Big Ten Bowl Review: Outback, Capital One, Rose

Say what you want about how ugly some of the games were (Capital One, Outback), but there's no denying that with Ohio State's dominating Rose Bowl victory, the once-maligned conference played its collective hearts out this bowl season. New Year's Day was the highlight; let's take a look at what "they" are saying.

Outback Bowl: Auburn 38, Northwestern 35 (OT)

• This loss must have been particularly tough on NU alum Adam Rittenberg, who points out in his typical level-headedness that the Cats had plenty of chances to win the game prior to the final fake field goal.

• I hate linking to just a wire story, but you gotta love the CBSSports.com fan comments on any of the Big Ten-SEC game stories. Here we'll start with the Outback recap.

Capital One Bowl: Penn State 19, Louisiana State 17

• Penn State did it the usual way, with defense and ball control, writes Rittenberg.

• Evan Royster spoke with SportingNews.com's Brian McLaughlin about the field conditions, among other things.

• For more really funny SEC fan comments, let's see some of them for CBS's Capital One recap.

Rose Bowl: Ohio State 26, Oregon 17

• Over at TWWL, Ivan Maisel and Adam Rittenberg offer thoughts on Ohio State's victory.

• The Big Ten turned out to be New Year's Day's big winner, according to Matt Hayes at SportingNews.com.

• SI.com's Stewart Mandel also throws some praise the Buckeyes' way.

I know this was a crappy post. My apologies. But I have some big news coming your way this week that I just know will make up for it.

More below the fold...

College Football 2009-10 Bowl Preview

Let's begin our quick look into each bowl game this season. There are plenty of great matchups this season, but some real duds, too. I'll give the basics for each bowl game; who's in it, when, why I (and you) should take the time to watch, and which team gets the early nod.

New Mexico Bowl 
Dec. 19 / 4:30 p.m.

Fresno State (8-4, 6-2 WAC) vs. Wyoming (6-6, 4-4 MWC)

Why I should watch: This game would normally get my lowest rating, but since Fresno played two Big Ten teams (Wisconsin, Illinois), the Bulldogs offer some spark of interest. Fresno lost four games -- at Wisconsin, Boise State, at Cincinnati, and at Nevada. But those four opponents combined for a ridiculous 42-7 record, including Cincy and Boise going unbeaten. Wyoming, meanwhile, is just awful. The Cowboys were held to 10 points or less on six different occasions this season, including THREE shutout losses. If this game were on a weekday, it would be virtually unwatchable; but it gets a chance, being on a Saturday.
Give'em: FSU (-12½)
On paper, this game gets a... 1 out of 5

St.Petersburg Bowl 
Dec. 19 / 8 p.m.

Central Florida (8-4, 6-2 C-USA) vs. Rutgers (8-4, 3-4 Big East)

Why I should watch: I'm a North Jersey native, so this game will illicit much more interest for me than the average viewer. Having seen Rutgers play in person this year, I can say the RU has the ability to play with any team. The Scarlet Knights pushed Pitt and West Virginia; but they also lost to Syracuse in a bad road loss. UCF is about as mid-majory as a team can get. The Knights were blown away by the BCS teams they faced, and beat most of the other teams on their slate. Hey, if anything else, this bowl pits the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers against the Knights of Central Florida.
Give'em: RU (-2½)
On paper, this game gets a... 1 out of 5 for normal people; 2 out of 5 for me.

New Orleans Bowl 
Dec. 20 / 8:30 p.m.

Southern Mississippi (7-5, 5-3 C-USA) vs. Middle Tennessee State (9-3, 7-1 Sun Belt)

Why I should watch: Southern Miss was supposed to be one of those hot picks to crash the BCS this season; but a third-place C-USA East finish doesn't exactly turn heads towards your program. Four of the Eagles' five losses came by seven points or less, including at Kansas, at Louisville, at Houston and at East Carolina. Middle Tennessee State plays in the brutal Sun Belt Conference (sarcasm, folks), but even with a decent non-conference schedule, finished with nine wins.
Give'em: USM (-3½)
On paper, this game gets a... 1 out of 5

Maaco Bowl 
Dec. 22 / 8 p.m.

No. 18 Oregon State (8-4, 6-3 Pac 10) vs. No. 14 Brigham Young U. (10-2, 7-1 MWC)

Why I should watch: For such an early bowl date, this game offers two top-20 teams. BYU wasn't the monster it was thought to be, particularly after its blowout loss to Florida State way back in September. But the Cougars still won 10 games, and beat No. 23 Utah. Oregon State is in a similar boat, as one more win would have propelled the Beavers to the Pac 10 title and Rose Bowl bid. Oregon State played an arguably tougher schedule, but I like this game a lot, and will surely tune in.
Give'em: OSU (-2½)
On paper, this game gets a... 3 out of 5

Poinsettia Bowl 
Dec. 23 / 8 p.m.

No. 23 Utah (9-3, 6-2 MWC) vs. California (8-4, 5-4 Pac 10)

Why I should watch: Figure this to be the lite-version of the OSU-BYU game; these are the two losers of both regular season meetings. Had Cal not imploded at Washington on the final weekend (L 42-10), I'd say this game would have gotten a much higher rating. Utah is just as solid as usual, coming within an overtime brain fart of finishing second in the MWC behind TCU. "Pac 10 vs. Mountain West" is easily the best rivalry between two conferences, even if it's relatively young.
Give'em: Cal (-3)
On paper, this game gets a... 3 out of 5

Hawaii Bowl 
Dec. 24 / 8:00 p.m.

Nevada (8-4, 7-1 WAC) vs. Southern Methodist U. (7-5, 6-2 C-USA)

Why I should watch: This will be SMU's first bowl game in 25 years. That's about it for this one. Nevada has one of the best offenses in college football, but has that glaring 35-0 shutout at Notre Dame still hanging on its resume. SMU won four of five down the stretch to become bowl eligible, but against weak opponents. The UN offense rolling over the SMU defense isn't going to be pretty.
Give'em: UN (-15)
On paper, this game gets a... 1 out of 5

Little Caesars Bowl 
Dec. 26 / 1:00 p.m.

Ohio (9-4, 7-2 MAC) vs. Marshall (6-6, 4-4 C-USA)

Why I should watch: This is a matchup of old MAC foes; unfortunately, that's all it is. The Bobcats gave Central Michigan its toughest game of the season in the MAC Championship, finishing with a fine nine-win total for the year. Marshall lost a bad game at UTEP to finish out the regular season, but still made it into a bowl with a .500 record. If I get out of bed before this game is over, I'll flip in on while I microwave some leftovers.
Give'em: OU (-2½)
On paper, this game gets a... 1 out of 5

Meineke Car Care Bowl 
Dec. 26 / 4:30 p.m.

No. 17 Pittsburgh (9-3, 5-2 Big East) vs. North Carolina (8-4, 4-4 ACC)

Why I should watch: We'll get our first all-BCS conference bowl game in this one. Pitt came so close to winning the Big East over Cincinnati, but just couldn't hold on in a one-point loss. The Panthers boast probably a future Heisman winner, running back Dion Lewis. I can assure you, he's even more impressive, if possible, in person (the Rutgers game I went to was vs. Pitt). North Carolina lost three games it had no business blowing -- Virginia, Florida State and at NC State. Had the Tar Heels played up to their potential in those games, UNC would be sitting at 11-1, and surely not playing in this bowl game. Pitt's Lewis is just too good to get bottled up by a not-always-great UNC defense.
Give'em: Pitt (-3)
On paper, this game gets a... 3 out of 5

Emerald Bowl 
Dec. 26 / 8 p.m.

Boston College (8-4, 5-3 ACC) vs. Southern California (8-4, 5-4 Pacific 10)

Why I should watch: It just feels so wrong (but sooo good) to see USC fall this far in just one season. The Trojans were embarrassed more often this year than the previous eight combined. If USC loses this game, it will have gone 2-4 in its final six games of the season. Boston College will look to continue USC's trend of losing to sub-par teams this season. I'm not sure it will happen, as Pete Carroll is pissed off, as are his players. Then again, this is what we've been saying about USC all season long: "They're just too good to lose again!"
Give'em: USC (-9)
On paper, this game gets a... 2 out of 5

Music City Bowl 
Dec. 27 / 8:30 p.m.

Kentucky (7-5, 3-5 SEC) vs. Clemson (8-5, 6-3 Atlantic Coast)

Why I should watch: The Tigers had yet another shoulda-woulda-coulda season (although, better than anyone expected), while the Wildcats landed fourth in an SEC East division that ate itself alive this season. Kentucky has been money in bowl games under Rich Brooks (3-0); Clemson not so much (0 wins in last three). These two teams faced off three years ago, in this same bowl game; Kentucky won 28-20. The Tigers have a great shot to finally emerge from its post-season funk.
Give'em: CU (-7)
On paper, this game gets a... 2 out of 5

Independence Bowl 
Dec. 28 / 5 p.m.

Texas A&M (6-6, 3-5 Big 12) vs. Georgia (7-5, 4-4 SEC)

Why I should watch: As Lee Corso would say, Texas A&M "blew its wad" in the season finale against Texas. The Aggies pushed the Longhorns to the brink, but came up short on Kyle Field. The game felt like one big last-ditch effort to make the season into a success; it didn't work. Georgia, meanwhile, ended the season as high as a 6-5 team could, downing rival and seventh-ranked Georgia Tech. This bowl features two teams barreling in opposite directions, but could offer more than a few surprises.
Give'em: UGA (-7)
On paper, this game gets a... 2 out of 5

Eagle Bank Bowl 
Dec. 29 / 4:30 p.m.

Temple (9-3, 7-1 MAC) vs. UCLA (6-6, 3-6 Pac 10)

Why I should watch: Could Temple, Temple, win 10 games this year? Well, the Owls have a shot against UCLA in DC. It was one of the more entertaining stories in football this season, and could have been even better had the Owls made it to the MAC title game. Temple is going to its first bowl in 30 years. UCLA isn't so happy. The Bruins used to be a force in the Pac 10, but are now just fortunate to reach bowl games. Coach Rick Neuheisel is moving UCLA in the right direction, and a bowl win here would continue that.
Give'em: UCLA (-4)
On paper, this game gets a... 2 out of 5

Champs Sports Bowl 
Dec. 29 / 8 p.m.

No. 15 Miami(FL) (9-3, 5-3 ACC) vs. No. 25 Wisconsin (9-3, 5-3 Big Ten)

Why I should watch: Neither team has been overtly impressive this season, but the Canes and Badgers will vie for the coveted 10th win in this one. The pure talent and speed is one Miami's side, but Wisconsin is probably the better overall team. The Badgers lost three games to opponents (two going to BCS bowls) that combined for a 28-8 record. Miami's three came to teams that went 25-12 overall. Watch for Wisconsin running back John Clay and Miami quarterback Jacory Harris; as they go, the winner should follow.
Give'em: The U (-3)
On paper, this game gets a... 3 out of 5

Humanitarian Bowl 
Dec. 30 / 4:30 p.m.

Bowling Green (7-5, 6-2 MAC) vs. Idaho (7-5, 4-4 WAC)

Why I should watch: Hmm... give me a minute. Well, Idaho was a nice story this season, finally reaching a bowl game. At one point, the Vandals were sitting at 7-2, but lost three straight to end the season. They also have an All-American at guard. Think of Bowling Green as the anti-Idaho, schedule-wise at least. The Falcons started 1-4, but finished 6-1. If you have the TV on during dinner, at least there's some sort of football to watch.
Give'em: BGSU (-1½)
On paper, this game gets a... 1 out of 5

Holiday Bowl 
Dec. 30 / 8 p.m.

No. 20 Arizona (8-4, 6-3 Pac 10) vs. No. 22 Nebraska (9-4, 6-3 Big 12)

Why I should watch: The Holiday Bowl is usually the best December bowl game every year; 2009 shouldn't disappoint. The Cornhuskers almost rocked the college football world, losing by the slimmest margins to Texas in the Big XII title game. Interestingly enough, NU's Heisman finalist single-handedly prevented another finalist (Colt McCoy) from winning. Three of Nebraska's four losses came by a combined four points. Arizona was one of the last Pac 10 title contenders standing as Thanksgiving approached. But the Wildcats' luck ran out. Zona played one of the tougher schedules in the nation, even with I-AA opponent N. Arizona on there. Nebraska and Arizona met in the 1998 Holiday Bowl, a Cats victory.
Give'em: Zona (-1½)
On paper, this game gets a... 3 out of 5

Armed Forces Bowl 
Dec. 31 / 12 p.m.

Houston (10-3, 6-3 C-USA) vs. Air Force (7-5, 5-3 MWC)

Why I should watch: Houston had a bad case of bipolarity this season. The Cougars beat all the teams a mid-major shouldn't (Oklahoma State, Texas Tech), but then lost to teams a potential BCS buster shouldn't (UTEP, UCF), and then lost the C-USA title game to ECU. Case Keenum is a freak at quarterback, leading the nation in total offense per game. He's thrown for more than 500 yards FOUR TIMES this season, with 43 touchdowns and nine picks. For the Air Force Academy, the best thing would be to use its potent rushing game to keep the ball away from the Cougar offense, while wearing down the defense. If you're home on New Years Eve day, flip this on while preparing the hors d'oeuvres.
Give'em: UH (-4½)
On paper, this game gets a... 2 out of 5

Sun Bowl 
Dec. 31 / 2 p.m.

Oklahoma (7-5, 5-3 Big 12) vs. No. 21 Stanford (8-4, 6-3 Pac 10)

Why I should watch: Should Toby Gerhart have won the Heisman Trophy? We'll find out if he can put up more big numbers against a Sooner defense that is coming off a 27-0 demolition of Oklahoma State's previously-potent offense. Oklahoma lost Heisman winner Sam Bradford in the first game, then again in his first game back mid-season. Granted, it's tough to play with a guy like that missing, but I think the Sooners greatly underachieved in 2009. Stanford is another story. The Cardinal became the story of college football, particularly after coach Jim Harbaugh laid the wood on USC in the LA Coliseum. Stanford also handed Oregon its only Pac 10 loss.
Give'em: OU (-8)
On paper, this game gets a... 3 out of 5

Texas Bowl 
Dec. 31 / 3:30 p.m.

Navy (9-4) vs. Missouri (8-4, 4-4 Big 12)

Why I should watch: Service academies always warrant some interest. Both these teams are pretty good, with Missouri at least coming out of a BCS conference. But they are also polar opposites on the offensive side of the ball. Navy lives on the ground, while the Tigers fly through the air. Aside from an inexplicable loss at Hawaii, the Middies lost to three teams that combined to go 29-7. Missouri is in a similar boat, dropping one to Baylor, but the other three losses coming at the hands of Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Texas.
Give'em: Mizzou (-4)
On paper, this game gets a... 2 out of 5

Insight Bowl 
Dec. 31 / 6 p.m.

Minnesota (6-6, 3-5 Big Ten) vs. Iowa State (6-6, 3-5 Big 12)

Why I should watch: Call this the "Battle for a Winning Record" bowl. If your TV provider offers the NFL Network, or you got it with your sports package, then go ahead and flip this one on for good background. It's definitely better than those stupid countdown to New Years shows on the major networks. Minnesota's offense went south with the loss of receiver Eric Decker, while first-year head coach Paul Rhodes led the Cyclones to their first bowl bid since 2005.
Give'em: Minny (-2½)
On paper, this game gets a... 2 out of 5

Chick-fil-A Bowl 
Dec. 31 / 7:30 p.m.

No. 11 Virginia Tech (9-3, 6-2 ACC) vs. Tennessee (7-5, 4-4 SEC)

Why I should watch: The Hokies have a shot to win 10 games for the ninth time in 11 years. The Vols, though, are just happy to be back in the bowl picture. Tennessee is a portrait of a young team (relatively) learning to win under a new coach, Lane Kiffin, as the Vols pushed some of the best teams on the schedule (Bama, Florida), but lost to some pretty average ones (UCLA, Auburn) as well. On the other side is Virginia Tech, an example of consistent winning for two decades under Frank Beamer. This is the most interesting matchups of opposite-mannered coaches this bowl season.
Give'em: VT (-4½)
On paper, this game gets a... 3 out of 5

Chick-fil-A Bowl 
Dec. 31 / 7:30 p.m.

No. 11 Virginia Tech (9-3, 6-2 ACC) vs. Tennessee (7-5, 4-4 SEC)

Why I should watch: The Hokies have a shot to win 10 games for the ninth time in 11 years. The Vols, though, are just happy to be back in the bowl picture. Tennessee is a portrait of a young team (relatively) learning to win under a new coach, Lane Kiffin, as the Vols pushed some of the best teams on the schedule (Bama, Florida), but lost to some pretty average ones (UCLA, Auburn) as well. On the other side is Virginia Tech, an example of consistent winning for two decades under Frank Beamer. This is the most interesting matchups of opposite-mannered coaches this bowl season.
Give'em: VT (-4½)
On paper, this game gets a... 3 out of 5

NEW YEARS DAY

Outback Bowl 
Jan. 1 / 11 a.m.

Northwestern (8-4, 5-3 Big Ten) vs. Auburn (7-5, 3-5 SEC)

Why I should watch: The Wildcats haven't been to a New Years Day bowl game since 1996 ('97 Citrus Bowl), so getting the nod over Wisconsin in this bowl made more than a few Northwesterners smirk with joy. Northwestern has become a real, live contender under Pat Fitzgerald. Auburn is a lot like Texas A&M, in that both teams played so hard in season finale losses against their arch rivals, it could be tough to recover for the bowl game. The Wildcats have beaten better teams than Auburn this year, so the Tigers can't miss a beat in this one.
Give'em: AU (-7½)
On paper, this game gets a... 3 out of 5

Capital One Bowl 
Jan. 1 / 1 p.m.

Penn State (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten) vs. Louisiana State (9-3, 5-3 SEC)

Why I should watch: Along with the Outback Bowl that starts an hour earlier, the Capital One Bowl will be one of the most important bowl games for the Big Ten conference's national reputation. LSU is one of three teams this decade to win multiple BCS national championships. The Tigers have had an up and down season, losing to Florida and Bama, but also dropping a late game to Ole Miss, and needing overtime to beat Arkansas in the finale. Under coach Les Miles, LSU has never lost a bowl game. Penn State comes into its fourth January bowl game in five seasons, a resurgent program that had fallen of the cliff earlier this decade. Joe Paterno holds the all-time record for bowl wins.
Give'em: PSU (-2½)
On paper, this game gets a... 4 out of 5 for normal people; 5 out of 5 for me

Gator Bowl 
Jan. 1 / 1 p.m.

No. 16 West Virginia (9-3, 5-2 Big East) vs. Florida State (6-6, 4-4 ACC)

Why I should watch: This will be Bobby Bowden's final game as head coach of the Florida State Seminoles. Only two other coaching retirements will have ever meant so much to the game -- Bear Bryant and, eventually, Joe Paterno. The Noles struggled early to a 2-4 start, but reached .500 in the end to send Bowden out on a bowl trip. For West Virginia, it gets even more interesting, as Bowden was the Mountaineers' head coach prior to his arrival in Tallahassee. In a way, this is the perfect matchup to end Bowden's career.
Give'em: WVU (-2½)
On paper, this game gets a... 3 out of 5; 4 out of 5 for the Bowden factor

Rose Bowl 
Jan. 1 / 4:30 p.m.

No. 8 Ohio State (10-2, 7-1 Big Ten) vs. No. 7 Oregon (10-2, 8-1 Pac 10)

Why I should watch: Can the Big Ten finally win a Rose Bowl? While USC is not the Pac 10 representative this year, it might not change the fortune of the nation's oldest conference. Oregon has been certainly the best team in the Pac 10 this season, but it shouldn't be forgotten that the Ducks looked terrible in losses to Boise State and -- most people forget -- Stanford. Ohio State looks like a worse version of Oregon. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor has been given too much credit for the Buckeyes' wins, but also too much blame when OSU loses. Although Ohio State has played well down the stretch, Oregon is the best team the Buckeyes will face this season.
Give'em: UO (-3½)
On paper, this game gets a... 4 out of 5

Sugar Bowl 
Jan. 1 / 8 p.m.

No. 5 Florida (12-1, 8-1 SEC) vs. No. 3 Cincinnati (12-0, 7-0 Big East)

Why I should watch: I wonder just how badly the Alabama loss hurt Florida's mojo. If Tim Tebow's reaction post-SEC Championship loss is any indicator, it hurt very badly. There was no triumphant speech like after the Ole Miss loss last year; no "one play made the difference" excuse. This is a battered team right now, ready for plucking; and Cincinnati is just the team to do it. Will the Bearcats win? Probably not. This game could get ugly if Florida plays the way it was supposed to all season long. But the line does seem a little large for my liking. This will be the first 2009-10 bowl game featuring an undefeated team.
Give'em: UF (-10½)
On paper, this game gets a... 3 out of 5

International Bowl 
Jan. 2 / 12 p.m.

South Florida (7-5, 3-4 Big East) vs. Northern Illinois (7-5, 3-4 Big East)

Why I should watch: The stars were aligning for the Bulls coming into 2009. Their star senior quarterback, Matt Grothe, was set to lead a talent-rich team to a conference title, maybe more. But then Grothe went down early, his shoes too big to fill. After starting 5-0, USF struggled down the stretch. This is still a dangerous team, but one that could have had so much more. Northern Illinois played a tougher-than-expected schedule this year, but reached its fourth bowl in six seasons. This game would have been much more interesting if Grothe were playing.
Give'em: USF (-6½)
On paper, this game gets a... 2 out of 5

Cotton Bowl 
Jan. 2 / 2 p.m.

No. 19 Oklahoma State (9-3, 6-2 Big 12) vs. Mississippi (8-4, 4-4 SEC)

Why I should watch: Call this the "Underachievement Classic," as both these teams were shooting for the top, only to fall flat before anyone could even spell B-C-S. The Pokes were riding high after beating Georgia, even making the cover of Sports Illustrated; but immediately fell to Houston at home, then lost out on a BCS bid after getting embarrassed by Oklahoma in the finale. Ole Miss was hearing talk of being a darkhorse for the national title; but that ended in only week three at South Carolina. The Rebels finished up their disappointing season with a loss in the Egg Bowl. Still, this game offers plenty of talent on two good teams.
Give'em: Miss (-3)
On paper, this game gets a... 3 out of 5

Papajohns.com Bowl 
Jan. 2 / 2 p.m.

South Carolina (7-5, 3-5 SEC) vs. Connecticut (7-5, 3-4 Big East)

Why I should watch: Two great coaches go up against each other, in one of the last retro-sounding "dot-com" bowls. UConn's five losses this season were by a combined 15 points, with many being decided in the final minutes. Coach Randy Edsall and the Huskies were forced to battle through the loss of a teammate when Jasper Howard was shot and killed mid-season. UConn is a greatly underrated squad. South Carolina is still waiting for Steve Spurrier's team to finish a season strong, as the Gamecocks dropped four of six to finish the season, after starting 5-1.
Give'em: USC (-4½)
On paper, this game gets a... 2 out of 5

Liberty Bowl 
Jan. 2 / 5:30 p.m.

Arkansas (7-5, 3-5 SEC) vs. East Carolina (9-4, 8-1 C-USA)

Why I should watch: Who knows where Bobby Petrino might coach this time next year? While he seems to have finally found his place, it's been a tough transition for Arkansas from the run offense of Houston Nutt to the pass offense of Petrino. Still, with big-arm quarterback (and former Michigan Wolverine) Ryan Mallett, the Razorbacks are always good for a show. The Pirates of East Carolina aren't exactly pushovers, though. ECU is one year removed from shocking the college football world with back-to-back upsets of Virginia Tech and West Virginia. The Pirates also just beat a very good Houston team in the C-USA title game.
Give'em: Ark (-7½)
On paper, this game gets a... 2 out of 5

Alamo Bowl 
Jan. 2 / 9 p.m.

Michigan State (6-6, 4-4 Big Ten) vs. Texas Tech (8-4, 5-3 Big 12)

Why I should watch: This is one line I'm not sure is big enough for the Red Raiders. Michigan State's pass defense has been atrocious (108th nationally), and we all know about Texas Tech's passing offense (2nd nationally). I really like what Mark D'Antonio is doing in East Lansing, but this bowl game might have been put out of reach with the suspension of key players following a recent fight. The only reason I'm rating this game so high is because it's a Big Ten game, and I try to watch all of each of them.
Give'em: TT (-8)
On paper, this game gets a... 3 out of 5

Fiesta Bowl 
Jan. 4 / 8 p.m.

No. 6 Boise State (7-5, 3-5 SEC) vs. No. 4 Texas Christian U.

Why I should watch: It's not often you can watch two undefeated teams in a bowl game that's not for the national title. That's just what we get with this year's Fiesta Bowl. As one writer put it, the Fiesta crew "fell on the sword" for the rest of the BCS; meaning the Fiesta took the plunge and risked poor ratings to match up these two teams. I don't care how you put it, these are two great teams, and should provide a great game.
Give'em: TCU (-7)
On paper, this game gets a... 4 out of 5

Orange Bowl 
Jan. 5 / 8 p.m.

No. 10 Iowa (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten) vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech (11-2, 8-1 ACC)

Why I should watch: Big Ten teams don't face the triple option all that often. When it did, Navy scared the crap out of Ohio State. I'm actually very surprised the line is set so large for the Yellow Jackets. The Iowa defense has been stellar (11th nationally), while the Tech defense is only decent (54th nationally). Most will look at Iowa's November slate and figure this game is already over; but don't forget that Georgia Tech blew a big one to a very mediocre Georgia team in the season finale. This season's BCS bowl lineup is quite tolerable.
Give'em: GT (-4)
On paper, this game gets a... 4 out of 5

GMAC Bowl 
Jan. 6 / 7 p.m.

Central Michigan (11-2, 9-0 Mid American) vs. Troy (9-3, 8-0 Sun Belt)

Why I should watch: Playing this bowl on Jan. 6, I think, does it a great disservice, as no one is going to care about a low-level game this late into the bowl season. When the bowls first get going, fans are raring to watch anything, even the crappy bowl games. But the night before the national title game? Not so much. Central Michigan only lost to Arizona and Boston College, on its way to a MAC title. Troy is the perennial upstart that analysts like to peg as the team everyone should "watch out for." These are two in-conference undefeated champions.
Give'em: CMU (-3½)
On paper, this game gets a... 2 out of 5

BCS Championship 
Jan. 7 / 8 p.m.

No. 1 Alabama (13-0, 9-0 SEC) vs. No. 2 Texas (13-0, 9-0 Big 12)

Why I should watch: Fans can at least look forward to the BCS Championship Game featuring two undefeated teams this year. Whichever team comes out on top, it will feel like a breath of fresh air, particularly to those who remember the terrible two-loss 2007 "national champion" LSU. What's a bit odd here is that it's not just the media analysts that are falling into the what have you done for me lately trap. The line now is set at five to Texas. A bit steep, no? "Well," you say confidently, "Texas almost lost to Nebraska!" Really, then you will agree with me that Alabama should be equally ragged on for nearly losing at home to Tennessee, or needing a miracle comeback drive to beat Auburn... right? I'm not going to pick Texas to win this game, but that doesn't mean I'll be shocked if the Longhorns dispatch the Crimson Tide. Colt McCoy is a much better passer than Tim Tebow; Florida didn't have Jordan Shipley catching passes or returning kicks. But on the other side, Alabama has Terrence Cody, and a blueprint on how to use him against Texas -- the Big XII title game tape. Let's just hope it will be a game worth watching in the fourth quarter.
Give'em: Bama (-5)
On paper, this game gets a... 5 out of 5

More below the fold...

'Rose Bowl' House Resolution 153

◊ Call your congress(wo)men! Tell them to vote NO on H.R. 153:

"Commending the University of Southern California Trojan football team for its victory in the 2009 Rose Bowl."

Can you believe that this is being cosponsored by reps from Big Ten states? This is a disgrace. Are we surprised, though, that all of the Big Ten cosponsors are from either Michigan or Ohio?

Rep Fudge, Marcia L. [OH-11],
Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9],
Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. [MI-13],
Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. [OH-10]

The vote on H.R. 153 has been suspended for a little bit longer, but we need to keep fighting through it.

Washington is indeed broken.

More below the fold...

Review, 2009 Rose Bowl: USC 38, PSU 24

I’ll go through each unit and the coaching, sizing up how each one performed against USC in the Rose Bowl.

OFFENSE :: B

Line – Many were quick to blame Penn State's offensive troubles on the offensive line. But that's only true to an extent. Problems persisted in too many other places to heave so much blame on the line. Penn State was called for holding only once, and the other two offensive penalties were a false start and delay of game. Surprisingly, when all was said and done, Penn State's line held up very well against USC's front seven. When PSU went to the screen game, allowing the offensive linemen to block in space, it was a sight to behold. PSU runners averaged 4.7 yards a pop, while Daryll Clark threw for 273 yards, and was sacked only once. I really think that if Evan Royster didn't go down, and the defense didn't give up so many points, PSU could have played knowing it wasn't catch-up mode in before the half even ended.

Receivers – As if I wasn't going to miss Deon Butler, Derrick Williams and Jordan Norwood before, this Rose Bowl just made it worse. While Clark played one hell of a game, it was the receivers that continued to give his passes life. Early in the game, I thought going right to Butler on the long pass plays was fantastic, and he delivered as he always does, finishing with 97 yards, not including the 45-yarder that was called back in the first quarter. Williams and Norwood both caught touchdowns, and combined for seven catches for 66 yards. That doesn't sound like a lot, but there were a few key receptions (like the two touchdowns, duh!) that really kept PSU afloat. I'm going to throw in Green here, as he was actually the team leader in receptions, with six for 67 yards. Outside of the fumble, Green had a very good day replacing Royster. So I can't get on his case too much, since Green was supposed to be a change-of-pace back like he was during the season.

Quarterbacks - Lost in the post-game depression, was Clark's performance against the best defense in college football. He frequently made plays when even the best quarterbacks wouldn't have, scrambling away from pressure, taking the hits knowing they were coming, but above all, making super-accurate throws while two and three defenders were actually holding on to him. If there was doubt in the "experts" minds about Clark's ability to be a leader, and make plays when he absolutely had to, this Rose Bowl loss just wiped them out. It was a gutsy performance, and a very productive one at that. Clark, after all, did account for all three of PSU's touchdowns, with two passing and one rushing. And the final stat sheet is very misleading. The first of Clark's interceptions came under the usually strong pressure rush, and was slightly tipped at the line. The second, came on a Hail Mary pass on the final play. USC could have knocked it down, but I guess they felt the need to make their own stats look better than they were.

Rushers – My heart sunk when I saw Royster on the trainer's table. While the medical staff was working frantically, I knew it wasn't going to happen, and Royster was done. When he was in the game for less than one quarter, PSU's offense was going about its workman-like performance. Royster carried the ball six times for 34 yards. That's an average of 5.7 yards per rush, including no lost yardage. If Royster had played all four quarters, you can bet your ass he would have gone over 100 yards. With Royster out, and Green in, we have to commend the young speedster's performance, the fumble aside. Green himself rushed the ball 10 times for 57 yards, matching Royster's average, including–again–no yards lost. If this isn't the best running back duo in college football next season, I don't know who will be. Even Clark and Williams had some success running the ball. PSU had the right idea on offense, and it was working, until...

DEFENSE :: D

Line – ... until the defense blew it, big time. Let's start with the line. At first, this was a huge area of pride for PSU, especially on that first USC drive when Aaron Maybin got Mark Sanchez and knocked the ball from his hands. Well, talk about a bad omen, as Maybin was called for the worst single penalty of the game. He was lined up in the neutral zone. Ballgame. USC went on to score its first of many touchdowns. I did think the line was getting decent pressure on Sanchez, but he released the ball so quickly (due to the PSU secondary playing 10 yards off, but more on that in a bit) that even the blitzes weren't getting to him on time. On run defense, even though USC didn't really need to run, the line held up extremely well, limiting USC to its lowest rush total for the year. But there's one thing that makes me think that the line was better than we originally thought. On run plays, the defensive linemen were able to suck up enough blocks to allow the linebackers to make a ton of TFLs. That tells me that the line did its job, but the secondary (again, more in a sec) didn't help it in any way.

Linebackers – And speaking of linebackers making TFLs, how about Navorro Bowman making FIVE behind the line of scrimmage, and PSU's only sack. On top of all that, seven of his eight tackles were solo. But he didn't even lead the team in takedowns. Josh Hull racked up nine, with a TFL of his own. I really thought the linebackers played well in this game. Even unsung Tyrell Sales, the only defensive player to have started in 2005, made four solo tackles, and forced a huge fumble. Sales may not have been the fastest, or the strongest, but he was a true team player, and always worked hard. The only other linebacker to register a tackle was freshman Michael Mauti, with two. Nate Stupar, Andrew Daily and Chris Colasanti all played, but none recorded anything. This unit was the most consistent during the Rose Bowl. Well, I should correct myself. The linebackers were the most consistently decent defensive unit, unlike this next unit...

Secondary – ...which was consistently horrible, terrible, no good, very bad. You could blame it on the scheme (and I will in a minute, trust me, but not right now), or USC's superior talent. But none of that flies with me as a truly legitimate reason for PSU getting torched. I realize that the players are told what to do, but even when they did it, this secondary played scared. I'm sorry, but once that ball is snapped, you go and make the play that's given to you. I didn't see one corner, or safety go up for a ball, or even get a good knockdown. But the worst moment of this game, the one that cemented which unit would be to blame for the loss, was after Penn State pulled to 31-17. USC was scared, and PSU was amped. What happens next? The safeties get caught with their pants around their ankles, and the corners are no where to be found. USC's Ronald Johnson is all alone, soon joined by the ball, for a 45-yard touchdown. The air was officially gone from the Blue and White side of the field.

SPECIAL TEAMS :: B

Kickers – Don't peg this loss on special teams. Kevin Kelly was a monster on kickoffs, and nailed the only field goal he was given. As pissed off as I was at that point, I was very happy Kelly got to make that kick. He's had a great season, and it would have been a shame if he didn't get to contribute at least that much to the score. Of course, I'm sure he'd give up that field goal for a few more extra points. Then there's Jeremy Boone. He averaged 47.8 yards per boot, with a long of 56. Yeah, PSU had some good kickers this season.

Returners – I can't really rate the return teams here, because when you're only given five kickoffs and no punt returns, there's not many opportunities to make a big play. I was really hedging my bets that PSU would launch a big punt return in this game, figuring that kickoff returns are harder to make big plays. But it would have been nice if Chaz Powell or Williams could have done something on the kickoff returns. We've seen better days here, but then again, we haven't really needed better days until this game.

Coverage – A little told story about this year's team, was the vastly improved play of the return coverage units. In 2007 PSU gave up two kick return touchdowns, and a 26.4 average. In 2008, no opponent scored a kickoff return touchdown, and PSU held them to only 21.3 yards per return. Special teams was definitely a strength, and even though it didn't make any huge plays in the Rose Bowl, it sure didn't cause any problems.

COACHES :: C-
I gave the coaches the "C-" because I really thought the offense did fine, but was forced out of its game by USC racking up 24 unanswered points in the second quarter. The "C-" represents just low enough for failure. Sure, there was a turnover, and penalties, but the offense wasn't the majority share of PSU's woes. Galen Hall and Jay Paterno called a good game, and it showed early one with the passing down field to Butler, and the strong runs by Royster and Clark. PSU gained 410 yards of offense, and was very balanced under the circumstances, with 273 passing and 137 rushing. That's not bad considering the hole PSU was stuck in by the defense. But that was the problem. Tom Bradley coached his worst game, probably of his career as defensive coordinator. He refused to adjust to USC's passing calls, and got torched in the process. I know he tried, and works very hard, but this one was bad, real bad. There's a difference between playing disciplined and playing tight. PSU played tight, and in the process lost its discipline. That what coaches are for, and Bradley had a tough time with restoring his unit's confidence and composure. His playcalling didn't help, either. Joe Paterno even admitted that this game got out of hand early, but didn't he just compound matters later in the game? Where was the onsides kick? Where was the fight? Where was anything from the coaching staff? It looked like Clark had to will this team to point, almost fighting against the coaching staff as much as USC's defense. In 2008, we saw Penn State football at its finest, but in the 2009 Rose Bowl, it was less than fine.

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With Utah's upset of Alabama, bias will become even more obvious

You know what "they" will say...

"Utah is undefeated... Alabama played a tough overall schedule... It was really just one quarter that made a difference..."

All excuses, excuses for why it was ok for Alabama to lose the Sugar Bowl to Utah. No, I correct myself... why it was ok for Alabama to get crushed in the Sugar Bowl. This wasn't a case of superior talent or a superior coaching job. Utah jumped on Bama, and blew them away from the start. This wasn't like Penn State hanging tough for the first part of the game, then suffering one bad quarter in the middle, only to come back strong at the end. Alabama didn't even show up for kickoff.

Bowl Stat: First quarter scores - PSU 7, USC 7; Utah 21, Bama 0.

But none of that matters. "They" still believe that it's just fine, even good for college football that Utah beat Bama. You see, that's called a hypocrisy, my friends. And not only does this fully define that word, it proves my point (and a few other somewhat-respected sports writers') that Alabama could have lost to Utah by 30, but it's ok. It's ok that Texas Tech was embarrassed by Ole Miss. But it's definitely not ok that Penn State lost to USC.

Penn State will most likely be dropped from the top 10, when the final polls come out. Alabama will probably stay in the top 10, along with the winner of the Mythical National Championship, regardless of the margin of defeat. That's right, I'll call it right now. If Florida beats Oklahoma by 50, or vice versa, the loser will stay in the top-10, just because of the fact that "perception is reality" this season in college football. Unfortunately, that perception is that Penn State was just another weak Big Ten team trying to "play with the big boys," while the MNC loser merely "lost to the best team in the nation."

Bowl Stat: Total offense - PSU, 410; Bama, 208

And that leads me to my next point, and another hypocrisy. Following the Rose Bowl, we heard hours and hours of analysis, calling USC a team that "should have been in the BCS Championship Game," and "should be in the running for the AP title." If USC is supposed to be the best team in the nation, or at least the No. 1-A with the BCSCG winner, is Penn State truly worthy of the royal media beat down it's receiving?

I won't get into why the Rose Bowl was tougher for USC than the final score appeared (like, say, the "greatest all-time defense" of USC giving up 24 points, and almost blowing it in the fourth quarter), but "they" can't seriously, with a straight face, tell us that Alabama and Texas Tech belong ranked ahead of Penn State, after losing to supposedly "inferior" opponents, Utah and Ole Miss.

Bowl Stat: Offensive points - PSU, 24; Bama, 10

"They" bash the BCS, pretty much on a daily basis, yet don't seem to realize the true problem with college football, the human polls. In a system like we have now, it's not the computers which are at fault for the kooky rankings or the bowl pairings. But we're led to believe that it's the CPU-controlled votes which are the culprit of these faulty championships each season. Who tells us that the computers are wrong? The human pollsters. Yeah, I see a slight conflict of interest, too.

You cannot have a true polling system, yet lock everyone into the winner of one game. If this were the days before the BCS, and even before the old Bowl Alliance, a team like Utah would have a real chance at the national title, even if it is a mythical one. USC would be a serious contender after dismantling Penn State. Texas would get a shot, granted the Longhorns whip the Buckeyes. But because of the BCS, none of that matters.

Bowl Stat: Yards per rush, PSU, 4.7; Bama, 0.9

That's where the Alabama loss comes back in, along with the Penn State loss. If Penn State and Alabama knew their games could have given them part or all of a national title, would the outcomes have been different? Probably not, but because of this system, where these games have no affect on the championship whatsoever, "they" have to attach some sort of meaning or significance to them. You can bet that there were a few more folks watching the Rose Bowl, just to see "if the Big Ten can hack it this year." Note, I didn't say "if Penn State would beat USC." That's because this year's Rose Bowl wasn't Penn State vs. USC. It was The Big Ten vs. USC.

Bowl Stat: Distance traveled - PSU, 2,568 mi.; Bama, 293 mi.

Penn State will fall below Alabama, not because they're a lesser team. But rather because it won't be Penn State at all that's voted lower than the Crimson Tide. The Big Ten Conference will be what's voted below Alabama... and Texas Tech... and the loser of a blowout BCSCG.

Why? I don't think we'll ever really know. But we'll get a whole lot of excuses, and a whole lot of ass-covering from "them," and ranking Alabama ahead of Penn State will be just a part of it.

But what if Ohio State comes close against Texas, finishing above Penn State in the polls? Well... we'll deal with that when the time comes, and I assure you, we will deal with it thoroughly. And what if Penn State does finish (oddly enough) above Alabama?

Then there's some hope, after all.

Final Bowl Stat: Margin of defeat - PSU, 14; Bama, 14.

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USC beats PSU, 38-24

Penn State was taken to task by USC tonight in Pasadena. For some reason, it doesn't fell all that painful. Oh well, here's my initial thoughts on this game...

The Good - I really had hope for the PSU offense after that second drive. Penn State drove right down the field with good play calls and good balance. Things looked very good going into the second quarter. Clark overall had a good night. Both of his interceptions came well after the game was in hand for USC, well, at least the last play was. The loss of Evan Royster really threw a wrench into the offense early, but soon they figured out how to use the backups, mainly Stephfon Green on screens and quick-hitting runs. The one bright spot on defense was the play of Navorro Bowman. He was easily the game's defensive MVP, registering 8 tackles, 5 TFL, and the game's only sack. All but one of his tackles were solo, and this performance will propel him into the 2009 spotlight. Clark ended up with a very solid 273 passing yards, with two touchdowns, 17 rushing yards and a score. I really hope that the analysts won't hold this game against Clark as another "can't win in the fourth quarter." That's just not true. USC was going to win this game no matter what happened, but PSU really played hard in the final half, and fourth quarter. But the offensive MVP would have to be Deon Butler. I would almost give it to all three senior wide receivers, Jordan Norwood and Derrick Williams, but Butler stood out. With every chance to pack it in, and just take a submissive beating from USC, PSU hung on and played hard until the very end.

The Bad - This wasn't the same secondary we came to love the last three seasons, but it was the same secondary that had trouble with the tall Ohio State receivers that consistently went up and over the defensive backs. Mark Sanchez played the game of his life, helped by some fantastic receivers, but it was completely PSU's fault for not playing aggressively enough at the line of scrimmage. It was obvious after the second USC touchdown that PSU couldn't live by playing its corners nine to 10 yards off the line. Anthony Scirrotto and Mark Rubin were consistently out of position, but it wasn't all their fault. The pass rush had a terrible time getting to Sanchez, even when PSU blitzed five and six. It always seemed like Sanchez knew exactly how much time he was going to have on each play, but I guess that's what a good quarterback does. That's not a slight on Clark, Sanchez played against a much weaker secondary, at least on this day it was. I'm going to go so far as to say this loss was on my favorite coach, Tom Bradley. It was his defense that couldn't see what was going on, and didn't even adjust things really by the end of the game.

Overall - Early on, Royster went down, and wouldn't return. He only had six carries before that, for 34 yards. The injuries to him, and then to Green at the end, hurt PSU immensely and its chances for the complete comeback. We shouldn't get into many "what ifs" with this game, as USC just flat out played better than PSU in the second quarter. I was pleased that PSU didn't really give up, but then that always leads me to wonder "why didn't they just play like this earlier?" I'm sure we all asked that question sometime during the fourth quarter, when PSU scored 17 points, and held USC to 7, which came on broken coverage worse than the Iowa game. But we have to take this game for what it was. I would not bet against USC right now. Not against Florida, not against Oklahoma or Texas, not against Alabama. Penn State has a lot going for it next season, and shouldn't view this year as a failure. This was one of Joe Paterno's better coaching jobs, and this team and its fans should be very proud of the 2008 Nittany Lions.

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Poll Results: PSU over USC

As promised, poll results. Surprisingly enough, most voters–even though they're mostly Penn State fans–voted in favor of a PSU win.

Be sure to check out our open thread below this post.

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Rose Bowl Running/Open Thread

All day, I'll post my thoughts in the comments of this post, and during the game, I'll have constant comments, like I did during the MSU game. Feel free to join in!

Be sure to check out my Rose Bowl Preview.

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Paterno to coach from press box

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Still recovering from hip surgery, Joe Paterno will coach from the press box when No. 6 Penn State plays No. 5 Southern California on Thursday at the Rose Bowl.

The 82-year-old Paterno says he doesn't think he can handle four hours on his feet, and his doctor is concerned someone might bump him and set his recovery back.

Paterno had hip replacement surgery nearly six weeks ago to fix an injury that forced him to spend the last seven games of the regular season coaching from the press box.

Paterno, speaking at a news conference Wednesday, also worries that he might be a distraction on the sideline.

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Preview: The Rose Bowl, No. 8 Penn State at No. 5 Southern California

Kickoff: Thurs., Jan. 1. 4:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Weather Forecast: Sunny, Warm, Clear.

Visitor: Penn State Nittany Lions
Record: 11-1 (7-1, Big Ten)
Last Game: Won vs Michigan St, 49-18
Injuries: RB Brent Carter (leg - out), DE Devon Still (ankle - out), S Nick Sukay (foot - out), LB Sean Lee (knee - out), C Doug Klopacz (knee - out), DE Jerome Hayes (knee - out)
Key Players: (offense) RB Evan Royster, QB Daryll Clark, C AQ Shipley; (defense) DE Aaron Maybin, LB Navorro Bowman, S Anthony Scirrotto
Head Coach: Joe Paterno, 43rd season, 383-126-3
Season Statistics:
Offense - 211.6 rush/240.6 pass/40.2 points per game
Defense - 95.9 rush/168 pass/12.4 points per game
TO Margin - (+9)

Why PSU will win -- The hype machine is in full force, and that's a good thing for Penn State. It is usually when the media tells these Nittany Lions that they have no chance to win, that they go right out there and prove everyone wrong. Ohio State 2005? No chance. Tennessee 2006? No chance. Ohio State 2008? No chance. All... wrong! But when it comes to on-the-field factors, Penn State hasn't had a passing attack like this since Kerry Collins was torching opponents with Bobby Engram and Kyle Brady. Only, this time, Daryll Clark has the three best (statistically, at least) wide receivers in Penn State history, and an offensive line just as good as the 1994 edition. Top all of that with Clark's mobility, and the Lions have all the tool necessary to hang around with, and even beat the best defense in college football. I've heard all week (and all month, too) that Clark is a liability because he hasn't led a fourth-quarter comeback drive. But I haven't exactly seen USC do that either, as most of their games are well in hand by the final stanza. Can Mark Sanchez lead a fourth-quarter comeback drive? He had a chance, at Oregon State, but blew it, just like Clark at Iowa. That's not to say Penn State is all passing, as Evan Royster has been hands-down the most underrated running back this season. No defense will tackle him on the first hit, and once he's in the open field, it's 30 yards and a cloud of dust.

Penn State has also been every bit as good on defense as the Trojans have this season. What most analysts aren't looking at, is the level of competition USC has faced. Any team with a defense like USC's or PSU's could shut out Washington and Washington State, two of the worst teams in the FBS. It's not like the Penn State defense is mediocre this season. The analysts would lead you to believe that the Nittany Lions are less than impressive on that side of the ball, when in fact the PSU defense is No. 5 in total defense, and No. 3 in points allowed. USC has also thrown 12 interceptions this year, 8 more than Penn State, and has lost the same number (9) of fumbles as the Lions. So don't let the "USC is great at forcing turnovers" mantra cloud the view of this USC team. They had no choice but to force turnovers, to make up for the many offensive miscues that no one likes to point out.

Host: Southern California Trojans
Record: 11-1 (8-1 Pac 10)
Last Game: Won vs UCLA, 28-7
Injuries: RB Stafon Johnson (knee - probable), WR Damian Williams (shoulder - doubtful), S Kevin Ellison (knee - doubtful), RB Allen Bradford (hip - out), TE Thomas Herring (ankle - out), FB Stanley Havili (academics - out)
Key Players: (offense) QB Mark Sanchez, RB CJ Gable, RT Butch Lewis; (defense) LB Rey Maualuga, DT Fili Moala, S Taylor Mays
Head Coach: Pete Carroll, 8th season at USC, 87-15 overall
Season Statistics:
Offense - 206 rush/247.1 pass/37.5 points per game
Defense - 83.2 rush/122.8 pass/7.8 points per game
TO Margin - (+5)

Why USC will win -- Can any other team in America say they have the talent on defense USC will bring to bear against Penn State? But this defense isn't what you would expect. USC gives up a paltry 122 passing yards per game, but a surprising 83 yards rushing per game. That's because USC using their pass defense to stop the run. They know with guys like Rey Maualuga and Filli Moala, the opponents' run game won't pose so much of a threat, so USC can concentrate on attacking the quarterbacks and wide receivers. Throwing off routes has been a strong suit for USC, and forcing the other quarterback to throw early is a very bad idea when its against this defense. After all, if you don't get that ball out of there quick enough, you'll be on your bottom even quicker. USC loves to play a Tampa 2 and Man-Under defense, very conservative. Pete Carroll has that luxury because of the speed and skill his defenders have. That allows fewer risks that need to be taken on defense, like blitzing. Sure, USC will send the heat once in a while, but not as often as other teams do. USC will want to get Penn State into a dink-and-dunk kind of offensive game plan, and limit the big plays.

On offense, the days of Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and Dwayne Jarrett are gone, but the production is still outstanding. USC does not have a 1,000-yard back this season, but does have three players over 600 yards a piece–Joe McKnight (646), Stafon Johnson (642) and CJ Gable (602). Johnson has been hampered by a nagging injury, but should be able to play. That means USC will field (even if not all at the same time) 1,800 yards worth of rushing against Penn State. Mark Sanchez hasn't been asked to do a whole lot at quarterback, but he is more than capable to keep the offense humming. He was left without the 2007 starter Vidal Hazelton all this season (he transfered last month), but Patrick Turner and Ronald Johnson have filled in nicely. Leading the pack is Damien Williams, who has pulled in more than 700 receiving yards this year. But it will all come down to the USC offensive line, particularly the starting tackles, Butch Lewis and Charles Brown. They will be in charge of stopping the potent PSU pass rush, and Aaron Maybin. But it won't only be about keeping Sanchez upright. USC can push PSU back on its heels by using misdirection and screens to neutralize the defense, and with the talented USC backfield, the results could be huge gains.

What will happen -- Pete Carroll has created a great dynasty in Los Angeles, no doubt. But is he really deserving of such confidence over JOSEPH VINCENT PATERNO? USC has been great in bowls under Carroll, but so has Penn State under Paterno. If you compare the first eight seasons of each coach, Paterno has the better resume with two more undefeated seasons, and some of the best defenses of that time. The media loves to tell us "never underestimate Joe Paterno," but that's exactly what they're doing. The USC players looked bored and apathetic at the Rose Bowl media day earlier this week. I'm going out on a limb to say that I think this will negatively affect this team. USC usually blows the game when they're told they'll definitely win. That's what is happening.

***Disclaimer: By no means should the following prediction be taken as a promise. I have no clue what exactly will happen. I can only guess, and hope for the best. But if I could actually choose how this game should go, the following is what I would go with.***

Penn State will come out, lose the toss, and USC will want to put its vaunted defense on the field first. The Lions will be lucky to score on their first drive, but look for a nice first return from Chaz Powell (USC will kick away from Derrick Williams), giving Clark and the offense good field position. Penn State will go up by a field goal. The offenses on both sides will trade long, pounding drives, but Penn State will trail 13-10 at halftime.

In the second half, Tom Bradley will make some adjustments, while USC will keep playing like the national champion-calibur team it is. After two field goals, the Lions will be no further along than at the half, but a huge Derrick Williams return will spark the offense to some quick-hitting points, maybe even a touchdown. Penn State will shock USC by scoring the 10 points in a matter of minutes, forcing USC to make a risky throw or play call. Leading 20-16, Mark Rubin will make the play of the game, stepping in front of a Sanchez pass. Taking it all the way down to the one, Clark will go in on a QB-sneak. USC doesn't hesitate, marching right back down the field to score a touchdown, but misses the two-point conversion.

With Penn State leading 27-22, the Lions will try to run out the clock, but too much time is left. USC will have one last chance to score, but can't move down the field fast enough. With 0:02 left on the clock, Sanchez heaves a pass to the end zone, but Tony Davis is there to knock it down.

Stat Notes: USC will end up sacking Clark four times, but can't finish him off on a few key plays. Penn State will pick off Sanchez twice, once on a tipped pass at the line. USC will rush for at least 140 yards, but pass for only 170. Penn State will pass for 190, but only rush for 110. This game will come down to special teams, with USC ending up with horrible return averages, while Penn State will make several big plays for good field position.

Prediction: No. 8 Penn State 27 - No. 5 USC 22

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Rose Bowl 'pump up' video

TINNOMJ found this one*. It's pretty good, but I've seen better. After you're done watching, look at the other videos that pop up on the bottom of the player. There are some more that are worth watching...



*I'm giving him credit, but under protest. He was one of the Penn State bloggers that was too lazy to spend five minutes doing the B&W Roundtable this week. And don't get me started on BSD. Not only were they too busy to do the B&W RT (after all, they 'only' have three writers), they gave the "find" to a UCLA blog for the USC-TMZ thing. Bullshit, I had it way before anyone else. I guess when you're part of some conglomerate blog network, you have an obligation to support your own fellow network blogs first. Understandably so, but a little love to a PSU blog who found it first would have been nice. Ok, I'm done ranting. Time to move on. I mean, come on, IT'S THE DAY BEFORE THE ROSE BOWL!

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USC/Rose Bowl update, Dec. 30

Just a quick rundown of issues we're looking at right now, regarding the Rose Bowl and USC Trojans:

• Penn State Live has a very good slideshow of the team in its last days on campus. It's worth the look:

On with the update...

• The CDT's Jeff Rice updated us today on Joe Paterno vs. The Sideline. Joe said it's about 50-50. We'll see.

• David Jones at the Patriot News took a good look at USC's Butkus winner Rey Maualuga. But even better is that we now know how USC plans to use him... not much differently than they have his entire career.

"Though middle linebackers have a lot of duties, it's been dispensed by USC that Maualuga's been "assigned" to the PSU quarterback."

• Bernard Fernandez at the Philadelphia Daily News wrote a very nice piece on Penn State's career backup quarterback, Paul Cianciolo. But don't down play how important he is, or how much he can help this team. I mean, he did give Penn State its only touchdown against Michigan in 2006.

"I'm one play away now instead of two," said Cianciolo..."

And against a defense like USC (hey, they may not be the all-time best, but they're still really freakin' good), Paul may get one more shot. But let's hope it's not in relief, but rather, mop-up duty.

• Of all people to ask, Bill Plaschke poses the question many in LA are wondering, "is USC overlooking Penn State?"

"The Penn State players spent Tuesday's 30-minute Rose Bowl media session sitting upright, quiet, attentive.

The USC players lounged. Some buried their heads in their hands and slept. Some talked on cell phones. Others bounced to iPods.

One player spent nearly the entire session stretched out on the floor underneath his table. A couple of others used their hands to pound out rhythms on top of the table.

As a giant clocked ticked off the final moments of the interview session, many of the Trojans chanted "3 . . . .2 . . . 1 . . . Happy New Year!"

Hmmm. Will it be?"

Plaschke goes on to say how Pete Carroll tells his players every day that Penn State was one point away from the national championship game. But just like Plaschke points out, we all know what happens to USC at least once a year...

"Yeah, well, Carroll also told them to stop celebrating the Ohio State victory and concentrate on Oregon State, and how did that turn out?

Once or twice a year, it seems, this Trojans monster takes on a life of its own.

No matter what their creator preaches, they hear only an inner voice that reminds them of their incredible skill. They interpret this to mean their immortality. A humbling loss usually follows."

Let's hope the humbling comes early and often.

Quick Outs:
• Not much has changed in the USC injury front. It's still looking like this: RB Stafon Johnson (knee - probable), WR Damian Williams (shoulder - doubtful), S Kevin Ellison (knee - doubtful), RB Allen Bradford (hip - out), TE Thomas Herring (ankle - out), FB Stanley Havili (academics - out)*

• Depending on how many other PSU bloggers pitch in, I'll try to have a short round-up tomorrow of the Blue & White Roundtable.

• Also tomorrow morning, look for my Rose Bowl preview. I can't believe that in less than two days, we'll know who won.

*note that Havili is now academically ineligible for the Rose Bowl, so his ankle injury has become a moot point.

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Blue & White Roundtable :: Rose Bowl edition

No. 8 Penn State is headed to the Rose Bowl. The Nittany Lions will face the greatest defense in the history of mankind. At least, that's what we're lead to believe. I thought some questions were appropriate.

The usually unusual suspects:
There is No Name on My Jersey
Y. F. Yurasko
Happy Hour Valley
Black Shoe Diaries
The Nittany Line
We Want the Lion
Zombie Nation
Nittany Whiteout

1. Let's play a little catch up. How huge was the Kevin Newsome pickup, and what should Penn State do with him in 2009? Is there another commit you're particularly excited about, besides Newsome?

ZN: If for no other reason, the Newsome pick helped us forget about losing Pat Devlin. It was a real shock to the program, especially hearing about how it went down. I would really like to see Newsome redshirted next fall, but that won't happen. Penn State will need a talented backup for Daryll Clark, and Newsome is built in the same mold. He might even be faster. I'm really looking forward to Gerald Hodges. The kid is a real athlete who can fill in immediately at safety. He's also fast enough to play in the nickel package Penn State uses, with three safeties.

2. You've heard a lot about how Penn State doesn't have a shot in hell at beating USC. "The USC defense is the best ever... The Big Ten can't win Rose Bowls... Penn State lost to lowly Iowa..." Tell us why any of those arguments don't pass the rationality test.

ZN: USC has played in what could be argued as the worst conference this year. Washington went 0-12, and Washington State beat only one FBS team... Washington. Half the league had losing records, and if Oregon loses to Oklahoma State in the Holiday Bowl, USC will be the only team with 10 or more wins.

I've also heard this point, too. It makes sense. The Big Ten hasn't sent a true "conference champ" since Michigan in 2004, where it lost to Vince Young and Texas by one point. Then it was Michigan (Big Ten runner up) in 2006, and Illinois in 2007, which was one of the worst teams ever to go to the Rose Bowl.

Don't get me started on the Iowa loss, compared to USC's loss to Oregon State...

3. Pick one win this season that best exemplifies what Penn State must do in each facet of the game (example: Passing vs. MSU), to win the Rose Bowl. Pick for passing, rushing, special teams, pass defense, run defense, play-calling/coaching.

ZN: I'll go with Passing vs. MSU, Rushing vs. Oregon State, Special Teams vs. Wisconsin, Pass Defense vs. Michigan, Run Defense vs. MSU, and Play-Calling vs. MSU.

Can you tell which game I felt Penn State performed best?

Bonus

-Penn State # of scores vs. USC (touchdowns, field goals, anything)... 4

-USC # of scores vs. PSU... 4

-Joe Paterno finishes his 3-yr contract? No

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USC players look like morons on TMZ

My wife loves TMZ. I love her for loving TMZ. That's because if it wasn't for her, I would have missed this gem tonight on the Hollywood tabloid show. Sorry I didn't have it posted sooner. I was covering a basketball game.

The USC players at the Lawry's Rib Bowl were asked about Vice-President Elect Joe Biden, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich among other things. A bunch of them didn't know about Blagojevich. Understandable enough, since that's a little more political-junky stuff. But come on, Rey Maualuga, not even Joe freakin' Biden?

"Damn, that name sounds familiar, but, uh..." Rey so eloquently said. He had to be told who he is, only to reply, "I only know who Obama is."

Then fellow linebacker (and a kid who grew up around me in Bergen County, NJ), Brian Cushing was asked about the same vice-president elect. He didn't know either, so TMZ asked his teammate (I couldn't tell who it was) about Blagojavich. Then Cushing realized it was a bunch of political, current events questions.

"Oh, political shit?" Cushing called out from his long blonde locks. Nice. Way to represent your team and school. They must be very proud right now.

I will give one Trojan credit. Mark Sanchez did know who Joe Biden was, and even knew about Blagojavich. But even though he didn't have any opinions on them, he did the smart thing and just said "I'm just worried about the Rose Bowl right now."

In a town where you can't do anything without a camera crew in your face, you'd think the rest of the team would be as camera-savvy as Sanchez.

From TMZ.com:

"If you wanna get into the prestigious University of Southern California, you're going to have to compete for admission spots with some of the brightest people in the country -- and a bunch of dumbass football players.

The Men of Troy hit Lawry's for the annual pre-Rose Bowl prime rib dinner last night -- but when we asked about VP-elect Joe Biden, disgraced governor Rod Blagojevich and euthanasia, well ... the world-class athletes looked more like world-class tackling dummies."

TMZ still had to throw in this quip:

"Fun Fact: They're still going to beat the crap out of Penn State."

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USC/Rose Bowl update, Dec. 29

Just a quick rundown of issues we're looking at right now, regarding the Rose Bowl and USC Trojans:

• For kicks, here's a photo of the "Team Visit" to DisneyLand...


On with the update.

• At the Press Enterprise (CA), Gregg Patton is hoping for a little more thrill out of the 2008 Rose Bowl.

"Theoretically, Penn State is an atypical Big Ten team. It has speed and can match up with mercurial Pacific-10 teams. Evidence is its September crushing, 45-14, of Oregon State, the only team to conquer USC."

He wrote that while he can't root for Penn State, he really wishes the Lions put up a good fight. I hope it's much more than just a good fight.

• I thought this was a good read, as Scott Reid of the Orange County Register gives his readers a little Penn State background. Remember, this is a slow news cycle for the non-diehards out there. Reid writes about what it was like for Penn State recruits five years ago, during the "dark times."

"On A.Q. Shipley's recruiting trip to the University of Virginia in the fall of 2003, Cavaliers coaches hit the kid from Western Pennsylvania with an all-too-familiar sales pitch for leaving the state: Joe Paterno was done ... as out of style as his high water khakis … ancient history... Yet here are the Nittany Lions (11-1) back in another big New Year's Day game, ranked No. 6 and Big Ten champions taking on No. 5 USC (11-1) in the Rose Bowl, a last-second Iowa field goal away from playing for Paterno's third national title."

Yup, three national titles. That's one and a half more than Pete Carroll. Oh yeah, and Paterno's had four more perfect records, too.

• What's the one thing every Penn State fans is hoping for right now? Why, to know that USC is overlooking Penn State. Not likely, says Adam Maya of the OCR's USC blog.

"USC’s 35-3 victory against Ohio State this season gave him a 5-0 record against the conference. Carroll, however, shrugged off the notion there is a stylistic difference in play between the conferences working to his team’s advantage. “That’s Woody and Bo,” said Carroll, referencing former longtime Ohio State coach Woody Hayes and Michigan coach Bo Schembechler. “That’s’ the old days. It’s not like that anymore.”

Why would it even be an advantage to USC in the first place? Actually, if you look at it, USC is playing they exact style of "Big Ten" football that the national media now loathes: strong defense, and a good enough offense.

• The Pennsylvania media has left much to be desired lately. But then again, everyone is just reaching for stories to kill time. How many features on these teams can we take? Jeff McLane at the Philadelphia Inquirer offers another look at the differences (as if we all didn't know this by just watching one episode of Entourage) between LA and the Northeast.

"Many of the Trojans downplay their status. But there aren't many programs that can call Will Ferrell a team mascot. The funnyman has teamed with Carroll for a few pranks. Carroll, of course, is a star in his own right. With his movie star looks, he could have had Tom Cruise's career - or Jimmie Johnson's... Penn State has a star of its own in Joe Paterno. The difference is that Paterno never had a nose for the West Coast. The Nittany Lions have been portrayed as country bumpkins by some of the L.A. media. That's probably not fair, although Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor once called State College "too country."

He just had to bring up Terrelle Pryor. Is the "Greatest Recruit in the History of Football" even relevant until next September? Oh, and what the hell was with this line: "Carroll, of course, is a star in his own right. With his movie star looks, he could have had Tom Cruise's career - or Jimmie Johnson's." Movie star looks? Ooookay, Jeff.

• On the Buckeye front, I thought this message board post was interesting enough, since Ohio State was crushed by USC in September. The author writes about how Ohio State could end up ranked ahead of USC in the final polls.

"#6 Penn State vs. #5 USC (Rose Bowl). We need USC to beat Penn State. It would be much easier to justify us jumping Penn State than us jumping USC (can you imagine the media [censored]storm if we beat Texas, Penn State beats USC, and we end up ahead of USC despite our identical records and USC's 35-3 win over us?). It would be easy to negate Penn State's close win over us in The Shoe by pointing that they won the game mainly due to a mistake made by a true-freshman QB late in the game. Conversely, all the "We didn't have Beanie" and "we used two QBs" arguments for the USC debacle won't cut it for justifying us being ahead of USC should Penn State pull the upset. But, if our defense can shut down Penn State, I think USC's can, too."

Yet again, I'll remind everyone of why it's inexcusable to give USC more credit for its Ohio State win, than the credit Penn State gets for its Ohio State win. Boy, don't you Buckeyes feel special right now?

• Jumping into the World Wide Leader for a moment, Ivan Maisel had what ESPN considered back-page kind of story (they'll do anything to bury a story that tries to prove the Big Ten woes are completely fabricated) that's definitely worth the read. It's too bad his bosses don't believe in fair and balanced journalism anymore. Well, the lead said it all.

"If Penn State played in any other league, the question would never be asked."

Maisel could have just written that one sentence, and the argument is over. Too bad no one else understands that.

• Just because I couldn't let this one slide, I'm throwing in a blog post from neo-con Bob McCarty.

"Due to the fact that there are seven — count ‘em, seven — Big 12 Conference teams involved in college football bowl games between Dec. 29 and Jan. 8, I decided to include all of their games as well as all of the BCS bowl games in my predictions this year."

Ok, now bear with me on this one. Here are his predicted scoring totals for all the Big XII teams in the bowls: 37, 29, 41, 17, 60, 56, 42. That's an average of 40 points per game for the defense-optional conference. Even if we take out the high/low (Nebraska's 17 and Texas Tech's 60(!) against Ole Miss) it actually goes up to 41 points per game! He also thinks USC will beat Penn State.... wait for it... 39-6. Maybe he should just stick to saving America. Although, if he's as good at conservative blogging as he is writing about college football, maybe he should stop that, too.

Quick Outs:
• USC tailback Stafon Johnson returned to practice after sitting out the last workout before the break because of a kneecap injury. Johnson had no problems running straight ahead and said that by the end of the practice week... receiver Damian Williams, who suffered a shoulder injury against UCLA on Dec. 6, practiced but doctors have not cleared him for contact. Williams, the Trojans' leading receiver, does not expect to be cleared until game time... safety Kevin Ellison did not practice because of a knee injury he aggravated against UCLA. Carroll said the Trojans would prepare with Will Harris as the starter... Fullback Stanley Havili* did not attend practice because of a flight delay, Carroll said. He's been suffering from an ankle injury, and is uncertain for the Rose Bowl.

*Just a note on Havili. During Saturday night's post-game (following the Emerald Bowl), Mary May opened his yap. I really was hoping he would say something intelligent about the Rose Bowl... nope. After Lou Holtz went on his customary pro-Penn State/JoePa rant, May countered with the "playmakers" USC will throw at the Lions. One of those guys who will lead USC to victory, according to May... Stanley Havili. That's right, he's going to magically heal his ankle, gain full strength and tear up Penn State's defense.

I guess those injury reports are tough to read.

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Rose Bowl/USC update, Dec. 26

Ok, so I changed the name from "USC update" to "Rose Bowl update." I figured, since some of the things I'll put up aren't all about USC, "Rose Bowl" was more appropriate. On with today's dirt.

Just a quick rundown of issues we're looking at right now, regarding the Rose Bowl and USC Trojans:

• So, apparently, the 2008 Penn State Rose Bowl team is no different (or better?) than the 2007 Illinois Rose Bowl team. At least, according to Butkus Award winner Rey Maualuga.

"USC middle linebacker Rey Maualuga said Clark's mobility won't bother the Trojans, who are giving up only 7.8 points and 206 yards a game.

USC played in the Pac 10, away at Virginia and home against Ohio State. None of those teams had a quarterback (or team) like Penn State. Sure, you could compare Terrelle Pryor to Clark... in about two more years. But USC has not faced anything like the kind of complete-team performer that is Penn State this season. I know the article was about containing a running quarterback, but the story made it sound like that is all USC has to worry about. When, actually, Clark's running ability was far from a key component to the Penn State offense, as opposed to Michael Robinson in 2005.

"If we've got everything locked down in practice and everyone does their assignments, we should have no problem with the running quarterback," said Maualuga, who has a team-best 73 tackles. Maualuga said that based on what he had seen of Clark on film, he rated him ahead of Illinois quarterback Juice Williams. In the 2008 Rose Bowl, the Trojans controlled Williams and won, 49-17."

Boy, Rey should have been named Academic All-American for that one. He rates 2008 Clark ahead of 2007 Williams. Never would have figured that one out. It is just ridiculous to compare last season's Illinois team to this year's Penn State team. It's not just the records (Illinois went 9-3), but no one in the world expected the Illini to beat USC in the 2008 Rose Bowl. And as good as Williams might have been during the 2007 regular season, he still had enormous flaws that we all knew about. Clark, meanwhile, has been given a very bad wrap this year for one throw–the interception at Iowa. No, he hasn't led this team to a fourth-quarter comeback, but he only had one chance to do that. That's how good this Penn State team can be. Rey needs to realize that before the game starts.

• You all know my love affair for CFN, and Pete Fiutak isn't helping me get over it. In his "Fiu's DAILY Cavalcade of Whimsy," he touches on the Paterno situation.

"Let's get a couple of things straight. First of all, Penn State is 11-1, won the Big Ten title, and is playing USC in the Rose Bowl. Penn State is 11-1, won the Big Ten title, and is playing USC in the Rose Bowl. Any one of those three things would make for a successful season by anyone's standards, and the Nittany Lions came within a last second Iowa field goal from playing for the national title. This year, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech would be the only teams that wouldn't trade résumés with Penn State, but Paterno should be gone just because he's old?!"

I know, he's not a Penn State homer by any means. That's why I like CFN. They are fair and balanced, will call out your team when they suck, and praise them when they're good. I'm not sure though, that I've been hearing so much negativity against the Paterno contract extension. I know it's out there, but there's just as much support for the move as there is against it. Fiu said...

"I got into a few arguments last week with people saying it's sort of sad that Paterno is sticking around, especially considering his current health status with a hip replacement. Who cares? If he wants to coach from the press box, or at least lord over his assistants, then let him. If he's in a vegetative state 15 years from no and all he can do is blink in the signals, you let him still coach his program."

...and imagine if Penn State beats USC?

• Quick outs: USC tailback Stafon Johnson did not practice Monday because of a kneecap injury, but the junior said he would play in the Rose Bowl against Penn State on Jan 1... Receiver Damian Williams (shoulder) was held out of practice to prevent him from negating progress made this week, Carroll said... Fullback Stanley Havili (ankle) remained sidelined. His status for the Rose Bowl is uncertain.

More USC/Rose Bowl updates:
Dec. 22

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USC update, Dec. 22

Just a quick rundown of issues we're looking at right now, regarding the USC Trojans:

• I just read that USC's versatile fullback, Stanley Havili could be a breakout star in the Rose Bowl.

"A tremendous lead blocker for those runners, he’s also a valuable outlet in the passing game, catching 62 passes for 596 yards and eight touchdowns in his first two seasons. At just about any other school, Havili would warrant a dozen or so carries a game."

Yet, none of that will matter, if this isn't fixed...

Fullback Stanley Havili remains bothered by a sprained ankle.

"He's not moving very well," Carroll said. "Other than that, we're in good shape."

Pete Carroll is an optimist by nature. He's upbeat, fun and generally likable (although many of us hate him for just that reason). So of course he's going to paint a rosy (no pun intended) picture of his team before the bowl game. Remember, this is still an NFL-loaded team.

• Remember back in 2006 when Penn State was going all out to land Vidal Hazelton, only to lose the top receiver to USC? Well, after a great 2007 season (led USC w/50 receptions), things haven't worked out this year for VH. He suffered a high ankle sprain in the opener against Virginia, and wasn't able to overtake the other receivers. But that wasn't the end of his troubles...

"When former USC wide receiver Vidal Hazelton asked for his official release, it occurred just a couple days after a pair of assistant coaches engaged in an argument about Hazelton during halftime of the Notre Dame game.

Hazelton officially transferred two days after the game. He could not be reached for comment."

• In that same article, Carroll also made an interesting observation about Penn State's "Spread HD" offense.

"It's a facet of the offense," Carroll said. "(But) they're very traditional. They do some shotgun but can't run the spread like teams committed to it. They are more of a traditional I-formation team. They move (wide receiver) Derrick Williams all over the field."

Ok, so maybe not everyone in Southern California is dumb. Let's hope that's about as much as Carroll knows about Penn State's offense (...unlikely).

I'll have more updates like this periodically over the next 10 days.

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Rundown

Ok, so I haven't been around as much. What are you going to do, shoot me? I'll make sure we're all caught up this week, though. Here's what I'm thinking will come the next few days...

• Short Heisman commentary.

• Bowl previews, part 1: EagleBank Bowl - Holiday Bowl.

• Bowl previews, part 2: Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl - BCS National Championship Game.

• NO Rose Bowl preview this week. I'll do it closer to the game.

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Poll Results: USC should just 'keep talkin'

Yeah, as I expected, Zombie Nation readers would just love it if USC kept whining about playing Penn State in the Rose Bowl. USC has displayed incredible arrogance, and we Penn State fans would like nothing more than to have another team underestimate Penn State.

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Roses for the Lions! Penn State wins, 49-18!

No. 8 Penn State (11-1) won the Big Ten Championship, with a 49-18 demolition of No. 15 Michigan State (9-3) tonight in Happy Valley. Here's some initial thoughts. I'll do "The Bad" first tonight. You'll see why. The Bad: Daryll Clark didn't complete ALL of his passes. The defense didn't shut out Michigan State. Penn State didn't score 100 points. But seriously, I was a bit concerned that Penn State didn't have too much success running the ball. Although, when you can rip apart the secondary like Clark and the receivers did, you don't have to run the ball too effectively. Evan Royster had a few good jaunts in there, which is expected, but I'm still wondering why the staff runs Stephfon Green up the middle. He's not that kind of back. The run blocking could have been a bit better. I also thought the defense gave up a few too many easy throws for 10-12 yards. But when you have a multi-touchdown lead, you can give up a few first downs.

The Good: Practically everything I didn't mention above. Clark was hotter than lightening, as were the Penn State wide receivers. Above all, I really thought Deon Butler, Derrick Williams and Jordan Norwood had the best performance, as a group, of their careers at Penn State. Clark looked confident, and relaxed. The run game did just enough to keep MSU honest, and it worked to perfection. Once MSU was on its heels, 21-0, we all had a feeling this game was over. But the offensive explosion was all set up by the fantastic defensive performance from the opening series. I hope not, but I wouldn't be surprised if Jared Odrick and Aaron Maybin entertain NFL scouts. I know they can't do too much, but they'll have people look into entering early. You saw a PSU defense that didn't miss a tackle, shed blocks, and made big plays when it mattered most. The two best defensive backs, Anthony Scirrotto and Lydell Sargeant, had interceptions, and even much-maligned Maurice Evans got back into his game. As far as coaching is concerned, I couldn't have been more impressed with the game plan coming into tonight. On top of that, Joe Paterno didn't call off the wolves too early, allowing his staff to add style points to the board. Penn State committed to passing the ball, but looked much more prepared to execute the plan than it did going against Iowa.

Overall: I can't remember a more dominant performance over a good, ranked football team. And this isn't one of those early-season blowouts, where the opponent turned out to be a fraud. MSU is still 9-3, and on its way to a New Years Day bowl game. The Nittany Lions took the Spartans to the woodshed tonight, just when the nation, and voters, were looking for Penn State to impress. The last time Penn State beat Michigan State by this kind of margin was my freshman season, 2002, as Larry Johnson romped for 279 yards in the first half, crossing the 2000 mark. But that MSU team was bad, at 4-8. And that PSU team wasn't nearly this good from top to bottom. It was a very poor move by Mark D'Antonio and MSU to call timeouts, with the obvious intention to aggravate the PSU fan base. I like D'Antonio, but his image was just a bit tarnished after that move. Unless Texas Tech or Oklahoma blows the other one away by more than two touchdowns, Penn State's win over Michigan State will be the most impressive anywhere this weekend. Let's hope the voters see it that way, too. Now it's time to sit back, and hopefully watch the rest of the top-10 teams knock each other off. Good win, Nittany Lions, and congratulations JoePa.

*And be sure to check out my open thread I kept during the game.

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