Just a quick FYI sort of thing. But CollegeFootballNews.com and SportingNews.com released their final top-25's. I've updated the last Penn State in the Polls to include those rankings.
I was very disappointed in CFN, as they dropped PSU all the way to No. 10, but that shouldn't be surprising, as they had PSU at only No. 8 going into the Rose Bowl.
SN had a little more faith in PSU, dropping the Lions only one spot to No. 8.
Here you go, the latest (most legit) college football rankings.
BCS Poll - Last week: PSU No. 8 (NC)
USA Today/Coaches Poll - PSU No. 6 (NC)
Associated Press (via ESPN) - PSU No. 6 (NC)
The Sporting News - PSU No. 6 (NC)
CBS Sportsline - PSU No. 7 (NC)
College Football Poll - PSU No. 7 (+1)
Jeff Sagarin's Rankings - PSU No. 6 (+1)/No. 10 (NC)-"ELO Chess," used in BCS formula
College Football News - Monday
*Ed.-Oh yeah, and vote in the new poll down below!
Here you go, the latest (most legit) college football rankings.
**UPDATED 12/1/08**
BCS Poll - PSU No. 8 (NC)
USA Today/Coaches Poll - PSU No. 6 (NC)
Associated Press (via ESPN) - PSU No. 6 (NC)
The Sporting News - PSU No. 6 (NC)
CBS Sportsline - PSU No. 7 (NC)
College Football Poll - PSU No. 8 (NC)
Jeff Sagarin's Rankings - PSU No. 7 (NC)/No. 10 (-2)-"ELO Chess," used in BCS formula
College Football News - 7. Penn State (11-1) Last Week: 9
*Ed.-Oh yeah, and vote in the new poll down below!
Didn't Play Last Week
next game: BOWL GAME
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … if it had just come up with one late defensive stop against Iowa, and had Daryll Clark not thrown the ill-fate interception, then Penn State would be making plans for Miami and the national title instead of Pasadena.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it can't be. This defense is the real deal, and with six weeks to rest up an rejuvenate, it'll be interesting to see how it comes out against USC. That might be the best bowl game of the season.
Most rankings are out. Penn State's regular season is finished, following the destruction of Michigan State. Now, all the Nittany Lions can do, is sit back and watch every other team hopefully lose. Check back throughout the day for the latest poll releases!
BCS Poll - PSU No. 8 (NC)
USA Today/Coaches Poll - PSU No. 6 (+2)
Associated Press (via ESPN) - PSU No. 6 (+1)
The Sporting News - PSU No. 6 (+1)
CBS Sportsline - PSU No. 7 (NC)
College Football Poll - Coming (LW: 9)
Jeff Sagarin's Rankings - PSU No. 7 (NC)/No. 8 (+2)-"ELO Chess," used in BCS formula
College Football News - 9. Penn State (11-1) Last Week: 8
W, Michigan State 49-18
next game: BOWL GAME
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because...Penn State showed off the defense, the offensive athleticism, and the toughness that should make it a nasty bowl team. Penn State blew away Oregon State and beat Ohio State in Columbus, while USC lost to Oregon State and beat Ohio State at home. Why do the Trojans deserve to be higher?
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because... while the loss to Iowa might not be all that bad, the struggles early against Indiana and Michigan are concerning. The question still hasn't been answered, can Daryll Clark throw a key pass and come through late in a tight game? Could this offense really work against USC? We might not find out, and instead, we'll get a rematch against Oregon State.
*Ed.-Oh yeah, and vote in the new poll down below!
Everyone's rankings are out. Penn State fell to No. 7/8/8, and deservedly so. There's still a lot to play for, though.
BCS Poll - PSU No. 8 (-5)
USA Today/Coaches Poll - PSU No. 8 (-6)
Associated Press (via ESPN) - PSU No. 7 (-4)
The Sporting News - PSU No. 7 (-5)
CBS Sportsline - PSU No. 7 (-4)
College Football Poll - PSU No. 8 (-7)
Jeff Sagarin's Rankings - PSU No. 7 (-6)/No. 11 (-7)-"ELO Chess," used in BCS formula
College Football News -
8. Penn State (9-1) Last Week: 4
L, at Iowa 24-23
next game: Indiana
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … it can't be. At this point in the year, any team worth of the top five doesn't lose at Iowa with everything on the line. Even in the tough loss, the positives still hold true. The defense is still strong, the offensive line is among the best in America, and the receiving corps is experienced and talented. However ...
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the one big question mark has been QB Daryll Clark in the fourth quarter. He didn't win the Ohio State game; Pat Devlin did. When the team needed a smooth and steady leader in the fourth quarter, Clark threw the interception that changed the season. The Nittany Lions need to look impressive again and they need to obliterate a bad Indiana team.
Everyone's rankings are out. Texas Tech is siphoning way some of the votes from Penn State. A big win at Iowa, and a loss by Texas Tech, would go a long way in resolving that matter.
BCS Poll - PSU No. 3 (NC)
USA Today/Coaches Poll - PSU No. 2 [No. 1 votes: 14/61(+11)] (+1)
Associated Press (via ESPN) - PSU No. 3 [No. 1 votes: 6/65(+6)] (NC)
The Sporting News - PSU No. 2 (+1)
CBS Sportsline - PSU No. 3 (NC)
College Football Poll - PSU No. 1 (NC)
Jeff Sagarin's Rankings - PSU No. 1 (+1)/No. 4 (-1)-"ELO Chess," used in BCS formula
College Football News -
4. Penn State (9-0) (Last Week: 5)More below the fold...
Didn't Play This Week
next game: at Iowa
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the defense, in a one game shot, is good enough to beat anyone in the country. If the Texas offensive line could blast away late on Texas Tech, and the Alabama offensive line had problems with a few defensive fronts like Mississippi's and Kentucky's, then Penn State's lines could certainly show up and produce.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... could the offense keep up with any of the top Big 12 attacks, and could it do much against the Alabama and Florida defenses? The Ohio State game didn't exactly inspire confidence, even in the win.
Everyone's rankings are out. Here's how PSU fared after dismantling Temple:
The Sporting News - PSU No. 10 (+4)
CBS Sportsline - PSU No. 16 (+2)
Associated Press (via ESPN) - PSU No. 12 (+4)
USA Today/Coaches Poll - PSU No. 12 (+3)
College Football Poll - PSU No. 7 (+1)
Heisman Pundit - PSU No. 7... "Penn State will win the Big Ten."
College Football News - 9. Penn State (3-0)
W, Syracuse 55-13
next game: Temple
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Nittany Lions have been as dominant over three games as any team in America. Yeah, the schedule might not seem that great, but Oregon State and Syracuse are BCS conference teams that were obliterated.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because .. eventually, the problems at defensive tackle will be exposed. You can't keep losing that much frontline talent and survive.
Everyone's rankings are out, and Penn State continues its slow climb towards the top 10. Here's how PSU fared this week:
The Sporting News - PSU No. 14 (+2)
CBS Sportsline - PSU No. 18 (+3)
Associated Press (via ESPN) - PSU No. 16 (+1)
USA Today/Coaches Poll - PSU No. 15 (+2)
College Football News - "9. Penn State (3-0)
And just a quick entry from TNL:
W, Syracuse 55-13
next game: Temple
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Nittany Lions have been as dominant over three games as any team in America. Yeah, the schedule might not seem that great, but Oregon State and Syracuse are BCS conference teams that were obliterated.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because .. eventually, the problems at defensive tackle will be exposed. You can't keep losing that much frontline talent and survive."
The Nittany Line's Game Review "While Clark struggled a bit, Penn State inserted Devlin in the second quarter and he took up the slack completing his first six passes and the first touchdowns of his career (2 total). At this point in the season I'm pretty comfortable with either quarterback in this system and if one is having an off day I feel confident the other can step in and get things going."
Some, rather unexpected sportswriters are buying into Penn State this season. Others aren't so keen on the idea that the Big Ten isn't quite the Sun Belt. The rankings are out--the AP, Coaches, Computers--and some of the voters made known their feelings towards Penn State.
College Football Poll--which named Penn State national champs in 1994--puts PSU No. 12 this week, up from No. 14 last week, and No. 19 preseason.
Meanwhile, College Football News has PSU No. 13:
The run defense stuffed Oregon State, while the offense was flawless. The Beavers might be reeling, but it was still as tight a game as the Nittany Lions could ask for.
"The Nittany Lions' 45-14 rout of Oregon State was eye-opening to say the least. I would not have guessed that their "Spread HD" would click so thoroughly, so quickly."Of course he wouldn't have guessed. Then again, none of us guessed either.
"It will be little tricks like that -- as well as a solid offensive line -- that could just make running back Evan Royster a serious Heisman-Trophy candidate. While the Beavers were trying to figure out what was coming next, the smooth-running Royster ran right over them, picking up 141 yards on 17 carries and scoring three touchdowns. That gives him six scores in the season's first two games. Were you watching, Heisman Pundit?"Even The Sporting News likes what Penn State is doing right now. Dave Curtis thinks PSU could come out as a top-tier squad this season
"Some talking head suggested Saturday that the recent problems at Penn State (2-0 after beating beating Oregon State 45-14) should be blamed on the players. Huh? Dude, this is why these coaches are paid millions of dollars, to make sure the players don't rob banks (Ed. See: Yellow Journalism) or blow hippie lettuce. It's ultimately up to the coach to recruit kids of character.I'm not going to go on a big rant about this. After all, he's just one "talking head" in a crowd, and as I said above, there's so much Yellow Journalism in there, it's ridiculous. But I will offer this one big of advice: Don't worry, Dennis, as long as you keep it up, it will continue to be the "national scandal" you're hoping for.
Boys will be boys, sure, but what's happening at Penn State would be a national scandal if it was anyone else http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifbut Joe Paterno as coach. It's funny that other programs have leadership from its veteran players. Paterno had to suspend three of his senior guys last week a couple of weeks after ESPN portrayed the dearth of the off-field problems. Is it possible that in his zeal to win, JoePa took some chances on kids of questionable character?"
I got nothin', people. Seriously, other than the BTN/Comcast deal, there's zero news right now. I'm going to try to get some of my thoughts on the cable thing up later, but for now I guess I'll do the most common sports blog filler--a bunch of links to other sites. We've got everything from professional writers who think they know how to blog, to the usual SEC bias from CBS. So check it all out here.-There's an interesting fluff piece on TSN by the AP on Penn State's captains. It's not all that bad, considering it does address how these guys have been at Penn State for what seems like forever. The story could have been much better, and could have gone much deeper.
-Staying with TSN, Matt Hayes and Spencer Hall took an interesting approach to the top 25 a while back (I know, I'm a little behind on this), by making fun of each other's rankings. It's different, so I liked it.
-The Allentown Morning Call has a blog called the Nittany Lines. Ok, I don't like the mainstream media guys like respect Bill Kline, but this is nothing more than a regurgitation of the news wires. Get creative, man. You get paid to do this.
-Heading over to SEC.com CBC Sportsline, Dennis Dodd tries to make the case that Georgia's defensive line coach Rodney Garner is the best guru of the position. The funny part of that is Dodd uses the Sugar Bowl as an example of how good he is--yes, against Hawaii. Of all the teams Georgia faces in the SEC East, Dodd focused his argument on how Garner was able to send his boys against the WAC champion. Also biased-ly frustrating was how Larry Johnson, Sr. came in close to the bottom of that ranking. Sure, he mentioned Kennedy, Brown, Haynes and Hali. However, if he actually did some research on Penn State's D-line over the last few years, he'd realize that LJ, Sr. has popped out pretty decent linemen like Ed Johnson and Jay Alford. You know, the guy who basically ended the Patriots' comeback hopes in the Super Bowl by blowing up Tom Brady for a 12-yard sack. Just a thought.
-Moving into general college football mode, SMU is still trying to rebound from the Death Penalty. While I hate Texas, and the South in general, I'd like to see this once-prestigious team come back. Penn State should get them on the schedule so that Craig James has a meltdown when the Lions crush them. 1982 National Championship, my ass.
-Finally, I go back to Maize n Brew, where Dave passed his readers' time by posting a clip from the Wolverines' demolition of Penn State in 2000. I think it's kind of funny how Penn State fans are very upset that we can't beat Michigan the last few years. When Penn State was supposedly "Penn State" we got stomped on by Michigan, yet that last few meetings when PSU wasn't as good, the score has been deadly close.
Ok, I'll be back later today with some thoughts on the BTN/Comcast situation. Maybe I'll throw in some useless stats from Penn State's past that are completely unrelated to anything, but good for some football brain food.
I generally try to feature an article each day from another Big Ten blog. Usually they're from Penn State blogs, sometimes from other sites. Please check out the author's Web site. I always supply the link in the introduction.
Today: RUTS analyses The Sporting News' pre-season top 25.
Never Too Early For Preseason Polls, Right?More below the fold...
Although the validity of these things is somewhere between 2010 mock fantasy football drafts and the Magic 8-Ball, Matt Hayes took the time to compile an early(!) 2008 college football preseason poll.
(Is it a poll if only one guy writes it? No? Okay, be put together a top 25.)
Anyway, Hayes slots Penn State at #11, along with this delicious one-liner: “11. Penn State: Eighteen starters return and QB Anthony Morelli doesn’t. A nice combination.”
You’ll see a lot of this over the next six months. A writer will be forced by his editor to make a preseason top 25, he’ll look at Penn State’s returning starters, and say, “Well, crap! They must be good this season!” Since I can’t allow any optimism around here, let me remind everyone of Penn State’s rather beefy road schedule:
September 27 Illinois
October 4 at Purdue
October 11 at Wisconsin
October 18 Michigan
October 25 at Ohio State
November 8 at Iowa
If Penn State is remotely within striking range of the top ten by the end of the season, it will have been a tremendously successful season.
The other Big Ten teams in Hayes’ top 25, you ask?
7. Ohio State: If the Buckeyes go to USC in Week 3 and win on the road, they’re not that far away from winning the Big Ten and getting to the national title game again.
14. Wisconsin: QB Allen Evridge steps in, Wisky rolls to another 9- or 10-win season.
19. Illinois: The loss of TB Rashard Mendenhall will be big, but coach Ron Zook’s top recruiting classes are quickly developing.
24. Michigan State: Sparty coach Mark Dantonio is changing the culture; tough defense and gritty TB Javon Ringer good for eight wins.
As you can see, we’re also setting up for another edition of “If we can’t beat Michigan this year, it’s never gonna happen”. Which is fun.
© Templates by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008 / Edited for Zombie Nation
Back to TOP
