Tonight, you can find my first blog entry over at PhilSteele.com. Many of you have already read it, as Steele told all his bloggers that cross-promotion is perfectly fine. But head on over anyway and check it out on Steele's Penn State team page. If you like Phil's magazine, you'll love his web site!
I've been absent from ZN for a few days now. I am truly sorry for not keeping all of you up to speed on what's going on, but that's what this post is for. So, let's do this.
• That's right, Phil Steele
I got an email from one of Phil Steele's staff assistants. In it was an invitation to join his team this football season. No, I won't be going anywhere. That's the best part. As Steele's Penn State blogger, I will be able to continue Zombie Nation just as always. So, yeah, I'm quite excited about that.
• Wow, that sucks
Most of you have seen in the chat box below that I lost my job on Monday. But actually, I'm not too down about it all. Two summers ago, I almost died. So, I've been worse. This will probably be it for me in the news media. Working in newspapers was fun, but unless I'm someday offered a job covering Penn State football, it's one career field to which I will not return.
• First Look: Minnesota
Even though everything else got screwed up this week, for some reason, I'll be able to have First Look '09: Minnesota Golden Gophers posted by the end of today. The Daily Gopher will join us for a quick Q&A. It could be 11:59 p.m., but I promise I'll have it done today.
That's pretty much everything. Talk about a weird start to the week.
I just finished reading cover-to-cover Phil Steele's 2009 College Football Preview. While I'm going to leave it up to all of you to go out and buy your own copy, we can take a quick look into how Penn State fits into this year's edition. As growing buzz would indicate, Phil Steele is very high on the Nittany Lions in '09. Much of that excitement should be attributed to the pretty manageable schedule, and a more purely talented team than we've seen in years, even if it lacks some experience. Here are some Penn State highlights from Steele's '09 mag.
Rose Bowl repeat. That's right folks, PS has the Lions heading back to Pasadena in a rematch with Southern Cal. I'm not sure if this makes me comfortable or not. Hell, who am I kidding? I love this. What better way to ease the lingering pain following the 2009 Rose Bowl, than take on the Trojans again?
Brilliant backfield. Daryll Clark comes in as the No. 23 quarterback, while Evan Royster and Stephfon Green are the No. 9 and No. 41 running backs, respectively. Remember that Royster was banged up his freshman season, so he didn't get nearly as many carries as the coaches wanted, resulting in lower numbers. Last season, Royster could have run for 1,600 yards, but with the passing game clicking so well, the coaches de-emphasized the run in more than a few games.
Clark is ranked about right. He's an excellent quarterback, but should not be elevated to elite status right now. Penn State's offensive backfield returns all the key components for a championship run. The Lions' quarterback unit (including Newsome and McGloin) comes in at No. 15 nationally in Steele's unit rankings, while the running backs shoot up to No. 6 overall.
Light on the receivers. After several seasons with one of the best receiving corps in college football, Penn State failed to land a single wideout in Steele's top 72 list. It's not unexpected, but it's a bit depressing to see the dropoff.
A nice bright spot, however, is that both Andrew Quarless and Mickey Shuler make Steele's tight end list, at No. 13 and No. 22, respectively. It would be a real shame if Penn State's coaching staff continued to under utilize the tight ends, particularly with this kind of talent at that position.
Despite the fantastic tight ends, Penn State was left out of the top receiving units ranking in this year's magazine.
Up and down offensive line. Stefen Wisniewski (No. 6 center) and Dennis Landolt (No. 22 tackle) both made the individual player rankings at their positions. However, that was it for Penn State's offensive line. Steele wrote that this year's line could have just as much raw talent as the last few, but with less experience, won't put up the same kind of numbers as in 2008.
Wiz's rank, considering it will be his first season at center, was a little surprising. Although everyone knew he could play center, for Steele to peg him as the sixth best center this year was surprising. Like the receivers, Penn State's offensive line was not listed among the top units this season.
Interior intimidation. After losing three top-notch defensive ends following 2008, it's not at all a shock that Penn State was absent from the defensive end individual rankings. However, with Jared Odrick (No. 6 DT), Ollie Ogbu (No. 32 DT) and Abe Koroma (No. 53 DT) coming back, Steele was inclined to keep Penn State among the top defensive line units, at No. 32 overall.
Linebacker U. Steele made every Penn State fan break out in goosebumps, as he rates this year's linebacker corps the best in the nation. With two All-America candidates, and almost every other man on the two-deep a VHT ("very highly touted"), Steele also thinks this unit could make up for some of the weaknesses in other parts of Penn State's defense.
Navorro Bowman comes in as the No. 6 outside linebacker nationally. Sean Lee and Chris Colasanti (even though he will most likely redshirt this season) rank No. 4 and No. 33 at inside linebacker, respectively.
Sketchy secondary. Since the Rose Bowl, Penn State fans have worried about this year's secondary. Steele is also worried, but not quite as much as we are. AJ Wallace took a step back, after an injury-plagued year, coming in as the No. 30 corner going into this season.
Surprisingly, Steele rates Andrew Dailey (No. 12 SS) and Nick Sukay (No. 40 FS) among his top safeties, despite neither starting a game at Penn State. What's more interesting is that part-time starter Drew Astorino did not make either list. I wonder what Steele sees in Penn State's safety situation. The Lions' defensive backfield, understandably, did not make the top unit rankings this year.
Darkhorse contenders. Well, when Steele gives your team the nod as the year's No. 1 Surprise Team, and starts them off No. 5 overall, then they're not really a true darkhorse for the national title game. Five of Steele's nine power sets call for Penn State to go 12-0. The Big Ten also moved up two spots in the conference rankings, from No. 6 to end '08, to No. 4 going into '09.
Readablilty. If you're going go buy Steele's magazine for the first time, then you're in for a treat. Each year, he takes suggestions from readers, and actually listens to them! The best college football annual just gets better every edition.
Even for those of us who are veteran Steele readers, the excitement leading up to its release rivals that of Christmas morning. However, sometimes the unit breakdowns get a little repetative, but that's really nit picking. Only the hardcore readers might notice those kinds of things. It's really unavoidable, though, as many of the storylines don't change from year to year (see: PSU LBs).
Overall, it's the best ten bucks a man could spend. I purchased mine at Wegmans' in Ashburn, VA. I picked up all four major preview magazines, but Steele's was the Holy Grail of my quest.
Go and get yours today!
This is really great timing, as I'm almost done reading Phil Steele's entire 2009 College Football Preview, which I picked up this weekend. In the Bleachers, a fine blog/podcast with strong Penn State ties, interviewed the college gridiron guru. In case you've been living in a cave and haven't heard, Steele is very high on this year's Lions, ranking them No. 5 to begin the season.
Listen HERE, or visit In The Bleachers
I'm working on my review of Steele's preview, mainly focusing on how Penn State plays into his forecasts. I'll have that posted sometime today, possibly tonight.
Phil Steele's College Football Preview won't be on newsstands until Jun 9 (officially), but we have some fantastic information for Nittany Lions fans. Apparently, Steele likes Penn State this year. In fact, he really likes the Lions. Here's a few tidbits to get your blood pumping:
• Of his top Surprise Teams for 2009, Penn State is No. 1!
• Phil's Top 25 has Penn State starting the year at No. 5!
• Ohio State is the next Big Ten team in the Top 25, at No. 10.
• Illinois is also on the Surprise Teams list, at No. 5.
As you could have guessed, Penn State's easy schedule is the main reasoning for such high expectations. Also, the return of Daryll Clark and Evan Royster play a big role.
If any of you out there have more information, please share it with us by posting a comment! Have a great weekend.
There are very few days of the sporting year that excite me as much as the one I'm going to tell you about. It's June 9, 2009. That's the day I will wake up much earlier than I usually do, head on over to Wegmans, and pick up a copy of The Bible Phil Steele's 2009 College Football Preview Magazine. Honestly, if your blood isn't pumping just thinking about this, then just get the hell out of here and never show your face around college football again.
Yes, it's that serious.
Other "experts" will make futile attempts to accurately preview this upcoming college football season. There will be more than enough to go around. But, only one will be actually worth reading: Phil Steele.
I'm not plugging this magazine for any reason other than that I feel it is the best, most comprehensive preview out there. As In The Bleachers put it last year, "It's the best thing $8.95 plus tax could ever buy."
Who's rocking the accurate pre-season Penn State rankings, bitches? Me! On January 10, I threw out my early pre-season top 25 for 2008. Where did I put Penn State? Why, No. 10. The chance that was just a lucky guess is slim, and that No. 10 ranking was validated this week by Mr. Pre-season Football himself--Phil Steele.
You're probably sick of my apparent love fest with Steele, but I'm not alone. When you find a magazine that accurately predicts college football the way Steele's does, bring it to me and I'll buy you a drink. But that's not why I'm here gloating today. Sure it's a small, petty reason to get excited. But when I rank Penn State No. 10 in ZN's January 10 pre-season rankings, only to find out Steele has them in the same exact spot, I take pride in that. "I doubt anyone else will have the Lions in their Top 10 but this is a talented team and I may have had them higher had their best defensive player (LB Sean Lee) not been lost in the spring," Steele wrote in his 2008 College Football Preview.
Ah'hem, but I believe there's a particular top 10 which absolutely has Penn State. I'm allowed to get full of myself here and there. Right now, it is here AND there. "10. Penn State, 9-4 (17) – NO, I’m not being biased. If you do your research, this Lions team loses only three starters," I wrote in ZN's rankings.
A lucky shot, you say. Well, lucky or not, it was spot on. And even though the loss of Sean Lee had a lot to do with Steele's ranking--ZN's ranking was out before Lee's injury--it still gives me some thrill to think my predictions aren't making me sound like a whack job. I'm done now.
I'm going to have my summer pre-season rankings out today, so check back this afternoon to find out where the teams have moved. Hint: PSU doesn't go anywhere. Also tomorrow: Big Ten Bloggers all-conference picks. And Monday: First Look: Syracuse Orange(men), with a special guest appearance by 'Cuse blogger Brian, of Orange 44.
I already covered the offense in the first half of coverage. Now, we'll turn our attention to the defensive rankings, as well as the unit rankings. But first I wanted to mention where PS predicts PSU will go bowling... The... Rose... Bowl. I know, I know, he predicted PSU would go to the Orange Bowl last year, but who cares? This is a new year, and I'd take the Rose Bowl over the freaking Alamo Bowl any day.
Now for the individual defensive rankings. Maurice Evans came to Happy Valley as an All-American, and now he's looking to leave with the same honor. PS ranks Evans as the No. 3 overall DE going into 2008. As I said earlier, he's also the No. 17 overall NFL Draft prospect for 2009, should he declare. Unfortunately, neither Josh Gaines or Jerome Hayes make the list, but it's expected. Gaines is a solid player, not fantastic, and Hayes was injured. Nothing lost there. However, surprisingly PS ranked THREE PSU DTs in the top 60 in that position: Phil Taylor (No. 36), Jared Odrick (No. 55) and Chris Baker (No. 56). Should Baker get out of the dog house, these rankings will hold true, and PSU should have the best rotation of linemen in the country.
Now to the linebackers. Let's get it out of the way. Sean Lee's injury sucks hardcore, but PS still sees fit to rank him as the No. 8 overall OLB for 2008. I guess that's looking at him as if he wasn't injured. But Tyrell Sales pleasantly makes the list, as a very respectable No. 37. That's a bit higher than I thought he'd be, but who's arguing? The out lier in the LB rankings is Chris Colasanti, who has shot up the charts to a No. 38 ILB slot. That could make for an interesting summer for PSU fans that aren't so pleased about Josh Hull jumping Colasanti on the depth chart this spring. We'll see how that plays out.
AJ Wallace, after only a few starts in 2007, makes his appearance as the No. 11 cornerback. Prior to 2007 PS had Wallace as the No. 12 CB, so it's not much of a stretch to figure he's improved, even if slightly. In the middle of the secondary, PSU fails to land a free safety on the board, but that's partly due to Mark Rubin taking over the main role for Tony Davis. I'm sure had Davis been back at FS, he would have been ranked in the top 44, as he was in 2007. Anthony Scirrotto is looking to get back to his 2006 form, and PS thinks he can do it, placing him at No. 8 on the strong safety rankings.
On special teams, Jeremy Boone hasn't let down PSU's growing reputation for top-flight punters. PS has him at No. 10 nationally at his position. Returning punts, PS also has a Lion highly rated, with Derrick Williams coming in at No. 5. AJ Wallace also makes multiple appearances in these rankings, coming in as the No. 3 overall kickoff returner.
Unit Rankings:
I'm a little ho-hum about PS's unit rankings, mainly the quarterbacks. Usually, the team with the best QB has the best QB "unit." So really, there's no real stretch going on with this unit's rankings. It's basically an extended version of the individual rankings. PSU doesn't make the top 32. Florida has the best QB "unit" for 2008. For running backs, I'll give PS a pass, as none of the PSU backs have had more than a few games' worth of playing experience. Only one, Royster, has had any real playing time, yet PS couldn't rank PSU's backs this year for that reason. Look for PSU to take to the top 15 in this category in 2009.
PS took a stab last spring, ranking PSU's wide receivers No. 11. (yes, I have my 2007 preview right next to me, too) That's not the case in 2008. PSU comes up just short at No. 17, and I don't necessarily disagree with PS on this one. Everyone expected PSU to blow up the passing charts, but it never happened. I do think PSU should be somewhere near the top 15 WR units by season's end, though. Rounding out the offensive unit rankings, I can't remember the last time we saw such excitement around a PSU offensive line, and PS justifies why. He has the PSU OL at a lofty No. 10 in the nation. If this holds true, it looks like that BCS bid is well within reach.
Getting defensive, LSU still holds the top line spot, but PSU was not far behind at No. 2 in the nation! PS points out that seven of PSU's DLs have starting experience, and the tackles average 300 lbs. Not a bad thing to have going through that bad October schedule this season. The biggest disappointment for me was seeing PSU's linebacking corps fall all the way to No. 27. That's of course because of Lee's injury, so we have to take this ranking in stride. PSU will once again break the top 15 for this unit in 2009.
I'm not sure if it's just PSU's defense taking a big step back for 2008, or if other teams are just that much better, but like the LB rankings, PSU's secondary doesn't break the top 15--they get a No. 16 ranking for 2008--after coming in at No. 3 before 2007! I'm not so sure we'll see such a drop off, as Justin King wasn't nearly the impact player many hoped he'd be. It's not as big of a loss as many--apparently PS included--may think.
And finally, PSU's special teams get a boost this preseason, as PS ranked them No. 2 nationally! (have you figured out that I'm using exclamation points a lot, in honor of Phil) PS apparently feels PSU's special teams could make a huge difference in 2008, especially in the return game. There's no doubt in my mind that PSU could see as many as FOUR returned kicks for TDs in 2008.
One last note:
I noticed in this year's preview, instead of the team's ranking, PS inserted each game's attendance. I like that much better, as you had the rankings progression in two different spots last season. Plus, it's a good indicator of how a team performs, and what kind of crowd it can attract when visiting opponents' home fields.
PS also has PSU at the No. 5 Surprise Team for 2008. He thinks that if PSU can use the first few games to warm up the offense, mainly the QB play, then they won't be in such trouble come October. PS believes that if PSU can hold the losses down to one, there's a strong chance we could see the Lions in the national championship game. Of course, that would mean other teams would have to lose. But in case we forgot, LSU won the title last year with TWO LOSSES! 2008 is going to be so much fun.
*Check back all this week for more of my thoughts on Phil Steele's 2008 College Football Preivew. Also coming this week: The Big Ten Bloggers All-Conference picks. And on Monday: First Look: Syracuse Orange(men). See you then!
I've gone over the basics so far. Here's what I'm seeing. Ohio State finishes first in the conference, followed by Penn State, and as expected, Wisconsin rounds out the top three. We all know the all-conference and all-american picks, so I won't get into that. But I was very interested to see where some top-name players ended up in the individual position rankings, as well as where Penn State's individual unit rankings fell. This is the official start of the 2008 college football season!
It's been well documented that PS (Phil Steele, and in his spirit, I'm using a PS-style abbreviation) lofted PSU high into the No. 10 spot nationally, shocking many fans in Happy Valley and beyond.
"I doubt anyone else will have the Lions in their Top 10 but this is a talented team and I may have had them higher had their best defensive player (LB Sean Lee) not been lost in the spring."
Those are some strong words. Higher than No. 10; where would have that landed us? Most likely not much higher. I'd expect PS to only notch them up about two slots to No. 8, but come on people, this is PS, and he knows his shit.
Now for the individual position rankings. I don't want to completely rip off PS, so I'm going to give you just enough to force you to buy it when you get out of work today. No PSU QB is in the top 62 for that position. I don't really mind that, as Pat Devlin and Daryll Clark combined for TEN passes in 2007. Fine. However, Evan Royster comes in at a solid No. 44 in the running back list. I'd peg him a bit higher, but this is a very good, conservative rating by PS. Watch for a big jump in his stock if PSU performs well early on.
Unlike previous years, ALL THREE PSU wide receivers make the top 67 list. Jordan Norwood squeaked in at 65, following Deon Butler at No. 44, and Derrick Williams making the top-20, at No. 17. Not bad considering they've combined for more yards than any other set of WRs in PSU history. If you're thinking Andrew Quarless isn't going to start the first few games this year, you may be right, but PS still thinks he's the No. 8 TE going into the season. And in another twist, lowly Dan Lawlor fills the No. 17 fullback spot nicely, and could be a key factor in how Royster does this year.
The offensive line is well represented on PS's rankings. AQ Shipley is the No. 7 center, with Rich Ohrnberger high up at the No. 23 guard slot. I can see this unit having a lot of non-household names on it, but by years end, earning recognition as one of the best OLs in the nation. We'll see. But finally, Mr. Heart Attack himself, Kevin Kelly makes the list for the top kickers yet again, falling at a respectable No. 15 nationally.
*Check back in a little while for the Defense, and other conference observations.
Yesterday afternoon, we come home to see our kitchen light on. (we left it off) We found out maintenance came in to fix a leak in our air conditioning unit that was getting into the apartment below us. (we're on the top floor, remember that) The office said the leak and the air was fixed. Ok, fine. But then around 7:30, after the office was closed, the air stopped working. Great. We tried calling the "emergency" maintenance line, but no one has called us back since then. Five messages. I have a bunch of sick days piled up, so I took one today to make sure the air gets fixed. But you know what? I haven't been this happy yet in 2008, because today is the release date for Phil Steele's 2008 College Football Preview. Yes, I'm heading over to Wegmans in Ashburn in a little while to get my copy. I can't wait to read every single stupid abbreviation and factual nugget in that 300-page cauldron of college football goodness. Check back later today for my initial reactions and thoughts. I'll have a little something this morning, just to wet your palette until you can go get your copy after work. God, I love college football.
Does anyone else realize that Phil Steele ranked Penn State No. 10 going into 2007? That's just something I'd like to point out. I understand that Penn State had all the makings of a top-10 team last year, but 2008 begs this question: Why are people so shocked that 2008 could be a much better season than 2007? Morelli, Connor, Kinlaw and Lee (for now) are gone, which adds up to two negatives and two positives. That's not a whole lot to lose, considering what Penn State brings back in 2008.
It was all about the "senior quarterback" last year. Morelli was coming off what was viewed as the stepping stone bowl performance, to lead his team to the BCS. We all got so caught up in the hype that it killed us to see the truth, that Morelli was hopelessly under-coached and the mistakes kept coming. He couldn't move in the pocket to save his life, resulting in a horrible campaign behind an excellent offensive line. Only Morelli could have pulled that one off.
This leads me to my next point about Phil Steele's rankings. Before 2007, Steele & Co. weren't that outrageous to put Penn State at No. 10. Shit, Beano-Freaking-Cook even picked Penn State as a national championship contender. But 2008 feels different. This year, it's not "expected" to go BCS-well. That might work out better than we could hope for.
So while I just seemed to go on a long-winded contradiction of myself, it's really not that backward to say all this. Penn State will retain the same exact pre-season ranking as Phil Steele's 2007 magazine, but these are two polar opposite No. 10 rankings. We'll discuss this more over the summer, but I just thought I'd mention it now.
Ok, four posts in one day. I'm done. See you Monday with the first official team preview: Coastal Carolina.
Ok, so I'm a little behind on this, but apparently EDSBS is rocking the double-secret release of Phil Steele's top ten for 2008. And wouldn't you know it, Penn State eeked out at No. 10. Some will freak, while others will jump for joy, but I'm remaining grounded right now. Why?
Because as freakishly accurate as Phil's previews are, Penn State is at its best when the expectations are low. However, if you look more closely, the expectations are very low this season, from the MSM (main stream media) perspective. Some aren't even considering Penn State for their top 20, never mind their top 15. I've even seen some put Pitt over Penn State going into 2008!
I'm not going to release my top 25 until sometime in July. I don't have the resources or time to do the things Phil's crew does. However, I'd like to give more thought to it than the five minutes those clowns in the MSM do. We'll see where this goes. If Phil thinks Penn State has a legit shot at ending the season with 10 wins (that's about what No. 10 suggests), you have to take a lot of stock in that. I do.
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