2010 College Football Predictions: Penn State Preview

I don't expect anything from this year's Big Ten season. It's not been a bad few years, with Jan. 1 bowls in every single year since 2005 and two Big Ten titles and road wins at Ohio State, and more importantly, the hated Michigan. But this year, I don't expect too much.

Here's why:

Offensive Line  

I would love our offensive line to "be something," but let's be honest, it was pretty horrific last year against better sides. Senior offensive guard Stefen Wisniewski is considered one of the Nittany Lions' best players, and Quinn Barham, DeOnt'ae Pannell, Lou Eliades, and center Doug Klopacz are all veteran players who will get the plaudits if our quarterback—God only knows who that is—has a good season.

Things weren't wonderful at the Blue/White Game for the offensive line, but only time will tell. Let's hope that they will be as great as their experience (all of them are juniors or seniors)!

Quarterback Situation

King Clark is dead, long live the King.

Sophomore Kevin Newsome is seen by some as taking the Nittany Lions to good things in 2010, but by many as a poor man's Terrelle Pryor. We at the VFA were excited when PSU recruited him, but an underwhelming showing in his first year—even as a bit-part player—didn't fill us with joy.

"John" Paul Jones or Matt "Pat" McGloin will be waiting in the wings. Jones has a cannon for an arm while McGloin had a good B/W game. Don't be too surprised if Joe Paterno throws out THREE quarterbacks in the Youngstown State game.

Road Schedule (1)

If there's any game that doesn't exactly install confidence, it'll be the road game at National Champions Alabama. We'll be playing against Heisman winner Mark Ingram, a solid quarterback in Greg McIlroy, and a speedster wide receiver in Julio Jones. We can only be glad that Javier Arenas has gone to the NFL—or we'd have problems on special teams, too.

Oh, and although the Crimson Tide's defense has mostly gone to support their families in the professional leagues, Saban could toast our offensive line.

We'd also like to remind you about the time we played a highly-ranked team early on in the season with an inexperienced quarterback—2006. Against Notre Dame. We were whaled on 41-17 after a strong showing in the first quarter. That's not a great omen, people.

Road Schedule (2)

Then there's that little trip to Iowa. Last time we played at Kinnick, it was freezing cold, the coaching staff forgot the handwarmers, Shonn Greene had a field day, and Daniel Murray hit the winning field goal to trainwreck PSU's unbeaten season.

Last time we played Iowa (2009), we had a big, fun whiteout which was great—apart from the game itself, when Iowa showed PSU a little bit about offensive football.

Iowa brings back running back sensations Jewel Hampton and Adam Robinson. Ricky Stanzi's now a proven winner, and can only get better. Derrell Johnson-Koulanios, Iowa's "main man" is back for another year at wide receiver. Oh, and the defense, led by Adam Clayborn, ain't bad either.

Road Schedule (3)

And as if things could get any worse, there's that small trip to The Horseshoe to play Ohio State. The atmosphere in THAT place will make Kinnick look like a tea party. Terrelle Pryor's already being twinned with the word "Heisman," Brandon Saine and Dan Herron will run you up the gut all night long, and Posey and Sanzenbacher will cause ANY secondary problems.

Oh, and then there's Pryor's legs, too. Be afraid, be very freaking afraid.

Defensive Losses

Tom Bradley is God of defensive coaching—there's no one better than him in the land at the job (sorry Saban and Bo Pelini!). We, for one, are grateful for his loyalty to the Penn State cause. But he'll miss Navarro Bowman,  Jared "The Giant" Odrick, Sean Lee, and Josh Hull. Who wouldn't?

Although the defense is going to be good—it's rarely poor—it's going to take a while for them to gel.

But, let's be positive for a moment...

I Feel the Need...

The need for speed!

And that, my friends, is what Penn State has in abundance. Alabama fans who are a little worried about the big game tell us that the Tide secondary isn't going to be strong this year, and (if he plays both ways) Chaz Powell, Curtis Drake, and Stephfon Green will cause problems for defenses in Tuscaloosa—and all over the division.

Plus, Kevin Newsome isn't slow out of the pocket, which will make him dangerous in short situations. The next Michael Robinson? Possibly...

P.S. Just found out Curtis Drake is out 6-8 weeks with an injury. May have to redshirt. Dammit!

THAT Defense

There's a reason why people aren't talking down PSU's defensive losses—and it's probably because they all have bills saying: "In Bradley We Trust." I certainly do.

DE Jack Crawford's going to be an NFL star in the future, and Michael Mauti's yet another very talented linebacker to play in blue and white. Chaz Powell's decision—or his coaches' decision—for him to play in the secondary will be a positive in the second half of the year (he probably needs a few games to warm up before he becomes the next Chris Gamble!), and Nick Sukay and Drew Astorino aren't terrible either.

The HOME Schedule

Penn State's home schedule's one that most people would bite your hand off for. Sure, you're not exactly loving it if you're a season ticket holder, but it's a pretty good home schedule for the team. We can't wait for the Student White Out against Michigan—particularly if the team wins one of Alabama or Iowa on the road.

Evan Royster/Stephfon Green

Once again, Penn State is DEEP at running back. Royster will probably break the record for most-ever yardage by a PSU running back, and Green's absolute lightning if you give him a few yards—he also averaged 13.3 yards receiving (80 yards in six receptions).

Joe Paterno WILL Get to 400

Unless this season is absolutely horrific, Joe Paterno will pick up win No. 400 this year. He'll be prepared for Alabama—in the same way that he was prepared for the speed of Florida State in the Orange Bowl, Miami in THAT National Championship game, and LSU and Tennessee in the recent bowl games.

The question is: Will the team show up on the day?

Our Prediction?

9-3. The losses come on the road at Alabama, Iowa, and Ohio State.

A quick word of warning—this is the last time people said Penn State would amount to nothing: