Bleacher Report - Penn State Football

Penn State Still BCS Bound?

Allison Bail — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:35:24 -0500

With one game remaining in the regular season, at this point every Penn State fan has one thing on their mind, and that is what bowl game will their Nittany Lions end up. When the season begins, every college football team has the same goal, and that is to make a BCS bowl game.

At the start of the season, this seemed almost certain, and Penn State even had their eyes on the BCS title game. However after two disappointing loses, we watched our hopes of a BCS bowl game fade away, or at least we thought.

For those who aren’t quite sure what the BCS is, it stands for Bowl Championship Series. There are four BCS bowl games, and the national championship. The four games are the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl. A rankings system is put into effect to figure who is eligible to make these bowl games.

The top two teams in the rankings go to the National Championship. After that, the six major conferences get automatic bids to their conference champion. The conferences are the Big Ten, Big Twelve, Big East, SEC, ACC, and Pac-10.

After those are given, there are four spots left and those are chosen by the bowl committees, these are called “at-large” bids. To be eligible for an at-large bid, you must finish inside the top 14 of the final BCS rankings. Also, only two teams can be selected from each conference.

This Saturday Penn State takes on the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing at 3:30. First things first, Penn State must win this game before any BCS talk can even begin. Right now Penn State ranks 14th in the BCS, if they win this game they are all but certain to finish in the needed top 14.

There have been rumors circulating that the Orange Bowl committee is choosing Penn State regardless of any other team as long as they finish in the top 14. They feel they have had terrible matchups in the past that have not generated them much money or TV viewers. The last two Orange Bowls were Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati, and Virginia Tech vs. Kansas.

The Orange Bowl committee is sick of the poor matchups with teams the country is not that interested in. Since Penn State has such a huge following, and travels so well, they know by selecting the Nittany Lions that won’t be the case this year.

There was speculation that they said no matter who is ranked ahead of them and who might have been more deserving they would still take Penn State. Time will tell if these will happen or not, but it is rather interesting.

I think this really shows a lot for our program if we get selected over other teams just for revenue purposes. I am by no means saying this is right, as I think it is very unfair. The idea that Iowa, who beat us, can be ranked ahead of us but we still make a better bowl game is extremely unfair, and I couldn’t even imagine how I’d feel if I was on the other side of this.

However, these bowl games are a business, and they want to make money. Far or not fair, it seems at times money trumps everything. I feel it is a compliment if we get chosen, and shows us how much respect our program has, although I do not feel it is right.

On another note, this weeks game vs. Michigan State brings about the annual blood drive were the two schools compete against each other. The blood drive has been going on since 1994, and Penn State is 11-5 over the 16 year period. Over that time, the schools have selected 53,000 units of blood! I think this is a great tradition for a great cause and it will be good to see it go on in the future.

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Penn State Seniors Reflect on Season After Last Home Game in Happy Valley

Megan Klock — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:32:38 -0500

Last weekend’s home game against Indiana marked a sad day for most students. It was the last home game of the season, and the last time that many seniors would be able to enjoy a game as a Penn State student before they graduate.

Though the Nittany Lions pulled off a win, a dull feeling hung over the usual upbeat student section.

For starters, the Nittany Lions looked very sloppy in the first half. The noon kickoff didn't help the students.

But what most caused that dreary feeling was the loss a weekend earlier to Ohio State.

That loss left many fans disappointed and shocked at the team’s performance. For the second time at home, a highly anticipated game slipped away from Penn State. The first loss was to Iowa, the only night game and our first whiteout.

It was a chance for the Nittany Lions to redeem themselves against the team that ended their undefeated season last year. With home field advantage and the atmosphere of Beaver Stadium at night, many fans were confident that PSU would win.

But the Hawkeyes took advantage of their inconsistency, and many fans started to second-guess Penn State's potential for the rest of the season.

Probably the biggest letdown of the two home losses this season was the fact that they were both whiteouts and both were to big rivals.

Andrew, a senior, reflects on this season and his last as a Penn State student:

“It’s really depressing at how fast it all went. I will never be a student here again at a game, and the fact that the only two whiteout games we had this season we lost. The team didn’t even put up much of a fight during both games either.

“I think a lot of people had higher expectations for the team this season. Our team had the talent; they just couldn’t put it together to beat those big teams and prove themselves, regardless if we even had home field advantage.”

Though Penn State's season wasn't as successful as expected, fans are looking ahead to a win this weekend over Michigan State. Despite weakened enthusiasm after two tough home losses, fans are hopeful for a chance to travel to a decent bowl game.

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Penn State All-Time Defensive Team

Brandon Seitz — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:44:17 -0500

It’s Linebacker U. You could make an argument for virtually any linebacker that’s come through Penn State’s football program to be placed on the all-time defensive team. I’ve narrowed it down to what I believe are the stand-out guys that have made the traditional Nittany Lion defense such a feared and respected part of college football. Despite Penn State’s current depth at linebacker and the fact that the nation is continuing its era of the spread offense, I'll stick with the traditional 4-3 defense. For PennState’s All-Time Offensive Team, read the article here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/291613-penn-state-all-time-offensive-team

Begin Slideshow

Penn State All-Time Offensive Team

Brandon Seitz — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:26:59 -0500

Granted the fact that Penn State has been known to be a stout defensive team for ages and boasts a head coach that doesn’t like to run up the score, I’ve assembled what I believe to be the Nittany Lions’ top offense in team history.

I took a basic I-formation style offense with a tight end, fullback, and two receivers so that I could include the top players in every position.

The 1994 season was without a doubt the best offense in school history, finishing undefeated and with a dominating Rose Bowl victory. The offense may have (arguably) been one of the best in college football history.

I’m not lying.

The 1994 Penn State offense broke the following school records:

-rushing average per carry
-passing yardage per game
-pass completion percentage
-total passing yards
-yards gained per play
-yardage per game
-total yardage
-total points scored
-average points scored per game
-total touchdowns

Watching the team chemistry and precision performance the offense managed to show game in and game out was a tribute to the coaching, just as much as the talent on the field. As such, I’ve included more players from that year’s team than any other year.

For Penn State's All-Time Defensive Team, see the article here.

Line

OL – Jeff Hartings – Two-time All-American

OL – Steve Wisniewski – Two-time All-American

OL– Dave Joyner – 1971 captain and All-American

OL – Keith Dorney – Two-time All-American

OL – A.Q. Shipley – Questionable, but he was awarded the Rimington Trophy for the nation’s best center in 2008. He was also an All-American who led the offensive line during Tony Hunt’s record-setting year in 2006.

Backs and Receivers

QB – Kerry Collins – Collins came in fourth in the 1994 Heisman voting
while capturing the Maxwell and Davey O'Brien Awards and leading the
Nittany Lions to a perfect 12-0 season. He also set five single-season school records and fell four points shy of the NCAA career passing efficiency record at
172.8.

FB – Brian Milne – Underlooked player who paved the way for a successful 1994 season, which included the largest comeback victory under Joe Paterno, where Milne scored three touchdowns.

HB – John Cappelletti – Cappelletti took home the only Heisman Trophy in Penn State history in 1973, after delivering a very emotional acceptance speech at the ceremony. The Nittany Lions have had many, many solid backs throughout the years in Curt Warner, DJ Dozier, Ki-Jana Carter, Larry Johnson and more, but Cappelletti gets the nod.

TE – Kyle Brady – Kyle was a two-time All-Big Ten selection and graduated seventh in school history for all-time receptions. Not bad for a tight end. He was also a first-round (ninth overall) pick for the Jets in 1995.

WR – Bobby Engram – Received the Biletnikoff Award in 1995 as the nation’s top receiver. He was an integral target for Kerry Collins in 1994.

WR – Kenny Jackson – Jackson was Penn State’s first All-American receiver. He owned 27 school records upon graduation.

What do you think?

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Emotional Senior Day as Penn State Defeats Indiana

Allison Bail — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:26:27 -0500

Senior Day at Penn State always turns out to be an emotional day for students, players and coaches. On this senior day, the Penn State Nittany Lions took on the Indiana Hoosiers in a must win game for Penn State as they try to stay in line to make a big bowl game.

The Hoosiers came into Beaver Stadium hungry as they got out to an early lead, however Penn State was able to hold them off and come away with a 31-20 victory.

Things didn’t look great to start as the Nittany Lions found themselves trailing at the end of the first quarter 10-0. At many times in the game it seemed as if nothing could go Penn State’s way.

Quarterback Daryll Clark threw two interceptions and the team had four total turnovers by halftime. The special teams was struggling to hold on to the ball, and things were starting to not look too bright for Penn State.

Tied 10-10 in the third quarter, Indiana was driving down the field trying to regain the lead. Indiana’s quarterback dropped back and looked to throw a screen pass to his running back.

The pass was tipped by the Hoosier, and fell right into the hands of Penn State linebacker Navorro Bowman. Following the catch, Bowman took the ball 73 yards for a Penn State touchdown.

This was the spark Penn State needed as they went on to score two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter, as Daryll Clark and Evan Royster both had rushing touchdowns of their own.

Senior day is always an emotional day for the players as it is the last time they will run out onto the field at Beaver Stadium. This was definitely the case today as Penn State fans watched some very important players play their last game at home.

These seniors have had a lot of success over the past four years, which included an impressive 25-4 record at Beaver Stadium.

These group of seniors included quarterback Daryll Clark, defensive linemen Jared Odrick and Jerome Hayes, tight ends Andrew Quarless and Mickey Shuler, cornerback A.J. Wallace, and linebackers Josh Hull and Sean Lee.

As these are just a select few of the seniors on the team, mostly ones who played pivotal roles over their whole career, all of the seniors will be greatly missed.

As well as players, many students found the day emotional as they watched their time in the student section come to an end. Me being one of these, it is a rather tough pill to swallow.

The Saturday morning that consisted of tailgating then going to the games are some of my favorite moments I’ve had in my college years.

Sure, I do plan on coming back to some games in the future, but it won’t be the same as I won’t be jumping up and down doing zombie nation with 40,000 other students.

It’s something no student wants to come to an end, as I overheard many seniors discussing it at the game. It’s hard to complain though, as I have watched many good games and teams over my four years!

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Penn State Football: Take a “Special” Page Out of Pete Carroll's Book

Kevin Paul — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:17:23 -0500

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – “Misadventures in Happy Valley”–that would be a catchy and fitting title to a new movie starring the Penn State special teams unit.

Well, that and the fact that “Waiting to Exhale” was already taken.

During a season where Penn State football began with many question marks, from offensive line, to wide receivers, to a young and inexperienced secondary, the biggest issue in the end has been special teams.

“Special”…not so much.

Call it the “Benny Hill Show” set in a football atmosphere. That’s the best way to describe Penn State’s special teams play against Indiana on Saturday.

We’re talking to the point that a successful fair catch in the second half (by WR Graham Zug) was greeted with a sarcastic cheer by just about every single one of the 107,000+ fans that watched the game in Happy Valley.

The funny thing is, Penn State’s special teams play has been an adventure all season long, so much that head coach Joe Paterno has been dodging questions on the subject matter sporadically throughout the year.

When recently asked about the program’s philosophy at splitting up the special teams coaching, Paterno replied, “That’s the way I like to do it. We’ve always done that. I grew up with that when I played in college. I grew up with it when I came here as an assistant coach.”

Many critics may think to point to an old-school program that is reluctant to change.

But as Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friends.”

The Nittany Lions have made plenty of changes over recent seasons. Two examples come to mind, such as recently playing true freshmen more often than in the past, and even implementing the Spread HD offense, much different than vanilla Penn State offenses of yesteryear.

Change can and does happen in Happy Valley.

But, with a change to special teams–there’s a catch.

“You know, I think when they limit you to nine full-time coaches, you got to be careful you don’t take one out of the mix and doing nothing but working with special teams.”

Paterno makes a solid enough point, up until the time that the “straw broke the camel’s back.”

After Saturday’s fumble parade against Indiana, it became more glaringly obvious–just not to Paterno.

“I thought the special teams did well except for the two punts that we mishandled,” Paterno said. “I thought we did pretty well. Again that kid (Hagerup) did a good job. We had one good return that we fumbled the ball and gave it up. As I said last week, it was not a question of coaching and it wasn’t a question of tactics. I think it was a question of not having the right combination of people in there and we made some switches. I thought we did a pretty good job.”

Only, let’s let the stats do the talking, shall we?

Entering Saturday’s game against Indiana, Penn State was 114th in the nation in kickoff return average and 64th in opponent kickoff return average. On top of that, the Nittany Lions were 108th in the nation in punt return average and 117th in opponent punt return average.

That’s ugly with a capital “U,” right there.

It’s about time Penn State football made another change.

Here’s a solution–why not take a page out of Pete Carroll’s book?

This year, Carroll hired Brian Schneider as the new special teams coordinator for USC. Schneider, carrying 15 years of experience entering the job, was USC’s first full-time special teams coordinator since 2001.

So far, so good–just look at the facts.

Entering this weekend, the Trojans were fifth in the country in punt return average, compared to 72nd from last season. On top of that, USC is ranked fourth in opponent punt return average, up from 78th in 2008.

That’s a significant jump–especially in a category like special teams, arguably the most important aspect of a team’s game.

If you don’t buy that, then look at “Beamerball.” If you have even a middle-of-the-road knowledge of college football, you’ve heard of “Beamerball”, a.k.a. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, and his supreme ability to not just preach, but execute solid special teams play on a regular basis–to the point that the philosophy has vaulted the Hokies to a great deal of success over the last decade and a half.

And while Penn State is bringing in loads of talent, it’s the inconsistent play of the special teams unit that is stealing away victories–and titles.

No bigger point can be made with Penn State’s two losses of the season, which featured significant big plays on special teams by both Iowa and Ohio State.

Therefore, it’s about time that Penn State made a change, because the special teams play has been enough of a red flag that the Nittany Lions should give in and raise the white flag on its old-school experiment and hire a coordinator.

Until then, Penn State fans will have to hold their breath until blue in the face.

* All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com

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Penn State's Fans: The Worst in College Football?

Alex Ferguson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:25:00 -0500

I've just been reading an intriguing piece about crowd trouble at football games that was highlighted by a front page picture of fans tearing down goalposts, which everyone else thinks is a pretty romantic notion. That includes ESPN, which see rushing the field as something romantic.

But now, that sort of outpouring of delirium is seen as trouble.

Before I get to the Penn State bit of this article, I was pretty stunned to find out that a Red Sox fan had been reprimanded for using the "S" word when his beloved pitcher gave up a dinger at Fenway Park.

What is the world coming to when you can't use the odd epithet when being at a game. In the UK, it's all part of the chanting! OK, there are some people who go over the top (nobody's perfect when it comes to bad language—particularly at a sports event in which you are passionately involved in), but isn't that part of the game.

It shouldn't be, but isn't it?

Anyway, back to the boys at State College. According to ESPN, Penn State police reported 397 incidents in 2008, 62 percent of which involved alcohol. That's more than double the estimated 177 incidents in 2006. Over those three years, the highest number, 101 incidents, came on Oct. 27, 2007, during a game against Ohio State.

Behavior at the 2005 game wasn't great either. And we're certainly not proud of the behavior outside the frat house in 2007 , which saw OSU fans bombarded with cans.

Those are the sort of things which let us down, Nittany Nation.

Stunningly, the ESPN report paints the Buckeyes fans as whiter than the driven snow with fewer than five arrests per year and five ejections per game. Obviously, they didn't catch the Buckeyes fans who threw buckeye nuts at a friend of mine who went to the Illinois against OSU game in 2007, and the Penn State fan who had their car smashed up at the Horseshoe.

Having said that, the Buckeyes HAVE been cleaning up their image with the Good Sportsmanship Program—something that ought to be encouraged across every single NCAA campus.

Georgia fans are pretty awful too, according to ESPN, with 300 people ejected per game. One can suspect most of that is for bringing illegal booze into games (not that that would ever happen in a college football game), because I've been to Athens twice and both times the language certainly hasn't been poor (unless you count the screams of rage after the SEC official call in 2009!).

Listen, bad language is always going to be a part of the game. It shouldn't be, but it is.

Unfortunately, we, at the VFA, can understand the authorities if they boot fans out for bringing booze into games, because it's their fault. Fighting should end up in a lifetime ban. But swearing? Can they not turn a blind eye like the UK stewards and police do every Saturday because they are happier that there's no crowd trouble if fans can blow off steam a little?

And West Virginia fans? Apparently couch burnings are in with a victory.

And being an away player and getting whiskey bottles thrown at you? Christ, how about being a home player for Notre Dame, when the student section threw snowballs at you during the Syracuse game last year (giggle!). Snowballs are one thing (Penn State nearly got a penalty for throwing snowballs at Minnesota players in the 2009 game), but marshmallows (the world's best idea at a Penn State game)? Shut up!

We could go on and on, but let's face the facts. If you're an away fan, it's never going to be fun rooting for your team in the home stand.

To be fair, you shouldn't really be there in the first place. You should be with your own fans. But if you are an away fan sitting in a home end, then expect to get heckled. After all, you're not just stupid for wearing your team's clothes in another's section, you're reckless.

But if someone throws a missile—be it a bottle or anything else—then make sure he or she gets their butt thrown out of the game.

That is being out of order. But consistent and funny heckling? That should only be admired. And you should leave sharpish if your team wins on a last second, B.S. call. You can always go and find your fellow away fans by darting over to their end when the stadium empties.

Before we sign off, remember one thing:

If you're a visiting fan in a home section, you're lucky if you get away with the odd "***hole" chant or a finger or 10 thrown in your direction. In the some UK soccer grounds, your butt would be booted out of the stadium, and secondly, the actual percentages of those getting thrown out to those who attend the games week in and week out are comparatively low (Penn State's 397 compared to an attendance of around 800,000 for the year? I'd say college football has it pretty good).

The question is: Who do you think are the worst fans in college football?

If you want to know what bad is, can I suggest you YouTube the West Ham against Millwall riots from earlier this soccer season?

Now, back to Penn State. This amused me, anyway.

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