Preview, Game 3: No. 17 Penn State at Syracuse

Kickoff: Sat., Sept. 13. 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC Regional/GamePlan

Weather Forecast: Inside Carrier Dome.

Host: Syracuse Orange
Record: 0-2 (0-0, Big East)
Last Game: Lost to Akron, 42-28

Injuries: WR Dan Sheeran (leg - out season), LB Chad Battles (leg - doubtful)
Key Players: (offense) RB Curtis Brinkley, QB Cameron Dantley ; (defense) DL Arthur Jones, DE Vincenzo Giruzzi
Head Coach: Greg Robinson, 4th season, 7-30
Season Statistics:
Offense - 170 rush/119 pass/19 points per game
Defense - 243.5 rush/237.5 pass/36 points per game
TO Margin - (0)

Why SU will win -- Forcing Turnovers: The Orange haven’t exactly been stellar this season taking the ball away from opponents. Frankly, it could be SU’s only option in this game. The defense has been gouged by Northwestern and Akron in consecutive weeks, and those two offenses are nothing compared to the PSU machine. A key interception or fumble could help keep things respectable. Luck: Yeah, SU will need a lot of it. Orange faithful are longing for the days when this was a serious battle of two great teams, not, well... this.

Visitor: Penn State Nittany Lions
Record: 2-0 (0-0, Big Ten)
Last Game: Beat Oregon State, 45-14
Injuries: DE Maurice Evans (suspension - out game), DT Abe Koroma (suspension - out game), Jerome Hayes (ACL - out season), LB Sean Lee (ACL - out season), DE Devon Still (ankle - out season), S Nick Sukay (foot - out season)
Key Players: (offense) WR Derrick Williams, QBs Daryll Clark; (defense) DE Aaron Maybin, LB Josh Hull
Head Coach: Joe Paterno, 43rd season, 374-125-3
Season Statistics:
Offense - 286.5 rush/237.5 pass/55 points per game
Defense - 72 rush/224 pass/12 points per game
TO Margin - (+2)

Why PSU will win -- Just Show Up: That’s all PSU really has to do this week. I think it’s a matter of how well PSU plays, not if they’ll win. There’s been a lot of speculation that Joe Paterno will reel in the offense a bit, but it won’t be what PSU fans are used to on the road. I think it will be tough for PSU to not score 30 points. So, all they have to do is show up. Offensive Line: In case you’ve been living in a cave the last two weeks, PSU’s offensive line is really, really, ridiculously good. With these five, combined with the great lead-blocking of Dan Lawlor and Brett Brackett, PSU could run for 200 in the first half this week.

What will happen: Penn State will have no problem dispatching the Orange. Last week, I thought Oregon State would scare PSU a bit, but it was the opposite. So this week, I’ll expect PSU to come out strong. Maybe not as strong as last week, but it won’t give Lions fans reason to worry. Syracuse should be able to nab a couple big pass plays against the PSU secondary, but it might not be enough. SU has to hold PSU under 25 points, but won’t. I’ll just come out with it already, there’s not chance for the Orange.

Prediction: No. 17 Penn State, 52 - Syracuse, 16

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NY Times and the Syracuse Orange(men)

I don't regularly read the NYT down here in DC, what with the Post and all. But I was ferociously searching for something to write about today, and stumbled upon the NYT's blog The Quad. Not too bad, more about general college sports than a football blog, but still fun to read. They're doing a countdown of the 119 (or 120, I don't exactly know) teams until the season starts. I was curious to see where some of our opponents ended up.

Ironically, Syracuse was the lowest ranked of all Penn State's opponents--No. 98.

"...Game(s) to watch: The first month of the season. The Orange could enter October at 2-3 or even 1-4, in which case it’s another losing season and the door for Greg Robinson. However, if the ‘Cuse can get a win at Northwestern and steal one at home against Penn State or Pittsburgh, then it will go into the Big East schedule 4-1, needing only two or three wins the rest of the way to make a bowl game."

Not exactly the glowing prospects of, say, nearly all other teams this year. I agree with most of this. It's not hard to predict a team like the Orange(men), but I really can't believe that they would take the shot in the dark to pick PSU as a possible upset. I don't like Pitt, but I'll go so far as to say I wouldn't even pick Syracuse over the Panthers. Not in a million years, never mind over Penn State. Get real. But moving on.

..."Quick facts: When I refer to Greg Robinson as the worst thing to ever happen to Syracuse football, this is not just an opinion. The numbers back me up. No coach in Orange history had ever lost 10 games in a season — Robinson has done it twice in three years. No Orange coach with more than two years on the job has compiled a losing record — Robinson’s career winning percentage is .200. His two predecessors, Dick McPherson and Paul Pasqualoni, won at least seven games 12 out of 13 years from 1987-99; Robinson has won seven in his first three years combined. ‘Cuse fans can bemoan how Pasqualoni allowed the Orange to slip in his last six years (39-33 from 1999-2004) but I would venture to guess that most, if not all, Orange fans would accept a similar record over the next six years. The program that gave us Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Larry Csonka, Art Monk and Donovan McNabb, among others, deserves better."

I with Syracuse could get its act together. I'm an eastern kid, growing up in New Jersey with Penn State, Syracuse, Boston College and the like, doing well every year and stealing the headlines. Eastern football is going to come back. Penn State, BC and WVU are helping that along, but without Syracuse, frankly, it won't happen. Rutgers can't replace the Orange(men), no matter how hard they try. Penn State should roll in the Carrier Dome, but I'll save my prediction for game week.

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