USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll: Team By Team Breakdown (Part II)

Analyst Written on August 04, 2008

(Page 8 of 9)

Prediction: While Jim Leavitt’s program began to bear some fruit last season, he can’t let it distract from the stellar recruiting that got him there. Even with the tough schedule, look for the Bulls to be in the hunt for a Big East title all the way into December when they take on West Virginia.

22. Penn State 9-4 313

Every year will be Joe Paterno’s last year coaching Penn State football, yet he is entering season number forty three. Almost every off season in State College is dominated with the Joe Pa watch, and Paterno would probably have preferred that over the legal issues some of his players faced instead. It seems that the veteran coach decided rather to eliminate the distractions by booting defensive tackles Chris Baker and Phil Taylor off the team.

The next big story will be about who will start as the Nittany Lions' quarterback between Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin. All indications from camp suggest that they could alternate at the position, bringing a unique offensive element to Happy Valley. The good news is that either quarterback should be well protected by a veteran line.

Besides having two tackles removed involuntarily, the Lion defense also suffered big loss when linebacker Sean Lee went down in the spring with a torn ACL. The defensive line seems to remain solid, but the skill position players will have to step up big to give Penn State a chance to win the Big 10.

Prediction: It remains to be seen how the off season distractions will affect the Nittany Lions and their legendary coach this year. Penn State can, however, take advantage of being in a conference that is still rebuilding to stay in the hunt for a title. Getting past Ohio State on the road will be a must win, and they still have to avoid falling to a trap game along the way. Matching last season’s nine victories, however, is an attainable goal if the Lions stay focused.

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written on August 04, 2008 Rankings/List