Bowl Predictions 2012: 7 Reasons Penn State Is Destined for the Rose Bowl

Photo courtesy of www.seansimmers.com

In a Big Ten Conference where nobody seems to want to live up to expectations (yes you, Wisconsin and Michigan State), there is one team rising to the top.  That team is the No. 16 Penn State Nittany Lions, 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the Leaders Division of the Big Ten.

While Penn State's wins have been far from impressive, there is no debating that they sit comfortably atop the Leaders Division of the Big Ten with their sights set on a fourth Big Ten Championship.

Penn State's path to Lucas Oil Stadium for the inaugural Big Ten Championship is not easy, since they face Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin in the coming weeks.  If you're worried about Penn State winning any of those games and getting to the championship game, don't be!  

I'm here to tell you seven reasons why Penn State will not only win the 2011 Big Ten Championship, but why they also are destined for a trip to Pasadena, Calif. for a New Year's Day matchup in the Rose Bowl.  

Read on.        

7. Silas Redd's Dominance at RB

The one commonality among the three Rose Bowl appearances by the Nittany Lions is the emergence of a strong running attack, from the explosiveness of Ki-Jana Carter to the consistency of Penn State all-time leading rusher Evan Royster. 

This year will be no different, with the Nittany Lions riding the production of Silas Redd all the way to Pasadena.  

In nine games Silas Redd has carried the ball 195 times for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns.  Redd's average of 5.2 yards per carry is impressive not by sheer numbers, but because the entire Penn State offense relies on him for production.

Opposing defenses know he's getting the ball, and they simply cannot stop him.  Penn State is undefeated when Redd has at least one carry of 10 yards or more.  

Note to Joe Paterno: Don't stop handing Redd the ball—start the 2012-2013 Heisman campaign.  

6. LB Michael Mauti's Torn ACL Makes Way for LB Nathan Stupar

What happens when your football team loses its preseason All-Big Ten linebacker for the season with a torn ACL?  If your team is Penn State, otherwise knows as "Linebacker U," you simply throw the next great linebacker into the shuffle.

That's what happened this year when LB Michael Mauti tore the ACL in his left knee during the fourth game of the season. 

Nathan Stupar immediately stepped in and made the Nittany Lions faithful quickly forget about the loss of Michael Mauti.  In five games as a starter, Stupar has recorded 42 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and one sack.

More importantly, Nathan Stupar, a redshirt senior, has brought much-needed leadership and experience to the linebacker corps.  Stupar has solidified Penn State's 2011-2012 linebacker corps as one of the most consistent in recent memory. 

This year, Stupar and the Penn State linebackers will prove true the adage that "defense wins championships."

5. LB Gerald Hodges' Explosive Play

I'll just ask the question that every Penn State fan is wondering: "Where in the world did this production from LB Gerald Hodges comes from?"  

Gerald Hodges has quickly progressed from a fan favorite to a a legitimate superstar with 77 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and one interception (returned for 63 yards to seal the fate of the Northwestern Wildcats).

Hodges recorded 19 tackles, one sack and a forced fumble in a comeback win against Illinois last week, earning him his second consecutive Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor.  Hodges' explosive play the past two weeks has seemed to re-ignite one of the nation's most dominant defenses.

I'm guessing Hodges ends the regular season with more than 110 tackles and 8.5 sacks, reinforcing the dominance of Penn State's defense and leading his team to a bid in the 2012 Rose Bowl.   

4. Ability to Win Ugly Games

Let's be honest here.

Penn State's wins thus far have been all but impressive, beating Big Ten bottom-feeders Indiana, Purdue and Northwestern by a combined total of only 21 points.  

Beating Indiana (1-8, 0-5 Big Ten) by six points is somewhat embarrassing, but the positive to take away from that game and countless others is the fact that Penn State repeatedly is finding ways to win ugly games.  

While Penn State's wins this season have not been very flashy, they are winning games by whatever means necessary.  Penn State sealed the 34-24 victory against Northwestern with a 63-yard interception in the fourth quarter.  

After accumulating only 109 yards of total offense in the first 57 minutes of their battle with Illinois, they put together a game-winning 80-yard touchdown drive in just two minutes.  

In a league where teams just can't seem to figure out how to finish games (yes, I'm looking at you, Wisconsin), Penn State has closed out games when the pressure is on.

If finding ways to win is truly a key to winning championships, then Penn State is well on its way.    

3. Cohesiveness of the Offensive Line

The biggest question at the start of the season, aside from the quarterback carousel, was whether or not the offensive line would come together and become an effective unit.  It is safe to say the answer to that question is a resounding yes. 

Penn State currently ranks 31st nationally and third in the Big Ten in sacks allowed, allowing fewer than 1.5 sacks per game.  Take away their season opener against Indiana State and the more recent "Snow Bowl" against Illinois, in which they allowed four sacks each game, and they would be tied with Oklahoma for first in the nation.

In addition to protecting the passer, the offensive line has been coming together and opening holes for the running game, helping RB Silas Redd gain 709 yards in October.

You can't win championships with your quarterback on the ground.  The good news for QB Matt McGloin and the Nittany Lions: Opposing defenses aren't getting McGloin on the ground too often.    

2. Another Year, Another Top 10 Defense

If defense wins championships, the Nittany Lions are well on their way to hoisting the Big Ten championship trophy on December 3 in Lucas Oil Stadium.  

The most impressive aspect of this stout defense is not necessarily that they are ranked 10th in total defense (283 yards per game), 12th in sacks per game (23 per game) or even fourth in points allowed per game (12.4 per game).

When you watch Penn State's defense, what stands out the most is just how consistent and reliable they are.  Game after game the defense comes up huge, with numerous three-and-outs and game-changing turnovers.  

The defense has carried a weak offensive Penn State team to an undefeated record in the Big Ten thus far.  As the offense continues to become a cohesive unit, look for more of the same from another dominant Joe Paterno defense.  

1. It's Time for Joe Paterno to Pass the Torch...Enter Urban Meyer?

Trust me, I don't want to see Joe Paterno leave Penn State any more than the next guy, but it's about that time.

Paterno has earned the right to leave Penn State whenever he wants to, but if he has the best interests of the football program in mind, he respectfully will retire to make way for the next Penn State coach.

Did someone say "Urban Meyer"? 

What better way to end a legendary career than coming off a season that included breaking the all-time record for career wins by a Division-I coach (Grambling's Eddie Robinson had 408), winning the inaugural Big Ten championship game and making a final trip to beautiful Pasadena, Calif. for the Rose Bowl?  

If Penn State needs motivation to battle through the upcoming gauntlet of Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin, it need look no further than the black shoes and outdated glasses of its leader and head coach.  

I can't think of a more fitting ending to a historic legacy than the sun setting on the Rose Bowl as Paterno victoriously walks off the field one final time.  

Prediction for 2012 Rose Bowl: Penn State 23, Oregon 21.  Paterno's 412th victory.