available at FightOnState.com.

BEANO WATCH

It is now time for the real reason you are here -- a recap of Carroll H. Cook's ('54 Pitt) weekly ESPN SportsNation chat:

Mike, Michigan: hey Beano, How do you feel about the officiating in the Michigan vs PSU game this weekend? I am a big michigan fan and will take the win, but I feel we would have lost if it wasnt for multiple officiating mistakes that went our way(ie: the time being added to the clock, Hart's fumble which they called down so it wasn't reviewable, Avant's catch that should have been reviewed). your thoughts?

Beano Cook: Penn State for years got all the calls at Happy Valley. Nebraska got the shaft in 1982 and without that win they don't get the national title. Alabama in '83 as well. One thing I learned over the years watching sports...the gods even things up. In many ways Penn State is getting paid back for what was done to many opponents over the years, Penn State once had the father of a former player working Penn State games as an official. The son played for the team and after the kid graduated, he officiated. Did you think the Big Ten was going for that?

Is it just me or is it not terribly believable that a Michigan fan could be so humble? I think it is a Penn State fan incognito. Either way, it gives Beano a chance to engage in his favorite hobby -- complaining about officiating at Penn State games in the 1980s.

Travis (Norman, OK): How can the pollsters justify Colorado not being in the Top 25 of the BCS. They played at #2 Texas and at #6 Miami. Yet, ND is ranked #16 in the BCS. The voting is a joke. Why is voting now based on the short term feel good stories of the week by the media/pollsters? ND started out at #45 in the AP and CU started out at #32 in the 2005 AP Preseason Polls. Is there a distaste of the Big XII in the Media/Pollsters eyes? In the 19 years of religiously watching College Football, I have never seen a greater jump into the top 10. Notre Dame jumped 35 spots in the first two weeks. That is very unfair to more deserving programs.

Beano Cook: I don't pay much attention to those until November.

Beano Cook: What is amazing is the Big Ten has seven teams within one game of each other, and only two teams really out of the race for the title. Penn State had a wonderful chance to distance itself and move closer to being BCS representative, but the game was one second too long.

This is a long way to go for Beano to point out a negative about Penn State. He is dead on though.

Mike (Harrisburg): Beano do you think PSU regroups after 2 tough losses (Michigan and Williams) and wins the rest of their games on route to a BCS bowl game for the first time ever?

Beano Cook: Penn State will beat Illinois, Purdue and Wisconsin. A lot will depend on the Michigan State game. Paterno cancelled practice Monday because it was a devastating defeat. I think Paterno felt that a win over Michigan would have led to them going unbeaten. Penn State can't blame the officials or anyone else. They needed to make one more play and they didn't do it.

Beano is right, the Lions cannot blame the refs, they DID need to make one more play and did not. I am concerned about him saying PSU will win the next three though, that is the kind of pronouncement that has been known to precede a losing streak.

paternoville: Paterno cancelled practice monday because they sat on a broken airplane after the michigan game and didn't get home until 3 a.m., not because they were sad they lost!

Beano Cook: If they had won, they would have had practice.

Beano disagrees about Penn State calling off practice, even when presented with facts.

Beano Cook: Time for the pick. Penn State 26, Illinois 17. See you next week.

Wow, another Penn State game for pick of the week. Beano only hates us so much because he wants to love us even more. Anyhow, he is 2-0 so far picking PSU and hopefully his luck will continue.

TELEVISION

No worries about coverage maps this week since the game is on ESPN2. As long as you have cable TV you should be set. For those of us who gave it up, we will have to look elsewhere, just skip Rhino Bar in Georgetown.

PREDICTIONS

Coming off a tough stretch of games, Illinois comes at a perfect time for Penn State. As long as they do not get cocky they should be able to take care of the Illini. I expect to see more of Tony Hunt this week as well as more deep throws. In the end, I think Penn State wins 30 - 17.

MORE COVERAGE

Here are the old reliable links to coverage:

Penn State Football Official Site - from the "Kremlin"

CDT coverage

Patriot-News coverage

Post-Gazette coverage

Tribune-Review coverage

50 Yard Lion Blog - an Altoona dentist; daily

PA Sports Blog - mostly recruiting, if that is your thing

Nittany Lines Blog -- sports ed. from The Morning Call

Dan Victor's Front Row -- student football columnist at the CDT

Ask Jeff Q & A

FightOnState.com -- free

Blue White Illustrated -- Phil Grosz, subscription required

IN CLOSING

Go STATE, beat Illini!

Labels: Beano Cook, Beano Watch, PSU Football 2005

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posted by WFY @ 8:42 PM | |

I predict an ugly 26-16 victory. I agree with William that we will see more of Tony Hunt, but I think the slow start will be more due to the "hangover" effect from having the undefeated season being yanked out from under us. We will win, but it won't look pretty and we may struggle for a while.

# posted by  Sam B : Friday, October 21, 2005 9:50:00 PM  

So much for an ugly win, eh???? I love being wrong.....

# posted by  Sam B : Saturday, October 22, 2005 11:50:00 PM  

WWN PENN STATE POST-GAME #7

#8 PENN STATE 17 MICHIGAN 27

Lousy stinking Donegan, this is all his fault!

Ugh, what a horrible result of a good football game -- to be a great football game, we would have had to win, right? Sooooooo close to the payoff -- bourbon, only to be denied with no time left. We instead mourned at Sine Irish Pub, since we figured an Irish Wake would better than an Italian wake where all the women are crying, or at least that is what Joe Paterno says.

It turns out all the men were crying inside (we sat outside) because of USC's last second win over Notre Dame, so we were wrong. Just another crazy day in college football (AP/CDT), just ask Minnesota.

Before we get to down on the Nittany Lions, let us take stock in the fact that 6 - 1 is beyond our wildest expectations. This could still be an excellent season with a New Year's Day bowl and possibly even a Big11Ten championship. Hopefully the players and coaches will recognize that and not beat themselves up. One game at a time, one game at a time.

Desperate 'House' wins - CDT

Boxscore - ESPN.com

NEW RANKING

In the AP Top 25 College Football Poll Penn State dropped four spots to #12, which is about right. In the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, Penn State fell to #15, BEHIND Ohio State, which has two loses including one to the Lions. This is the type of thing that makes me take the AP Poll more seriously.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME

If this was based purely on the best offensive performance of the game, it would be Tony Hunt, who ran for 102 yards and got Penn State back in the game with 61 yard run in the fourth quarter to set up the Lions first touchdown. However, like most games this year, the most important player on offense was Mike Robinson, for good or ill. He fumbled in the first half and in the 4th quarter he telegraphed a pass that was picked off. He did regain his composure to lead PSU down the field for the game's penultimate touchdown, which he scored, with :53 left. His two turnovers were very costly, even though Michigan did not convert either of them into points.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME

Another difficult decision, because no player dominated. Paul Posluzny had an off day, only 11 tackles. Alan Zemaitis stripped the football out of Chad Henne's grasp and took it to the endzone, untouched, which shocked the crowd and put Penn State ahead. However, he was also about four steps behind Mario Manningham on the game's final play. Zemaitis has been underwhelming this season.

Posluzny did have gash on the bridge of his nose that was bleeding from the first quarter on though, so I think he gets the honor.

SPECIAL TEAMS SHOULD RIDE THE SHORT BUS TO THE STADIUM

A diastros day for the special teams, PSU should fire the special teams coach. Oh wait, THEY DON'T HAVE ONE. The need for (a good) one was made quite clear yesterday. Two missed field goals and terrible kickoff coverage cost PSU the game, more than anything else, even more than the officiating. There was also a bad snap on the extra point after the second TD, but K Kevin Kelly was able to pick it up and take it in for a two point conversion -- a great run by him that would have redeemed a poor outing if the defense could have held for another second.

I don't even want to talk about PR Calvin Lowry.

ANN ARBOR OFFICIATING: SNAFU

No, the officials did not lose the game for Penn State, but they made it a little harder. I used to believe that Big11Ten team with the best record got the calls, but it is getting harder to deny that a Michigan bias looks awfully believable.

As usual, the zebras ignored holding throughout the game. My biggest beef was the missed penalty for an illegal block in the back on Michigan's final kickoff return.

RHINO BAR: BAD STAFF AT ANOTHER VIEWING SITE

Fritz and I went to Rhino Bar in Georgetown to watch the game. We choose it because it was pleasant day to walk from Rosslyn Metro to Georgetown via Key Bridge.

Inside, the place was packed. They had a good deal on wings (a quarter each) and $6 Yuengling pitchers. That much, we liked about the place. HOWEVER, they dropped the ball. Around 3:38, they still had not switched the TVs to Channel 7 WJLA, which was broadcasting the game, a 3:30 start, 3:42, so I started a little chant -- CHANNEL SEV-EN! CHANNEL SEV-EN! etc. It was well received by fellow Penn Staters, some of who joined in, but one of the bartenders did not like it so he told me to "F@CK OFF." Really. I'm not kidding. Do you think that is a lot of attitude for a harmless chant?

So, with that attitude, I did not spend another dime there -- no establishment that values their customers would have such a belligerent reaction. It was weird.

As you can imagine, I will not be returning to Rhino Bar and I discourage anyone else from going there. It is not our fault that the bartender choose the wrong occupation.

MORE NOTES

In addition for winning for winning's sake, it would have been great if the Lions could have won to knock that stupid smile off Henne's face. I have never seen a football player smile so much during a game, it is kind of creepy.

Steve Breaston did a lot of damage to Penn State, but I have to think I would enjoy visiting a place with his last name.

Lynn Swann made an excellent point about spiking the ball on first down right after a close call that might be reviewed. He really is the best all-time sideline analyst. I hope he does not run for governor of Pennsylvania because I enjoy him so much on television. It certainly would be an interesting contest though.

Derrick Williams left the game in pain during the fourth quarter. He was clutching his left upper body, so it could be any number of things. That could be a huge loss for the Lions.

Paterno kept the players from talking to the media. I am not sure how much that helps.

Prior to this game I got rid of two anti-Michigan items I owned - a "Calvin shirt" (classless, I know, it was a total impulse buy) and an inflatable X-Men Wolverine that I was going to lynch. I got these prior or during the losing streak and hoped to get rid of any bad karma that they carried. A CDT blogger took the theory even farther.

All is not lost!

MORE LINKS

Penn State Football Official Site - from the "Kremlin"

Football Letter - password required, check the back of The Penn Stater UPDATED ON MONDAY

CDT coverage

Patriot-News coverage

Post-Gazette coverage

Tribune-Review coverage

50 Yard Lion Blog - an Altoona dentist; daily

PA Sports Blog - mostly recruiting, if that is your thing

Nittany Lines Blog -- sports ed. from The Morning Call

Dan Victor's Front Row -- student football columnist at the CDT

Ask Jeff Q & A

FightOnState.com -- free

Blue White Illustrated -- Phil Grosz, subscription required

Labels: PSU Football 2005

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posted by WFY @ 2:59 PM | |

Ah, but William, therein lies the problem...

The AP pulled the poll from the B(C)S because they realize the system is broken, so what does that get us? About as much respect as the Old Grey Lady giving us the national championship in 1994.

I'd be interested to see what the other polls yield. Going by the computers, I don't think we'll fall too far, so our position in the "equation" shouldn't be too bad. We just need to get up, dust ourselves off, and just keep on truckin'.

# posted by  Spooky : Sunday, October 16, 2005 4:18:00 PM  

According to GoPsuSports.com, Derrick Williams will be sidelined for the rest of the season with a broken left arm. UUUUGGGGHHHH!!!

# posted by  Sam B : Sunday, October 16, 2005 4:51:00 PM  

MORE PSU COVERAGE

Paterno Finds the New Age for His Unbeaten Team - The Times
More positive national press for JoePa.

CARL WILLIOT - On game day, State U trumps Yale - Yale Daily News
A Yalie who wishes he was a Penn Stater, at least for football. It is pretty funny, since I am a Penn Stater who wishes he had a rivarly as good as Yale-Harvard.

My favorite line:

Once a week they get to act like Ted Kennedy.

Well, not quite, but a funny line nonetheless. I have a feeling that Teddy is much more charming than some of the troglodytes (the ones who throw stuff at visiting bands) at the games. Most of the crazy people at Penn State are just dumb frat boys.

Labels: PSU Football 2005

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posted by WFY @ 10:20 AM | |

WWN PENN STATE PREGAME #7

#8 Penn State at MICHIGAN

It has been three years since the Lions played the Maize and Blue and sadly, nine years since we beat them. Two entire generations of Penn State students have gone from their freshman to senior year without seeing a Penn State victory over the sanctimonious school in Ann Arbor. Let's hope that ends Saturday.

LAST WEEK

Penn State battled their mirror image, Ohio State, and won 17 - 10. With teams so similar, victory went to the team that got the turnovers. You can read all about it in the WWN Post-Game #8.

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT: MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

Simply put, under Lloyd Carr, Michigan has had our number. Since the last win in 1996, Michigan has beaten Penn State every time they played each other, including two shutouts. The most recent meeting was the game that finally got the Big11Ten to look into instant reply. That game ended 24 - 27 in overtime.

This week, the odds are looking a little better. Michigan is down, only 3 - 3 thus far, losing to Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. They have lots of injuries, but then again, who doesn't? The Lions should be able to run on them better than they did against OSU. Also, Michigan has shown to be vulnerable to a QB who can run (CDT).

A major subplot of the game is Chad Henne (Patriot-News), their quarterback. Lots of fans were fawning over him and convinced that he was going to Penn State and were very upset when he choose maize and blue over blue and white. So far, it has worked out quite well for him, having led the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl as a true freshman.

PRESS CONFERENCE RECAP

Here is the transcript from the Post-Gazette. Audio is available at FightOnState.com.

Paterno's main point -- even at 3 - 3 Michigan is tough, especially in Ann Arbor. Makes a lot of sense to me.

FANS GOING TOO FAR

Sadly, Penn State is not much better than their Big11Ten brethren when it comes to treatment of visiting fans (CDT). Of course, that happens for day games at a lot of places too. At Penn State, really bad fans, like Edgar Winter, only come out at night. Throwing stuff at a marching band is inexcusable wherever it happens.

DON'T ROLL 'EM UP JOE!

Somebody noticed that JoePa is not rolling up his pant legs (AP/CDT) for home games any more. Paterno said he would start again. When you are 6 - 0, you have to keep doing what you are doing, so let them get a little dirty, coach!

MORE ARTICLES

MAN OF IMPACT - Patriot-News
Dave Jones of "The Courtship of Derrick Williams."

Penn State midterms: A study in Revival - Post-Gazette
So far, Chico Harlan says Penn State has 3.2 GPA this season.

A 'revolution' in helmets - YDR
Did you notice how weird looking and misshapen Penn State's helmets look this year? It turns out they are using a new model called the Schutt DNA Skydex. It is supposed to be much safer.

THE HOT LIST - Patriot-News

Also, as Maryland Bureau Chief Sam noted, Paul Cronin is off the team for a punk in drublic citation or something along those lines. As my father would say, "TURKEY!"

BEANO WATCH

Who'd of thought that Carroll H. Cook ('54 Pitt) would correctly pick two consecutive Penn State victories? I know I did not and frankly, I do not know what to make of it. Perhaps I ought to make nothing of it and just enjoy the Lions being ranked #8.

Pitta (Miami): Should we expect a letdown by PSU at Michigan this weekend?

Beano Cook: Penn State will not suffer a letdown. If they lose that game there is no excuse. If they win that game, I feel they will finish 11-0. Michigan has been a disappointment, clearly.

I would not as far to say that losing to Michigan in Ann Arbor is inexcusable, but maybe that is the proper attitude, but coming from Beano, it is very self-serving. If the Lions win, he says "of course they did;" if they lose "No excuse!"

Dave (NH): Beano, I owe you an apology. I said there was no way my alma mater could handle Ohio State last weekend. I will never doubt your weekly pick again.

Beano Cook: If I was you, I would keep my wallet in my pocket. I am 3-3 this year, and I don't sell myself as a tout. I try to have fun, nothing more.

Beano's recent streak is confusing to me too and has made me question other truisms in my life. Well, not really, but his precision prognosticating is puzzling.

Kid who got maced by cops at Beaver Stadium: Big Bean, the PSU student section was pretty impressive Sat. night with their organized white out. Where's the best student section you've ever seen?

Beano Cook: Hard to say. There have been a lot of great student sections I've seen over the years. The one in Florida is pretty good, the West Point Cadets are good.

Fair enough, one game does not make Penn State the greatest student section of all time.

AP Reporter: Bigger Story in 2005? Notre Dame winning a lot or Oklahoma losing a lot?

Beano Cook: I would say Joe Paterno and Notre Dame are the two biggest stories so far. I predicted before the season that those would be the two biggest stories, so far so good.

So far, I agree with him, but there is still over 40% of the season to play.

Kevin, Atlanta: Beano...the better offense...PSU '94, USC '05?

Beano Cook: That's a good one. That's like asking who is the better president, Abraham Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson. The difference is Reggie Bush, but you could make a case for both. Just my opinion, but I would go USC '05.

Once again, too early to tell.

In his weekly column, Beano also noted:

Ironically, all this excitement about Penn State doesn't exist if Michael Robinson doesn't hit Isaac Smolko for 20 yards on fourth-and-15 deep in PSU territory with two minutes left at Northwestern. If PSU finishes unbeaten, that will be the most important play of the year.

Once again, Beano is on the mark.

MORE CHATS

Mike Robinson was on ESPN Insider today and The Post handled a lot of Nittany Lions questions in their weekly College Football chat.

TELEVISION

D.C.'s Channel 7 WJLA must have heard about the kind of ratings (second highest in the network's history for college football) that ESPN got for last Saturday's PSU game and wised up, because they are televising the 3:30 p.m. game. Way to go WJLA! Just do not take the wrong feed like the last time the two teams met in 2002.

The Penn State Newswire has posted the ABC Coverage Map

PREDICTIONS

Another tough task for the Nittany Lions this week. Michigan, while down (3 - 3) is still...Michigan. The game is at Ann Arbor, which may not be after 100,000 quietest college football fans after all the press Penn State got last week. They are having a MAIZE-OUT as well, so expect to see lots of people wearing yellow.

Despite this and a sure to be fired up Wolverines squad, I predict that Penn State will end the nine-year losing streak by a score of...let's say 31 - 24. Look for Issac Smolko to have a bigger factor in the passing game.

MORE LINKS

Here are the old reliable links to coverage:

Penn State Football Official Site - from the "Kremlin"

CDT coverage

Patriot-News coverage

Post-Gazette coverage

Tribune-Review coverage

50 Yard Lion Blog - an Altoona dentist; daily

PA Sports Blog - mostly recruiting, if that is your thing

Nittany Lines Blog -- sports ed. from The Morning Call

Dan Victor's Front Row -- student football columnist at the CDT

Ask Jeff Q & A

FightOnState.com -- free

Blue White Illustrated -- Phil Grosz, subscription required

IN CLOSING

Go STATE, beat Michigan!

Labels: Beano Cook, Beano Watch, PSU Football 2005

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posted by WFY @ 8:44 PM | |

Say it with me kids...

...ANN ARBOR IS A WHORE!

And even though we're not from O-hi-o, we should also not give a damn for the whole state of Michigan.

# posted by  Spooky : Friday, October 14, 2005 6:19:00 AM  

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