Bleacher Report - Articles by Pete Dymeck

Keep The Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day

Pete Dymeck — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:04:44 -0500

For those that would love to see nothing more than the Detroit Lions removed from the NFL’s programming on Thanksgiving Day, I applaud your efforts because I can not argue against most of your points.

Last year’s game was brutal. Tennessee smacked the Lions around something fierce. Before a late score by the Lions in the second quarter, the Titans were up 35-3. Everyone at home had already lost interest. At the half, many in-law’s starting arguing blue and red, Yankees and Red Sox, or Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

The Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game of 2008 destroyed more holidays than it helped, presumably.

We have to go all the way back to 2003 to find the last time Detroit won on Thanksgiving Day. Led by five field goals from Jason Hanson and a running score from Shawn Bryson, the Lions up-ended the Packers 22-14.

So much has changed since then for Detroit. They have gone 0-16. Joey Harrington is no longer their quarterback. Shaun Rogers, Dre Bly, and Robert Porcher no longer play defense for the Lions. Az-Zahir Hakim is long gone.

The Lions in 2009 look good but their record doesn’t say so. Who doesn’t like Matthew Stafford’ toughness? How about Calvin Johnson’s finesse or Kevin Smith’s hard-nosed running? Unfortunately though, tomorrow the Lions may be without Stafford and Johnson.

Regardless, the Lions go together with Thanksgiving just like how Snoopy is synonymous with Charlie Brown.

So much has changed in the NFL through the years, from the two-point conversion to instant replay, that the thought of the Lions no longer being on the tube on Thanksgiving makes me cringe. The NFL Draft is no longer the same format. We have the ever-excessive “Tom Brady” rule. Can we please keep one thing the same and keep the lousy Lions on Thanksgiving Day?

Growing up as a Philadelphia Eagles fan, I know all about tough times. The Eagles are just an interstate’s drive away from the city of Pittsburgh where six Lombardi trophies linger in their halls. In America, we used to like the little guy. We used to adore those from the bottom trying to make it to the top.

The Statue of Liberty bears a quote which states:

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

It is time to reignite the lamp beside the golden door and welcome the Lions back into our homes. These aren’t Matt Millen’s Lions anymore. These guys play with heart. Did you happen to see Matt Stafford last week? Do you remember last year when running back Kevin Smith set aside the prospect of rushing for 1,000 yards in the final week of the season in order to get a win. He tried. They tried.

They have failed. They are up on one knee right now though, thanks to Matt Stafford. With a little more help, the Lions will be dusting themselves off. They have the perfect opportunity to turn themselves into the perfect from “rags to riches” story for the NFL.

In as difficult times as these may be with a deepening recession, high prospects of worsening inflation, and worries of continued job-loss, it is time for us again to root for the little guy.

Regardless of how bad they have been this decade, or the decade before, or since they traded Bobby Layne to the Pittsburgh Steelers, let’s open up for the Lions and cheer our you-know-what’s off for them tomorrow, even if you are a Packers fan.

I again declare, keep the Lions where they belong, on Thanksgiving Day.

Pete Dymeck is the owner of Boiled Bacon , one of the hottest sports blogs on the web. Find out how you can win prizes for guess the most college bowl games correct through the Bacon Bowl Challenge .

Titans' Chris Johnson Running Away with MVP Award

Pete Dymeck — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:48:54 -0500

Who is more deserving of the NFL's Most Valuable Player award, Peyton Manning or Drew Brees? That is the topic today. Meanwhile, the best running back in the NFL is on the outside looking in.

No, I am not talking about Adrian Peterson. I am talking about Chris Johnson. Pound for pound, Johnson has accomplished as much, if not more, than Adrian Peterson.

As it stands today, Chris Johnson is doing something that no other running back has done since Mercury Morris did it for the Dolphins in 1973—average at least 6.7 yards per carry.

The fact of the matter is that the Tennessee Titans, as dreadful as their season has been, are in the midst of a season like no other from their starting running back.

Johnson also leads the NFL with 959 rushing yards. The next best is Cincinnati's Cedric Benson with 122-yards less than Johnson.

If that weren't impressive enough, Johnson has accomplished these feats with opposing defenses keying in on him, trying to prevent him from success through the ground game. Since the Titans have been one-dimensional basically all season, the lack of a passing game still has not hurt Johnson's production obviously.

A debate could rage on as to why Peyton Manning and Drew Brees are deserving of the offensive MVP award as well but the cake has to go to Johnson.

Johnson can compare to Barry Sanders because Sanders was usually mentioned among the offensive MVP candidates despite playing for a team that lost more than they won in Detroit.

Johnson's effective running skills only complement what he can do as a receiver. He already has 21 receptions for 162 yards.

At the rate Johnson is going, he will finish the season with 1,918 rushing yards, 324 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns. Since 1985, only three running backs have rushed for that many yards or more in a single season—Jamal Lewis (2003), Terrell Davis (1998), and Barry Sanders (1997).

The argument will be made though that if you take Peyton Manning or Drew Brees off of their respective teams, those teams will not perform as well as they have or will with the aforementioned quarterbacks behind center.

While that is true, the fact of the matter lies in that the award is given to the player that is most valuable in the league for that year. An argument could be then given, in any year, that Peyton Manning or Drew Brees or Tom Brady, etc., should be the MVP.

The problem is that that the media is too quick to give the award to a quarterback.

Chris Johnson is running past everyone at his position in Usain Bolt-like action, while putting up numbers far superior rushing-wise as compared to what Manning and Brees are doing passing the ball.

Neither Manning or Brees lead the NFL in passing yards. Brees is tied with Matt Schaub for most touchdowns thrown. Brees leads the NFL in efficiency while Manning is third.

We can offer no disrespect to what the gunslingers for the Saints and Colts have accomplished this year but it is time the rest of the media and America for that matter gets on board the Chris Johnson bandwagon.

Former Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis may not reach the Hall of Fame due to his shortened career but his unforgettable season in 1998 is still talked about and admired, whether you are a Denver fan or an Oakland Raiders fan.

With how Chris Johnson has started out 2009, if he can continue to keep up this pace, the 2009 season will be unforgettable as well. We might not "remember the Titans" of 2009 but we will admire what Johnson was able to accomplish in such a downtrodden year for his franchise, the Tennessee Titans.

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Pete Dymeck's is a freelance journalist and his blog is at BoiledBacon.com. Visit Boiled Bacon to see his off-colored rants on everything in sports, from Sammy Sosa to Larry Johnson.

The Decade's Most Overrated College Football Programs

Pete Dymeck — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:11:50 -0500

We are less than two months away from the dawn of a new decade. The past ten years have brought to our attention a new outlook on life. The Southeastern Conference is as dominant as ever while the Big Ten continues to buoy in mediocrity. We continue to reinforce the belief that preseason college football polls are worthless. Actually, any poll before October is practically useless. Also, if you can't win the big game, you are useless as well. Many schools are given respect based on their prestige from 10, 20, or sometimes even 30 years ago. That train of thought needs to go as well. Some of the most overrated college football programs have let everyone down this decade. Looking back on the decade that was, I see an entire flock of overrated football programs with nothing to show for since the Y2K bug scared the hell out of us.

Begin Slideshow

Penn State Fans Love Cupcakes Just As Much As Joe Paterno

Pete Dymeck — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:46:50 -0500

Penn State was not ready for the physicality that Ohio State brought to the table tonight. Even with a beat up offensive line, the Buckeyes punched Penn State in the mouth and told them to go sit in the corner.

Even with the statistical anomalies favoring Penn State, Ohio State stood on the chest of the Nittany Lion and proclaimed Beaver Stadium as conquered land.

Terrelle Pryor brought with him some cages of crow for every Penn State fan that shut him out for choosing Columbus over State College. He declared "Eat up folks, it only gets worse!"

Meanwhile, Joe Paterno and his staff are hobbling off of the gridiron. They are hobbling not because of the beat down layed upon them by Ohio State, but because their stomach's are full from all of the cupcakes they have eaten... And it showed.

The old motto "to be the best, you have to beat the best" still prevails in college football.

How can any Penn State fan or supporter seriously state that they are as good as Georgia Tech, Miami Fl., Pittsburgh, or Brigham Young? While the cupcakes sure taste good (see Penn State's eight wins) they only come back to hurt you in the end.

If a person eats too many cupcakes throughout life, they end up losing in the long-run. Diabetes sets in, high cholesterol strikes, and obesity occurs. At one point you may have felt great but those cupcakes satisfied you.

If a college football team only competes against cupcakes, they end up not being prepared for what a good football team brings to the table. Strength, speed, endurance, coaching decisions, and intelligence wins out.

Penn State can not continue to play cupcakes and expect to gain respect on a national-stage, especially when you falter in your big games.

The expected response from Penn State fans will be "but we play Alabama the next two seasons." Yes, well, Penn State sneaked that one in on you because during those two seasons, Michigan is off of the schedule.

The typical response to that will be "but Michigan is not as good as they used to be." True, but when the schedule was made, they were still a national powerhouse. So, you remove one loss from your schedule in order to fill it with another and try to claim that you are attempting to schedule big-time games instead of cupcakes.

Don't give me that "well, Temple is 7-2" poppycock either. I am saluting Owls head coach Al Golden for the turn-around down in the streets of North Philadelphia but the fact of the matter remains... where are the real opponents?

Like I said, eating cupcakes is bittersweet. You enjoy the pleasure of adding wins to your resume meanwhile the side effects linger. The side effects of not getting hit by a Florida linebacker or getting chased down by a Texas defensive back hurt you when you go into big games.

Playing better competition makes you better.

Where is the Penn State from the 1950s that scheduled Nebraska even if the Cornhuskers were on top of their game?

Where is the Penn State from the 1960s that faced Missouri, Navy, Oregon, UCLA, and California?

Where is the Penn State from the 1970s that went toe-to-toe with TCU, Tennessee, Stanford, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Kentucky, SMU, Texas A&M, and Nebraska?

Where is the Penn State from the 1980s that went to battle, willingly, with Nebraska, Miami Fl., Alabama, Iowa, Texas, Notre Dame, and Southern Cal?

How about the early 1990s when the Nittany Lions took on Georgia Tech, Texas, Miami Fl., Brigham Young, and Southern Cal?

Penn State was much better off as an independent. The Big Ten was getting weaker and wished to expand to include then-independent Penn State to make it tougher, stronger, more respectable.

It worked from a marketing standpoint since the Big 12 was formed out of the Big 8 and SWC, although it left TCU out in the cold.

Still, the Big Ten is nowhere near as tough as the Big 12 or SEC. Just because the Big Ten has a rich history that preceded the 1990s and after does not mean that the conference gets a pass as a difficult league.

Penn State joined the league of cupcakes, known mostly as the Big Ten in 1993. If you start at 1993 and trace backwards, you will not find a recognized national champion from the Big Ten until 1968 when the Ohio State Buckeyes were crowned national champs by the Associated Press.

Read that again.

From 1968 to 1993, only once was a Big Ten school crowned as national champion.

That means, from 1969 to 1997 when Michigan received a share of the national championship, the Big Ten did not have any national champions.

In the mean time, here are some of the schools not named Alabama, Oklahoma, Miami, and Notre Dame that had won championships while the Big Ten failed to compete with the rest of the country:

Pitt Panthers—1976
Georgia Bulldogs—1980
Clemson Tigers—1981
Brigham Young Cougars—1984
Colorado Buffaloes—1990
Washington Huskies—1991

I am sick and tired of being sick and tired of the whining and complaining about respect from Penn State fans and Big Ten fans alike. The only powerhouse on a national stage in the Big Ten is Ohio State and as of late, they have had their bells tolled in BCS games and in regular season games by Southern Cal.

Since 2001, the only big-time programs Penn State has faced were Miami Fl., Nebraska (on a down-slide), and Notre Dame. Those games were during down-years in the Penn State program. The so-called "Dark Times of the Early Century" so-to speak as Penn State did not bounce back onto the scene until 2005.

Since 2005, the Nittany Lions have just 12 regular season losses. During that span, the only non-conference ranked opponent they faced was No. 4 Notre Dame in 2006. Guess what? Penn State lost that game 41-17.

Since that loss, Penn State's non-conference opponents have consisted of Youngstown State, Temple, Florida International, Buffalo, Coastal Carolina, Oregon State, Syracuse, Akron, and Eastern Illinois.

The golden calf of that group is the Oregon State Beavers.

Since 2005, only 12 times have the Nittany Lions faced ranked opponents from inside the Big Ten. They have played 38 Big Ten games during that span.

Is the Big Ten a cupcake conference itself? Aside from the Michigan Wolverines of the Lloyd Carr era and prior, the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the re-surging but flimsy Iowa Hawkeyes, yes it is.

Penn State can only blame themselves.

They schedule cupcakes to generate more hype because of the wins. More wins equals more money in college football, so Penn State just keeps the cycle going, not knowing that the Big Ten only invited the Nittany Lions in to the league to help bring back its prestige.

Unknowingly, Penn State obliged, and now is feeling the repercussions.

When Penn State schedules Alabama and Michigan in the same year, or if the add the Georgia Tech's and South Carolina's of the world to the schedule, only then will they regain some respect.

One of these days, a school like Temple is going to march into Penn State and turn Happy Valley upside down.

They say you are what you eat. Well, Penn State is a cupcake compared to the rest of big-time college football because that is the only place where they can get their wins.

Hate it or love it but numbers do not lie.

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Check out Pete Dymeck's blog at BoiledBacon.com . Eat Bacon. Talk Sports.

Six Reasons Why Ohio State Stands No Chance Of Beating Penn State

Pete Dymeck — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:41:02 -0500

Penn State will host Ohio State today in what will headline today's action around the world of college football. With BCS implications on the line, as well as respect, these two hard-hitting programs will look to put each other to work.

Instead, this will be a one-sided affair. Penn State has been on cruise control since its loss to Iowa while Ohio State has had a few bumps in the road since losing to USC.

Reason No. 1

Penn State's scoring defense is No. 1 in the country. They allow only 9.3 points per game. The Nittany Lions defense, led by defensive tackle Jared Odrick, is the only defense in the country allowing less than 10 points a game. The next best is Florida allowing 11 points per game.

Reason No. 2

Reason No. 2 is because of No. 2 himself, Terrelle Pryor. I have said for over a year that the guy is overrated and I stand here today yet to be corrected. His play on the field has been indecisive, boring, and flat-out bad. Seriously, I know the kid is young. I have seen him every Saturday morning plastered on the local news because of the night before in high school. Still though, he will struggle to create plays. A lot of his play will be poor because of Reason No. 3.

Reason No. 3

Ohio State's offensive line is battered, beat up, and broke down. Penn State is second in the nation in sacks, one shy of Pittsburgh with 32 total. In his last four Big Ten games, Pryor has been sacked 11 times. Ohio State's offensive line has its toughest task of the season ahead of them and if the Purdue game is any indicator, Pryor will be running for his life today in Beaver Stadium.

Remember, Purdue sacked Pryor five times and Ohio State lost that game.

Reason No. 4

On the flip side, Penn State's offensive line has come together after a rough start to the season. It has allowed just three sacks in their last five games. Dennis Landolt, the senior left tackle, is collecting more pancakes than the Waffle Shop on College Avenue.

Reason No. 5

Ohio State's rushing attack misses Beanie Wells because Brandon Saine, Daniel Herron, and Jordan Hall are not getting the job done. Also, Pryor is the team's leading rusher. That is not Ohio State football. Ohio State has a great history with running backs who have donned the red and silver. Archie Griffin. Eddie George. Maurice Clarett. Beanie Wells. There have been so many through the years too. If Ohio State can't run the ball with their running backs, they will be in trouble.

Penn State also has the No. 5 run defense in America. The Nittany Lions are allowing just 2.64 yards per carry. Penn State will play the run and dare Ohio State to let Pryor beat them throwing the ball. In Ohio State's last four games, Pryor is completing just 48.3 percent of his passes.

Reason No. 6

The final reason as to why Ohio State will not beat Penn State is because of No. 6 himself, Derek Moye. Moye, Penn State's leading receiver is No. 5 in receiving yards per game in the Big Ten. He brings big play-capabilities to the Penn State offense. Of receivers with at least 35 receptions, Moye is one of the leaders in yards per reception by averaging 16.6 yards per reception.

In his last three games, Moye has tallied 18 receptions for 296 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has reached paydirt in three of his last four games as well. Ohio State has the 14th best passing defense in America though.

Look for Moye to continue his breakout season in spectacular form today as Penn State rolls over Ohio State.

Prediction

Too many things go against Ohio State today. From the injuries on the offensive line to Pryor's poor play this season, the Nittany Lions have an incredible edge in today's game. These two schools have split their last four meetings. Penn State will win by at least one touchdown & one field goal today.

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Check out Pete Dymeck's blog at BoiledBacon.com. The hottest topics of late have been Terrelle Pryor, Kobe Bryant, and Sam Bradford.

Louisiana Tech Can Fix BCS By Beating Boise State Tonight

Pete Dymeck — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:45:40 -0500

There are an abundance of issues with the Bowl Championship Series from who gets in, to how they get in. Usually, however, the BCS corrects itself through upsets.

For the most part, the teams that get into the BCS do so with little controversy, although there is always a reason to go to blows with the system itself.

Tonight, Boise State travels to Louisiana Tech in a game of epic proportions. Seriously,this will be the last game where Boise State could go home defeated.

Wins don't come easily at Louisiana Tech, especially under the lights in Ruston.

Louisiana Tech is 3-0 at home this season. The Bulldogs are 11-1 in their last 12 games at home.

Since 2003, Boise State has lost just 10 games, but they have all come on the road, away from Boise.

Luckily for the Broncos, the Bulldogs may be without running back Daniel Porter and wide receiver Phillip Livas. Both Porter and Livas are 50-50 to go after being injured in last week's loss at Idaho.

Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore is a dark horse Heisman candidate. His best games have all come on the road. In Boise, Moore has 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. On the road, he has 13 touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Even Las Vegas thinks Louisiana Tech doesn't have a chance.

Still, with their backs to the ropes, the Bulldogs usually find a way to win at home under the lights. Their home record precedes them and everyone in America aren't even going to watch this game because they think Boise State will treat Louisiana Tech like a shopping cart and push them around.

Despite its faults, unknown powers have been able to "push" the best teams into the national championship more times than not. Take for instance, last year when Iowa knocked off then-undefeated Penn State. If Penn State beats Iowa, they likely run the table and create a controversy within the halls of the BCS.

The question remains: Will Lousiana Tech beat Boise State tonight? My money isn't saying so, but then again, crazier things have happened. Everything from total defense to total offense, points in the direction that this should be a blowout, but I am second-guessing that belief system.

Everything that is known conventionally is thrown out of the window when a fellow-WAC school travels to Ruston, La. to bang heads with the Bulldogs. Boise State, ranked No. 7 in the BCS poll, is no exception.

Chris Peterson's Boise State Broncos are officially on upset alert.

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You can check out Pete Dymeck's blog at BoiledBacon.com . Eat Bacon. Talk Sports.

Texas-Alabama Collision Highlights 2010 Bowl Projections

Pete Dymeck — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:25:43 -0400

The season is halfway over and we still have a ton of things to settle. Using picks and trends as well as projections to forecast the 2009-2010 bowls, you will see that the BCS formula will work itself out of its kinks and bring to us a very good set of watchable programming.

First thing you might notice is Boise State is projected to play in the New Mexico Bowl. I have them losing at home versus Idaho on November 14.

Also, for all of you football diehards, there are some great matchups, including the Holiday Bowl, Sun Bowl, Outback Bowl, Capital One Bowl, and Alamo Bowl.

This will get you in the mood for bowl season, even if we are a little more than two months away.

12/19/2009

New Mexico Bowl – Colorado State vs. Boise State

St. Petersburg Bowl – Rutgers vs. SMU

12/20/09

New Orleans Bowl – Southern Miss vs. Louisiana-Lafayette

12/22/2009

Las Vegas Bowl – Stanford vs. BYU

12/23/2009

Poinsettia Bowl – Air Force vs. Arizona

12/24/2009

Hawaii Bowl – UTEP vs. Louisiana Tech

12/26/2009

Emerald Bowl – North Carolina State vs. California

Meineke Car Care Bowl – Clemson vs. West Virginia

Little Caesars Bowl – Temple vs. Indiana

12/27/2009

Music City Bowl – Boston College vs. Minnesota*

12/28/2009

Independence Bowl – Arkansas vs. Kansas State

12/29/2009

Champs Sports Bowl – Maryland vs. Michigan State

EagleBank Bowl – North Carolina vs. Toledo

12/30/2009

Holiday Bowl – Texas Tech vs. Oregon

Humanitarian Bowl – Wyoming vs. Idaho

Texas Bowl – Navy vs. Missouri

12/31/2009

Armed Forces Bowl – Utah vs. East Carolina

Sun Bowl – Arizona State vs. Pittsburgh

Insight Bowl – Nebraska vs. Wisconsin

Chick-Fil-A Bowl – Wake Forest vs. Georgia

1/1/2010

Outback Bowl – Ole Miss vs. Michigan

Capital One Bowl – Ohio State vs. LSU

Gator Bowl – Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame

Rose Bowl – Iowa vs. USC

Sugar Bowl – Florida vs. Miami Fl.

1/2/2010

Cotton Bowl – Kansas vs. South Carolina

Liberty Bowl – Houston vs. Auburn

International Bowl – UConn vs. Ohio

PapaJohns.com Bowl – Tennessee vs. South Florida

Alamo Bowl – Penn State vs. Oklahoma

1/4/2010

Fiesta Bowl – TCU vs. Oklahoma State

1/5/2010

Orange Bowl – Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech

1/6/2010

GMAC Bowl – Florida State vs. Central Michigan

1/7/2010

BCS National Championship – Texas vs. Alabama

Mid-Season All-American Team: Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen Leads the Elite

Pete Dymeck — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:03:15 -0400

We are inches past the halfway point in the 2009 season and thus it has been a roller-coaster ride.

Oklahoma's Sam Bradford will opt to have surgery on his shoulder which has deteriorated more quickly than the Detroit economy.

Fans from Ohio State are not so quick to defend quarterback Terrelle Pryor's play on the field anymore.

Boise State, Iowa, Cincinnati, and TCU are all ranked in the top ten of the Bowl Championship Series rankings. Penn State, Virginia Tech, Ohio State and Oklahoma are not.

California's Jahvid Best has fallen off of the map after rushing for five touchdowns at Minnesota.

Notre Dame's offensive strategy is officially a mess. Charlie Weiss is officially on the hot seat, and quarterback Jimmy Clausen has officially saved his head coach's job at least twice this season, with no thanks to the playbook.

Regardless, how the BCS rankings stand today will not matter at the end of November.

One thing that usually does not change too much is the mid-season All-American lists.

Instead of sticking with the obvious, I will bring a harsh reality view into who should be honored and why. Those that disregard the mainstream media on these kind of views will love this.

First Team All-America: Offense

OT Jason Fox - Miami Hurricanes

Fox has anchored an offensive line in Miami that has been shredded in years' past. In 2009, it has become one of the better lines in protecting the quarterback and ensuring that 'Canes passer Jacory Harris stays within reach of the Heisman Trophy discussion.

OG Jeff Byers - USC Trojans

Jeff Byers is the "Van Wilder" of college football. I swear he has been around forever. 2009 is his sixth-year of eligibility and Byers looks better than he was before all of his injuries.

OC John Estes - Hawaii Warriors

You may have never heard of this guy but if you get a chance to catch Hawaii on your flatscreen TV, watch how Estes dominates the opposing interior linemen. He would be earning his due within the mainstream media if he played for Florida, USC, or Texas.

OG Mike Johnson - Alabama Crimson Tide

No offensive line is as dominant in the nation as Alabama's. They keep the chains moving and keep the opposing defense on the field. Mike Johnson can be credited as the leader of this unit. He is often seen pancaking defenders while paving the way for 'Bama running back Mark Ingram.

OT Dace Richardson - Iowa Hawkeyes

After missing most of 2007 and all of 2008 with injuries, Dace Richardson has bounced back onto the scene as the foremost unknown offensive tackle in football. He is one of the main cogs for a Hawkeyes squad that controls their own destiny in regards to running the table.

TE Aaron Hernandez - Florida Gators

Hernandez has more of an impact for the Florida Gators than tight end Dennis Pitta has for the BYU Cougars. Hernandez can be utilized with the shuffle pass, out of the backfield, or on screens and gadget plays. Hernandez has bailed Tim Tebow's offense out when it mattered most.

WR Golden Tate - Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame's "golden child," properly named Golden Tate is averaging 135 total yards per game. He has torched anybody and everybody as his quarterback Jimmy Clausen has leaned on him in crucial moments.

WR Freddie Barnes - Bowling Green Falcons

Ideally, many will point to the system Barnes plays in but let's look at the numbers. Barnes, through seven games, has hauled in 85 receptions. The next closest is Keith Smith at Purdue with 54 receptions. At 6'2", Barnes has the best hands we may have ever seen on the collegiate level. He just does not drop a pass.

WR Mardy Gilyard - Cincinnati Bearcats

No one has a clue about Cincinnati outside of their star quarterback Tony Pike. Well, senior wide receiver Mardy Gilyard is having one of the best seasons for a wide-out in America that one can have. He averages 113 total yards per game and has scored nine total touchdowns through six outings.

RB Toby Gerhart - Stanford Cardinal

When a defense can stop Gerhart for four quarters, let me know. Gerhart has trampled, demolished, and broken defenses now for two years in a row but is only now gaining some recognition. He is fifth nationally in rushing.

RB Ryan Williams - Virginia Tech Hokies

This freshman will lose some star-power in regards to the Heisman Trophy since the Hokies now have two losses on the year but it is remarkable that his numbers are comparable to Adrian Peterson's of his freshman season.

QB Jimmy Clausen - Notre Dame Fighting Irish

How about Jimmy Clausen rebounding after his first two years, two difficult years, as the starting quarterback in South Bend. Things are not easy as the playcalling has been questionable but Clausen has persevered and shouldered this team to a 4-2 record.

First Team All-America: Defense

DE Jerry Hughes - TCU Horned Frogs

As a junior, Jerry Hughes led the nation in sacks while making the Horned Frogs a top ten team in America without having BCS credentials. Now as a senior, he has eight sacks through six games and the Horned Frogs control their own destiny in terms of the BCS.

DT Ndamukong Suh - Nebraska Cornhuskers

No player on defense has had the kind of impact Suh has had in the Big 12 for his Nebraska 'Huskers. This big man is toying with defenders. He even has an interception this year.

DT Jared Odrick - Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State's defense ranks fifth nationally and it can all be attributed to the play of defensive tackle Jared Odrick. Penn State lacks an elite pass rush from its defensive ends but Odrick has made up the difference by punishing opponents via the interior.

DE Nick Perry - USC Trojans

This freshman is might be playing in sunny southern California but he is making his hometown of Detroit, Michigan smile bright. He is dominating the trenches and earning his stripes while putting up numbers in sacks that could land him as nation's top sack leader by season's end.

LB Rolando McClain - Alabama Crimson Tide

6.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks, and two interceptions later, McClain is proving that he is the most gifted linebacker in America. At a jaw-dropping 6'4", 258 lbs., McClain has lined up as an inside linebacker, outside linebacker, and even defensive end this season.

LB Eric Norwood - South Carolina Gamecocks

After accumulating six sacks through his first four games, Norwood has been awfully quiet in terms of knocking the quarterback down. He has been forced to help more in the run-stopping department. Still, Norwood has played up to the skill level necessary to dominate in the SEC.

LB Greg Jones - Michigan State Spartans

Greg Jones is the best tackler in football. He leads the nation with 85 tackles through seven games. Add in his five sacks and we have a recipe for Michigan State that would blow all other defensive chef's out of the water in the Big Ten.

LB Travis Lewis - Oklahoma Sooners

Lewis is not producing with sacks like we though he would but as a tackler and helping stop the run and prevent opponents from making crucial passing plays on third and long, Lewis foots the bill as one of the top four linebackers nationally. He is always mixing it up on a crucial down.

S Max Suter - Syracuse Orange

Odds are that you have never read this guy's name or seen any of his tackles. Suter has 50 tackles this year. He also has one interception. Suter can be found making plays anywhere on the turf as he has the best lateral quickness in America next to the other safety on this list.

CB Amari Spievey - Iowa Hawkeyes

With two touchdowns and 32 tackles under his belt, coaches are becoming with Spievey more and more as the leaves continue to change colors. Spievey has shut-down every wide receiver he has went up against the last two seasons.

CB Brandon Harris - Miami Hurricanes

If there is a five-tool cornerback in the country, it is Brandon Harris. He is fundamentally sound as a tackler, can grab the interception, force a fumble, make a stop for a loss against the running back, and sack a quarterback. He is leading the way for Miami's defensive resurgence at "Cornerback U."

S Eric Berry - Tennessee Volunteers

Enough has been publicized about Eric Berry for people to know that he is the real deal. This year, he has eclipsed USC's Taylor Mays as the best safety in the country. Just look at the film from the Florida-Tennessee game and you will see how much of an impact Berry has had for the Vols defense.

First Team All-America: Special Teams

KR C.J. Spiller - Clemson Tigers

His straight-line speed from end zone to end zone registers in light years. C.J. Spiller is averaging almost 38 yards per kick return.

PR Antonio Brown - Central Michigan Chippewas

This Miami native has two punts returned for a touchdown so far this season. He is also averaging 21 yards per return for CMU.

K Leigh Tiffin - Alabama Crimson Tide

Tiffin is a steady resource of points if the Crimson Tide offense falters in the red zone due to the inexperience of quarterback Greg McElroy. Tiffin has a touchback percentage of 14%.

P Drew Butler - Georgia Bulldogs

Drew Butler leads the nation in average yards per punt at a little more than 49 yards per try.

Penn State Nittany Lions-Michigan Wolverines: The 2009 Edition

Pete Dymeck — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:43:45 -0400

In order to change course, one must stand in the way of adversity and overcome it by leaps and bounds. This coming Saturday, both Penn State and Michigan have an opportunity to do so at the "Big House."

The Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1, 2-1) enter Ann Arbor slotted at No. 13 in the first release of the Bowl Championship Series rankings. The Michigan Wolverines (5-2, 1-2) are looking to avoid starting 1-3 within the Big Ten for the second consecutive season.

Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions are 1-10 in their last eleven meetings with the Wolverines. Also, Penn State has not won at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor since 1996.

It has been thirteen years since Penn State fans have had a reason to celebrate Penn State traveling up to Michigan.

The only difference now is that Lloyd Carr is no longer head coach of Michigan. Rich Rodriguez is in charge and Nittany Lions' fans can grasp onto the fact that Penn State is undefeated, albeit 1-0, against Rodriguez's Michigan squad.

Plenty of variables will decide this game.

Penn State's offense is anchored by senior quarterback Daryll Clark. Since Penn State's loss to Iowa—where Clark threw three interceptions—he has scored eight total touchdowns and threw just one interception.

Clark will have an opportunity to better his numbers and improve on his reputation when he looks downfield and sees the 80th-ranked pass defense in Michigan. They are allowing 232.9 passing yards per game. To their credit though, they have given up just six touchdowns through the air while tallying seven interceptions.

The key component of the Penn State "Spread HD" offense is the ground attack though. Penn State starting tailback Evan Royster is third in the Big Ten in rushing. In Penn State's last four wins, Royster has averaged 117.4 rushing yards. He just does not have a nose for the end zone, totaling four rushing touchdowns in seven games.

Through seven games a year ago Royster had rushed for nine touchdowns.

Royster is complemented by the speedster Stephfon Green. He has the kind of skill set that many running backs can only dream of having—great vision, world-class speed.

The key for the Penn State offense will be how well its offensive line can hold up against a Michigan defense that can apply adequate pressure on a quarterback. We have already seen Clark get rattled to the point where he is rushing his throws and tosses interceptions.

Michigan's defense has just 10 sacks on the season but do not let those numbers fool you. Defensive end Brandon Graham is hungry and ready to tear into Penn State offensive tackle Dennis Landolt.

Penn State's offensive line sprung a leak early in the season and it cost them versus Iowa but has since been reshuffled. They are 23rd nationally and second in the Big Ten in sacks allowed.

Defensively, Penn State is No. 1 in scoring defense, tied with Florida, and No. 5 in total defense nationally.

They are held down in the middle by senior defensive tackle Jared Odrick. Backing him up are linebackers Navorro Bowman and Sean Lee. Both Bowman and Lee have battled with injuries this season, but are still considered as top linebackers not only in the Big Ten but across the nation as well.

Penn State has eight interceptions on the year but if anyone lets them down, it will be its secondary, provided Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier has time to throw the ball.

The Nittany Lions have allowed just three passing touchdowns through seven outings.

For Michigan, it will all boil down to whether or not quarterback Forcier can keep the Wolverines in the ball game. Michigan is 25th nationally in total offense. They are one dimensional though.

Penn State's defense will key in on the ground attack, led by Forcier and running back Brandon Minor. They will put eight defenders in the box and dare Michigan to beat them passing. Michigan is ranked 85th in the nation in passing.

Forcier is completing 57.9 percent of his passes. He has just four interceptions while reaching pay dirt via the air nine times.

Carlos Brown's health is a major question mark for Michigan. Will he be the same Carlos Brown that we seen before his concussion that sidelined him against Iowa?

Wide receiver Martavious Odoms is the most productive receiver for Michigan. He has been up and down but coach Rodriguez will look for him to exploit the Penn State secondary.

Defensively, we have already seen defensive end Brandon Graham's name get mentioned for Michigan. He leads the defense with 12 tackles for a loss. Linebacker Obi Ezeh will have to have a larger role in the defense.

A lot was expected out of Ezeh this year but he has yet to produce. He has just one game of five solo tackles or more this season.

Junior cornerback Donovan Warren is the star for Michigan's secondary. He has three interceptions, one which was returned for six points.

Other than Warren though, the rest of the secondary is suspect but should match up well against an inexperienced group of Penn State wideouts.

Penn State has converted on 56.7 percent of third downs, which is third best in the nation. Michigan is allowing just a 34.51 percent conversion rate on third down.

The Wolverines are 88th nationally in turnover margin while Penn State sits at 67th.

Michigan has an overwhelming edge on special teams. They average 23.84 yards per kick return while Penn State ranks 119th (out of 120 schools) in the same category.

Penn State is also allowing an average of 22.66 yards per kick return as well.

Both of these schools are at a crossroads.

Michigan is looking to bounce back within the Big Ten and avoid losing their third out of their last four games. Michigan is definitely moving the chains with their rebuilding phase but a win over Penn State will earn them a considerable amount of respect.

Meanwhile, Penn State is digging for respectability as they sit on the outside looking in with the BCS rankings. The Nittany Lions can still salvage their season but they can not take this one for granted.

Also, Penn State wants to win its first game at Michigan since 1996.

The bottom line is that this game will come down to who makes the fewest mistakes. While that line may be overused, it works perfectly with the Penn State-Michigan series.

Penn State passer Clark can not get in a tizzy over the Michigan blitzing scheme.The offensive line must play like they have since the Illinois game.

The Wolverines must keep Penn State's offense off of the field and if they accomplish this, against the fifth best defense in America, they have a good shot at upsetting the Nittany Lions.

Finally, Penn State should squeak out a win in a hard-fought inter-conference battle between rivals as long as the scoreboard operator does not credit the Wolverines with :02 seconds.

A Collection of Freshman to Familiarize Yourself with in College Football

Pete Dymeck — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:57:35 -0400

2009 has been a year for breakout performances by freshman quarterbacks, freshman running backs, and freshmen everywhere else. Two of the top six rushers in the nation are freshman. Meanwhile, more freshman are guiding some of the upstarts in college football to an incredible season thus far, including USC quarterback Matt Barkley and Cincinnati outside linebacker Walter Stewart. This may be a glimpse into what the future of college football has in store for all of us fans while at the same time giving us a collection of noteworthy freshman having a noteworthy season.

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Stabilizing the Ring of Fire: A New Formula For the BCS

Pete Dymeck — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:17:00 -0400

The Bowl Championship Series is the most debated topic in all of sports on both the collegiate and professional level.

Each year we have some level of controversy and conspiracy. It does not matter. Last year, it was whether or not the undefeated Boise State Broncos should have earned a BCS bid. A controversy around Missouri-Kansas swarmed the BCS the year before last.

Still, we go on, supporting this fraudulent system in place like there is nothing wrong with it, but the only time the BCS is discussed is when it is being looked down upon by people from all walks of life.

Why even debate the thought of a playoff system? You know it is never going to happen. Well, at least not within the next five to six years.

In the time being, we must become aware of what our hand is, show our poker face, and come to terms on how to fix this broken system and how the teams are ranked.

The theory I am about to introduce is no more complicated than swiping your prepay card at the gas pump.

First, we need to utilize the polls. Yes, the dreaded polls. We need to take the mean of every school's ranking in the two major polls (USA Today & AP) as well as add a third poll. For practical purposes, I will use my own rankings for this third poll.

What we do is take the average ranking each team has received throughout the three polls. Next, we add a single point to each schools poll average for each loss sustained.

What this means is that if a school's median poll ranking was 7.67 and said school had one loss, than their poll average would go to 8.67. If they had two losses, it would be 9.67.

From there, we would deduct a single point for each school's victory against a ranked opponent at the time. The point would be deducted from the sum of the median poll ranking and the school's total losses.

Basically it is a three-step process that would not cause too many schools to jump around through the rankings although the USA Today and AP Poll usually differ.

This would also eliminate the need for a computer ranking. This is a mysterious way to offer up a solution. No one can tell us truly how it works. With no transparency, it needs to go. Just bring in another poll.

Before we go any further, here is a link to both the AP and USA Today polls.

Here is what my current top 25 looks like:

Alabama
Florida
Texas
Virginia Tech
Boise State
Cincinnati
Miami Fl.
USC
LSU
Ohio State
Iowa
TCU
Oregon
Kansas
Notre Dame
Nebraska
South Carolina
Houston
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Georgia Tech
Penn State
BYU
Pittsburgh
Auburn

Now, we need a name for the formula state above. Since it is a three-step process, how about we call it the "Triple-Option Formula." Since each team can improve on its own destiny by winning games and not completely letting the polls determine where they stand, they have options as to how good they will be, therefore we have the "Triple-Option Formula" or TOF.

Now, by using the formula stated above, here is what the BCS rankings would look like using the TOF.

Alabama - 0.00
Florida - 0.33
Texas - 2.67
Virginia Tech - 3
Boise State - 4.33
USC - 5.33
Miami Fl. - 7
Cincinnati - 7.67
Ohio State - 9
LSU - 9.67
Iowa - 10.33
TCU - 10.67
Oregon - 13
Kansas - 15.33
Nebraska - 16
Penn State - 17.33

I think you get the picture. Now, with this new BCS strategy mixed with the hypothetical TOF, we still have a clear picture as to who is worthy of being where.

As you can see, Penn State is not rewarded for their soft non-conference schedule and the fact that they have not beaten any ranked opponents keeps them at the tail end of the BCS Top 16.

Obviously, these would change because if Alabama and Florida stay unbeaten, they will meet in the SEC Championship and someone has to lose. But, due to the prestige of both schools in this current season, by gaining one point in losing, whichever team that loses could possibly stay in the BCS National Championship picture, deservedly so.

Some people may not like that fact but just revisit the Florida-Florida State rivalry and see what happened not too long ago with those two schools.

Now, using this philosophy and the thought that the Rose Bowl still gets to keep its Pac-10/Big Ten showdown unless it is impeded by the national championship, here are what the bowl games would look like.

Orange Bowl - Boise State versus Miami Fl.

Sugar Bowl - Cincinnati versus LSU

Fiesta Bowl - Texas versus Virginia Tech

Rose Bowl - USC versus Ohio State

National Championship - Florida versus Alabama

Also, it would not reward teams that go undefeated because they played in a weak schedule as compared to the other schools. So, unless Boise State topped each poll and remained undefeated, it would be very hard for them to make it to the national championship with their schedule.

Also, if we wanted to use this formula for playoff seedings in the day that we do, somehow, see a playoff system in place, here is how the first round would look.

16. Penn State vs. 1. Alabama

15. Nebraska vs. 2. Florida

14. Kansas vs. 3. Texas

13. Oregon vs. 4. Virginia Tech

12. TCU vs. 5. Boise State

11. Iowa vs. 6. USC

10. LSU vs. 7. Miami Fl.

9. Ohio State vs. 8. Cincinnati

This is something to chew on. Of course nothing is perfect but anything is better than the current system in place.

I hope it opened up some minds, made some of you guys think, and maybe someone can use this to come up with an even better formula as to deciding who is who when it matters in college football.

Fear the Future: Kevin Newsome Will Be Starting at Alabama in 2010

Pete Dymeck — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:45:07 -0400

On Sept. 11, 2010, the Penn State Nittany Lions will travel to Tuscaloosa, AL for their biggest regular season non-conference throwdown since Sept. 18, 1999 when Penn State played at No. 9 Miami (Fl.).

The difference between the 2009 Nittany Lions and the 2010 squad that will face the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide will be at the quarterback position. 2009 is Daryll Clark's last season. He has provided a smart and stable solution to the quarterback situation since the quagmire with Anthony Morelli that preceded him.

That's right: Current backup Kevin Newsome will be a sophomore and the Alabama matchup will be just his second career start—his first one on the road, though. He will get a taste of the Crimson Tide a week after Penn State tosses Youngstown State around in their home opener.

Penn State fans should be worried.

Newsome's body of work thus far, in limited action, is not very impressive. He came in during the second half last week versus Eastern Illinois and looked like a wobbly-kneed freshman in need of some desperate fine-tuning.

All is quiet in Happy Valley, too.

Usually, when there is some high level of expectations for a backup quarterback, every cafe and street corner in State College is buzzing. After Newsome saw some action last week, most people in Happy Valley were left holding their breath.

Surely, Newsome will fare better in the future than he did against Eastern Illinois. He did not give the game to the Panthers but he did not look like a quarterback of the future for Penn State.

The quarterback of the future for Penn State is still in high school. His name is Paul Jones. He measures in at 6'3", 223 lbs., and he is the second ranked quarterback of the 2010 class. Jones is drawing comparisons to Donovan McNabb.

Still, Joe Paterno will not start a true freshman at quarterback. If Newsome fails to meet expectations, though, things could get hairy for the Nittany Lions.

Regardless, we all have to realize that it will be Newsome who marches Penn State into Alabama. Alabama will most likely be carrying a top-five ranking at the time.

Newsome totaled 83 yards against Eastern Illinois, 34 passing and 49 rushing. While he did score a touchdown, he fumbled the ball twice and looked reluctant to take a leadership role in the offense.

Newsome was even called for a delay of game. That kind of sloppy play leaves more to be desired for Penn State.

While the Big Ten may be fearing the future now that Penn State has reeled in top quarterback recruit Paul Jones, Nittany Lions fans may be fearing their immediate future.

Penn State needs to rebuild its reputation. Lately, the Big Ten has earned the reputation of a conference that can't win the big game. Penn State has contributed to that by getting knocked off Joe Paterno's rocker in last year's Rose Bowl game.

The only question now is, if Penn State falters and loses two or more games the rest of this season, will we be seeing more of Kevin Newsome in order to prepare him to take over the reins in 2010?

Chew on This: Most Overrated Players in College Football

Pete Dymeck — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:27:25 -0400

College football is all about hype. That is why we have different sets of rankings before the season, before any team steps onto the gridiron. Other than rankings come many more perceptions that disappoint more often than not. The perception of recruiting classes needs revamped. We grade all of these players on what they do behind some grainy video feed from our VCRs. The perception of who is going to be good needs to be redesigned. Prior to the season, most people would have agreed that Miami Hurricanes quarterback Jacory Harris had a ton of upside but no one can truly say that he would be as good as he has been. Meanwhile, there is a long list of players that were overrated. Let's step back and remember guys like former Cal quarterback Nate Longshore, former Penn State quarterback Zack Mills, and current USC passer Mitch Mustain. Just because someone is overrated, it does not mean that they have accomplished nothing. As a matter of fact, overrated players have usually accomplished something but it has been blown out of proportion. Well, let's delve into the 12 most overrated college football players in 2009 and how insignificant they really have been.

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Heisman Race: Razorback Ryan Mallett Cracks the Ballot

Pete Dymeck — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:13:40 -0400

In this edition of the Heisman Trophy Race, the list has been chopped in half from 12 to six. In this edition, Texas QB Colt McCoy and Boise State QB Kellen Moore are on the outside looking in while Tim Tebow could be in jeopardy as far as his Heisman hopes concerned. Also, Arkansas takes on Florida and Notre Dame faces USC this week in what could become Heisman-busting showdowns for three of the candidates. Also, a complete listing of all Heisman candidates has been posted at Pete Dymeck's blog, BoiledBacon.com, so the readers can see where he stands on the candidates.

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Revisiting Penn State's Blunder With Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin

Pete Dymeck — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:43:16 -0400

It was Oct. 25, 2008 and under the lights at the Horseshoe in Columbus, Ohio, where the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions, still undefeated, were going to battle with the No. 9 Ohio State Buckeyes.

Penn State was eight games removed from a quarterback controversy in which head coach Joe Paterno decided to name then-senior Daryll Clark as the team's starting quarterback over sophomore Pat Devlin.

Not long into the season, Clark was given an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA, which essentially made the possibility of Devlin being named the starting quarterback not until his senior year.

Still, on the brisk night that was, it was the fourth quarter and the Buckeyes had a 6-3 advantage on Penn State. Starting Nittany Lions passer Clark had to leave the game due to what head coach Joe Paterno called a "minor" head injury.

In came everybody's favorite player, the backup quarterback, Pat Devlin.

Now, Clark obviously wasn't lighting up the scoreboard or stunning Ohio State's defense prior to his injury, so the expectations for Devlin were rather grim.

Still, behind the legs of Royster, the Lions offense marched down the field and with 6:45 left in the fourth quarter, Devlin snuck one in for a score. The extra point made it 10-6 in Penn State's favor.

The Nittany Lions would go on to kick another field goal and beat the Buckeyes 13-6 in Columbus. This was Penn State's first win at Ohio State since joining the Big Ten.

The emotions were bittersweet. Many were worried about Clark's status for the next game at Iowa while others were celebrating, rioting on the streets of State College.

Some, especially NFL scouts, were excited because they thought they would get a chance to see Pat Devlin, a big, strong-armed passer with decent mobility.

Scouts agree that Devlin was and still is a much better pro prospect than Clark.

But, with an extra week of rest before they travel to Iowa, Penn State was able to get Clark healthy enough to play in what would be the most disastrous game for Penn State in years.

Their hopes were dashed on Nov. 8, 2008, when Iowa upset No. 3 Penn State.

Daryll Clark was devastated.

Rumors of Pat Devlin transferring were being grumbled from Beaver Avenue all the way down to Downington, Devlin's hometown.

Prior to the Rose Bowl, it was announced that Pat Devlin would transfer to Delaware.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but after a porous season thus far for Penn State and Clark, although much of the blame should be placed on the coaches and offensive line, one has to wonder where Penn State would be right now if Paterno had chosen Devlin over Clark.

With little film to go off of, Iowa's head coach Kirk Ferentz, who absolutely owns Penn State, would have had a much more difficult time game-planning for Devlin.

Penn State, hypothetically, could have beaten Iowa and proceed to run the table. Being undefeated would have surely guaranteed them a spot in the national championship over the one-loss Oklahoma Sooners.

Penn State, could they have been crowned national champions in 2008, quite possibly, but they weren't and we will never find out.

Pat Devlin is succeeding in Delaware in 2009, the same school that produced first-round pick QB Joe Flacco, selected by the Baltimore Ravens in 2008.

Devlin is completing nearly 66 percent of his passes. He has thrown for 1,252 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions. He has also rushed for four touchdowns, bringing his total touchdowns scored to 11.

Meanwhile, Daryll Clark has completed 61 percent of his throws for 1,133 yards, nine touchdowns, and six interceptions. Clark scored his only two rushing touchdowns last week at Illinois, bringing his total number of trips into paydirt to 11.

But, it seems like time lost for Penn State since we have the whole "who knows what would have happened" scenario with Devlin in 2008. Devlin, a junior, would still have one more year under his belt for the Nittany Lions while Clark will be gone after the season.

Mistakes happen often, and we always wonder what could have been.

According to NFL scout Walter Cherepinsky, Pat Devlin is currently ranked as the No. 10 quarterback prospect for 2010 (as an underclassman) and No. 6 for the 2011 NFL Draft.

Daryll Clark is ranked No. 17 for the 2010 NFL Draft.

Meanwhile, for the 2010 NFL Draft, I have Devlin ranked No. 4 and Clark slotted at No. 19.

Finally, it would be hard for any quarterback to find success behind the makeshift offensive line at Penn State, be it Clark, Devlin, or Kerry Collins.

Top Linebacker Khairi Fortt Commits To Penn State

Pete Dymeck — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:48:49 -0400

"Linebacker U." just got a little scarier.

Khairi Fortt, the No. 2 ranked outside linebacker in America according to Rivals.com, has officially committed to Penn State's class of 2010 and will enroll in January.

Ranked No. 30 overall, the 6'2", 225-pound Fortt has also received All-American honors and will play in the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

By committing to Penn State, Fortt will have an opportunity to be honored among some of the best linebackers to ever play college football.

Fortt chose Penn State over Georgia.

Hailing from Stamford High School in Stamford, Connecticut, Fortt had 118 tackles as a junior in 2008.

His fellow teammate at Stamford High, running back Silas Redd, has also committed to Penn State. Redd is the No. 6 running back according to Rivals.com.

Penn State-Eastern Illinois: A Cat Fight in Happy Valley

Pete Dymeck — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:30:54 -0400

The Penn State Nittany Lions season has not been as expected for fans and alum, but it has not been a disaster either.

The Nittany Lions needed a 28-point second half at Illinois to pull away from the Fighting Illini this past Saturday.

This week, Penn State comes back home to face the Eastern Illinois Panthers but exactly who are these Panthers?

Eastern Illinois is a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) school. They are members of the Ohio Valley Conference and will be entering Happy Valley with a 4-1 record.

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton and Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress are alum of Eastern Illinois, as is Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback Tony Romo.

Panthers quarterback Jake Christensen is someone that Penn State fans should be familiar with. From 2006-2008, Christensen was a quarterback at Iowa. He started 17 games for the Hawkeyes and won 10 of those games.

He did not play in Iowa's upset of Penn State in 2008 although he did start against the Nittany Lions in Beaver Stadium in 2007.

Penn State would win that game 27-7 as Christensen struggled moving the chains for Iowa. Christensen completed just 16 of 29 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown. He did not throw an interception though.

Christensen is 16th among all FCS passers in yardage, seventh in touchdowns, and 16th in efficiency.

The former Iowa quarterback is near the top in every passing category within the FCS, alongside several other Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) transferees, including former Penn State and current Delaware QB Pat Devlin.

Eastern Illinois running back Mon Williams is a transfer from the Florida Gators that transferred after tearing his ACL in 2007. He has rushed for at least one touchdown in every game thus far.

Williams has contributed to the Eastern Illinois offense by averaging more than five yards per carry for a total of 441 rushing yards.

The Panthers have a plethora of wide receivers that contribute but it is a running back that leads the team with 20 receptions. His name is Jimmy Potempa.

Potempa, a Michigan transfer, does not have the size of a big-time football player, standing in at 5'7", 171 lbs. but his play making ability could cause a stir for the Penn State defense.

Eastern Illinois, like a lot of other FCS schools, has plenty of transfers from FBS schools. Other than QB Christensen, RB Williams, and RB Potempa, the following players are also tranfers:

CB Shelton Penrow (Florida International)
DE Michael Letton (Navy)
DE Trevor Frericks (Bowling Green)
DT Spyros Bazigos (Northern Illinois)
K Austin Signor (Iowa)
OG Otis Hudson (Minnesota)
RB Chevon Walker (Florida)

Since 2002, Eastern Illinois is 1-9 versus FBS opponents, with their lone win coming at Eastern Michigan in 2004.

The Panthers are outscoring their opponents by two touchdowns on the season. Their offense features a balanced attack in a pro-style offense.

Defensively, the Panthers are limiting opponents to 2.7 yards per carry and the secondary has allowed just four passing touchdowns on the season. They have also sacked the opposing quarterback 14 times in five games.

For Penn State though, they cannot come in and underestimate the scrappy Panthers because if they do play poorly and cannot establish the offensive line early on, boos will be reigning down from the highest corners of Beaver Stadium.

In this tumultuous season for Penn State, we can not say for sure that Penn State will win this game. Rather, it is highly improbable that they will not lose.

The offense showed signs of explosiveness Saturday at Illinois after a few sparks from running back Stephfon Green.

Penn State's secondary looked average as they allowed Illini QB Juice Williams to have his best game of the season.

Joe Paterno's squad can not be caught looking ahead to Minnesota this week as any semblance of poor play can only further damage their reputation.

Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen Heats Up Heisman Race

Pete Dymeck — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:51:25 -0400

October has struck us with crisp air and high winds. We are also beginning to see the Heisman Race work itself out as in this edition of the Heisman watch as four new faces emerge into the spotlight. Houston quarterback Case Keenum has fallen out of the race after the Cougars were upset by UTEP. Keenum still has a legitimate claim to being a candidate for this prestigious award but his chances of winning dissipated when Houston lost. Cal running back Jahvid Best, although playing injured, had another lackluster performance in the Golden Bears defeat at the hands of the USC Trojans. With his subpar play the last two weeks, his name is thrown into the pot with the Daryll Clark's and Jacory Harris's of the college football world. You know, guys that could crack this list again but must reverse their course. Texas A&M QB Jerrod Johnson, ranked 11th last week, has fallen out after a performance where he struggled with his composure while facing a solid Arkansas pass rush. The Aggies ended up losing that game but it still wasn't completely Johnson's fault. Kansas QB Todd Reesing has dropped from the top 12 by default since Kansas was off and several players performed well enough to leap him in this race. Other players that are on the mend are Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant, Alabama QB Greg McElroy, West Virginia RB Noel Devine, and Tennessee S Eric Berry.

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Expect Penn State to Push Illinois Around Like a Shopping Cart

Pete Dymeck — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:09:24 -0400

Penn State will be looking to avenge last week's loss to Iowa in Happy Valley.

Illinois has the daunting task of hosting the angry Nittany Lions, and after watching the Fighting Illini through three games, they are in for a lot of trouble.

Penn State's offensive line will look better than they actually are this week. The Nittany Lions faithful should not get excited about a blowout in Champaign because Illinois is one of the worst college football teams in America.

Illinois' defense ranks 90th in America and 10th in the Big Ten.

Offensively, they lack big play-making, scoring just 9 total points in two games versus Division One-Football Bowl Subdivision opponents. The Illini offense ranks 81st nationally and 10th in the Big Ten.

Meanwhile, the Penn State defense is still one of the most feared in America. It ranks first in the Big Ten and ninth in the country.

Illinois quarterback Isaiah "Juice" Williams threw for just 77 yards in a shutout loss last week at Ohio State. In two starts, Williams has zero touchdowns but three interceptions.

Williams missed all but the first series of the Illinois home-opener versus Illinois State with a quadriceps injury. Backup quarterback Eddie McGee replaced him, completed 76.5% of his passes, passed for a score and ran in two more touchdowns.

Granted, QB McGee torched a pretty porous Illinois State squad in a glorified interstate scrimmage, but if Williams struggles early on, Penn State could get a glimpse of what McGee has to offer.

The coming quarterback controversy is due to the fact that Williams has actually played poorly since the 2007 season where he led Illinois to the Rose Bowl.

Illinois's offense stands no chance against the Penn State defense and a second consecutive shutout for Illinois may be inevitable.

For Penn State, the task at hand will be improving the play of the offensive line. It will look much better against an Illinois defense that does not have a player with more than one sack on the year. The defense has a total of four sacks collectively.

Penn State will manhandle an Illinois team that has gone 3-6 in Big Ten play since 2007. In their last four games versus top 25 opponents, Illinois is 0-4.

Running back Evan Royster only has one game of 100 rushing yards or more on the season. As a matter of fact, he has topped 70 rushing yards just once this season, the time he ran for 134 yards against Temple.

Royster will be the focal point of the offense as the offensive line will need to further improve their cohesiveness. He will shoulder the burden of the offense so that Daryll Clark can find time to throw and keep the Illinois defense guessing.

Clark will have to take advantage of the Illini defense by using the middle of the field.

At the end of the day, Penn State will roll over Illinois but fans from Happy Valley should not get too excited as their next test does not come until October 24 at Michigan.

The Big Ten Needs to Earn Respect, Not Demand It

Pete Dymeck — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:47:38 -0400

The "College Football Bowl Subdivision", or FBS as we call it, is broken down into two highly indifferent pieces—"First Class" (Automatically Qualifying BCS Conferences) and "Coach" (Non-Automatically Qualifying BCS Conferences).

Some schools from the "Coach" conferences have legitimate rumblings about not earning an automatic berth from their conference into the Bowl Championship Series. When Boise State, Utah, BYU, TCU, and Houston shout from their mountaintops, I will listen. Those schools have earned that respect.

When schools such as Hawaii, Memphis, and Troy start shouting from atop their milk crate, I will disregard.

Respect comes on many levels and, even within the "First Class" conferences of college football, we have an unsettling debate. Among those conferences that automatically qualify for a BCS-bowl bid, there is a great parity in recent memory among the elite "first class" conferences (Southeastern and Big 12) and the rest of the bunch, namely the Big Ten.

The reason that the Pac-10 was not cited in this study is because a school from that league has won a national championship since 2004. Also, the Pac-10 is very comparable to the Big Ten except for the fact that the USC Trojans have owned its Big Ten counterparts in the Rose Bowl the last three seasons.

The other BCS conferences not mentioned—the Atlantic Coast and Big East—are merely irrelevant in the discussion for conference superiority and respect. The ACC has just one BCS win since 2000 while the Big East has not had any active members play in a BCS National Championship...ever.

So, let's start the debate.

Fans of schools from the Big Ten have been constantly stomping their feet demanding respect for the Big Ten, although their voices are not being heard.

The voices from these boisterous fans have been silenced by the Big Ten's BCS and non-BCS bowl record since 2004.

Also, since 2004, no Big Ten school has won a national championship. During the current span, schools from the Big Ten are 2-7 in BCS bowl games and 9-16 in non-BCS bowl games.

Meanwhile, since 2004, the SEC has crowned three national champions while the Big 12 has crowned one. The SEC is 6-2 in BCS bowl games since 2004, while the Big 12 maintains a steady 4-4 record.

In non-BCS bowl games, the SEC is 20-12 (11 more wins than the Big Ten) and the Big 12 is 16-12 (seven more wins than the Big Ten). All of this since 2004.

Fans from schools like Ohio State and Penn State will laud the Big Ten's 145-54 record in non-conference action versus Division 1-FBS schools. What they won't mention is that they are a meager 41-39 versus schools enshrined within BCS conferences.

Still, that record during the regular season is ,as the SEC is just 36-34 and the Big 12 is 29-31.

But, don't hang your hat on those numbers. Just focus on the big games, like the numbers which are considerably less-than desirable for Big Ten fans.

Lately, the Big Ten has had its fair share of close-call's and upsets at the hand on non-Division 1 FBS schools.

Sep. 3, 2009—Indiana def. Eastern Kentucky, 19-13
Sep. 5, 2009—Iowa def. Northern Iowa, 17-16
Nov. 22, 2008—Wisconsin def. Cal Poly, 36-35
Sep. 1, 2007—Appalachian State def. Michigan, 34-32
Sep. 16, 2006—Southern Illinois def. Indiana, 35-28

College football is all about perception. That is why we have outrageous preseason top 25 polls that do not resemble, for the most part, the final top 25 polls of the season.

With the Big Ten's close calls and upsets against teams from an entirely different division, the perception of the Big Ten is that it is weak and too slow. I disagree with the statement that the Big Ten is too slow for the most part, but let's examine how the Big Ten has failed miserably, in major regular season showdowns out of conference, to reestablish itself as a powerful BCS conference, like the SEC and Big 12.

Sep. 5, 2009—Missouri def. Illinois, 37-9
Sep. 12, 2009—USC def. Ohio State, 18-15
Sep. 12, 2009—Oregon def. Purdue, 38-36
Sep. 19, 2009—California def. Minnesota, 35-21
Aug. 30, 2008—California def. Michigan State, 38-31
Aug. 30, 2008—Utah def. Michigan, 25-23
Aug. 30, 2008—Missouri def. Illinois, 52-42
Sep. 13, 2008—USC def. Ohio State, 35-3
Sep. 13, 2008—Oregon def. Purdue, 32-26
Sep. 20, 2008—Pittsburgh def. Iowa, 21-20
Sep. 1, 2007—Missouri def. Illinois, 40-34
Sep. 8, 2007—Oregon def. Michigan, 39-7
Sep. 15, 2007—Iowa State def. Iowa, 15-13
Sep. 15, 2007—Duke def. Northwestern, 20-14
Sep. 9, 2006—Notre Dame def. Penn State, 41-17
Sep. 10, 2005—Texas def. Ohio State, 25-22

As you can see, the Big Ten has collectively whiffed in some big games, and some inferior BCS schools have knocked off Big Ten schools in games where the Big Ten schools was supposed to win.

In the Big Ten's seven BCS losses since 2004, the average margin of defeat has been a little more than two touchdowns.

In the last three Rose Bowls, the three teams to represent the Big Ten (Michigan, Illinois, Penn State) have lost by an average margin of 20 points.

You should be starting to see where the perception of the Big Ten being weak lies.

In 2009, Big Ten teams have lost to schools from the FBS that they should have beaten:

Sep. 12, 2009—Central Michigan def. Michigan State, 29-27
Sep. 19, 2009—Syracuse def. Northwestern, 37-34
Sep. 19, 2009—Northern Illinois def. Purdue, 28-21

There have also been some close calls this year, like when Navy was a two-point conversion away from shocking the Ohio State Buckeyes.

To be elite, a football program must win the games it is supposed to. Slip-ups occur, just like when Ole Miss upset Florida last season. The difference is that Ole Miss is not Appalachian State.

The other difference is that the schools from the SEC and Big 12 have won on the big stage more often than the Big Ten since 2004.

While fans from Happy Valley to Iowa City demand more respect for the Big Ten, it is hard to give any respect when they have not earned it.

Every team in every BCS conference schedules cupcakes; that is not the debate at hand. There actually is no debate at hand. The fact is that, since 2004, the Big Ten can't hold a candle to the SEC or Big 12.

If it could, the court of public opinion would be completely different.

At least the Big Ten is not be the "Shopping Cart" of the BCS, as the Big East and ACC are constantly being pushed around easily by the other conferences.

The only reason that the Big Ten is even in view of the SEC and Big 12 is because the SEC and Big 12 can still see them in their rear-view mirror.

It is time for fans, coaches, and players from the Big Ten to realize this problem and find a solution to fix it instead of griping about it every Saturday morning.

It is looking like we will have to wait until the bowl games to see if the Big Ten, Ohio State, Penn State, and the others can repair their images.

If it can not be done there, at least Ohio State takes on Miami in 2010. Also, Penn State will travel to Alabama, and Wisconsin takes on Arizona State.

Reputation is just like credit. Once it is damaged, it takes years to repair.

Daryll Clark Will Pay: Penn State Played Dead in The Trenches

Pete Dymeck — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:26:17 -0400

For the second consecutive season, Penn State's hopes of bringing Joe Paterno another national championship were dashed by Iowa.

Blame it on the rain; blame it on anything except for Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark.

As a matter of fact, the blame needs placed on the offensive line.

Penn State has allowed seven sacks this year but more importantly, Clark has been pressured on nearly half of his drop-backs.

Clark's inability to throw and check down his targets is caused by an offensive line chock full of new faces that aren't quite ready to play college football at a high level, obviously.

The offensive line has a gaping hole at the tackle position where Dennis Landolt's struggles have continued since the Syracuse game.

Both guards are being beat off of their assignments and neither have showed sound fundamentals in that they are not getting set into a low center of gravity.

Games are won in the trenches. Although the play makers on offense may get all of the credit in highlight reels and game recaps, offensive and defensive line play makes or breaks a teams chances at winning on the gridiron.

Anyone not slighted by "blue and white homerism" could see that Penn State was bound to have a disappointing season after being ranked as high as No. 5 heading into their showdown with Iowa.

The trend of bad passer protection upfront coupled with a lack of push on rushing plays will definitely dampen encouragement on offense.

Clark is a mobile quarterback that can use his feet swiftly and intelligently, but when his pocket is collapsing as soon as the ball is snapped to him, there is not much he can do with his feet since he is being swarmed by defenders.

As mentioned previously, Penn State has already allowed seven sacks through four games. In 2008, the Nittany Lion offensive line allowed just 17 sacks through the entire season.

The Nittany Lions are on pace to allow 28 sacks this year. Since 2004, the most sacks the Nittany Lions have allowed in a single season was 23 in 2006 when the indecisive Anthony Morelli played "statue" in the pocket.

Before the dust had even settled last night, fans were booing Daryll Clark's third interception, which basically hammered the last nail into the coffin for Penn State.

What fans should be doing, instead of booing, although that is their right, is boisterously voicing their displeasure with the offensive line.

One would think, that while game planning, Penn State would have changed things up after letting their quarterback get pressured from all angles against Syracuse and Temple. After all, Iowa does have a better defense than the Owls and the Orange.

Instead, Joe Paterno and his offensive line coach Dick Anderson looked puzzled once again while their precious "Spread HD" offense was obliterated by the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Penn State still has a good team, but they are far from being a national championship contender.

The best thing for fans to do now is hope for the best, wish for changes upfront on the offensive line, and have faith that their Nittany Lions will fare better against the rest of the Big Ten opponents they face.

Chase for the Heisman: The Next Adrian Peterson Cracks the List?

Pete Dymeck — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:44:21 -0400

With another Saturday down, more college players are doing the Heisman shuffle, staking their claim in honor to be named as the best college football player in the land. In what was a wet Saturday for most of America, muddy fields and low visibility did not stop some players from earning their stripes and moving into the top 12 Heisman candidates. The havoc caused by the downpour's witnessed did cause some players to drop out of the top 12 though. Penn State's Daryll Clark and Miami's Jacory Harris both fell victim to the rain clouds overhead as poor outings in critical, Heisman-making situations cause them to fall out. Michigan's Tate Forcier, Tennessee's Eric Berry, Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant, and Washington's Jake Locker also seceded their positions among the top 12 Heisman candidates.

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College Football's Most Overlooked Stars

Pete Dymeck — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:12:28 -0400

College football is a game played by thousands of athletes on Saturday yet many distinguished players fly far under the radar. Many of these star players may not be Heisman-caliber athletes but they may be darn close, close enough that if they keep piling up stats and winning ball games that they may end up being mentioned in the Heisman Trophy conversation.

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Deja Vu: Why Penn State Is On The Verge of Another 1997

Pete Dymeck — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:11:14 -0400

Since joining the Big Ten conference in 1993, Penn State has started the season with five consecutive wins seven times. Of those seven times, Penn State has rallied to win the Big Ten championship on three occasions.

In 1994 Penn State finished the season unbeaten but No. 2 in the polls behind Nebraska, who was crowned the consensus national champions.

Plenty of things have gone awry for Penn State since it joined the Big Ten, but the fan base in Happy Valley, even with their blinders on, understand that high expectations can deflate rather quickly.

This year, Penn State received its first top 10 preseason ranking since 1999.

With high hopes and plenty of animosity expected to fuel big in-conference duels with Iowa, Ohio State, and Michigan, the Nittany Lions expected their roar to be heard from coast to coast after being ranked No. 9 before the first snap was even taken in 2009.

After three weeks of play, Penn State finds itself ranked No. 5 nationally despite underwhelming performances against Syracuse and Temple.

Those with an understanding of the history of this game see a correlation between the 2009 Nittany Lions and those that played for Joe Paterno in 1997.

In 1997, Penn State was ranked No. 1 in the pre-season polls afer an impressive 11-2 season the year before.

With a soft non-conference schedule and Ohio State and Michigan coming to Beaver Stadium, the Nittany Lions were setting themselves up with a date with destiny. No one thought that they would go undefeated again and get snubbed from national championship honors like they were three years before.

Led by running back Curtis Enis, the Nittany Lions tumbled early against Pittsburgh in their season opener but still rolled with a 34-17 victory over quarterback Pete Gonzalez's Panthers.

The Nittany Lions had three more games on tap before taking on the Buckeyes at home.

In wins against Temple, Louisville, and Illinois, the average score was 50-12 in Penn State's favor.

The next three games would prove to be challenging as Penn State escaped with victories over Ohio State, Minnesota, and Northwestern. The average margin of those three wins was less than a field goal.

Penn State, now 7-0 and falling in the eyes of the polls, was ranked No. 2.

Their next game was on November 8 at home versus the No. 4 Michigan Wolverines.

The 1997 Wolverines were sparked by quarterback Brian Griese. He would lead "Big Blue" into Happy Valley and steal the show, paving a way for a 34-8 thumping of Penn State in front of one the largest crowds in Beaver Stadium history.

Joe Paterno's young squad, although disheartened, would fall to just No. 6 in the top 25. They would go on to take out their frustration at Purdue winning 45-17.

Penn State would follow up that win with another in Enis's last game at Beaver Stadium, rocking the Wisconsin Badgers 35-10.

Penn State had one game left on the schedule. Michigan was ranked No. 1, Nebraska No. 2, Tennessee No. 3 and the Nittany Lions were No. 4.

As the Nittany Lions walked into Michigan State, they realized they could not win a national championship since Michigan was undefeated and its regular season was complete.

Seemingly depressed about how the season turned out, Penn State was balled up by a Spartans team that would finish 1997 just 7-5.

Penn State would fall in the polls to No. 12, but they accepted an invite to play No. 8 Florida.

Florida head coach Steve Spurrier's Gators won a national championship the year before.

With quarterback Doug Johnson and running back Fred Taylor, the Gators, had they not slipped up at LSU and versus Georgia in Jacksonville, would most likely be playing for a second consecutive national championship since they had already beaten quarterback Peyton Manning's Tennessee Volunteers back in September.

The Citrus Bowl would prove to be defense-dominated as the Gators offense maintained the majority of the time of possession since Penn State struggled moving the ball on Florida's defense.

Florida won 21-6.

Penn State's dream season of 1997 quickly turned into a nightmare.

Penn State was ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 from August through November 8. The only time they fell out of the top 10 was when they lost to Michigan State on the last game of the regular season.

Those that remember the lost season of 1997 are beginning to see deja vu.

Penn State entered the year a top 10 team and are currently No. 5 in the nation, while the schools ranked ahead of them have a much more difficult task of staying unbeaten.

Quarterback Daryll Clark, much like quarterback Mike McQueary in 1997, was supposed to deliver the national championship to Happy Valley.

Unfortunately for McQueary, the glass slipper didn't fit.

Clark hopes that the clock does not strike midnight in 2009.

Many comparisons can be drawn between the 1997 and 2009 Nittany Lions:

Soft non-conference schedule.
Top 10 ranking coupled with high expectations.
Ohio State had a new quarterback in Joe Germaine so expectations for the Buckeyes may have appeared to be inflated.
Michigan struggled late in 1996, losing three of their last four.
Penn State lost wide receivers Bobby Engram and others while in 2009 they will be without Derrick Williams, Deon Butler, and company.
A strong rushing game led by Curtis Enis (1997) and Evan Royster (2009).

Before we sit down and start talking about Penn State's chances at a national championship—since Florida, Alabama, and Ole Miss could all eliminate themselves and Texas still has to take on Oklahoma—we must realize that history does indeed repeat itself.

As a matter of fact, history could repeat itself in 2009 with Penn State since the parallels between the two teams from two different decades are too great to ignore.

Penn State does have a chance to make a run at the national championship, and their schedule is a lot lighter than the four teams currently ranked ahead of them. But Penn State fans first must not get ahead of themselves.

Let Daryll Clark and crew take it one game at a time.

Penn State-Iowa: Nittany Lions look to White-Out Last Year's Loss

Pete Dymeck — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:30:17 -0400

To exact revenge, one must be humble, fearless, and mentally prepared for the task at hand.

Last November, Penn State stormed into Iowa City looking to remain on cruise control as they maneuvered through the Big Ten conference.

Undefeated at the time, then No. 3 Penn State appeared to be on a collision course with a divine decree to play in a national championship.

All they had to do is win out and most likely, the computers and polls would have leaned in their favor.

Instead, the Iowa Hawkeyes obliterated Penn State's experienced offensive line and forced QB Daryll Clark into rushing his throws throughout most of the game.

Penn State was able to move the ball, but once they entered into Iowa territory, the Hawkeyes powerful defensive line led by Mitch King proved determined to hold Penn State to a field goal or less.

In fact, on three separate drives, Penn State was not able to reach paydirt. Once their offense stalled, the Nittany Lions were forced to lean on kicker Kevin Kelly's leg. He was successful on all three field goal attempts in the game.

The inability to put the ball into the end zone proved too costly for the Nittany Lions but that was not the sole reason they lost the game.

Poor play and bad coverage from the secondary, a veteran corps led by safety Anthony Scirrotto, eventually put the final nail in the coffin for Penn State's bid for an undefeated season.

Iowa wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos would go on to have the best game of his career after hauling in seven receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown.

Penn State also succumbed to Iowa running back Shonn Greene's 117 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries.

Nearly a year later, Penn State's offense may not be in as strong of a position as it is perceived to be.

The offensive line will not see any major personnel changes this week, although they have allowed a continuous amount of pressure to be applied to Clark since the first game of the season versus Akron.

Tackle Dennis Landolt has thus far underachieved but he will still make a start this weekend. Landolt has struggled maintaining his balance and hasn't shifted his weight well in the trenches.

A call to move center Stefen Wisniewski back to tackle or guard has been made by some die-hard Nittany Lions fans, but expect to see Joe Paterno retire before that move is made.

Penn State will have to stick it out against a solid Iowa defense that is ranked 25th nationally in pass defense.

It will be interesting to see how Landolt can deal with Iowa defensive end Karl Klug. Most likely, TE Mickey Shuler or Andrew Szczerba will be held on the line for added protection on passing downs to help keep Klug in check.

Meanwhile, Daryll Clark needs to stop regressing and begin to move forward with his play. Clark, a dark horse candidate for the Heisman Trophy, has looked rather stale as of late, due in part to the inadequate protection he's been receiving from his offensive line.

Still, Clark must avenge his poor outing at Iowa from a year ago. He completed just nine of 23 passes for 89 yards and one interception.

Penn State was also just six of 14 on third down, too.

The Nittany Lions' rushing attack must take a leap or two in order to maintain a solid balance on offense between it and the passing game.

Penn State is ranked ninth in the Big Ten in rushing, only ahead of Michigan State and Minnesota. As a unit, they are averaging less than four yards per carry, which does not bode well for the Nittany Lions although Iowa is ranked just eighth in the conference in run defense.

On the defensive side of the ball, Penn State could be forced to play without star linebacker Sean Lee. He suffered a knee injury and is considered day-to-day. If Lee can not go, junior Bani Gbadyu will likely get the nod to replace him.

Surprisingly enough though, fellow linebacker Navorro Bowman appears ready to play after missing the first two games of the season. Bowman has been battling a nagging groin injury but has been moving well at practice this week.

A lot of good things can be said about sophomore defensive end Jack Crawford. He has two sacks thus far for the Nittany Lions but head coach Joe Paterno believes he can be much better if he can improve on his confidence.

We will see how good Crawford really is as he goes up against one of the top five offensive linemen in America, Iowa's Bryan Bulaga.

Last season, the secondary hampered any hope of a late-game comeback for Penn State when safety Anthony Scirrotto was called for a pass interference penalty. Scirrotto was never known for his excellent coverage skills. He graduated this past year.

This year, Penn State will have to hope its new core of defensive backs can play much better.

Safety Drew Astorino leads this bunch with 14 tackles through three games.

While they may be inexperienced, the hope around Happy Valley is that they will not miss as many assignments as last year's group did against Iowa.

Field goals were an important aspect of last year's meeting but Penn State's reliable kicker, Kevin Kelly, has since graduated.

His replacement, junior Collin Wagner, is just two of four on the year.

While much has changed on both sides of the ball for Penn State and Iowa, plenty of things remain.

Nittany Lion enthusiasts are primed for a white-out game in which all of the fans in Beaver Stadium will wear white clothing. This is being billed as Penn State's first true test of 2009 and a lot rides on whether or not Penn State can improve from their outings versus Syracuse and Temple.

Will Penn State win and prove that they are worthy of their top-five rankings? Yes and No.

Penn State will win this game because they have more talent and are determined in this grudge match.

But Iowa is not a marquee win for a national championship-caliber school.

That is like considering a victory against South Carolina a "marquee win'" for the Florida Gators or the Texas Longhorns beating Texas A&M a "statement game."

Whatever your opinion of that matter is, one thing is for sure. Penn State must take one game at a time because if they get caught looking ahead, they will lose, just like they did last year.

The Penn State Bubble and Its Coming Crash

Pete Dymeck — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 09:36:00 -0400

Mired in mediocrity, the Big Ten is only a shell of its former self nowadays and its only hope for a national championship comes in the shape of a battered Nittany Lion.

Some will blame it on the H1N1 virus, which Penn State's star RB Evan Royster has dealt with. Others will blame it on Penn State playing down to their opponent.

After a sloppy game versus Temple though, the fact remains that Penn State does not look as good as its top five ranking would suggest.

The Nittany Lions have lacked a legitimate non-conference foe in the regular season since they marched into Nebraska in 2003.

Sure, one can say that scheduling Notre Dame in 2006 & 2007 was a step in the right direction and that the Fighting Irish of 2006 still had QB Brady Quinn, WR Jeff Samardzija, and TE John Carlson.

One thing fans do not remember from Penn State's 2006 matchup with Notre Dame is that the unranked Fighting Irish laid a beat-down on Joe Paterno's squad, 41-17.

Penn State did smack Oregon State around in 2008 but the Beavers, who turned out to be pretty good late in the season, were nothing to write home about in September of that year.

As we saw later in 2008, an overrated secondary led by safety Anthony Scirrotto and poor play on the offensive line led to Penn State's first loss of the season at Iowa.

On the surface, Penn State looks like they will be in contention for a stake at the national championship throughout 2009, provided they defeat Ohio State and Michigan later on this year.

Also, while most of America has not yet seen Penn State play, they may be impressed by the box scores in their Sunday paper since Penn State has been limiting their first three opponents to a touchdown or less.

What those with blind eyes have not yet seen though is atrocious play on the offensive line, leading to poor run blocking and inadequate protection for Heisman hopeful QB Daryll Clark.

Those bleeding blue & white will also look at the scores of the first three games and state that Joe Paterno does not like to run up the score on his opponents, whether he is playing Coastal Carolina or Michigan State.

That may be the case in Penn State's season opener versus Akron, as the Nittany Lions did shut down the offense in the second half, but the next two games tell a chilling story.

A story that has investor's selling their stock in Penn State rapidly.

In front of 106,387 fans at Happy Valley, Penn State's secondary let Syracuse WR Mike Williams find space in the gaps.

If Syracuse was not still progressing under an inexperienced QB in Greg Paulus, and had Penn State been playing a better, more experienced offense, the Nittany Lions would have been exposed by the Orange in just the second week of the college football season.

Also in that game, Penn State averaged just 2.2 yards per carry versus Syracuse. The year before, Penn State averaged 5 yards per carry in the same game. Syracuse does have a good DT in Arthur Jones but the rest of their defense is very pedestrian.

The lack of success rushing the ball versus Syracuse was the first indicator to sell high on Penn State in 2009, unless they turn things around.

Yesterday, in front of a packed house, Penn State took on Temple. In their last three meetings, Penn State had out-scored Temple 123-3.

While Penn State would go on to win the game, the defensive play was less than encouraging as they let Temple QB Vaughn Charlton find a rhythm throughout the game.

The box score won't necessarily indicate that it was a hard-fought battle between Penn State and the Owls but a second look on video would convince any naysayer.

QB Daryll Clark struggled as he dealt with pressure all day long from the Temple front-seven. He threw one interception and was lucky that Temple did not pick off any more in the game since they did have the opportunity but failed to cash in.

The woes for any offense generally begin upfront with the offensive line. Since former OC A.Q. Shipley graduated and moved on to the NFL, the Nittany Lions had to shuffle stand-out lineman Stefen Wisniewski to take over the position that Shipley once held.

It appears that moving Wisniewski to the center position may end up being more detrimental to Penn State than beneficial.

Heading into yesterday, the three defenses Penn State had faced were respectively ranked No. 52 (Akron), No. 67 (Syracuse), and No. 72 (Temple) nationally.

An old motto goes "the box score does not reveal who won the game."

That stands true today as Penn State looks more and more like an overrated program.

If top 25 polls were not cast until three weeks into the season, Penn State would be hard-pressed to find themselves in the top 20 after their play over the last two weeks.

The unconvincing play versus Syracuse and Temple is also making more people non-believers than a Ufologist at a NASA convention.

It may be accredited to Penn State playing down to their opponents.

Whatever it is, the worth of Penn State as a national championship contender continues to get inflated and soon the bubble will burst unless Joe Paterno's staff can figure out how to improve the protection for QB Daryll Clark and prevent coverage from being blown in the secondary.

Locker, Stock, and Barrel: Heisman Race Gets Hotter

Pete Dymeck — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:50:05 -0400

In a decade dominated by quarterbacks winning the Heisman Trophy, fans across America would love to see some parity among the Heisman candidates. Not much has changed among the Heisman landscape, especially with previous Heisman Trophy winners Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford still attending classes at their respective universities. Parity is good for the Heisman Trophy but once again it will be challenged in 2009 by a plethora of quarterbacks. After a stunning upset of the #3 USC Trojans, Washington QB Jake Locker has officially thrown his hat into the mix for the Heisman Trophy, a week after Houston QB Case Keenum led his Houston Cougars to an exciting upset over then ranked #5 Oklahoma State. This is the first of a weekly series covering the top 12 Heisman Trophy candidates. As we progress through the season, this list will change, players may come and go, but the respect that comes with being mentioned among all of those that have won the Heisman Trophy will never be forgotten. Finally, there will be some names of those that didn't quite make the cut this week and they include but are not limited to QB Terrelle Pryor (Ohio State), QB Jevan Snead (Ole Miss), and RB Jacquizz Rodgers (Oregon State).

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Step Aside Sam Bradford, Daryll Clark Deserves a Seat at the Table

Pete Dymeck — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:22:23 -0400

The 2009 Heisman Trophy race was expected to be a three man race between Florida's Tim Tebow, Texas's Colt McCoy, and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford.

After injuring his shoulder in a loss versus Brigham Young, and with no definitive timetable for his return, Sam Bradford, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, has all but dropped out of the race.

The seat left vacant by Bradford should be reserved for Penn State's Daryll Clark.

Since 2000, eight of the nine Heisman Trophy winners have been quarterbacks.

As it appears right now, the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner will be a quarterback, whether it is Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, or somebody else.

Daryll Clark is the heart and soul of the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Backed by a strong rushing attack and a good defense, Clarkled Penn State to an 11-2 record in 2008, his first year as the starter.

He passed for 2,597 yards while accounting for a total of 29 touchdowns for the Nittany Lions.

Daryll Clark was just 82 yards short of breaking the all-time record for passing yards in a single season at Penn State, set by Kerry Collins in 1994. Collins was invited to the Heisman Trophy Ceremony as a nominee then.

Still, those numbers may pale in comparison to Tim Tebow or Colt McCoy's a year ago, but the winds of change are starting to blow in from the east.

This past Saturday, at home versus Akron, Clark threw his name into the Heisman discussion with a great performance in basically one half of play.

He completed 72.5% of his passes for 353 yards and three touchdowns.

He was 46 yards shy of breaking Penn State's all-time record of passing yards in a single game (Zack Mills vs. Iowa, September 28, 2002).

With a soft non-conference schedule against schools without a lot of help defensively, Clark could be on his way to breaking records at Penn State.

Clark's dependence on Heisman recognition will come with Penn State's success on the gridiron.

If Clark can lead Penn State to an undefeated season in 2009 and break a record or two, there will be no reason to leave him out of New York City when the Heisman Trophy is presented this December.

Of course, other players are going to compete with Clark to takeover Sam Bradford's seat at the Heisman table, namely Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead and California running back Jahvid Best.

The x-factor for Clark will be that he made himself a candidate for the Heisman Trophy with a fresh crop of wide receivers that entered 2009 with very limited experience on Saturdays.

The bottom line is that the void left by Sam Bradford, after an untimely injury, should be filled by none other than Daryll Clark.

Behold a Pale Horse: The Mountain West's Rise to Supremacy

Pete Dymeck — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:51:50 -0400

Who would have thought, back in 1998, when the Bowl Championship Series was put into operation, that the Mountain West Conference would be as worthy, if not more, of an automatic selection over school's from the Big Ten, Pac-10, ACC, and the Big East?

As a matter of fact, the Mountain West conference was not even fully operational until 1999, although current commissioner Craig Thompson has served since 1998.

Basically born out of the BCS, the Mountain West conference, preferably known as the MWC, is set to beseige the armies of mainstream college football, especially after another heavy blow was cast upon one of the nation's best teams by a MWC-member school.

The MWC is 2-0 in BCS appearances, with Utah winning the 2005 Fiesta Bowl and 2009 Sugar Bowl, both in convincing fashion.

Did you realize that the Atlantic Coast Conference, one with an automatic berth into the BCS, unlike the MWC, has just two wins in eleven BCS appearances?

Also, the current members of the automatically qualifying Big East conference have just a 3-3 record in BCS play.

The Big Ten is 8-11 in BCS bowl games, but in recent memory have failed miserably.

The Big Ten conference is 0-6 in its last six appearances, averaging losses of more than 17 points per game.

The MWC can make a claim against any school in the Pac-10 other than USC as well. The Pac-10 is 9-4 in BCS history, but without the USC Trojans, it would be just 3-3.

This year, we have already seen the BYU Cougars upset No. 3 Oklahoma on a neutral field. The other power teams of the 2009 MWC also won in convincing fashion, including Colorado State sneaking by Colorado.

When we take a look at the other conferences mentioned herein, it is debatable as to which conference is deeper talent-wise, but at the end of the day, we are calculating teams with enough power to win and talent to be considered national title contenders.

The Pac-10 looks to be a one or two-horse race again, with USC and Cal is its only BCS contenders.

The ACC has just one BCS victory since 2000, has no serious BCS national title contenders since Virginia Tech lost to Alabama. Miami and Florida State are on the rise, as is Georgia Tech and North Carolina, but to say that either of those four, including the Hokies as a fifth, have national championship potential, is asinine.

The Big Ten has two, maybe three, national championship contenders, but this conference has proven to be a fraud in the BCS lately, as I noted above. Penn State is the most serious threat, but Ohio State and Michigan could make a play as well.

The Big East should have its automatic qualifying rights stripped.

The only school in recent memory to have a shot at being pronounced as a national champion contender is West Virginia, but the days of Pat White leading the Mountaineers to the promised land have passed.

With that said, let's take a look at the Mountain West.

BYU, Utah, and TCU all could make a run at finishing undefeated.

BYU may be the only team to have a strong enough schedule out of conference to make a push for the national championship should they run the table and finish undefeated.

Not bad for a school in a conference without an automatic qualifying bid.

Would things be different if the MWC did have an automatic bid with the BCS?

Probably.

Everything is about image and perception in college football.

That is why the Utah's and TCU's of the college football world could finish undefeated, but still not play in a BCS game.

The MWC may be just an nine-team league, but it has been dominated by the same four schools since its inception.

Since 1999, the MWC has had 12 schools finish with ten wins or more.

Last year, the MWC had three schools finish in the final top 25, including two in the top seven.

With credentials like those stated above, why should the MWC continue to be a non-automatic qualifying league?

For those that say that New Mexico, San Diego State, and Wyoming drag down the value of the MWC, every league has its beleaguered members, like the Big 12 with Iowa State and the SEC with Mississippi State.

The shocking win over Oklahoma by the BYU Cougars has the national media talking about BYU playing in the national title if they run the table.

Such a feat will not go unchallenged, since BYU still has Florida State, TCU, and Utah on its schedule, but what a shame it would be, hypothetically, if BYU does finish 2009 undefeated and they do not get the points necessary, via polls and computers, to play in the BCS National Championship.

If that were to happen, the bowl system would need to be put to death once and for all.

Also, the MWC is a respectable 6-3 versus schools from BCS conferences in bowl games since 2004.

In disheartening fashion, earlier this year, the committee in charge of the BCS rejected a proposal drawn up by the MWC for a playoff system.

On a stronger note, though, an offer was extended to Boise State to join the MWC in 2008.

Finally, the BCS is in desperate need of a makeover.

With just two victories, Utah has more BCS wins than Penn State, Michigan, Alabama, Oregon, California, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Boise State, and Notre Dame.

Anybody that agrees with the majority of America that college football needs a playoff system should be rooting for BYU, Utah, and TCU the rest of the way, even if you disagree on the point that the MWC is more than deserving of an automatic berth in the BCS.

The Fast and the Furious Nittany Lions

Pete Dymeck — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:30:29 -0400

The Big Ten Conference has a reputation for big and slow offenses focused on pounding the pigskin.

This reputation alone is why most of America agrees that the Big Ten is a second-rate conference as compared to the SEC, Big 12, and Pac-10.

The court of public opinion rules but it seems that Penn State is the only team in the Big Ten that gets "it."

Penn State understands that speed kills.

The faster that gameplay, the more furious the outcome.

As we seen earlier today, against the lowly Akron Zips though, is that Penn State's new crop of playmakers have already made the fans in Happy Valley forget about Derrick Williams, Deon Butler, and Jordan Norwood.

Wide receiver Derek Moye, a state champion track star in high school, caved the chest of the Akron defense in by half-time when he caught six passes for 138 yards and one touchdown.

The most exciting player, from the crowd's consensus though, was wide receiver Chaz "The Happy Valley Wowie" Powell.

He reeled in seven receptions for 65 yards and one score.

More impressive was his speed.

Powell, considered by most to be one of the fastest players in all of college football, looked like he was on skates against the Akron defense.

Of course, things are expected to slow down for him when they play the upper-tier teams in the Big Ten, but Powell's speed and the possibility of a more open playbook for the young wide receiver seams the lining for a future of nothing being impossible for this Dexter McCluster-clone.

Usually, there is a noticeable difference between the speed of teams in the Big Ten and say, the SEC.

Today, Penn State looked like it was ready to dispel the notion that the Big Ten is slow.

Will the rest of the conference catch on?

Rich Rodriguez, the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines seems to think that speed over raw power will change the course of planning for the Big Ten, and it shows already today with his tandem of quarterbacks, Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson.

The "Spread HD" offense, in its second year, looks as strong as any offense ever at Penn State with even faster playmakers split out wide.

Even head coach Joe Paterno, who returned to the sidelines at Penn State for the first time since undergoing surgery last November, joked about running onto the field and his speed.

In the postgame conference, coach Paterno asked, "Did you clock me in the 100 meters?"

Ironically enough, Joe Paterno probably realizes that they faster you are, the more furious you become, even if it took him 44 years to realize so.

While this was just one game, against a mid-level MAC opponent, the season is Penn State's to lose.

I am not ready to say that the Big Ten is a one-horse race but after witnessing the speed on the gridiron at Beaver Stadium today, the rest of the Big Ten is eating Penn State's dust after one week of play.