Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable :: Reflections on week one; Heisman talk

The Big Ten schedule enters it second week, and the conference title race hasn't gotten any clearer. Where do we go from here? Who's the real Heisman contender in the Big Ten? Well, Our Honor Defend pops off a few of those questions in this week's edition of the Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable.

01. We're all basically in conference play now, sans Purdue who played
visitor to Notre Dame over the weekend. What did you see in the
conference opener that you liked? What did you see that sucked
noodles? If you're one of the Purdue blogs, what did you see against
Notre Dame that has you nervous (or even optimistic) for your
conference opener against Penn State this Saturday? Oh, and, have fun
with that game, by the way.

ZN: I loved that Penn State was able to come back from two different seven-point deficits in the first quarter. PSU's ability to make a big play, and answer every score with a touchdown, will go far when it's time to face Wisky and OSU. I was a bit disturbed by the 120+ yards PSU gave up to ILL in the first quarter. But as we all know by now, PSU is the best team in the conference for a reason, and showed it by clamping down on ILL the remaining 3 quarters.

02. Ole Miss punked #4 Florida in Gainesville. #1 USC got punked by
Oregon State on national television? What's the underlying theme
behind these bizarre upsets? You guessed it: magic. Some kind of
hocus-y pocus-y sorcery in the form of "familiarity". The idea being
pitched around is that these upsets come in conference games because
the underdog has played the heavily favored team before, and thus
isn't afraid of them nor surprised by anything they do. Should I buy
this idea? Or are these upsets more likely the combination of
something more conventional, like great/horrendous gameplanning,
preparation and execution by the underdog/favorite team respectively?

ZN: The upset fairies came down from college football heaven to rain their pixie dust upon USC, Florida and others. Beware, however, as those deceivingly cute angels of football death will return. Watch out, they're coming for your team next!

03. Entering the season, Beanie was the Big Ten's Heisman favorite.
After a few games, Javon Ringer had put up the Heisman stats, though I
don't think anyone could've believed that Ringer would have the hype
machine necessary to get him to New York. Yet, after this week, I see
his name mentioned more and more in the Heisman race. Do you think
Ringer, at this pace, gets to New York on something more than a
courtesy visit (on courtesy visit, see: everyone last year not named
Tim Tebow; everyone in 2006 not named Troy Smith)? How about Daryll
Clark? Is Daryll Clark of Penn State legitimately in the Heisman race
after week 5?

ZN: Javon Ringer is a great workhorse, but won't win the Heisman. He'll be lucky to get an invite to NYC, but only if they invite the top-5 contenders. Daryll Clark has a much better opportunity to win the award. He's a quarterback (7 of the last 8 winners were QBs), and plays on a potential BCS team. If PSU is undefeated at regular season's end, and he has even similar numbers to what he's at now, he's in NYC.

04. With the nonconference schedule basically over, do you think the
Big Ten collectively bettered its standing from the maligned position
it was in before the season began? For every Wisconsin victory over
Fresno State and Penn State thrashing of Oregon State, there's
Michigan's turnover bonanza against the Irish and Ohio State's
neutering by USC. Long question short, what sticks out more: the
positives or the negatives for the conference?

ZN: Positives. More people are talking about Ohio State coming back under Terrelle Pryor, Penn State and Northwestern at 5-0, and Michigan State's darkhorse Heisman contender. And if Michigan wins 8 games, only losing to bowl-bound ND and Utah teams, the loss to Wisconsin won't look nearly as bad.

05. As I'm sure you may have seen on your moving pictures box, the
Ernie Davis movie has been getting a lot of publicity for its imminent
release to theatres. The story, of course, centers around the first
African-American Heisman winner and some of the trials that come from
being a black athlete, playing before the Civil Rights movement and
playing in the Cotton Bowl. Does your football program have an
uplifting story that you think is movie-worthy? If so, please share
it.

ZN: Already done. Something For Joey, the story of John Cappelletti and his dying brother Joey.

(*Ed-I didn't correct any spelling by TOGTM. I think he does it purposely. Umm, yeah...)

Coming tomorrow: Guest blogger Boiled Sports; JoePa's presser rundown.

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Big Ten Pick'em 2008: Week 6

The second week of the Big Ten schedule features a ton of toss up games. Zombie Nation picks all the games.

(FYI: Each team name links to its respective official football site. I also used the USA Today Coaches Poll for the team rankings. Any time you see a ranking before a team name at ZN, it's the Coaches Poll rank.)

Iowa at Mich St - The ZN pick: Iowa

No. 18 Wisconsin at No. 14 Ohio St. - The ZN pick: Ohio St.

Indiana at Minnesota - The ZN pick: Minnesota

No. 6 Penn St at Purdue - The ZN pick: Penn St.

Illinois at Michigan - The ZN pick: Illinois

Northwestern - BYE

You can find the fancy version of these standings at The Daily Gopher. Is it weird that Gopher Nation is No. 1? We think so.

1 Gopher Nation 50
2 Off the Tracks ™ 47
2 The Only Game That Matters 47
4 Hoosier Report 46
5 Black Shoes Diary 45
5 Lake the Posts 45
5 Paint the Town Orange 45
5 Zombie Nation 45
9 Enlightened Spartan 44
9 Maize'n Brew 44
9 Michigan SportsCenter 44
12 BHGP (HS) 43
12 Ground Zero East Lansing 43
12 Happy Hour Valley 43
15 Hawkeye Sports News 42
15 Eleven Warriors 42
15 Buckeye Battle Cry 42
18 Boiled Sports 40
18 The Buckeye Blog 40
18 Varsity Blue 40
21 The Nittany Line 36
22 Sparty MSU 34
23 Maize & Blue Nation 33
24 Nittany White Out 26

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The media's love affair with Penn State

Following a slew of upsets, and the consequential rise of Penn State in the national polls, a love affair has begun yet again between the main stream media and the Nittany Lions. Every few seasons, Penn State puts together a dynamite team, makes a run at the national title, and sports writers across America take back all those nasty things said in the off season. You know, like "Joe Paterno's lost his touch," and "Penn State will remain mired in mediocrity." But with the emergence of Penn State's explosive offense, and traditionally stout defense, Paterno & Co. have become, once again, poster children for college football.

ESPN columnist Ivan Maisel points out this week:

"Penn State, like Williams, is performing in a way that is attracting national attention. During a weekend when six ranked teams lost, the Nittany Lions overcame two early Illinois leads and won their league opener. That might not sound like much, but Penn State had lost eight of its previous nine Big Ten openers... Penn State looks real. Williams looks like a star..."

And a traditional skeptic towards Penn State, Stewart Mandel had nothing but praise for the Lions.

"...at least one of this conference's teams will be playing in Pasadena, if not Miami -- and the Nittany Lions look more and more like they could be that team. I had been leaning toward Wisconsin, but the Badgers' offense leaves a lot to be desired. While Michigan's fourth-quarter surge ultimately did in Bucky, the seeds were sown when it failed to convert any of the Wolverines' five first-half turnovers into a touchdown.

In its first game against a ranked opponent (Illinois), Penn State showed exactly what the skeptics were waiting to see: An explosive spread offense with a plethora of weapons and a defense that wasn't exactly immune to big plays but produced enough turnovers (three) and key stops that the Illini couldn't close the gap. The Nittany Lions are the league's most complete team right now."

But that's not all, folks. After giving into the Penn State gush-fest, Mandel later went off about Beaver Stadium and Penn State's "White Outs."

"If I was a Circuit City employee trying to woo a customer into buying a $2,000 HD plasma TV, the first thing I would show him is Saturday night's broadcast of the Penn State-Illinois game. Even seeing it for a third time, it was impossible not to be awed by the visual grandeur of Penn State's "White Out," which manages to turn a 110,000-seat stadium one enormous flashbulb. It's powerful, it's organized (right down to the block "S" in one corner) and, quite frankly, it's awesome... Two words of advice to all the other schools trying to mimic it: Just stop. Seriously."

Gene Mendez is SI.com's resident Heisman pundit (no relation), and for the first time in years, a Penn State player has cracked his top 10 list. The scary thing about it, though, is that Evan Royster isn't the guy. It's the Penn State quarterback! What?! Yup.

"8. Daryll Clark, Penn State, QB, Sr. (*Ed-This is misleading, as Clark was granted a fifth season of eligibility for 2009)
Last week: 14-of-20 passing, 181 yards, 2 TDs; 11 rushes, 50 yards, 1 TD in a 38-24 victory over No. 22 Illinois.
Season: 62-of-98 passing, 896 yards, 9 TDs, 1 INT; 23 rushes, 131 yards, 3 TDs.
Heisman-o-meter: Penn State running back Evan Royster has been on the verge of breaking into this list and could easily be here instead. Teammate Derrick Williams had a sensational all-around night Saturday. But Clark is the choice. While he ran more against the Illini than he ever has in college, Clark is a capable passing quarterback who just happens to have the ability to tuck the ball and take off. With him, the Nittany Lions have found balance on offense, averaging 267.6 yards on the ground and 247.6 through the air, while becoming the team to beat in the Big Ten.
Up next: Saturday at Purdue."

Not wanting to be left out, College Football News' editorial staff weighed in this week on where the top teams should be ranked. Not one disagreed that Penn State is a title contender.

Pete Fiutak:

"Penn State - Top five. I'm still not sold on Daryll Clark when the pressure is on in a really tight game (and I hate having to look up how to spell Daryll every time I refer to him). However, the offensive line is among the best in America, the receiving corps is playing like the veteran group that it is, and the running game is tremendous. It's unfortunate, but this team might get dragged down in the court of public opinion because of the bad PR problem for the Big Ten."

Rich Cirminiello:

"Penn State – No. 5. The only thing I’d alter here is to bump the Lions ahead of Texas, which will wind up getting exposed over the next month, and has yet to beat an opponent that’s remotely close to being ranked."

Matt Zemek:

"Penn State should be somewhere around seven or eight. Top 10-worthy for sure, but not yet able to graduate to the head of the class. Beat Wisky and Ohio State, and we can reserve a comfy spot in the top three for JoePa."

Those were all fair, balanced assesments of where Penn State is, and should be, right now. Penn State is not the best team, nor should it be ranked in the top three, but it has definately proven to be top-10 worthy. But one last CFN writer doesn't see things that way.

Steve Silverman:

"Penn State -- I would make Penn State No. 7 right now. In addition to how I spelled things out for Alabama, I think Texas and Texas Tech deserve to be ranked higher than the Nittany Lions. I know JoePa bashing has gone out of fashion, but I just think Mike Leach's Red Raiders would be more prepared for a head-to-head meeting than Penn State. Texas Tech would whip them big in Lubbock and would be competitive for 60 minutes in Happy Valley."

Looking at Silverman's view towards Penn State as the outlier, this is still a program that the media and fans want to win. College football just seems right when Penn State, Alabama and Notre Dame are in the title discussion. Why do you think 2005 was labeled as "The Greatest Season" by so many? Which teams did very well that year? You guessed it. There's no way to predict--rationally, at least--just how well all of these teams, including Penn State, will do this year. But for now, college football as a whole should just sit back and enjoy.

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Oh yeah, PSU still has to recruit

Via Blue White Illustrated:

"Linebacker U" has picked up a verbal commitment from one of the top players in the Northeast at the position, as Manahawkin (N.J.) Southern Regional inside linebacker Glenn Carson has decided to end his recruitment and pick Penn State, several local media outlets have reported."

This is outstanding for Penn State, to land a highly-recruited prospect just after a nationally-televised win over a ranked Illinois team.

"The 6-foot-2, 225-pound prospect made the call following an unofficial visit to Happy Valley this past weekend."

And just who do you think landed this fantastic linebacker? Why, who else?

"He was recruited by linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden, and attended camp at Penn State this past June."

Yeah, so South Jersey isn't really New Jersey. But I think I can get over it. Plus, he does wear No. 40, so that's a start right there.

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Derrick Williams earns Big Ten POW

Penn State logged another Big Ten Player of the Week, when Derrick Williams was selected for the conference honor. In case you missed it, he was a one-man wrecking crew against the Illini. From BigTen.org:

Derrick Williams, Penn State
SR, KR/WR, Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt
Williams became the first player in the Joe Paterno era to score a rushing, receiving and kickoff return touchdown in the same game to lead Penn State to a victory over nationally-ranked Illinois. The senior wideout caught a 21-yard scoring toss to tie the game at 14-14 and added a five-yard touchdown run to give PSU a 21-14 advantage. After the visitors cut the deficit to 24-17 at the end of the third quarter, Williams returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for another score to put the game away. He totaled 133 yards on his three kickoff returns and added 33 rushing yards and 75 receiving yards for a career-high 241 all-purpose yards, the most by a Nittany Lion since 2002. Williams now has two kickoff return touchdowns this season to equal a school record set by Chuck Peters in 1940 and equaled by Curt Warner in 1980. Williams picks up his first career weekly accolade and the first for a PSU special teams player since 2006.

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ZN's CFB Top 25 :: Week 6 2008

Well, I wanted to see which teams were legit title contenders, and I
got a bunch of answers. Because this was such a fantastic week of
college football, I decided to move up my top 25, and will keep it on
Mondays the remainder of this season. We all know which teams choked
Saturday. I'm a firm believer of ranking teams based on how they
played that week. I don't care if USC wins out, it will take mammoth
upsets the rest of the way (is that so far fetched?) for the Trojans
to reach the title game.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Oklahoma (2), [4-0, Won vs. TCU 35-10
2. Alabama (12), [5-0, Won at Georgia 41-30]
3. Missouri (4), [4-0, DNP]
4. Penn State (5), [5-0, Won vs. Illinois 38-24]
5. LSU (7), [4-0, Won vs. Miss St 34-24]
6. BYU (6), [4-0, DNP]
7. South Florida (9), [5-0, Won at NC St 41-10]
8. Texas (16), [5-0, Won vs. Arkansas 52-10]
9. Texas Tech (14), [4-0, DNP]
10. Ohio State (10), [4-1, Won vs. Minnesota 34-21]
11. Georgia (3), [4-1, Lost vs. Alabama 41-30]
12. USC (1), [2-1, Lost at Oregon St 27-21]
13. Utah (15), [5-0, Won vs. Weber St(AA) 37-21]
14. Kentucky (17), [4-0, Won vs. W. Kentucky 41-3]
15. Auburn (19), [4-1, Won vs. Tennessee 14-12]
16. Fresno State (22), [3-1, Won at UCLA 36-31]
17. Florida (8), [4-1, Lost vs. Ole Miss 31-30]
18. Wisconsin (11), [3-1, Lost at Michigan 27-25]
19. Boise State (21), [3-0, DNP]
20. Connecticut (NR), [5-0, Won at Louisville 26-21]
21. Vanderbilt (NR), [4-0, DNP]
22. Oregon (24), [4-1, Won vs. Washington St 63-14]
23. Wake Forest (13), [3-1, Lost vs. Navy 24-17]
24. Oklahoma State (NR), [4-0, Won vs. Troy 55-24]
25. Northwestern (NR), [5-0, Won vs. Ohio 16-8]

Dropped Out:
East Carolina (25), [3-2, Lost vs. Houston 41-24]
Colorado (23), [3-1, Lost to Florida St 39-21]
Texas Christian (20), [4-1, Lost at Oklahoma 35-10]
Clemson (18), [3-2, Lost vs. Maryland 20-17]

On the Cusp:
Michigan State (NR), [4-1, Won at Indiana 42-29]
Virginia Tech (NR), [4-1, Won at Nebraska 35-30]
Georgia Tech (NR), [3-1, DNP]
Kansas (NR), [3-1, DNP]
Maryland (NR), [4-1, Won at Clemson 20-17]
North Carolina (NR), [3-1, Won at Miami 28-24]
Notre Dame (NR), [3-1, Won vs. Purdue 38-21]
Oregon State (NR), [2-2, Won vs. USC 27-21]

Past Top 25 Rankings.

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Penn State in the Polls; Beginning to Believe

Everyone's rankings are out. Here's how PSU fared after picking off No. 21 Illinois:

USA Today/Coaches Poll - PSU No. 6 (+6)

Associated Press (via ESPN) - PSU No. 6 (+6)

The Sporting News - PSU No. 6 (+6)

CBS Sportsline - PSU No. 7 (+9)

College Football Poll - PSU No. 4 (+3)

Jeff Sagarin's Rankings - PSU No. 9

College Football News -

6. Penn State (5-0)
W, Illinois 38-24
next game: at Purdue
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … that 45-14 win over Oregon State looks really, really strong now. Daryll Clark is the real deal. For anyone wonder about just how good the offense can be with a relatively inexperienced runner under center, the questions were answered by Clark's passing against Illinois.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... for the first time this season, the defense blinked. The Illinois offense is inconsistent, yet its running game worked relatively well and the secondary had a nightmare of a time with Arrelious Benn.

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Penn State wins, 38-24

Penn State beat Illinois tonight, but it didn't seem like a great win. It is, and Penn State will most likely move up into the top-seven. But as I already mentioned, Comcast screwed its ESPN GamePlan subscribers. The Penn State game wasn't working. So I don't want to fake it and pretend I know what exactly happened tonight, but I did see the play-by-play online.

The Good: Penn State's offense had an answer for everything Illinois did. Each time the Illini scored, Penn State roared back with a big play or a score of its own. Derrick Williams would get my vote for player of the week.

The Bad: The defense gave up too many key plays. Arrelious Benn tore up the Penn State defense, again.

Overall: I think this was a good lesson for Penn State going forward. If the Nittany Lions really want to win the Big Ten, and contend for the national title, they will have to play better.

*On a side note: Just now--12:34 a.m.--on College Football Final, Mark May said Penn State is his No. 5 in the nation. Yes, he had to add "I still want to see more, but..." So I guess we can't really expect more from May, but it was a big reach for him to put PSU that high. Lou Holtz said PSU was in his "Top-8" but not top five right now.

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Die, Comcast, Die!

"That channel is malfunctioning..." the Comcast rep told me. I didn't even have to explain what the problem was. I just said my GamePlan channel isn't working. So I imagine there are a lot of pissed off Comcast customers/Penn State fans right now. I'll do my best with the game reviews. Sorry everyone. I'll get DirectTV as soon as I can.

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Poll Results: PSU over Illinois

More than 200 readers weighed in, and by a vast majority picked Penn State to beat Illinois tonight under the Beaver Stadium lights. We'll see how that goes.

Oh yeah, and if Penn State wins tonight, they're the top-ranked Big Ten team. Just thought I'd mention that.

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Reviews: ND-PU, UW chokes at UM

Games I watched from 3:30-7 p.m.:
Notre Dame-Purdue (NBC)
Michigan-Wisconsin (ESPN)

Michigan 27, No. 8 Wisconsin 25
Badger head coach Bret Bielema never lost with a half-time lead--until today. Michigan stormed back from 19 points down, scoring 27 unanswered second-half points. This Wolverines team totaled 21 total yards--yes, total yards--threw the first two periods. But I'm not sure which team came out of the locker room for the third quarter. The UM defense was decent, but really came on late, including a pick-six to put the Wolves up by one in the fourth. Let's be realistic about all this, though. Wisconsin stopped playing, just as much as Michigan woke up. The Badgers settled in on their lead and fell asleep. Sure, they had a good run at the end, but there was no excuse for blowing a 19-7 lead after three quarters. Expect this game to be replayed years from now as a Big Ten's Greatest Games, and really shakes things up in the Big Ten.

Notre Dame 38, Purdue 21
The Irish win today could signal the turning point this program needed under Charlie Weis. I'm not completely sold on Notre Dame yet, but they really took it to Purdue, especially in the second half. Curtis Painter had a good day statistically, but the offense as a whole never got into a good rhythm. That was partly due to John Tenuta's blitzing ND defense, but the Boilermakers should be better than that. Last week's win over Central Michigan looks more like a stroke of luck now.

*Late tonight: No. 12 Penn State vs. No. 21 Illinois.

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Reviews: OSU-Minn, MSU-IU, Ole Miss Upsets No. 4 Florida

Games I watched from 12-3:30 p.m.:
Ohio State-Minnesota (BTN)
Indiana-Michigan St (ESPN)
Bonus Game: Florida-Mississippi (ESPN GamePlan)

No. 14 Ohio State 34, Minnesota 21
This was a better game for Minnesota that the score indicates. Adam Weber is a true gamer, and proved it today. Ohio State was just too talented, especially with Terrelle Pryor taking snaps. I thought for a few plays I was watching NCAA 09. Now, I wonder what would have happened if Pryor went to Michigan... just a thought. But Ohio State has to concentrate more on offense, rather than just rely on the big play. And speaking of big plays, was Weber's pitch to WR Ralph Spry one of the gutsiest single plays so far today? I think so. Overall, it was Ohio State's depth and talent that wore down the young Gophers, but I don't feel much better about the Buckeyes right now.

Michigan St 42, Indiana 29
The Hoosiers could have pulled this one out had Kellen Lewis not gone down for a quarter with a foot injury. Javon Ringer wasn't running crazy like many predicted, which should throw up some red flags for MSU. The schedule won't allow Ringer to get 35-40+ carries every game. Brian Hoyer has to start playing with more consistency. But the MSU offense wasn't the only side of the ball playing sloppy today. The defense gave up too many home-runs to IU's spread attack. MSU got lucky today, and a great example of that is my play of the game. In the third quarter, down 34-29, Kellen Lewis dropped back into his own end zone, and tossed a 97-yard touchdown. But it was called back for holding in the end zone, giving MSU a safety and a nine-point swing. Tide turned.

Bonus Game:
Ole Miss 31, No. 4 Florida 30
SEC fans will try to spin this as "every team is great in the SEC," but that doesn't fly. Florida shouldn't have lost to a Rebels team that lost--albeit on the last play--to Wake Forest, then to Vanderbilt. Kirk Herbstreit said during ESPN Game Day that Florida is the best team in the SEC. If this is the best team, then there's a big problem for the conference. Ole Miss just played tougher, and smarter, today in the Swamp.

*Later today: The 3:30-7 p.m. games.

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Penn State, the best? ESPN readers think so

This was a great find by Nittany WhiteOut:


Read it and weep, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan... hell, the whole freaking conference! Ok, so I'm getting ahead of myself. After all, we know how intelligent the ESPN electorate is, so we must not take too much stock in this. Penn State still has to go out and play all those teams.

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Oregon State BEATS USC, 27-21

So, is Penn State's non-conference schedule still soft? I thought Oregon State was part of the "weak opponents" Penn State has run all over. Well, not so anymore. When your team beats the team that ends up beating the consensus No. 1 team, your team's win looks a whole lot better.

Why wasn't I surprised at this win? Well, maybe it's because Oregon State has been notorious for upsetting USC in Corvallis. I remember watching the Beavers hand USC its first regular-season loss in two years, back in 2006. This is a fantastic win, not just because USC blew it, but because now Oregon State is considered a much stronger opponent than it was after Penn State blew them away 45-14 on Sept. 6. Yeah, that's directed at you, poll voters. Keep this in mind when ranking Penn State next week.

What the MSM has to say (note how many times Penn State's 31-point beatdown of OSU is mentioned):
-Trojans can forget about national title - Michael Ventre, NBC Sports
-Big 12, Big Ten, SEC teams benefit from USC loss - Mark Schlabach, ESPN.com
-USC no longer Pac-10 bully - Arash Markazi, SI.com
-Excuses, excuses: USC blows title hopes against another inferior opponent - Dennis Dodd, CBS Sportsline
-USC throws snake eyes in college title crapshoot - Dave Curtis, The Sporting News

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Preview: No. 12 Penn State vs. No. 21 Illinois

Kickoff: Sat., Sept. 27. 8:00 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN GamePlan

Weather Forecast: High 50s, Strong Chance for Rain.

Host: Penn State Nittany Lions
Record: 4-0 (0-0, Big Ten)
Last Game: Won vs. Temple, 45-3
Injuries: Jerome Hayes (ACL - out season), LB Sean Lee (ACL - out season), DE Devon Still (ankle - out), S Nick Sukay (foot - out season), DL Mike Lucian (ankle - probable), Doug Klopacz (ankle - probable), TE Mickey Shuler (ankle - probable)
Key Players: (offense) RB Evan Royster, QBs Daryll Clark; (defense) Saf. Anthony Scirrotto, DE Aaron Maybin
Head Coach: Joe Paterno, 43rd season, 376-125-3
Season Statistics:
Offense - 274.2 rush/264.2 pass/52.8 points per game
Defense - 52.2 rush/170 pass/10 points per game
TO Margin - (+3)

Why PSU will win -- The offense: Yes, as any of you could have predicted, I think the Penn State offensive juggernaut will roll on this week. There are plenty of good offenses in the Big Ten, five of which are averaging more than 30 points per game. Then there’s PSU’s unit, which is cranking out 15 more points per game than the next best offense, Illinois’. Daryll Clark is the best quarterback, and he’ll be supported by the best rushing attack in the conference. Penn State leads the Big Ten in all four major categories. (Total off., Pass, Rush, PPG) The run defense: Illinois may average 224 yards per game on the ground, but most of that came from a 399-yard day vs. I-AA Eastern Illinois. Penn State’s front four has played far beyond anyone’s expectations, and will put tons of pressure on Juice Williams. More importantly, however, is that Penn State has the No. 1 rush defense in the Big Ten, mostly due to the line play. Big Ten sack leader Aaron Maybin, captain Josh Gaines, along with tackles Jared Odrick and Ollie Ogbu will clamp down on the Illini run game.

Visitor: Illinois Fighting Illini
Record: 2-1 (0-0 Big Ten)
Last Game: Won vs. Louisiana Lafayette 20-17
Injuries: OL Ryan Palmer (foot - out), DB Miami Thomas (ACL - out season), S Donsay Hardeman (knee - probable), WR Jeff Cumberland (foot - probable)
Key Players: (offense) QB Juice Williams, RB Daniel Dufrene; (defense) LB Brit Miller, LB Martez Wilson
Head Coach: Ron Zook, 4th season at Illinois, 15-24; 7th year overall, 38-38
Season Statistics:
Offense - 224.7 rush/244 pass/36.3 points per game
Defense - 163 rush/208.3 pass/30 points per game
TO Margin - (+1)

Why Illinois will win -- Juice Williams: If this guy has a good game, the Illinois offense will have a great game. He’s probably the most improved passer in the Big Ten since his freshman season (<40% comp). Williams can’t afford to turn the ball over in a hostile Beaver Stadium, and I think he can do it. We all saw what he did to Ohio State in Columbus last year. Just like then, converting third downs will be the absolute key to this game for the Illini. Turnovers: Penn State hasn’t been taking good care of the ball lately (4 lost fum.), and Illinois must capitalize on that. What should really get the Illini anxious is that most of those fumbles came near the goal line, which would set them up nicely for quick, cheap point. Illinois has to score, and score a lot, and turnovers are a great way to do it.

What will happen: Illinois has played in very intimidating places (Columbus vs. No. 1 Ohio State, maybe?), but they have never played in front of a Penn State White Out, at night. Just ask those Buckeyes how things went in 2005. I think Illinois will be able to move the ball, but fail to score enough touchdowns. Penn State, on the other hand, should be able to march up and down the field, almost at will against a porous Illini defense--dead last in the Big Ten in PPG. I said earlier that Juice Williams will have to play a near-perfect game to win this one... he won’t. Penn State isn’t taking Illinois for granted the way Ohio State did in 2007, and everyone knows these are two very good teams. Evan Royster will have the national-spotlight game to thrust himself into dark horse Heisman contention. But I think the Penn State offense will prove to college football that they’re for real.

Prediction: No. 12 Penn State, 44 - No. 21 Illinois, 23

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Blue & White Roundtable :: Big Ten opener

This week's BWRT is brought to you by the fine folks at TNL.

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

*warning - painfully obvious question alert* Penn State gets its first ‘real’ test this weekend facing a ranked opponent when the Fighting [None-Offensive-Mascot]s come to town. Gaze into your crystal ball and give us a short description on how Saturday night’s events will unfold. Or if you’re lazy just fire up NCAA 2009 and tell us what the Xbox thinks.

ZN: I'm not going into specifics, as that's why we all do our previews. What I will say is that Penn State will be fired up in front of a sell-out, drunken crowd. The offense will roll, but the defense might give up a few too many first downs. No one will care in the end though, as Penn State's signature 'bend, but don't break' style will hold true.

Saturday’s game is on the big stage at 8:00 with most of the football world watching. It’s a white out and Penn State is favored by two scores (as of Monday). Is this a lose-lose situation (the only way they could look good is by winning big) for Penn State or golden opportunity to show the world what the Spread HD is all about?

ZN: It's only a lose-lose if Penn State plays like crap. If Penn State plays a clean, strong game against a good team, it will look like a good win regardless of the score. It's all up to the defense to hold down the Illini. That's what people will look at most in the box score: How many did PSU's defense give up?

Now that all the fluff questions are out of the way do Maurice Evans and Abe Koroma get significant playing time?

ZN: Not significant, if at all. Penn State's defensive line has been playing lights-out, making us all forget that we're missing four of the best players on that front. Mo and Abe will dress, but probably not play.

Lightening Round

Back in 2007, Illinois Basketball fans made my skull crack open in rage slightly angered me when they befouled the statue of Joe Paterno. Do you hate the Illini like me or not so much?

ZN: Not so much. They only beat PSU for the third time ever last season. While I don't think they'll be as bad as they were in the last few seasons of Ron Turner's tenure, or the first two Ron Zook seasons, they're not on the level of Ohio State or Wisconsin. Next year, however, will be a different story.

It’s a night game please quantify the amount of alcohol you will consume before gametime (if you don’t drink please quantify the amount of fatty foods you will eat).

ZN: I like a plethora of everything, so, yeah...

Put it on the line – final score:

ZN: 187-5. Penn State stops Illinois on the one-yard line with two seconds left in the game. Rather than punt, Jeremy Boone runs around in the end zone before taking the safety. Time expires. For a real score prediction, check out my full game preview later today.

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Run down of JoePa's presser

Yeah, most of you already read something about this at another PSU blog. So, I'll spare you from a re-run. Joe Paterno sounded upbeat for the most part. He didn't want to talk about Maurice Evans or Abe Koroma, and fine, who cares? If we see them play, we see them play. I'm sure they'll dress, and the student section will call for them a few times. But doesn't anyone realize that Penn State has been tearing up opposing lines to the tune of 14 sacks, six of which came from Aaron Maybin alone? Oh yeah, and that little thing about Navorro Bowman being named Big Ten Co-Defensive POW? Joe just happens to approve in his somehow disapproving tone.

"But I thought both of them played well Saturday."

Yeah, well. The rest of the press conference covered the usual: What's it like on an 8 p.m. kickoff gameday? What do you remember about this really old game that has no impact on this week's game? Blah, blah. (Can you tell I don't really care about this post?) But what was really funny to me was Joe's answer to a really dumb question:

Q. What's been the key to the offensive success converting third downs?

Paterno: Well, I think people, obviously. I think the quarterbacks have done a good job. I think the play calling has been good. And we've got some people who can make some big plays.

Holy crap! I never would have thought that those factors all helped a football team convert third downs! I bet that quote's going in the lead of his story. I guess asking ridiculously obvious questions is my ticket to becoming a Penn State football beat writer.

I'm going to sleep. Check back tomorrow for my Penn State vs. Illinois game preview.

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ABC Coverage Map: Penn State vs. Illinois

Here's the coverage map for Penn State vs. Illinois. Again, I have to order GamePlan, since people in NoVA care more about a mediocre Virginia Tech team play a mediocre Nebraska team. Whatever, I'm still excited as hell.

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Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable :: Conference Play Opens

This week's Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable is brought to us by Boiled Sports.

1) We're all car guys here at BS. So your task is to assign your own program a vehicle. Is Purdue an all-terrain vehicle like a Jeep or a Hummer? Something befitting a brawny Boilermaker? Is Ohio State a slow, conversion van being passed by Corvettes with USC markings? Is IU a John Deere tractor with a hillbilly riding on it? Get creative and let us know both what your school is if it's a car as well as assigning a vehicle to as many of the other Big Ten schools as you like. (I'd require you to do them all but I know attention spans are short and counting to 11 is hard.)

Wisconsin:
Loud, slow, and usually surrounded by drunken working-class heros, you just keep plowing over everyone.


Michigan:
You laugh now, but this 'project car' will beat your pants off some day.


Purdue:
You used to be cool... in like 2000.

Penn State:
Yup, grandpa has had that car for the better part of a half-century, and it still runs better than your new-fangled piece of crap.


Ohio State:
You were making excellent time, but then...


Northwestern:
Just because we can't afford one of our own, doesn't mean you're automatically smarter than the rest of us.


Michigan State:
You're the unattractive workhorse, never taken out on the town.


Minnesota:
Stick to hockey.


Indiana:
Aw, while cute and efficient, no one really takes them seriously.


Iowa:
Fighting for room in the middle-of-the-pack Big Ten traffic jam.

Illinois:
Looks tough on the outside, but actually compensating for years of inadequacy on the inside.

2) In Week 1 in the NFL, the New England Patriots learned how precious things can be when Tom Brady had his knee blown out by a former Boilermaker. Let's say your team wins out from here to the end and is in a BCS bowl game with a chance to do the school and conference proud – what ONE player on your squad would you most likely cry about having his knee blown out in the first quarter? That is, who is truly indispensable?

ZN: I love this question. Penn State has already lost its "indispensable" player in Sean Lee, and we're doing just fine. Penn State doesn't have that ONE player right now who's injury would kill the season or the big game. Watch this team play a few times, and you'll see that there's no individual star. Hell, even if Daryll Clark went down, PSU has Pat Devlin, who'd start for most other Big Ten teams right now.

3) Purdue plays Notre Dame this week and, well, we detest Notre Dame like probably no other program. Let's say I have the power to force you (maybe you lost a bet to me) to wear another Big Ten school's colors to an away game for that team. That is, you're wearing OSU colors to a game being played at Michigan, or something like that. And I'm talking, dorky, head-to-toe… goofy-ass sweatshirts and flat-brimmed, ridiculous-looking hats. If you have to choose, which program would you be able to stomach wearing? (Remember, you're going to an away game, so people won't like you and accept you and you'll be taking this abuse for a school you're not even affiliated with.) And by the same token, what program could you absolutely not EVER stomach wearing, under any circumstances?

ZN: I could wear Indiana's. Not to many fans actually hate them, especially since the Hoosiers haven't been much of a threat to anyone. But I could never wear Michigan garb. Everyone hates them, hands down. More than Ohio State, more than Wisconsin.

4) I like big butts and I can not lie. Share your embarrassing guilty pleasure music selection that you know other people might laugh at. Bonus points if you can send a YouTube video of an awful music video with it. Many/most of us grew up and/or went to college in the '80s and '90s so I know you've all got some Nelson After The Rain on the iPod.

ZN: Unlike those geriatrics, I went to college in the 21st Century. So I'll go with the ridiculous techno music from the early 2000s, like Castles in the Sky, Sandstorm, and Heaven. That shit was orgasmic for us 18-20 year olds.

*We'll have a Blue & White Roundtable coming out around dinner time. Plus, don't forget about my rundown of the JoePa presser, coming tonight.

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Big Ten Pick'em 2008: Week 5

Conference play begins--except for Purdue, but no one likes them anyway--and I'm damn excited!

(FYI: Each team name links to its respective official football site. I also used the USA Today Coaches Poll for the team rankings. Any time you see a ranking before a team name at ZN, it's the Coaches Poll rank.)

Northwestern at Iowa - The ZN pick: N'Western

Mich St at Indiana - The ZN pick: MSU

No. 8 Wisconsin at Michigan - The ZN pick: Wisky

Minnesota at No. 13 Ohio St. - The ZN pick: OSU

Purdue at Notre Dame - The ZN pick: PU

No. 21 Illinois at No. 12 Penn St - The ZN pick: PSU

Standings after Week 4, compiled by Gopher Nation:

1 Gopher Nation--37
2 Hoosier Report--36
3 Black Shoes Diary--35
4 Michigan SportsCenter--35
5 Off the Tracks ™--35
6 The Only Game That Matters--35
7 Ground Zero East Lansing--34
8 Happy Hour Valley--34
9 Lake the Posts--33
10 BHGP (HS)--33
11 Zombie Nation--33
12 Hawkeye Sports News--33
13 Eleven Warriors--33
14 Paint the Town Orange--33
15 Maize & Blue Nation--33
16 Buckeye Battle Cry--33
17 Maize'n Brew--32
18 Boiled Sports--31
19 Enlightened Spartan--31
20 Varsity Blue--31
21 The Buckeye Blog--30
22 The Nittany Line--27
23 Sparty MSU--22
24 Nittany White Out--14

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Illini Speak'um to Nittany :: Illinois Blogger Weighs In

Please welcome Joe, from Paint the Town Orange, a fine Illinois blog. I shot some questions his way, and he was kind enough to answer them. We're all really excited for this weekend's primetime battle between Penn State and the Illini. So without any more blather from me, here's what PTTO thinks of the game.

1. Illinois had one of the better defenses in the Big Ten last season, but so far r this year, that Illini unit ranks dead last in Big Ten scoring defense and second to last in total defense. Are you worried this week, going up against Penn State, the Big Ten's best scoring offense and best total offense? What's Illinois' biggest defensive weakness?

Am I worried about the PSU offense? Absolutely. It is a balanced dynamic spread offense that is going to put pressure on the line backers to drop back into coverage a lot, as well as keep track of Daryll Clark, Penn State has put up some gaudy number against inferior competition in the last few weeks and the way they hurl the ball around the field makes me sick.

Admittedly, This will not be the best offense that Illinois sees this season, but based on these first few weeks, it wont face another one like it the rest of the season. In the first 3 weeks there has been a major weakness in the Illini defense that is the middle against the run, and that is at every phase of the defense. Up front, the loss of Sirod Williams in camp along with the curious absence of Josh Brent through the first 2 games made DT a major concern, DE Will Davis moved inside and true Freshman Corey Liuget has been rushed into early play. At linebacker Britt Miller, with the exception of Week 3, has not shown either the athleticism he is known for, or the gap discipline that his predecessor J Leman could be relied upon for. At the Safety position the Illini have been without their best Strong Safety Donsay Hardeman with a knee injury up until this coming week. The result of this soft and inexperienced middle? Over 100 yards rushing allowed in both weeks one and two. Scary.

2. If Illinois has one hope of slowing down PSU's offense, what is it and how do the Illini do it?

Without a doubt the Illini will be the healthiest on defense this week as they have been all year. The aforementioned Hardeman, and Brent will be back, which moves the best D-lineman Will Davis, back to his true position of DE. I have not watched much Penn State football so far this year, most of what I know comes from the Syracuse game, and I frankly don't know exactly how a defense is supposed to really attack the "spread HD" or whatever it is called, other than just staying discliplined and keeping the receivers from getting open. From week 2 to week 3, Brit Miller showed the most improvement, getting involved in the backfield 3 times in the same series against ULL and scoring his first TD. If the line doesn't give the run any free yards, Will Davis will be heard from in this game, he has the speed to catch a mobile QB, and he will get a sack this game. Overall though what is most important is keeping the game from becoming another St Louis. Illinois can't give up easy points and bad penalties, and it must RUN THE BALL. The best way to diffuse the explosion of points that is Penn State's offense is to keep the ball on the ground and control the clock. Illinois has shown its ability to put up points in gobs as well, but it usually is not a good sign if Juice is throwing as much as he did against Mizzou.

3. How much has the loss of Rashard Mendenhall hurt the Illinois offense, not necessarily in yards, but in consistency?

Hearing Rashard Mendenhall and "consistency" kind of makes me chuckle. Prior to last year, Rashard could be counted on to fumble more than anything. Last year was a red letter for the Illinois run game though. In week 3 against Syracuse Rashard really established himself as the obvious every down back. This year we have thus far used 4 runners in an attempt to find consistency. Of these 2 are true freshman, 1 is a redshirt freshman and last is Daniel Dufrene, the RS Junior who has taken the most snaps. Dufrene showed a good amount of speed at OSU last year, but has not shown the burst through the hole, or the sheer strength that Rashard did. There is nothing that this team would love more this year than to have him back, let me tell you.

4. What's your personal memory about last year's Illini upset of the Lions in Champaign?

I remember plenty. I was sitting in the student section and had never ever heard my fellow students cheer as loud as they did when Rejus ran the ball back on the kickoff to respond to PSU's field goal. (bad teams lead to much lower standards, and we have had some bad teams.) I was struck by, and I may be hitting a sore spot here, just how many opportunities to take the game back that Morelli wasted. One way or another though, the Illini defense showed that it could run with the offense of a ranked team. It didn't become real until Kevin Mitchell picked off that last pass, but I was there when the team rushed into the stands of the student section to celebrate with us. We could blow out PSU this year, but it wont mean as much as that first big win last year.
(a buddy took a video of the end of the game here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqO-mqYbc4c)

5. Going forward, what's the rest of the season look like for Illinois 1.) if they lose to PSU, 2.) if they beat PSU?

Thus far the season has gone basically according to script, but I don't know if this week will follow my preseason predictions. Penn State is playing much better than I thought, and the Illini D is playing much worse. The Big Ten is pretty wide open right now, and it would not surprise me one bit if, Illinois loses this game and ends the year at 8-4. On the other hand should Illinois beat the "Nitally Lions" then there may never be as good a shot at a Big Ten title for the Illini than this year. OSU is now putting a true freshman in at QB and could be conceding a third straight conference crown. If Illinois wants to consider itself in the top 4 of the Big Ten its going to have to beat some combination of Penn State Wisconsin and Ohio State. We will learn an awful lot about how good both teams are this weekend.

6. Game score?

Optimally 28-21 Illinois, but I would look for a much higher score, on both sides, if the D can't play to its talent level. Least optimal score- 42-35.

Extra Point:
PSU's All-American DE Mo Evans and DT Abe Koroma returned to practice today, and should see playing time vs Illinois. Does that change your outlook at all on this game?

It certainly doesn't help my cause, but they played against us last year and we ended up winning. My biggest concern might be that last year this game was played at 11am in Champaign, and this will be a prime time white-out game. We do appreciate the respect that sends to our team you know, that we are good enough now to warrant a white out.

*Coming later: A quick rundown of Paterno's Presser

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ZN's CFB Top 25 :: Week 5 2008

The top didn't move much again. Doesn't anyone else realize that USC has had two bye weeks so far? Just thought I'd mention that. Oregon shouldn't have lost at home, even without a quarterback. Auburn choked big-time. And Colorado is emerging as a real threat in the Big XII North. But this week will tell us a lot about which teams are legit, as most of the cupcakes are gone.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. USC (1), [2-0, DNP]
2. Oklahoma (2), [3-0, DNP]
3. Georgia (3), [4-0, Won at Arizona St 27-10]
4. Missouri (4), [4-0, Won vs. Buffalo 42-21]
5. Penn State (5), [4-0, Won vs. Temple 45-3]
6. BYU (6), [4-0, Won vs. Wyoming 44-0]
7. LSU (9), [3-0, Won at Auburn 26-21]
8. Florida (8), [4-0, Won at Tennessee 30-6]
9. South Florida (12), [4-0, Won at FIU 17-9]
10. Ohio State (10), [3-1, Won vs. Troy 28-10]
11. Wisconsin (11), [3-0, DNP]
12. Alabama (20), [4-0, Won at Arkansas 49-14]
13. Wake Forest (18), [3-0, Won at Florida St 12-3]
14. Texas Tech (14), [4-0, Won vs. UMass(AA) 56-14]
15. Utah (15), [3-0, Won at Air Force 30-23]
16. Texas (16), [4-0, Won vs. Rice 52-10]
17. Kentucky (17), [3-0, DNP]
18. Clemson (21), [3-1, Won vs. South Carolina St(AA) 54-0]
19. Auburn (13), [3-1, Lost vs. LSU 26-21]
20. Texas Christian (23), [4-0, Won at SMU 48-7]
21. Boise State (NR), [3-0, Won at Oregon 37-32]
22. Fresno State (22), [2-1, Won at Toledo 55-54(2OT)]
23. Colorado (NR), [3-0, Won vs. West Virginia 17-14]
24. Oregon (7), [3-1, Lost vs. Boise St 37-32]
25. East Carolina (19), [3-1, Lost at NC State 30-24(OT)]

Dropped Out:
West Virginia (24), [1-2, Lost at Colorado 17-14]
Nebraska (25), [3-0, DNP]

On the Cusp:
Vanderbilt (NR), [4-0, Won at Ole Miss 23-17]
Illinois (NR), [2-1, DNP]
Michigan State (NR), [3-1, Won vs. Notre Dame 23-7]
Virginia Tech (NR), [3-1, Won at North Carolina 20-17]
Georgia Tech (NR), [3-1, Won vs. Miss St 38-7]

*Coming Wednesday: Check out my chat with Paint The Town Orange, an Illini blog kind enough to cross enemy lines.

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Evans and Koroma return

Both Rivals.com and Scout.com are reporting today that Penn State's All-American Defensive End Maurice Evans, and one-time starter at defensive tackle Abe Koroma returned to practice Monday. This is fantastic news for Penn State's beleaguered defensive line. From Scout.com:

"Yeah, both Mo and Abe were back today," one observer said. "Who knows how much action they'll see this week [against Illinois]? Depends on the shape they are in and how the coaches — or at least one coach — feels about it."

From Rivals.com:

"Two separate sources confirmed with Blue White Illustrated on Monday evening that both Evans and Koroma returned to practice on Monday, and were running with the second team."

Second team, huh? Looks like these guys aren't so far into Joe Paterno's dog house as we thought. Usually, suspended players get thrown to the foreign team, and forced to work their way back. I'm guessing this is due to the fact that this was Evans' and Koroma's first offense for anything. Now the trick is for EVERYONE to stay out of trouble. Illinois is in for a world of hurt now.

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White Out Illinois; Bowman POW; and Purdue Going National

-Penn State's road trip to West Lafayette will kickoff at the horrendous 11 a.m. noon slot, but will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2. This will be a big game for both PSU and Purdue to show just what each team can do in front of the entire country.

-This Friday, Penn State will hold a "Rally in the Valley" to get the Nittany nation revved up for Saturday's showdown with Illinois. A stadium-wide White Out has also been declared.

-On a final pleasant note, Navorro Bowman was deservedly awarded Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his monster game against Temple. 11 tackles, 5 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 FF, and 1 INT... yeah, that's pretty freaking good.

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Penn State in the Polls; Cracking the Top 10

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.

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Review, Game 4: PSU 45, TU 3

Today I'll go over a few of the ups and downs from Penn State's win over Temple. There was the drama surrounding Joe Paterno's leg, and the offenses lackluster performance in the first quarter. Although many are pissed off at the Penn State offense right now, I think it was a good thing this kind of game happened against a team like Temple, instead of one like Illinois or Michigan. This will give the team a chance to look at themselves with a critical eye during film review, and maybe come out with more intensity versus the Illini than they would have if the Temple win was easier. But we'll get into all of this as I review how each unit performed Saturday, and what we could expect for next week's showdown with No. 21 Illinois.

OFFENSE :: B

Line - It was only a matter of time before Penn State gave up its first real sack--the one at Syracuse was more Daryll Clark's fault than the line's. Temple came out with a fantastic blitz package that overloaded Clark's blind side, and was the perfect call for PSU's play. The run blocking was great again, and there was still plenty of time for the quarterbacks to throw the ball. Two sacks in one game might seem like a lot, but three over four games is great.

Receivers - Penn State's game plan looked like it was designed specifically to get the younger wide receivers involved, and with the injury to Mickey Shuler, Andrew Quarless came up with a great game (50 yds). Next to the offensive line, the receivers on this Penn State team have been the best of all the units.

Quarterbacks - Clark threw an interception, but he's still having one of the best starts for any first-year Penn State quarterback. Penn State is currently leading the conference in passing yards per game (and total yards, rushing and points per game), and is second in the league in team pass efficiency, behind Minnesota, but Clark is the individual pass efficiency leader. Penn State's quarterbacks have thrown for a combined 10 touchdowns and only one interception.

Rushers - As if in competition with the quarterbacks, the Penn State running backs have made every attempt to steal the show this season. Against Temple, they might have succeeded. Evan Royster injected his usual spark, rumbling for a 32-yard touchdown in the second quarter. But it was Stephfon Green who made the biggest splash, on his 69-yard TD jaunt through traffic. After the instability at RB last year, this unit is one Penn State can lean on in 2008.

DEFENSE :: A

Line - Aaron Maybin's two first quarter sacks set the tone for the D-line this week, as Penn State clamped down on the Owls' run game, and sacking Temple's quarterbacks seven times. Josh Gaines continued to lead the defense, proving he's a great team captain this year. Penn State's defensive line is quickly tamping down any concern I might have had about productivity after Maurice Evans and Abe Koroma left. When/if they return, watch out.

Linebackers - I've already chosen my Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. Navorro Bowman came up with one of the best days for a Penn State linebacker in years. Some have compared his effort against Temple to that of LaVar Arrington's all-star play in the late 1990s. Bowman looked the part Saturday, logging 11 tackles, five TFLs, three sacks, a forced fumble and a 29-yard interception return to the one-yard line. Although the rest of the PSU linebackers were relatively quiet, Bowman's performance more than made up for it.

Secondary - There were a few Temple passes that should have been complete with a better quarterback, and more than a few times TU wide receivers got behind the PSU defensive backs. Tom Bradley will have some words for these guys, especially since many of their mistakes were saved by the PSU pass rush. On the positive side, it was another good day for interceptions, as Tony Davis and Knowledge Timmons came up with nice picks. I thought I was being too hard on this unit, but no one gets a free pass next week.

SPECIAL TEAMS :: B-

Kickers - Kevin Kelly didn't have to do much, but did nail a beautiful 44-yarder. He looks to be completely healthy after some hip problems the last two season. Jeremy Boone had one shank early on, but dropped one inside the ten-yard line. Not a bad day overall.

Returners - It was another unimpressive day for Penn State's return men. Derrick Williams' fumble was saved by Anthony Scirrotto, and there were no real good returns by either Williams or AJ Wallace. I guess you can't get long runbacks every week, but the fumbles can't happen.

Coverage - Terrible. This was worse than Clark's interceptions and the fumbles on offense and returns. Although there were some great individual efforts (thumbs up to Timmons) to run down the Temple returners, the coverage units--especially on kickoffs--gave up way too many yards. It was like 2007 all over again.

COACHES :: A

The playcalling was as to be expected. The players didn't execute. Everyone's concerned about Joe Paterno's leg issue, myself included. But we have to just calm down. Team doctor Wayne Sebastianelli knows what he's doing, and wouldn't let Joe do anything stupid. I'm very interested to see how this develops throughout this week. If there's one thing anyone can agree with, Mike McQueary had a nice quiet game on the sidelines. There's no sign of this Spread HD slowing down.

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Polls are out: PSU to No. 12

In today's USA Today Coaches' Poll, Penn State made a relatively big jump to No. 12. That's up three spots from last week's No. 15 rank, which sets things up very nicely for next week's showdown with Illinois. If PSU even wins by a small margin, it will be top 10 for the Lions. But if PSU can hang another 40, this time on the Illini, I wouldn't be surprised at a top-seven ranking. But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. Win the game, first.

Other Big Ten teams: No. 8 Wisconsin (No Change); No. 13 Ohio State (+1); No. 21 Illinois (+2).

Damn I'm excited. Go State!

*Update (2:41 p.m.): Penn State has also moved up to No. 12 in the AP poll, No. 7 at CollegeFootballPoll.com, No. 9 at CollegeFootballNews.com, and No. 16 at CBS Sportsline. I'll go over all of these later.

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Penn State wins, 45-3

After a sloppy start (which I wasn't able to watch, thank you Comcast), Penn State rolled Temple by a 42-point margin. Let's go over some initial thoughts on this win.

The Good: The defense really came through today with some big plays. Aaron Maybin and the D-line continues their stellar play, sacking TU several times. But not to be overlooked was the defensive backfield play, picking off a few passes near the goal line. Even though TU QB Adam DiMichele went down early, it was a great showing my the PSU defense. Navorro Bowman was a monster all day.

The Bad: I won't go so far to say the offense was bad. But when Temple shuts Penn State out in the first quarter, picks off a pass, and sacks the quarterback, that was definitely sub-par for PSU. There were also too many fumbles by PSU, even though only one or two were lost. Those mistakes can't happen against Illinois. But there were few things this week to complain about.

Overall: Joe Paterno was on the field for the first half, then proceeded to the press box to rest his leg. We can only wait and see with this. I'm not going to speculate what's going to happen, but this doesn't look very good. Penn State still looks like the best team in the Big Ten, and we'll all see if that's accurate next week in the conference opener. Good win. Not great, but good.

*Extra points: After watching my Big Ten Bloggers Pick'em standing fall with Iowa's one-point loss at Pitt, I tuned into the Purdue-CMU game. It was a fantastic game, with Central Michigan scoring a TD with about one minute left, then getting the 2pt conversion to go up by one. Then PU scored on a long TD run, got the 2pt. Leading 32-25, CMU was moving the ball down-field, only to see Dan Lefevour's pass intercepted. Nice win for the Boilers.

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Poll Results: PSU to coast over Temple

Another week, another win by Penn State. More than 90 percent of voters chose Penn State this week, not unexpected with how the Lions have been playing.
Oh yeah, and there's tons of reports swirling that Joe Paterno will coach from the press box today. So what if he does? He's old, give him a break. The team's winning big, so don't complain.

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Blue & White Roundtable :: Livin' on a Prayer

The questions this week were brought to you by... me. I sent them to all the Penn State bloggers listed below, but not all of them may have gotten around to answering yet. I know TNL and TINNOMJ have, so be sure to check those sites. But I recommend visiting all the blogs for only the best PSU football coverage!

There is No Name on My Jersey
Tangled Up in White and Blue
YF Yurasko
Happy Hour Valley
Black Shoe Diaries
The Nittany Line
We Want the Lion
Zombie Nation
Nittany Whiteout [Welcome back!]

1. Penn State has the best scoring offense (55.3 ppg) in the Big Ten, and top-five nationally. Of course, this has been against two bad teams and a mediocre Oregon State squad. This week's Temple game should be another 40-plus game for the PSU offense. That being said, do you think this has been a fluke so far? Or is the Spread HD for real?

ZN: I really think it's for real. Jay Paterno just works better when he has a quarterback who can run. Anthony Morelli was a good QB, but not the right one for Galen Hall and Jay Paterno. And don't hink for a minute that Jay's the sole creator of the "Spread HD." Galen has been running spread-like offenses since the 1960s. Temple will be a great chance to get more of the younger guys experience in this system, before the dog fight with Illinois next week.

2. If Maurice Evans and Abe Koroma are convicted, what are the chances Joe Paterno will play either by the Illinois game? What message does it send to the team, and the nation, if both players are given light punishments? Conversely, what if the punishments are seemingly too severe, like dismissal?

ZN: I think Evans and Koroma will get similar punishment to what Andrew Quarless received. They will not play this week, but will dress next week vs. Illinois. Evans and Koroma won't get into the game much, but will be on the sidelines in pads. I think Joe has to do what's best for the team, and not what's best for headlines. He's not stupid and not senile, and since it's both players' first run-in with the law, he'll give them appropriate time to think about what they've done.

3. Leadership has been a huge part of this year's team's ability to move past distractions. Who has to really step up this week and keep this team focused? How does the coaching staff figure into this, or should they just let the players handle it by themselves?

ZN: I was really happy Anthony Scirrotto ripped into the team last week. This week I'd expect all the captains to get up and get vocal with the team. Even though teams would normally take Temple lighter than Illinois--trap game, anyone?--Penn State won't. This team has been amped up for every game so far, and this week shouldn't be different. The coaches don't need to do anything. Captains are there for a reason, and if the coaches feel there's a problem, they should have the captains address the issue. It's very different when getting yelled at by your peer leaders, as opposed to some old dude giving a lecture.

Lightening Round

Penn State throws its first interception this week? NO.

Evan Royster's YPC vs. Temple? 9.5 ypc.

Coke or Pepsi? Coke. Then Pepsi for a while (during PSU games, of course). But now Coke Zero has really brought me home.

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Big Ten Pick'em 2008: Week 4

This is a big week for the Big Ten. After flopping against USC and Oregon, not many in the media will pay attention to this week's slate. I'm going out on a limb, and pick the Big Ten to sweep all opponents. I think the conference is better than everyone portrays it.

(FYI: Each team name links to its respective official football site. I also used the USA Today Coaches Poll for the team rankings. Any time you see a ranking before a team name at ZN, it's the Coaches Poll rank.)

Northwestern vs. Ohio U. - The ZN pick: N'Western

Indiana vs. Ball State - The ZN pick: Indy

No. 14 Ohio St. vs. Troy - The ZN pick: Ohio St.

No. 15 Penn St vs. Temple - The ZN pick: Penn St

No. 8 Wisconsin vs. BYE - The ZN pick: BYE

Iowa @ Pittsburgh - The ZN pick: Iowa

Michigan vs. BYE - The ZN pick: BYE

Minnesota vs. Florida Atlantic - The ZN pick: Minny

Mich St vs. Notre Dame - The ZN pick: Mich St

Purdue vs. Central Michigan - The ZN pick: Purdue

No. 23 Illinois vs. BYE - The ZN pick: BYE

BTB Pick'em Standings After Week 3, compiled by Gopher Nation: That's right, No. 6 baby!
1 Gopher Nation 29
1 Happy Hour Valley 29
1 Hoosier Report 29
1 Lake the Posts 29
1 The Only Game That Matters 29
6 BHGP (HS) 28
6 Black Shoes Diary 28
6 Michigan SportsCenter 28
6 Zombie Nation 28
10 Hawkeye Sports News 27
10 Maize'n Brew 27
10 Off the Tracks ™ 27
10 Eleven Warriors 27
10 Enlightened Spartan 27
10 Ground Zero East Lansing 27
10 Paint the Town Orange 27
10 Maize & Blue Nation 27
10 The Nittany Line 27
19 Buckeye Battle Cry 26
19 Boiled Sports 26
19 Varsity Blue 26
22 The Buckeye Blog 23
23 Sparty MSU 17
24 Nittany White Out 8

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Preview, Game 4: No. 15 Penn State vs Temple

Kickoff: Sat., Sept. 20. 12:00 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network

Weather Forecast: Mid 70s, Mostly Sunny.

Host: Penn State Nittany Lions
Record: 3-0 (0-0, Big Ten)
Last Game: Won at Syracuse, 55-13
Injuries: DE Maurice Evans (suspension - out game), DT Abe Koroma (suspension - out game), Jerome Hayes (ACL - out season), LB Sean Lee (ACL - out season), DE Devon Still (ankle - out season), S Nick Sukay (foot - out season), T Ako Poti (knee - possible), DL Mike Lucian (ankle - probable)
Key Players: (offense) WR Derrick Williams, QBs Daryll Clark; (defense) Saf. Anthony Scirrotto, DT Jared Odrick
Head Coach: Joe Paterno, 43rd season, 375-125-3
Season Statistics:
Offense - 263 rush/273 pass/55.3 points per game
Defense - 64.3 rush/186 pass/12.3 points per game
TO Margin - (+2)

Why PSU will win -- It’s the offense, stupid: No Penn State offense since the 1920s has scored more points (166) in the first three games. Daryll Clark is the Big Ten pass efficiency leader, and Evan Royster is leading all starting RBs in YPC (8.1). Even though Temple’s defense is the strength of that team, it will have just as much trouble stopping PSU as the previous three opponents. And if PSU didn’t play tight last week at Syracuse, expect more wide-open play calling at Beaver Stadium this week. Defensive Line: What?! Yes, with all the injuries, suspensions and distractions, the line play has been lost in the shuffle. Penn State figured there would be some drop-off in run defense, but not so. What many forgot was that Penn State has loaded up on the D-line in recent recruiting, and now it’s paying off. DE Aaron Maybin leads PSU in sacks (4), and Jared Odrick has been a monster inside. With the leadership displayed by Josh Gaines so far, and the younger players getting a lot more playing time, this line has turned into the strength of the defense.

Visitor: Temple Owls
Record: 1-2 (0-1 MAC)
Last Game: Lost at Buffalo 30-28
Injuries: N/A (I know that a few players will be held out this week, but it's been tough to find the injury report for TU. I'm still trying though.)
Key Players: (offense) QB Adam DeMichele, WR Bruce Francis; (defense) DL Andre Neblett, CB Jamal Schulters
Head Coach: Al Golden, 3rd season, 5-19
Season Statistics:
Offense - 105.3 rush/207 pass/24 points per game
Defense - 201.3 rush/169.3 pass/16.3 points per game
TO Margin - (+2)

Why Temple will win -- The coaching staff: Al Golden and Mark D’Onofrio are two of the hottest names in coaching. No, they might not be Urban Meyer or Bronco Mendenhall. But there’s no doubt that Temple has a new attitude under this staff, and the talent is following right behind. I’m not sure Golden can get his team over a mountain like Penn State, but remember the 2007 edition of this game was much closer than the 31-0 final. Experience: Temple is actually more experienced than Penn State, returning all 22 starters from last season. Some of them have moved positions, but all came back. Adam DiMichele is an underrated runner at QB, and has grown into his role as the team’s field general. Penn State’s pass defense has been very suspect so far. DiMichele has to get some passes going to Bruce Francis, especially if Temple wants to open up any running room.

What will happen: I keep thinking PSU is due for a closer-than-expected game this season, but it just hasn’t happened. Temple’s offense just isn’t up to speed, and may have a lot of trouble moving the ball in a hostile environment. Joe Paterno won’t want to risk any injuries the week before Illinois comes to town, so if there’s an early big lead against Temple, the starters won’t go back in. It also wouldn’t surprise me to see PSU score another 35 first-half points (35 FH pts in first 3 gms), in order to get the starters out. Against a stingier Temple defense, we might see PSU’s first interception, and I’m calling for TU to hold PSU under its 55.3 ppg season average.

Prediction: No. 15 Penn State, 49 - Temple, 9

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Name That Nittany Lion!

I got an email from Zombie Nation reader Aaron. He had some fine pictures taken with Penn State football players last week. One of them was Derrick Williams. The other, well, he wasn't quite sure who it was. Understandable. I'd say nine out of ten PSU fans couldn't tell you who the players were without the uniform numbers. So we are going to leave it up to all of you, the readers. Name this Nittany Lion!

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Evans and Koroma: Early Reactions

Well, the message boards are exploding since Maurice Evans and Abe Koroma were charged with misdemeanor pot possession today, and the bloggers are slowly--myself included--getting their posts out. Mike over at Black Shoe Diaries, and Adam Rittenberg at ESPN have some of their initial thoughts up, but like the rest of us, are reserving judgment until the real decision gets made--Joe Paterno's punishments. This has the potential to fizzle by the Illinois game, or explode like an atom bomb. Penn State's defensive line has been skating on thin ice, and now with the injuries mounting, the attrition is reaching critical mass. I happen to agree with what others are leaning to, that Paterno won't go so hard on Maurice Evans and Abe Koroma. But right now, it's a wait-and-see game.

Mike at BSD voices basically what every PSU fans is asking themselves right now.

"The big question now is, what will be the fallout? It's just a misdemeanor, so the legal fallout should be a few hundred dollars in fines and community service. Judicial affairs may step in, but for something this minor for first time offenders I would think a slap on the wrist is in order. Maybe attend a class on substance abuse and put them on probation for a year. But what we really care about is how Joe Paterno will react. Will he sit them a few more weeks or the rest of the semester to show he means business in the face of the ESPN headlines sure to be scrolling across the ticker in time for Sportscenter tonight? Or will he sit them this week and bring them back in time for Illinois and consider it time served?"

I would be very surprised if this is dealt with in the same manner as Phil Taylor and Chris Baker. Those guys got into a lot more trouble over the last 18 months. Oh yeah, and they hurt people! Let's hope Joe Paterno takes his time with this one, and makes a fair, prudent decision.

Adam Rittenberg is more credible than half the ESPN editorial staff combined, and gives a pretty straight forward assessment of the situation.

"After all the off-field problems at Penn State, this was an unbelievably dumb thing to do by both Evans and Koroma. They should remain suspended for a while longer. Dismissing them from the team seemingly goes too far, especially when similar transgressions merit one- or two-game suspensions at other schools.

But it's up to Paterno, who has taken his share of heat for the rash of disciplinary problems. He might want to come down hard, as he did with Baker and Taylor. My prediction: They'll be back on the field when Penn State visits Wisconsin on Oct. 11."

Earlier today, Rittenberg gave a somewhat scary--for PSU fans--rundown of the defensive line problems as a whole.

This is some scary stuff right now.

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