Friday Linkage is in on Saturday

Two weeks from right now, Penn State will take the field again Akron. To say I'm excited would be a gross understatement. It's time to get pumped, and hope all those hurricanes will be kind enough to hit us only on Mondays this year.

Wrapping up this week, Penn State was in the news quite a bit. But this is only the beginning. As we get closer to the opener, it'll feel like 24/7 college football... just the way we like it.

• We'll lead this off with The Penn State Football Story, which debuts in a few hours.

• And just in case all that suspense wasn't enough to make you head explode, you could always start thinking about Football Eve on Sept. 4.

• Penn State debuted at No. 9 in the AP Poll. You know, that's the poll that used to matter a whole lot (especially to USC fans), but didn't like the BCS so it took it's toys and went home.

• The Centre Daily Times runs down the wide receiver position.

One thing is certain: Quarterback Daryll Clark should be able to find them. Bracket is 6-foot-6, while Moye is 6-5, Zug is 6-2 and Chaz Powell, the one getting a lot of the buzz, is 6-2.

Far cry from the "Smurfs."

• USA Today profiles the return of Sean Lee.

"I haven't played since December 2007, so I'm kind of done working out. I want to play football," Lee said.

I feel bad for the first Akron ball carrier to meet up with him in two weeks.

• Also at USA Today, Jeff Sagarin's rankings are out. PSU starts at a familiar No. 8.

• The Sporting News predicts a bunch of stuff about the Big Ten, including the all-conference teams. Finally, Terrelle Pryor isn't the first-team QB.

• PennLive.com builds on the notion that Illinois will be THE trap game in the Big Ten this season. I beg to differ, but more on that later.

• David Jones also gets all Buckeye-y on us.

• Aaron Maybin finally signed with the Bills.

The countdown begins: 14 days

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Wednesday Linkage is channeling the rage

I swear there will be much more original stuff coming in the next few weeks. It's a pretty dead time in terms of actual team news. You see, although we bloggers are becoming a more integral part of sports and news, we're still generally not accepted as worthy of "access" to the news makers. So, no spicy interviews with the players, or inside reports from Holuba Hall.

But, we do have plenty of link dumping and the like to hold you over until crunch time arrives. (This Saturday is the official two week mark) And to go along with my theme of griping about the main stream media, I'm leading off today's linkage with a gem from a fellow Penn State blogger.

• The Nittany Line totally rips into the Clarion News's Ryan Pugh.

"Usually when I see a writer (of the paid variety) put out something stupid I just chuckle and move on but occasionally I read something that is so perverse that I have to point it out, after all these people are getting paid for this garbage."

This one is kind of close to my heart, being a former local news assistant editor. So I can appreciate what TNL is complaining about.

• There is No Name on My Jersey had some words about a certain SI.com columnist's references to a "resurgent" Penn State.

"If the Lions win the Big Ten for a second straight year (and 3 out of the last 5) and are in the hunt for a national title, we can stop talking about "a resurgent" PSU rising from the dead and start talking about the Lions consistently being on the prowl for National Titles."

We've had our own differences here at ZN with Stewart Mandel. So, here's a big old thumbs up to TINNOMJ.

• Happy Hour Valley seems to be stuck in the same link-dump-hell boat we are here.

• Nittany Whiteout reminds us that Penn State does have a basketball team. And hey, wouldn't ya know it, they're not too bad! 2010 NCAA Tourney or Bust, Baby!

• Black Shoe Diaries is actually writing original content. (I would hope so, with three writers over there) So, this week, they're going over the top five reasons for hope and worry.

• In the Big Ten blogging world, The Daily Gopher likes Penn State more than Ohio State (barely) in its week one BlogPoll ballot.

• MGoBlog's mailbag is always fun.

• Black Heart Gold Pants seems to have gotten a bad case of "Zack Attack." But, this strain has apparently mutated into a Hawkeye-friendly state.

See you all tomorrow with First Look '09: Indiana Hoosiers! And remember to get your votes in for Ohio State's win total poll.

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Tuesday Linkage is not freaking out about Mauti

Every Penn State fan cringed when news broke of Mike Mauti's ACL tear. But would I call it a "severe" hit to Penn State's linebacker situation just 19 days from the opener? Not at all.

The Nittany Lions have two legitimate first team All-America candidates returning. Most of the second string guys would start for 90 percent of all other FBS teams. One of the backups started all 13 games in 2008, and another has starting experience.

Bob Flounders headlined his article on Mauti as "Mike Mauti's knee injury severe hit to Penn State's linebacker depth." But is it really?

This puts Penn State in a frustrating situation, having to find another starter three weeks from the season. But this problem doesn't even compare to Sean Lee's ACL tear last summer.

Mauti has a redshirt year to use. The backups are better than most teams' starters. And Lee and Navorro Bowman are the other two starters. So, it's time to just chill out.

• David Jones is worried about "lookout blocks" this season. I hate to admit that I'm fearing the same. Walt Moody, too.

• Vinny Pezzimenti reminds us (not that we needed it) that Evan Royster is good. So are the linebackers.

• More on ESPN's top villains list.

• Syracuse QB Greg Paulus was named starter for 2009. While it won't make a bit of difference whether or not Penn State wins, it could make things more interesting.

• Syracuse announced it will play Notre Dame and USC at the new Meadowlands stadium.

• Akron held their first scrimmage last weekend.

• Dave Curtis still doesn't know what he's talking about.

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Friday Night Linkage is considering a wingback

Going over Joe Paterno's press conference transcript from Thursday's media day, there are a few things to notice -- JoePa's comments on the offensive line, the running backs, injuries, and pretending that he doesn't know what the media is talking about, ever.

We'll have all that and more in tonight's inaugural Friday Night Linkage.

• Joe Paterno hinted that we could see more Evan Royster and Stephfon Green on the field at the same time.

"Green can be a really good running back. Green has got explosive speed. You know, we would have the ability to play Green at tailback and Royster as a slot back. Royster is a good receiver. He's an excellent athlete, an all around athlete... [we could] put Royster at slot or put him as a wing or do something with him."

• I called this months ago, and some had the gall to doubt my infinite wisdom. Well, looks like Paterno is looking at Graham Zug as a potential punt return specialist.

"We have (Graham) Zug back there catching punts. And, there again, we have eight or nine guys catching punts every day, trying to figure out which guy is going to be the most consistent... But we know Royster can do it, Zug could do it."

• The biggest news on the offense is up front, as Dennis Landolt will go left side, and Deonte Pannell will go right side. Paterno knows experience could mean the difference between Daryll Clark surviving this year.

"Landolt is a better tackle now. Landolt is a pretty good tackle. Pannell is just a kid; was a true freshman last year. He didn't play that much either. Played some. I mean, it would be foolish to put Pannell over there. We had him there last year, but we had him there because we didn't have anybody behind Cadogan."

• I was sorry to hear earlier this week about Devin Fentress (graduated this spring), but more so about J.B. Walton. So was Paterno.

"[Walton]'s got a learning disability that we can't do a good job with here. We looked all over for a place where he could go where they could help him... But we couldn't do the job for him academically that I think he's entitled to. And we had to bite the bullet there."

You have to respect Walton, and Paterno, for putting academics first.

• There's really a ton more of juicy info in the transcript, so you should all go and read it through. But I'll wrap up this transcript rundown with some good ole JoePa.

Reporter: You have a high number of big time players returning on this team. Do you remember another season where you've had that type of talent return, yet have so many holes to fill at key positions?

Paterno: Well, I don't know. I'm not sure I know where you're coming from with, what did you call them? Big play what?

It wouldn't be a Joe Paterno press conference without a little gamesmanship with the media folks.

Chip shots...

• Bob Flounders has a nice one-on-one with Navorro Bowman.

• Bernie Fernandez spoke at length with the wide receivers in a basic rundown of that position, while Joe Juliano talks to Penn State's resident Brit, Jack Crawford.

• Eric Thomas looks at the safeties (warning: premium content), Andrew Dailey and Nick Sukay, in what could be a very underrated position race the next few weeks.

• Yes, Penn State cares about academics.

Have a great weekend!

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Thursday Linkage is full of meaningless predictions

The main stream media is now rolling at full throttle, as we were blessed this week with their infinite wisdom in the form of predictions, power rankings and Heisman talk.

• ESPN has put together an "expert" panel to begin voting on the 2009 Heisman Trophy race. Naturally, the big three -- Tebow, Bradford and McCoy -- lead the way. But then there are the picks that you know are just made to piss people off, like Tennessee SS Eric Berry, USC Safety Taylor Mays, and TCU DE Jerry Hughes. I just wonder, if they're good enough to get votes now, where are those votes in December?

• Staying with the whole best-in-America theme, NBC Sports released its All-America teams for 2009. While Penn State didn't get any first-team nods, Evan Royster and Navorro Bowman were both named to the second team. Stefen Wisniewski and Jared Odrick landed on the third team. Not bad, especially considering Wiz has never started a game at center prior to this season.

• Preseason rankings are the lifeblood of college football in August; SI.com and NBC Sports are right there with the pack. Penn State comes in at a respectable No. 11 at NBC, and a bit disappointing No. 14 at SI.com.

• ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Bruce Feldman both like Penn State to return to the BCS circuit; Schlabach pegs the Lions for the Orange Bowl vs. Virginia Tech, while Feldman sends JoePa back to the Rose Bowl for a USC rematch.

• Adam Rittenberg says otherwise.

• Today is Penn State's media day, but if you didn't want to pay 10 bucks (!) to watch Joe Paterno's presser online today, you can see a replay of it later on the Big Ten Network, along with other Penn State goodies this evening.

• Jay Paterno would rather have his players practicing than talking.

• The always entertaining BlogPoll is reving back up.

• Just a reminder, the Buckeye Battle Cry was kind enough to stop bashing Michigan for a few minutes, and answer a couple questions for this week's First Look '09. I'll have the post up later today, so be sure to check back for it!

• And lastly, my copy of Sports Illustrated just arrived. While I'm still not crazy about the positions they placed the players, it's nice to see Daryll Clark and Wiz on there.

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Catching up; link dump

News you've probably already read, but rehashed right here for your re-run pleasure!

GoPSUsports.com: Daryll Clark, Sean Lee and Jared Odrick will go to the Big Ten media days with Joe Paterno.

• The Nittany Line: Lift for Life? Check. But if Graham Zug's total is anyone's fault, it's you BSD!

• There is No Name on My Jersey: Remember how bad that Iowa loss hurt? Well, let me remind you.

• Black Shoe Diaries: (via Kevin HD) If this is what Vegas is saying about Penn State, they must not read Phil Steele; (via RUTS) Robert Bolden might be on the way, and Paul Jones might be ok.

• Nittany White Out: You want a playoff? I got your playoff right here.

• Happy Hour Valley: Bigger schedule challenges for PSU hoops in 2009-10 could mean a tourney berth. More on this from Crispin and Cream.

• Happy Valley Half Nelson: PSU wrestling family grows, literally.

Off topic

Tomorrow is First Look '09: Illinois Fighting Illini, so get ready for some Big Ten contender conversation!

Also, don't forget to get you last minute votes in this week's poll: Iowa's win total for '09.

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Monday linkage

Here's a quick rundown of what went down this weekend in Penn State football. I don't really like doing link dumps on Mondays, but then again, this is the absolute worst part of the off-season. The only news that would matter between now and when summer workouts start would be bad news, as is stuff involving marijuana, fighting or drinking. So really, it's a wonderful thing right now that there's nothing to talk about.

• TNL's Galen is putting up a valiant fight against the dregs of this off-season, breaking down the schedule. Up right now: Akron thru Iowa. Almost as interesting as the sked analysis, is Galen's same thoughts on the recent lack of news:

"Not much to talk about lately (which is a good thing because we're not talking about players running afoul of the law) so we might as well look way ahead to next season."

This doesn't really seem too great. The Penn State fan base's expectations have been lowered so much, that we're reduced to "Hey! No players were arrested this week. Yay!" A tad bit sad.

• BSD's Mike continues (I didn't even know it started) Hate Week with a very classy video of a Michigan State chick picking a fight with some rival fans. It's a slightly odd choice to put up something like that to insult the other side, mainly due to Penn State's horrendous treatment of a certain visiting marching band in 2005. But the video's still funny.

• NWO's Charlie warns Ohio State to watch out. We've all seen the billboard put up to mock Michigan. Well, Charlie puts (figuratively) one of his own up. Also, take a look at this Facebook group, which to me doesn't make much sense. Penn State doesn't talk shit before games, and neither should its fans.

• Any time a post includes video depicting the weekend of Oct. 8, 2005, it's worth mentioning. Thanks HHV.

• Cheers to 2TL for catching this one. She runs down most of the jersey numbers by this year's Penn State NFL Rookies.

• And from the Buckeye universe, Jason from 11W discusses Joe Paterno's latest push for the Big T1e1n to become the Big T1e2n.

From the conglomerate sports media...

• ESPN's Mark Schlabach was trotted out this week to drum up some hits, as he posts his revised top-25 (he just happens to "revise" it during a slow news cycle), and teams with the best bowl chances.

• CFN asks its writers if Charlie Weis needs a BCS bowl bid to keep his job. C'mon, you know Notre Dame is always an interesting read.

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Wednesday linkage: Powell, Wallace and Miami

Turns out Chaz Powell is fine, but that doesn't mean everything's hunky-dory. Apparently, AJ Wallace can't get away from the hamstring injury that's been nagging him for what seems like forever, and Joe Paterno is "concerned" about this team's cohesion. Nothing new, but because we haven't had football in four months, everything lately is magnified. Here's the mid-week linkfest.

• The Nittany Line broke out the PSU threat level chart, one of the most original ideas I've seen. You have to go and see it to truly appreciate it.

"The fact that no one else has stepped up enough for Joe to even mention means it's time to raise the Nittany Lion Panic level."

• The Collegian has the Wallace hamstring story. Not the kind of news any of us want to hear right now. But hey, at least it's still spring practice, and not summer workouts.

"I'm very concerned about it," Joe Paterno said of the secondary. "A.J. Wallace pulled a hamstring the other day, and I hoped he would be really one of the outstanding kids."

• Over at PittsburghLive.com, it appears that Paterno is worried about the same thing everyone else is worried about. I don't think we needed a teleconference to figure this one out.

"Paterno's concern — at least in one area — appears to be well-founded. He told reporters during a Big Ten Conference football coaches teleconference that his secondary is particularly troubling to him."

• In other news, Hawkeye Nation, part of the Scout.com network, talked about Iowa's upcoming night games in 2009. We all know about the Hawk's trip to Happy Valley, but the writer wanted to give a little background on Iowa's recent trips to Penn State. Notice the last few words... is it a real typo, or are the Hawkeyes just trying to torture us by making us think about what really happened in 2008?

"It just gets real, real loud in there, with over 100,000 fans packed into the stands. Iowa won there in 2002, 2004 and 2006 before losing in 2008."

• Will Penn State and Miami meet again? Possibly. I hope this works out. I'm also hoping Tim Curley realized that Penn State has gotten the short end of the stick recently with OOC scheduling. But of course, there's also the reports of really, really strong BCS teams from "south of the Mason-Dixon line," that are in talks with Penn State, according to BWI.

• And finally, your Wednesday video:



Have a great rest of your hump day!

*Have something to say about this post? Let your voice be heard, in the ZN Message Forum!

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Monday linkage: Blog Wars, hoops and helmets

◊ This past weekend gave us a plethora of Penn State news, none of which (unfortunately) is of much importance. Still, it was a fun-filled couple of days, and who doesn't need a little Penn State pick-me-up on a Monday? Here's what you may have missed...

• NWO looks back at the 2009 basketball season, and grades the team. Talor Battle got an A-, but there's an explanation:

"Just after almost singlehandedly leading his team to a win in East Lansing, Battle hit 7 of 38 shots in losses to Michigan, Wisconsin, and Purdue."

• In Blog Wars news, there was a really fun spat between Boiled Sports and the Penn State blogosphere. No, I wasn't one of them, since I don't cover much basketball. But it was really a hoot to watch from the sidelines...

First, the BS post that started it all:

"But hooray for PSU, I guess! Their championship tonight goes in the same trophy case as Purdue's extremely-important Sun Bowl and Motor City Bowl trophies.

Yeh for mediocrity."

Then, the rebuttals, beginning with HHV:

"BS’s mindless drivel proceeds to mock PSU fans for celebrating their first-ever postseason tournament championship and paints the entire fanbase as “delusional” as if we suddenly believe that a Final Four berth is going to happen next year."

RUTS (via BSD):

"there is nothing more deliciously ironic than having a Purdue Boilermaker fan lecture you on the topic of irrelevance. After all, Purdue is the school most people can't remember when trying to name all eleven Big Ten conference members."

• In football news... Ha! I was right. Bob Flounders this weekend confirmed what I suspected two months ago:

"There were few surprises. Senior Knowledge Timmons started at the one cornerback spot opposite A.J. Wallace..."

It wouldn't have been a surprise if you read this blog, Bob.

• CFN breaks down the Big Ten football schedules for 2009 (PSU comes in at a pathetic No. 11), then rehashes an annual plea (not just from CFN) for the league to start playing a round-robin format, since Notre Dame is too much of a pussy to join the conference.

"...at least everyone gets a shot in the round-robin format. It would be even better for the Big Ten since a ten game conference schedule would allow for an equal number of home games for every team. It would also mean that no one could duck the big boys anymore."

*Have something to say about this post? Let your voice be heard, in the ZN Message Forum!

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Tuesday Final Four linkage

◊ There is a big game tonight. Sure, not big like what Michigan State is hyping up for; but it's big for Penn State. Remember this is a program that is historically terrible, with mediocrity being viewed as a major achievement. Here are a few links to get your blood going for tonight's game, some football links to note, and a link to the great new addition to Zombie Nation... our own message board!

Basketball

• Nittany White Out throws some questions around with a Notre Dame blogger.

• The Nittany Line presents a pretty dig at Notre Dame and the Big East; definitely worth reading for the entertainment value.

• Crispin & Cream, being the only basketball-only Penn State blog out there, gives the best technical look into the matchup.

Football

• Former tackle Phil Taylor (kicked off the team in 2007 for fighting) took a hard dig at Penn State and Joe Paterno in a recent interview by the Big XII ESPN blogger. (HT: Adam) Now, I realize Paterno's not as peachy as the ice cream suggests, but you can't really feel for Taylor. He said he was treated unfairly. Well, maybe he shouldn't have put himself in that position in the first place. Just sayin'...

• Syracuse doesn't think it will win at Penn State this season, so it's going to use it as a learning experience for a new quarterback. Yup, the Orangemen are going to start a true freshman signal caller this year. His second game will be in Beaver Stadium. Welcome to college football, pal!

• CFN came out with its very early Heisman contenders, not including the "Big Three." It's a short, but good list, and strikingly similar to another one floating around out there.

Zombie Nation

• Visit our new message board!

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Some Tuesday linkage

◊ Here's a couple of links to note this week.

Penn State...

Interesting news on Jerome Hayes, via FOS (Scout.com):

"[Jerome] Hayes plans on petitioning the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility."

I don't think he qualifies under the rules. But we can always hope for the exception.

In the blogosphere...

• Was Terrelle Pryor secretly hurt during the Fiesta Bowl? I don't care, but Eleven Warriors does.

"Shortly after the Fiesta Bowl loss to Texas, rumors began sprouting up about Pryor possibly having an injured shoulder for the game. After all, how else to explain the all of the ducks and the times he ran out of bounds early to avoid contact."

• BSD gave us an early look into Penn State's roster/scholarship situation for 2009 and '10. Great read.

"We have 16 kids that can't come back. But we're already over the 85 scholarship limit by three or four. We'll undoubtedly lose a few kids between now and August due to transfers or, God forbid, dismissals. And keep in mind the staff always has the option of oversigning in the next class and hoping to shed a few next spring too."

• Buck Bravo breaks down the Big Ten recruiting classes with some nifty charts. Gotta love charts.

"What has been frequently overlooked is the average quality of incoming classes. Class rankings typically weigh both quantity and quality of recruits."

• A Bleacher Report story looked at the integration of the spread offense in recent years. Apparently, they didn't watch college football prior to 2000. Otherwise, they'd know plenty of teams ran the spread. But, who cares about history or research.

"The few powerhouses that don't run it are USC and Ohio State, at least not yet. Other powers such as Texas and Florida run pure spread attacks, while other teams like Oklahoma and Penn State run hybrid offenses with some spread principles... Other teams have adapted either the spread or at least a form of it. Most notably this year is Penn State's Spread HD, featuring underrated back Evan Royster and three talented senior wideouts... The spread came in to the 2000s as a gimmicky-type offense. But as the end of the decade nears, it has become one of the most revolutionary systems in the history of college football."

In the national media...

• Mark Schlabach has his revised top 25 rankings. Penn State jumped from No. 11 to No. 9.

"9. Penn State Nittany Lions The Nittany Lions expect to return only 11 starters from the team that lost to USC in the Rose Bowl, but quarterback Daryll Clark and tailback Evan Royster will give them a chance to compete for the Big Ten championship in 2009. Three very good offensive linemen, including All-Big Ten center A.Q. Shipley, will have to be replaced. So will standout receivers Derrick Williams, Deon Butler and Jordan Norwood. Coach Joe Paterno probably isn't counting on incoming freshmen Justin Brown and Shawney Kersey to help right away, but they might have to play immediately. Losing All-Big Ten defensive end Aaron Maybin to the NFL draft will hurt the defense, but linebacker Sean Lee will return from a knee injury that caused him to miss all of last season."

• Pete Fiutak took a shot at college recruiting, including the idea that negative recruiting, particularly against a coach's age, doesn't always work. "

5. Are the coaches going to be around? … The prospects don’t seem to care... The odds are overwhelming that more than half of the current head coaches won’t be at their current schools five years from now, when this year’s recruiting class is set to graduate. Of course, there are always some shockers in the mix, no one ever thought the tremendous Penn State recruiting class of 2005 was going to finish its career with Joe Paterno at the helm."

• Dave Curtis voiced many fans' sentiment that the bowl system is becoming just plain gluttonous with 34 games set for 2009-10. But he's hopeful the economy can help...

"The trickle down to college football is inevitable. How long can GMAC continue to sponsor a game featuring Conference USA and MAC teams in Mobile, Ala.? How valuable is Citi's investment in the Rose Bowl in this sort of market? What about hotels (Gaylord, Sheraton), auto-related companies (Meineke, AutoZone) and other financial institutions (Capital One, San Diego County Credit Union)? ... The interest in even the most insignificant bowl games isn't dying. So, for now, our only hope for a contracted bowl season might be a poorer economy. Come on, recession. Don't let us down."

That's the spirit. Let's hope the economy completely bottoms out! Yay America!

• And remember, tomorrow morning I'll have the Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable wrap up post.

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