HAPPY HALLOWEEN WEEK

Happy Halloween Week to Everyone!

Sometimes bye weeks land on great weekends. This one let's the players rest up and catch up on some school work, Joe Pa to heal his hip, me to work on my Jack-O-Lantern skills (I can't take all the credit, Terry made the scary guy on the right), and us to go out and celebrate Halloween on Friday night without having to worry about the Saturday gametime hangover! WE ARE!

LIONS DEFENSE STARTING TO ROAR

It's rare that you learn something new about a team after nine games of a twelve-game season. Generally, in college football, the maxim of, "You are who you are," can be applied with little modification after a few games. Sixteen quarters into the 2008 season, the Nittany Lions had scored 40+ points in the opening four games of a season for the first time ever and averaged more than 538 yards per contest. The high-octane offense even broke the 1994 squad's mark for the most total points in the first four games, racking up 211.

All of that production earned this team the label of offensive juggernaut by fans and media alike and led them to believe that the offense would take Penn State as far as it could go. Then, something happened. Daryll Clark continued to lead the Lions to the endzone, racking up at least 38 points in all but one of the first eight games of the year, but players like Aaron Maybin, Jared Odrick, Navarro Bowman and Mark Rubin started taking some of thes potlight from incumbent stars, Evan Royster, Derrick Williams and Deon Butler.

Finally, on Saturday night, when the team needed a play to rescue its fading perfect season, it was, as it has been so many times since Joe Paterno came to Happy Valley, the defense that saved the day. Don't think for a moment that means that this offense isn't the high-powered and multi-faceted attack that it has appeared to be for most of the season, but don't overlook what might be America's best defense either.

Against Ohio State, Penn State's defense spent much of the game in a zone defense, allowing its secondary to have it's eyes trained not only on the receivers, but also on the dangerous Buckeye backfield. The Lions stuffed Beanie Wells for just 55 yards on 22 carries, nearly four yards below his season average. Terrelle Pryor also struggled to find room, gaining only six net yards on nine carries, after averaging more than 4.5 ypc in the first eight games.

Because of the difficulties on the ground, Pryor was forced to go to the air to try and move his team, but found the Lions' pass defense to be just as stingy. The freshman did set a new season-high for passing yards with 226, but take away the gains from a blown coverage, a jump ball and a late pass against a soft prevent defense designed to keep the Buckeyes away from the sidelines and Pryor averaged just nine yards per completion.

This was not just a case of Penn State playing inspired defense against a quality opponent, all season long Penn State has done a phenomenal job of making teams earn their points by limiting big plays. In its first nine games the defense has surrendered just 20 plays of 20 yards or more and has specialized in getting off of the field and getting the ball to its powerful offense. Tom Bradley's squad ranks 10th in the country in third-down conversion defenses despite facing the second-most third downs of any team in the nation.

Perhaps the most telling stat though about this defense, more revealing even than its unwillingness to give up big plays or first downs, is its refusal to allow teams to put together long drives. So far this year, Penn State's defense has only allowed 18 drives of 50+ yards in nine games.

Judging by that last figure, Penn State's opponents almost have to start their possessions on the Lions' side of the field just to have a chance at scoring a touchdown. That is not something that happens often considering punter Jeremy Boone is regaining his All Big Ten form from a year ago, pinning teams inside the 20, and Penn State's offense is tied for sixth nationally with just six turnovers in nine games.

Looking ahead to possible matchups in the national championship game against either Texas or Alabama, Penn State seems equally equipped to handle the high-powered offense of the Longhorns or to solve the smothering run defense of the Crimson Tide. The better question might be, who out there can stop a team as balanced as Penn State?

CLARK NAMED O'BRIEN FINALIST

There is so much to talk about following Penn State's classic victory over the Buckeyes on Saturday night, it's a good thing that the Lions have the week off to allow us to cover everything. Here's a few stories to get you primed for the week ahead...

- Iowa students are planning a "Greene Out" for the game against Penn State to honor Hawkeye running back Shonn Greene. There's nothing about it on the school's official athletic department site since it is being organized by the fans, but you can purchase your official "Greene Out" t-shirt at GreeneforHeisman.com

Can we stop with this already? So far, in just this season, Purdue had a blackout against Penn State and Ohio State tried a "Scarlet Fever" promotion, now fans are wearing colors that aren't even part of their team's uniform.

- Daryll Clark was forced to watch his team score the go-ahead touchdown on Saturday night from the sidelines, marking the first time this season that the redshirt-senior quarterback hasn't been in the middle of the action for the 12th-ranked Penn State offense this season. As a reward for his outstanding play so far this year, Clark has been named a semi-finalist for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award. He is one of 13 quarterbacks being considered for the honor, and the only player nominated from the Big Ten. You can check out the competition for Clark HERE and vote for him once a day HERE.

- There were so many heroes for the Lions against Ohio State last weekend, it's hard to pick just one. But Mark Rubin drew the tough assignment of shadowing the speedy Terrelle Pryor all night and made the biggest play of the game in the fourth quarter when his team needed it most. His solid play earned him not only the title of Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, but also the Walter Camp Football Foundation Defensive Player of the Week. It was the seventh time this year that a Nittany Lion was selected as the Big Ten Player of the Week.

AFTERNOON UPDATE

Apparently, Penn State's performance on Saturday night managed to swing the confidence of some of ESPN's "experts". This morning ESPN's Mark Schalbach and Bruce Feldman both picked PSU to play Texas in the BCS National Championship Game on January 8th.

It's funny how things change so quickly. Prior to the Lion's win in Columbus, very few "experts" were picking Penn State to make it to the BCS title game, let alone beat the Buckeye's on Saturday. A 13-6 victory later, its as if they've been picking Penn State all along.

If you look back to the preseason bowl predictions, no member of ESPN's staff had Penn State higher than a Capitol One Bowl bid, which I believe the Lions used as motivation throughout the season. "A team's only as good as their heart", a high school baseball coach once told me, and I think this only becomes more true when it comes to college football. Pre-ranked 22nd in the country and with doubt surrounding the Lions due to injury and off-the-field incidents, Penn State has proved for 9 consecutive weeks that they're better than anyone has given them credit for - to this point.

Now that they've made it this far into the season, they're no longer working to gain the respect of the Nation - they're working to keep it.

A link to the above ESPN article can be found HERE.

OH WHAT A NIGHT

Terelle Pryor's desperation heave to the endzone fluttered through the Columbus night, reflecting it its wobbly arc the hopes, prayers, tears and destiny of not just a football team and its legendary-beyond-words leader, but of a resilient and faithful fan base; thousands of whom had made the trip to central Ohio to see the demons of The Horseshoe exorcised in person by the greatest Penn State football team of the last two decades.

For those of us who had been there before, wishing to see the mighty Buckeyes defeated on their home turf, Saturday's game felt hopelessly similar to those other fruitless conquests of the last fifteen years. But when that ball dropped into the waiting arms of Lydell Sergeant and he had securely cradled not just the first interception of the game, but a victory for the undefeated Nittany Lions, a feeling rushed over me that I'll be lucky to experience again in my life.

We did it!

The next few minutes were euphoric. For the four thousand brothers and sisters in the stands that were wearing blue and white, these moments defined every reason for being a Penn State fan. For nine weeks we had believed together. For four quarters, we had screamed together. Now, we celebrated. We had never felt so loved in our entire lives. There was singing, chanting, laughing and crying and part of me wondered, just for a moment, if the Ohio State fans looking on were jealous. How could they not be?

If you tried to hi-five somebody, he pulled you in for a hug. And not a quick, superficial hug, but an actual seven-second embrace like you had just announced your engagement to his sister. We looked up to the clock just in time to see the last seconds bleed off the scoreboard and started counting down like it was December 31 in Times Square.

When all four zeroes were lit up, the players streaked across the field to their families seated beneath us and the party started all over again. From the old woman in front of me who played her kazoo in time as we sang Seven Nation Army during the final drive, to the old man who said he was there in 1978, the last time Penn State had won in Columbus, and handed me a chestnut to stomp on with him - this win belonged to all of us.

Finally, we made our way down the stairs of old Ohio Stadium and out onto Woody Hayes Drive chanting "JOE PATERNO" clap clap clap clap clap, and admiring the stunned looks on the Buckeyes' fans faces who had been so sure that this Penn State team, like the ones that came before it, would wilt in the shadows of The 'Shoe.

Not this team...not this night.

It was the greatest game I've ever been to and, if the Lions can fulfill their potential, it will surely be considered the greatest regular season game any Penn State team has ever played, considering what was at stake.

This Penn State team proved it cannot be doubted, cannot be underestimated and cannot be beaten.

ROCK THE VOTE, BABY

For the second consecutive week, Penn Sate has a defensive player nominated for the Pontiac Game-Changing Performance of the Week. Safety Mark Rubin’s forced fumble in the fourth quarter on Saturday was clearly what the doctor ordered to wake up a stalled and stumbling offense.

After a Kevin Kelly missed field goal and the Buckeyes leading 6-3 in the fourth, eerie flashbacks of years passed were floating through the minds of Penn State fans everywhere. Those eerie flashbacks quickly turned into triumphant jubilation when Rubin drilled Ohio State primadonna Terrell Pryor and knocked the ball loose. Although the ball appeared to be greased with an entire bottle of KY Jelly, it was eventually recovered by linebacker Navorro Bowman. With the help of tailback Evan Royster and backup QB Pat Devlin, the Lions quickly marched down the field and scored on a quarterback keeper.

Rubin’s forced fumble was an instant momentum swinger as it sparked a Penn State offense that was held to only a field goal at that point. The Lions needed and pleaded for a big play and received it from the deserving senior.

Rubin's sack is one of four plays nominated for this week's Pontiac Game Changing Performance. Fans can cast their vote for the play until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday HERE.

Last week, as all of our readers know, defensive tackle Jared Odrick was nominated as well for his end zone sack against Michigan. Odrick blew away the competition, partly in thanks to your votes, earning 52 percent.

As Election Day is quickly approaching on November 4th, consider this vote practice for the real thing. A $5,000 scholarship depends on it.

JOE PA... WAS MADE FOR ALL OF US

Joe Paterno is the greatest football coach that has ever lived.

He has meant more than words than can describe to all of us.

Looking forward to him making a speedy recovery from his leg/hip injury, so he can get back on the sidelines where he belongs.

FANS TOGETHER CELEBRATING 9-0

4 weeks ago, Penn State was about to face the toughest 4 game stretch the schedulers could have conjured up. 4 weeks later, the Nittany Lions have conquered. The win against Ohio State last night in Columbus will go down as one of the most memorable games in Penn State football fans' remembrance.

For those of you fortunate enough to be in attendance at the game, you were treated to an up close and personal defensive slug fest. In the end, it would prove to be an epic battle that was ultimately decided by one game changing play. On 3rd and 1, with Ohio State driving and in command of the game, "Chosen-One," Terrelle Pryor tried to do just a little bit too much. Senior stud Mark Rubin punched out the football, and Navarro Bowman recovered.

Enter: backup QB Pat Devlin. Enter: the "overrated," and "average-at-best" offensive line. Center A.Q Shipley turned to guard Rich Orhnberger in the huddle and said, "We are going to win this game." Win the game is exactly what they did. Behind pulverizing and punishing blocks, the dynamic tandom of Evan Royster and Stephon Green took the ball down the field for Penn State's first touchdown of the evening. After forcing the Buckeye's to punt, the offensive line again put on an "above average" display of power football. The spread HD offense has dazzled oponents all year. On this chilly Saturday October night, in front of a record crowd in Ohio Stadium, the senior-led offensive line proved that they can win in the trenches too.

This might have not been the type of win that Penn State needed to gain "style points" with the voters, but it is exactly what the Nittany Lions needed to stay on pace with what they initially set out to do this season. Fans everywhere can appriciate the ability of Penn State to find the will to win last night.

There were 2 separate groups of fans, not lucky enough to be in the "Crap-Shoe," who watched the contest in neighboring states, yet were able to enjoy every minute of the game... together.


Through technology, Penn State fans in Hoboken, New Jersey and a gathering of Nittany faithful in King of Prussia, PA, were united during last night's game. Although different menus were served, and a scarlet jersey polluted the first party mentioned, a Penn State victory was celebrated via Instant Messenger Video Chat.

In PA, a mix of 12 Penn State faithful assembled, scarfing down 10 lbs of deep-fried buffalo wings, and 5 lbs of signature french fries. On the drinking menu: Cases of Lionshead, Busch Light, Sam Addams, 3 Old Enlish malt liquor 40's, a half gallon of Sky Vodka, half gallon of Calico Jack, and some cheap white wine at 3am when everything else ran out.

With Mac Book beside TV, the other group of 6 PSU alum, and 1 lost Buckeye, watched on from their apartment, lavishing in their own ecstasy. 7 lbs of chicken wings, homemade crab dip, and prosciutto pizza highlighted the goodies in Hoboken, along with a similar variety of beverages. A halftime beer-run was the only break in gluttony here.

Several times throughout the game, the audio from both TV's was turned down, as the group outside of Philly belted out, "We Are..." and the fans outside of NYC, responded with "Penn State!" We were 100 miles apart, but it truly felt like we were together. Drinks were cheered to the built in camera on each computer screen, chug sessions evoked, and in the end, Penn State fans everywhere were treated to their 9th victory of the season, and another step in what is becoming something very, very special.

PENN STATE 13 OHIO STATE 6

Pennsylvania State University - 13
Ohio State University - 6

TAKE THAT LEE CORSO
TAKE THAT MARK MAY
TAKE THAT TERRELLE PRYOR

TAKE THAT LEBRON JAMES

After four nerve-racking quarters, Penn State officially beat the Buckeyes 13-6 tonight, ending a a wayyyy too long drought of losing in the "Shoe". There is much to discuss about tonight's game, and to be completely honest I'm really way to excited to type about it now.

Where do we start? The limiting of the Ohio State offense to two field goals? Pat Devlin coming in to lead the Penn State offense furing the last two drives (for 10 points)? No matter what the story line is tomorrow...go out and celebrate tonight! THE NITTANY LIONS ARE VICTORIOUS!

Some scenes from tonight's game:

A NEW TRADITION

First of all, I hope everyone is where they want to be right now.  Grab a seat on the couch or on the barstool.  For all of you lucky enough to be in Columbus right now, find your seats.  The big one is here.

In Hoboken, NJ, a new tradition was started tonight.  The ceremonial burning of the Ohio State shirt.  It was a gift to the football Gods, in hope they would help guide Penn State to victory tonight.

Pictures can be seen below. 

For all of you Penn State fans reading this....LET'S GO STATE!

(And if that vignette of Joe Paterno didn't bring tears to your eyes, you need to read up on your Penn State history)

WELCOME TO THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF OUR SEASON

Welcome to the first day of the rest of our season. 

This morning on ESPN's College Game Day, Lee Corso made his pick and put on the Buckeye head.  After hearing Corso and the rest of the Gameday crew play up Penn State's offensive and defensive strengths for two hours, they once again were scared to upset the hometown Columbus crowd and went with the upset in tonight's matchup.

That's like going out with a girl because you know she'll beat you up if you don't.

You can bet the Nittany Lions were watching from their hotel rooms and will use Corso's pick as added motivation. They know the implications of this game.  No matter what they do the rest of the season, they will be second guessed and put down.  Penn State had too many injuries, they weren't supposed to be here.  Penn State had too many off-the-field problems, they weren't supposed to be in this big of a game.  They know the odds are against them, as do us - the fans. However, I feel the Lions have embraced this underdog roll, even has they head into tonight's contest as the favorite.  No one picked them to win it all, or even win tonight - and they like it that way.

Marinate the wings, ice the beer and get that Penn State shirt out of the laundry pile.  It's game day. LET'S GO STATE!

(Also, props to Herbstreet for laughing at Todd McShay when he called Penn State's offensive line decent again....what an idiot)

SUSPICIOUS MINDS

There we were, in the mouth of the beast. Our only friend? The King.


It was cold and rainy last night in Columbus when my girlfriend and I pulled onto West Lane Avenue on Ohio State's campus to check out The Varsity Club. Lauded by every Buckeye fan and Columbus visitors' guide we saw, we thought we'd see how the corner bar and restaurant could stack up to some of State College's favorite haunts.

Inside it was at least two-thirds Ohio State fans, but the Nittany Lion supporters that were there were vocal. As the beer continued to flow, it seemed that more and more Penn Staters started walking through the door and soon, we had taken it over. We started singing PSU Rock N' Roll, and even having a former Nittany Lion runner-up do 45(!) one-handed pushups on the bar floor after a "We Want the Lion" chant went up. Satisfied that we had painted that place Blue and White, we decided to check out another scene.

We had heard that something called "Hineygate" was going on at the Holiday Inn down the street. Unfortunately for us, we were one day early. Hineygate is every Saturday, Friday night is Buckeye Karaoke night. Whoops.

Refusing to be daunted by the scarlet and gray that filled the place, we, the absolute only Penn State fans in the place, shouldered up to the bar and ordered a couple of Shocktops. Leslie asked the two Buckeye fans that didn't look like they spent time in a correctional facility if we could sat down. We got plenty of dirty looks, but our new Ohio State fans, Dick and Dan, were great.

Heeding Dan's request to spread some Penn State cheer, the scene from Pee Wee's Great Adventure shot through mind when Pee Wee dances to "Tequila" in the biker bar to save his life. I grabbed the Karaoke binder and picked the one song that could turn the place in our favor.

My name was called and when I stood up to walk to the stage, boos rained down on me. It was great, I felt like an athlete. The karaoke leader asked if I wanted to sing the PSU fight song but I declined, explaining, "I don't want to be lynched tonight."

I grabbed the mic and, looking out over the Buckeye bar, said, "I know we have a huge game tomorrow night and we'll all be enemies at eight o'clock. But tonight, I want to bring us all together with The King." Then the first few bars of Suspicious Minds hit...it was like an out-of-body experience for me.

If you've never seen me sing karaoke, it might be hard to envision how singing one song can make the whole bar cheer for me, but I did it. I changed some of the lyrics around and strutted my stuff Mic Jagger-style all over the stage until the music faded out and a standing ovation escorted me back to my table. Within a few minutes, a waitress came over and told us that, "The gentleman at the bar would like to buy you two a drink."

A few minutes of Elvis Presley had turned us from persona non grata to "practically family" at the Holiday Inn of Columbus. Later, we met an awesome guy from Scranton who looked just like Jeff Bridges and had a few more beers before walking out to head back to the hotel.

Columbus is not, and never will be confused with, State College, Pa. From the way the fans were acting last night, you would think that it's the Buckeyes that are ranked in the top three and favored to win tonight. They might underestimate the Nittany Lion football team, but for those who were out last night, they'll never again underestimate Penn State fans.

THIS IS ONE SPECIAL UNIT

It's the eve of one of the biggest college football games of the 2008 season, and many questions loom.

Will tomorrow night's clash in Columbus set the stage for Penn State's National Championship dream, or will Ohio State continue its run of 3 consecutive Big Ten Championships?

Will Daryll Clark continue to exhibit poise, making decisive decisions, while leading the nation's most balanced offense?

Can Terrelle Pryor live up to all of the hype, and have a break out game in what's set up to be a prime time clash of the ages? Remember, Pryor has only averaged 14 pass attempts per game since taking over as the starter.

Will Lee Corso be sporting the Buckeye head, or the Nittany Lion face during ESPN's College Gameday tomorrow morning?

These questions will be answered very shortly, but in the meantime, there is one thing that Penn State fans can be certain of. Regardless of the outcome of tomorrow night's game, the 2008 Nittany Lions have a very special team.

In the spring, the senior leader of the Penn State defense, Sean Lee, tore up his knee in practice and would be lost for the entire 2008 season. It was a few months later that defensive stars Phil Taylor and Chris Baker would be booted off the team for off the field problems. Outside The Lines aired a special broadcast indicating all of the "trouble-makers" that Penn State has been recruiting in recent years.

The week leading up to the opening home game, a starting quarterback hadn't even been decided on yet. How could Penn State contend without announcing a clear choice to be the leader of the offense?

To top it all off, a week into the season, the defense took another huge blow losing Maurice Evans and Abe Koroma after police found some seeds and stems in their apartment. (Snoop Dogg could not have been proud). Joe Paterno looked as if he was losing control of his football program.

The Penn State football team could have easily succumbed to their losses and suffered from all of these setbacks. But they didn't. They used all of these problems as a tool to get better. Oh, how they have got better. This team is coached by an 81 year old raspy voiced, rolled up khakis legend. It all starts with him. Joe Pa has delegated his powers to an excellent coaching staff who believes in their players. The players, guided by a plethora of senior leadership, have rallied together and answered the criticism. This team is where nobody outside Happy Valley thought they would have been at this point in the season. 8-0, ranked #3 in the country. They have proven they are truly special.

Tomorrow night is Penn State's opportunity to once again respond to the critics. The Nittany Lions are up against a very good Ohio State football team. But here's the thing. Penn State is better. The Nits deserve to win this football game. If they come out and execute their gameplan, limiting mistakes, they will. Either way, this is definitely a very special group of men.

YOUR JOB: EDUCATING THE PUBLIC

In my last post, 59% of  "SportsNation" felt that Penn State was most likely to lose on Saturday out of all of the top 5 ranked teams.  I briefly explained why, well, that's just not going to happen. Well apparently nobody is reading tonight, because the most current polls (as of 8:34 p.m.) are now reading that 60% of the so-called SportsNation still believe Penn State is most likely to lose.  I don't get it, I just don't get it.

Your job?  Get off your computer and educate 3 people about how DE Maurice Evans is going to make Terrelle Pryor limp back to the bench in tears tomorrow. 

Now.

READY AS EVER

The Big Ten doesn’t have a conference championship.

But for all intents and purposes, this year it does. And it’s tomorrow.

Unlike the ACC, SEC, Big 12 and a handful of other conferences, the Big Ten does not hold an annual conference championship due to the fact it only has 11 teams (NCAA rule prohibits conference championships for conferences with less than 12 teams). However, year after year we find that there is always one big game – like Saturday’s Penn State/Ohio State showdown – that inevitably determines the Big Ten Championship.

If Penn State pulls off their first win in Columbus since 1978, the Lions will be three games away from their third Big Ten Championship and possibly a trip to Miami for a chance to be National Champions. While wins are not guaranteed by any means, the Lions will have three winnable games remaining on the schedule (@ Iowa, Indiana and Michigan State). Three teams which the Nittany Lions will be at least two touchdown favorites in.

However, if the streak continues and the legs of Terrelle Pryor and the speed of the Ohio State offense trip the Lions, they will undoubtedly slip into a tie for second place in the Big Ten and fall out of National Championship contention as quick as Lindsay Lohan after The Parent Trap.

Either way, you can be sure the Lions are ready for this game – on both sides of the ball.


However, not a large contingent of ESPN's “SportsNation” thinks Penn State is ready to beat Ohio State in prime time.

As of 5:14 on Friday evening, a stunning 59% of American’s (58,019 sample size) believed that Penn State was more likely to lose on Saturday than any of the other top 5 ranked teams. They clearly have not been watching the same Penn State team I have and probably haven’t left their cat-infested homes since the Reagan administration. Here’s a little update for them in case they’re reading:

Offensively, Penn State is certainly the most ready they’ve been in years as they are not only one of the nation’s most productive offensive units, but also the nation’s most balanced unit among the leaders. Penn State’s seasonal rushing (234.6 ypg) and passing yardage (247.5 ypg) are just 13 yards a part through eight games. 13 YARDS APART. As a coach I’m sure you plan to be balanced, however I don’t think anyone on Penn State’s coaching staff could have seen this coming.

And you can be sure the offensive line is going to be playing with a chip in their shoulder all Saturday night as ESPN’s pretty boy Todd McShay labeled them as “decent” and “decent as best” during College Football Live. I’d like to see McShay tell that to any of those guys in the trenches. He would need his tallest pair high heeled shoes just to reach their crotches.

Defensively, Penn State has continued it’s dominant tradition as they currently rank 6th in the nation in scoring defense and 8th in defensive yardage. Led in part by standout sophomore Aaron Maybin, the defense has been stifling offenses all season allowing an average of only 4.1 yards per play.

Makes you want to rethink of that vote doesn’t it. Don’t take it from me though. Take it from the boys in white Saturday night who are poised and ready to make Pryor wish he never left his home state.

BUCKEYES ARE AS GOOD AS IT GETS FOR PENN STATE

A few decades ago it would have been easy to name Penn State's biggest rivals. Syracuse, West Virginia, Maryland and of course, the scourge of the Earth, the four letter word...Pitt. Those were teams that Penn State played every year and competed against for the Lambert Trophy. There was also something that all of those series had in common...Penn State kicked ass. Just look at the all-time records against those opponents...

TEAM	PSU RECORD AGAINST
Syracuse	40-23-5
West Virginia	48-9-2
Maryland	35-1-1
Pitt	50-42-4

Penn State fans looked forward to those games in part because they were rivalries bred through familiarity and close proximity, but also because they felt pretty good that the Lions would come out on top.

Sure, Penn State had brief inter-sectional rivalries in the 1970s and 1980s with schools like Alabama, Miami, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Boston College; but the bragging rights earned from those contests didn't compare to the pride gained when whipping a team that you see every single year.

When the Lions moved to the Big Ten for football in 1993, they had to abandon all of those rivalries. A stacked conference schedule taking up 75% of your games each season meant that the non-conference scheduling had to be done more "delicately" and had to include a majority of home games.

Instead of the old rivalries, fans anticipated big games every year with the traditional Big Ten powers, and the school even did its part to manufacture rivalries with Minnesota and Michigan State by making each of those a trophy game. It took some getting used to, but eventually fans got accustomed to seeing Wildcats, Badgers, Wolverines and Boilermakers on the schedule instead of Orangemen, Terrapins, Mountaineers and (neutered) Panthers.

But was it the same? Was there a real rival that could boil the blood the way the old guard used to? Fifteen years later, the answer is yes.

Hello Buckeyes.

Think back to the last time Ohio State wasn't the toughest game on Penn State's schedule. You'd probably agree that it was seven years ago when the Lions opened the 2001 season at home against top-ranked Miami. Every year on the Lions' schedule, there's Ohio State, (thanks Big Ten) a giant roadblock in Penn State's path.

But what makes the Buckeyes different from Michigan State, Wisconsin or even Michigan? All of those teams have played Penn State at least 12 times since the Lions have joined the conference, yet none should make you as angry as Ohio State. Here's my theory.

To be a true rival, three truths must be present.

1. Familiarity
The Red Sox and Yankees play at least 18 times a year, the Cowboys and Redskins play at least twice, so does North Carolina and Duke. It's knowing that you have to deal with those fans and that team every year (and sometimes more than once) that makes it so important that you win. Penn State plays Ohio State and Michigan State every single year and have played Wisconsin all but four years and Michigan all but two years.

2. Proximity
What's the use in winning if nobody's there to hear you brag? This is the major reason why Wisconsin doesn't really count as the biggest Penn State rival. This rule has some exceptions, (USC and Notre Dame, Avalanche and Red Wings) but it can be superseded by either the above or below truth.

3. They Ruined Your Life
It was your year to win it all, but then _________ ripped your heart out. Just say Chad Henne to Mario Manningham with one second left and you'll know why Michigan is forever hated in Penn State. While Michigan owns this category for Penn State in the Big Ten era (Minnesota 1999 is an extremely close second, but who beat the Lions the very next week when they still could have gotten back in the national championship game?) The Buckeyes might not have one single game like this, but they have derailed Penn State seasons in September when the Lions were ranked #12, #4 and #7, so that's good enough. Wisconsin has never beaten a really good Penn State team, nor has Michigan State, so the Spartans bow out at this point.

Now comes the bitter decision of which team is the bigger rival to Penn State, Michigan or Ohio State. In times like this, when each team fulfills the criteria but only one can be chosen a fan must make a tough admission. It's one that he may never admit under any other circumstances, but one he must make now. And here it is...

Ohio State, since 1993, has been better than Penn State.

It sucks and it hurts, but it's true. Since the Lions joined the Big Ten, Ohio State has played in three National Championship games, winning one; captured two Heisman Trophies and been ranked number one in at least half a dozen seasons.

Ohio State has the fourth most wins in the country the last six years, a dozen more than Michigan, and the best record in the nation since 2005, the only Big Ten team with a better than Penn State during that time.

Like it or not, the Buckeyes have been the measuring stick for Penn State in just about each of the last 16 seasons and they are again this year. For those Lions' fans waiting for the Pitt series to resume, and embrace the series with Ohio State and channel your Panther hate to Buckeye hate - Penn State needs it against its newest and biggest rival.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

The Ohio State band predicting the halftime score and practicing their formations.

IF HISTORY REPEATS...

For Penn State, this weekends prime time showdown at Ohio State is far more than just another big game. A Big Ten Championship is at stake, an undefeated season at risk, and ultimately a shot at the National Championship could be within the Lions' grasp. Up to this point, Penn State has been a labeled a victim of not playing elite opponents. After this weekend, that will no longer be the case. Can Joe Pa's troops pull it off in the "Scarlet Fever?" Let's examine what history has to say about this.

Now, as we all know by now, Penn State does not hold a single win in Columbus since joining the Big Ten in 1993. In 7 consecutive meetings at "The Shoe", the Nittany Lions have been defeated by the Buckeyes every year. With the exception of the 2002 clash in which the Buckeyes squeaked out a 13-7 burner, the Lions have been blown out against the John Cooper/Jim Tressel-led squads. Ohio State has outscored the Lions 225 - 75 at Ohio Stadium since Penn State's arrival to the conference!! This year, however; something is different.

In every previous year when these two teams have met in Columbus, the higher ranked team has won. This has been Ohio State every year. Actually, since Penn State joined the Big Ten Conference, the higher ranked team has won every year in this matchup with the exception to 2005. (We all know the greatness of that game). Whether it be psychie, or the fact that that the higher ranked team is just better, Ohio State, being that higher ranked team, has been dominant at home. This year, the tables have turned. Penn State finds themselves the higher ranked of the two at #3, and Ohio State being #9/10.

Penn State vs Ohio State history


Indeed, Ohio State has owned Penn State in Columbus, but maybe they were just the better team all of those years. In 2008, all indications point towards Penn State being the superior. If the Lions come out and simply play their game, history should follow suit, and the higher ranked team will prevail once again.

TERRELLE PRYOR...COME ON DOWN

For those members of the 2008 Nittany Lion squad that made the last trip out to Columbus in 2006, there will be a lot to remind them of that disappointing afternoon.

The Horseshoe is still there. Those inbred classy fans with the squirrel food Buckeyes around their necks are still there. Jim Tressel and his knitted vest is still there. Lee Corso and his mascot head is still there. But one important thing isn't still there...

An experienced quarterback.

Two years ago, Heisman Trophy winner, Troy Smith, was under center for Ohio State and even though he didn't have a great day, his escape from Tim Shaw and subsequent touchdown pass to Brian Robiskie saved the day and preserved an undefeated regular season for the Bucks.

This season, Buckeye starter Terrelle Pryor has done a fantastic job trying to live up to the unimaginable hype he was saddled with after high school. Since taking over for incumbent All Big Ten quarterback Todd Boeckman, Pryor has led Ohio State to five straight wins and put them back in the top ten.

His numbers may not be sterling, but they're not bad either. He's completed over 65% of his passes and accounted for 11 total touchdowns while only throwing two interceptions. He famously told his coach to bench him if he couldn't move his team down the field last weekend and then shredded the Michigan State defense to the tune of 94 yards on 12 carries.

Most of the freshman's damage has been done via his legs. Pryor has gained nearly as many yards rushing (548) as passing (653), and only averages 11.25 passing attempts per game.

There are some that feel Pryor has has already shown he can win the big game and handle the pressure that comes with being the Buckeye signal-caller. They point to his last minute touchdown drive on the road against Wisconsin and his efficient game in East Lansing against an, at the time, top-20 Spartan team. But something is coming on Saturday that he hasn't seen yet.

Tom Bradley and the Penn State Defense.

The Lions are tops in the conference and eighth in the country in total defense and only five teams in the nation have given up fewer points per game than Penn State. That alone would be foreboding enough for the Buckeyes this weekend, but compound the talent of the Lions' defense with a freshman quarterback on the other side of the ball, and you could have real trouble.

Bradley took over as head of the defense in 2000 and since then has had the chance to gameplan against seven freshman quarterbacks. Take a look how he's done...

YEAR	QUARTERBACK	COMP-ATT-YDS	TD-INT	RUSH ATT-YDS	RESULT
2007	Ryan Mallett	16-29-170	0-1	5-7	L 9-14
2007	Jimmy Clausen	17-32-144	0-1	10- -25	W 31-10
2006	Juice Williams	13-33-156	0-2	19-5	W 26-12
2005	Curtis Painter	6-17-60	0-0	4-29	W 33-15
2004	Kyle Israel	6-19-52	0-1	4-5	W 48-10
2003	Antwan Smith	3-9-52	0-0	6- -11	W 32-10
2000	Jeff Smoker	13-25-183	1-0	7- -40	W 42-23
-----	-----	74-164-817	1-5	55- -30	6-1

Bradley's defenses have chewed up and spit out freshman quarterbacks the way Ohio State fans eat mayonnaise. Last week, Penn State showed a more athletic look at linebacker with Navarro Bowman, Michael Mauti and Bani Gbadyu behind the dominant D-Line. Teams had been running away from The New Prince of Darkness (TNPD), but where will they run to now?

If Penn State can shut down the running of Beanie Wells and Pryor and force the young freshman to throw, it will be very tough to beat Penn State. Unlike other years when Penn State has brought good defenses out to Columbus, this year's team has an offense that will put pressure on the Buckeyes to score and take chances with the football.

For a time, Penn State fans were hoping to see Pryor in blue and white; now, I think they'll settle for black and blue.

RESPECT

Respect has been something that has not come easy for the Nittany Lions this year. First, the criticism was was that they have not played a real team. Granted, this was after FBS Coastal Carolina came to Happy Valley. Oregon State came to town afterwards, and got rocked by 31 points. Following that blowout, the sentiment was that the Beavers had to travel across the country, which somehow de-valued that win (everyone seems to casually forget what Oregon State did to USC, but that's another story).

Then, experts said that Penn State has not played a real opponent. Enter Illinois. After a 38-24 throttling of Juice Williams and the Illini, one might think the Lions had earned some respect...they hadn't. The critics said that Penn State had not played a meaningful road game. Purdue was next on the docket, and faced the same fate as the previous five teams; another Nittany Lion victory. Then came the moment that cynics had been waiting for; Penn State's much anticipated trip to Wisconsin. If one remembers, the Badgers were at one point the sexy pick to win the Big 10. Even after they had lost two straight games, every Penn State fan's favorite analyst, Mark May (note the sarcasm) still had the gall to pick Wisconsin. Penn State ended up knocking the cheddar out of Wisconsin 48-7 (yeah put that in your juice box and suck it, Mark May). After all of that, about the only thing the Lions can't beat is the repuation they have for playing a "soft" schedule.

After watching ESPNU, I have now heard the latest trend in disrespecting Penn State. Mike Gottfried and Jim Donnan have both questioned Penn State's #3 ranking, because it's "hard to rank a team so highly that has played the likes of Temple, Coastal Carolina, and Syracuse." Obviously they don't realize that two components of the BCS are the Coaches Poll and Harris Poll. Each of those polls are comprised of either current or former coaches, athletic directors, players and sports writers. Why have they realized the talent that Penn State possesses and these two former coaches do not? It baffles the mind.

GIVE KELLY HIS DUE

I said in my last post that we cannot celebrate Penn State's win over Michigan for too long, due to the fact that a 10th ranked Ohio State is waiting to attempt a repeat of last years performance against the Lions.

However, I must retract that statement and take one step back to last weekend. I have (with great shame) forgotten to mention the fact that Kevin Kelly has become the Big Ten Conference's all-time kick scoring leader.

With his three field goals (42, 32, 20) and five PAT's, Kelly broke the conference record of 367 kicking points, previously held by Minnesota's Dan Nystrom and Iowa's Nate Kaeding. Kelly now holds the outright record at 376 kicking points. The Big Ten is recognizing his efforts and has named him the Big Ten Specialist of the Week (Derrick Williams also won this award for his efforts against Illinois).

Not satisfied with the kicking record, Kelly is also on the verge of breaking the Big Ten field goal record as well. The senior from Neshaminy High School currently has 70 career field goals, trailing Ohio State's Mike Nugent (72) and Nystrom (71). Not since the Garbage Picking, Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon has Pennsylvania seen such a leg.

In a conference where defense's and power runner's frequently shine, Kelly has been quietly racking up the points since he was a true freshman. Sure, at certain times we've all wanted to kill the kid or at least get him the hell off the field when we all want to go for it on 4th down. We've called him names, thrown things in his direction, punched our walls and gotten blacked out drunk when he hasn't succeeded. Hell, he caused a fellow blogger on The Floating Lion to vomit in his seat when he missed his second field goal in the 2005 Orange Bowl. Literally vomit due to a missed field goal. However, I believe this honor speaks for itself and Kelly deserves a lot of credit for Penn State's success.

This season Kelly leads all Penn State scorers with 79 points. He has connected on 12 of 14 field goals (his two misses coming from 51 and 45 yards) and has nailed all 43 PAT attempts.

Let's hope he gets 7 more on Saturday.

VOTE FOR ODRICK

Jared Odrick's gave the fans what they wanted on Saturday, now it's their turn to repay him.

Odrick's sack in the endzone for a safety against Michigan is a nominee for this week's Pontiac Game-Changing Performance. Fans can vote for the play HERE, until Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.

In the second half of Penn State's game against Michigan with the score tied at 17, the Wolverines were backed up into the south end zone of Beaver Stadium right in the hornets' nest of the Nittany Lion student section. The students begged for a safety and Odrick delivered. After pressure from Maurice "Mo Evans, Mo Problems" Evans forced quarterback Nick Sheridan to step up in the pocket, Odrick ripped him to the ground to give Penn State its first lead of the day.

The winner of Pontiac's Game-Changing Performance will earn a $5,000 contribution to his school's general scholarship fund. So vote early and often.

MICHIGAN WEEKEND WRAP-UP

The weekend is coming to an end in a few minutes and we’ll be forced to place the memories of yet another memorable Penn State victory on the backburner as a tough road game in Columbus is only days away.

But before we turn our focus to Ohio State, let’s take a look back on exactly what took place this weekend as the Lions were finally able to end the ever-so-long losing streak to the University of Michigan.

As one of my recent posts on The Floating Lion was all about the "signs" that pointed to a Penn State victory over the Wolverines, you can be sure I was a little nervous at the way the beginning of the game unfolded.

• First off, the Blue Band’s drum major failed to deliver on both of his pre-game flips. Everyone knows this is a sign that Penn State is due for a long day.

• The F-18’s that flew over Beaver Stadium were a good 10 seconds late as they were scheduled to fly over as the National Anthem was ending. (For the record, they still made my pants a little tighter. Video can be seen HERE.)

• Center A.Q. Shipley snapped Penn State’s first snap from scrimmage over Daryll Clark’s head for a 12-yard loss.

• Michigan’s tailback Brandon Minor looked like he was going to be a major problem early on as had no trouble finding open holes in the sluggish PSU defense.

• Clark gave away an early fumble and nearly another one after he botched a snap.

• Kevin “I Make it Rain” Kelly missed his second field goal of the season early on, on a 45-yarder that went off the right upright.
  

Yes, as Michigan quickly built leads of 10-0 and 17-7 (both Penn State's largest deficits of the season), it appeared that their streak of nine consecutive wins against the Lions was going to stretch to 10 and State College was about to be placed on suicide alert.

“We can’t beat them, we just can’t F-ing beat them,” cried one fan in the streets.

“If we lose this game, I’ll chop off my testicles,” cried one drunken FEMALE from an overflowing Rathskeller booth.

But just as quick as Jaeger bombs that flow down eager throats, Penn State awoke on both sides of the ball and began to dominate just like they had in the previous seven games. They clearly didn't see the signs that I saw. They saw a coaching staff that stuck to the plan and had confidence in their play-makers.

Evan Royster ran around like a greased pig on slaughter day as he broke tackle after tackle, racking up 174 yards on 18 carries. It was his "I cannot be tackled" attitude that brought the crowd to life, as he broke free for a 44-yard TD run in the first quarter.

The Lions made it clear that no matter what the signs pointed on Saturday evening, they were going to put an end to the losing streak once and for all.

Penn State again achieved tremendous offensive balance, throwing for 251 and rushing for 231 for a total of 482. The Lions gained 401 yards over the final three quarters.

39 consecutive points later, Joe Paterno had his 380th career victory in the books and the Lion faithful took to the streets to celebrate the Lions 8th win of the year.

You can be sure the Penn State coaching staff was quick to place a cap on the post game celebration Saturday evening as the Lions cannot lose focus of what’s at stake next weekend.

Not only are they playing in their third primetime game of the year against a team that embarrassed the Lions in Beaver Stadium last year, but they are also playing for the hope that their hard work will be rewarded with a trip to the National Championship. You’ve read in one of the below posts that the BCS computers were not exactly in Penn State’s corner as the first BCS standings were released this afternoon. It’s clear that Penn State will need to undoubtedly finish the year undefeated if a trip to Miami is in store for early January.

However, let’s consider this the end of our Michigan celebration as the Lions now face a No. 10 ranked Buckeye team that would like to see their own BCS stock raise with a win over a top-3 team.

I hope you’re not allergic to nuts Kirk Herbstreit, there’s going to be thousands of crushed Buckeyes come Saturday night.

Things to discuss while at the water cooler on Monday:

• Penn State finally blocked a punt. It was especially nice to see Nathan Stupar be the Lion to get his hands on the ball. He's been the source of about a million collective "OOOOooo's" as he's been ever-so-close numerous times this season to blocking a punt.
• Derrick Williams...not a quarterback. I threw my tasty Miller Light bottle against the wall when I saw him toss up that wobbly dead duck.
• Texas looks unstoppable. Alabama does not.
• Jim Tressel is a big nerd.

GAMEDAY COMING TO COLUMBUS

ESPN College Gameday wants to get a better look at the number three team in the country this week and will cover the Penn State vs. Ohio State game live for the fourth straight year.

The Nittany Lions are playing in their third prime-time game of the season on Saturday in Columbus against the ninth-ranked Buckeyes. The traveling show was in Columbus in 1996 when the third-ranked Buckeyes hosted sixth-ranked Penn State. Ohio State fans, displaying their usual class and intelligence, threw pancakes at the Penn State fans gathered (including a young future blogger) to promote All-American tackle Orlando Pace. That Gameday was the first one ever to feature the now-famous Lee Corso mascot head prediction.

Two years later, Gameday returned to Columbus when Ohio State, ranked #1, and Penn State, ranked #8, clashed. Pancakes weren't thrown at me that day, but the weather was absolutely miserable. Lavar Arrington tried to win that game single-handedly, but even our offense, led(?) by Kevin Thompson, couldn't resist scoring points for the Buckeyes.

Starting in 2005, Gameday has been to the last three PSU/OSU affairs, including a 2006 game in Columbus. Now, the young boy who was pelted with flapjacks ten years before was all grown up and full of coconut rum. My hat was stolen, a fellow writer of this blog got choked and an Ohio State Trooper, who had just a peach of a disposition, offered to book me a room at the local jail for the night.

I am willing to bet that Corso puts on the Nittany Lion head this weekend. I am going to go think of new insults for Kirk Herbstreit's kids, it's been two years since I've seen them.

COMPUTERS HATE PENN STATE

The only rankings that count in college football were released Saturday, and the results were mixed if you are a Penn State fan.

The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings (pdf) that will eventually determine which two teams will meet in Miami, Fl for the national title were revealed and had the Lions slotted at number three, right behind Texas and Alabama. That was no surprise, those three teams have been ranked in that order in each of the last two AP and Coaches polls. The shock (and concern) comes from the number next to Penn State's name in the average computer rank column, 7.

The Nittany Lions, one of just five remaining unbeaten teams from the big six conferences, has not impressed the computers nearly as much as they have the human voters. The Lions were ranked no higher than four by any of the computers and checked in at number eleven in Peter Wolfe's poll.

BCS RANK	TEAM	HARRIS POLL	COACHES POLL	COMP. AVG.
1	TEXAS	1	1	1
2	ALABAMA	2	2	2
3	PENN STATE	3	3	7
4	OKLAHOMA	4	5	4
5	USC	5	4	10
6	OKLAHOMA STATE	8	8	3
7	GEORGIA	9	9	6
8	TEXAS TECH	7	6	11
9	OHIO STATE	10	10	5
10	FLORIDA	6	7	12

As you can see above, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Georgia and Ohio State were the teams that were behind Penn State in the overall standings but had a higher computer average. It's still too early to determine if any of those teams present a threat to possibly jump Penn State by year's end, but it is disheartening to see just how little the computers respect what the Nittany Lions have done so far this season.

Much more of a concern to Penn State than the teams behind it should be the teams that are in front of it. Texas seems to be untouchable right now, both on the field and in the polls. The Longhorns, before Thanksgiving, will have played against the #'s 4 (Oklahoma), 6 (Oklahoma St.), 8 (Texas Tech) and15 (Missouri) teams in the BCS standings. Should they emerge from that stretch, a conference championship game and the big rivalry game against the Texas A&M Aggies unblemished, they will be in the National Championship game and will have certainly earned their spot.

Alabama's perch is much more precarious. Sure, theTide has surged in "big games" against Clemson and Georgia, but it has looked rather pedestrian in many of its other games, although all victories to this point. 'Bama will play against Tennessee, LSU and Auburn before season's end and, if they continue to win, will represent the SEC's West Division in the league's championship game against probably Georgia or Florida. At this point, an undefeated season for Alabama seems like a long shot, but it's already more than halfway to that accomplishment.

It doesn't seem likely that the Lions will be able to leapfrog either the 'Horns or Tide should all three remain unbeaten. Penn State has just one ranked team, Ohio State, remaining on its schedule, but a win on the road against the Buckeyes should carry enough clout to keep the Lions safely in front of its pursuers for at least the next few weeks.

Overall, the Big Ten has four teams in the BCS Top 25, but the Lions only play one of those teams. The conference is tied for the second most teams ranked with the SEC, the Big XII leads the way with six. USC is the lone member of the Pac-10 Conference listed and the ACC and Big East have two teams each, but all are listed outside of the top 15.

FINALLY!

Just before kickoff at Saturday's game, two jets screamed across the sky above Beaver Stadium. One could take them to symbolize that the real story of this game would not be told until two halves of football were played.

In what's becoming a disturbing trend, the Nittany Lions started slowly against Michigan, but rebounded to give RichRod his worst loss yet as head coach of the maize and blue, 46-17. This game had it all: touchdowns, field goals clanging off of uprights, fumbles, blocked punts, safeties, the fourth biggest crowd in Beaver Stadium history and the eighth straight win for Penn State in '08.

There is much to be written about this game, but the team can't pat itself on the back too much for being the first group of Lions to beat Michigan since 1996, as the Buckeyes and Ohio Stadium are awaiting it next weekend.

This season is just the second time ever that Penn State has beaten Michigan and Wisconsin in the same year, the first was 1996, but it has never defeated the Badgers, Wolverines and Buckeyes in the same season. So far, the Joe Paterno Retirement Revenge Tour hasn't missed a beat, but can it do something in Columbus that hasn't been done by a Penn State team in 30 years? Win?

If any Paterno-coached squad could make it happen, it's this one.

LOSING STREAK NO MORE

It surely didn't come easy, (at least in the first half), but in the end, Penn State finally got the monkey off its back yesterday, handing Michigan a 46-17 thumping. The 114th-nationally-ranked Wolverines offense, and the seventh-ranked Penn State defense must have forgotten who they were to start the game. Michigan waltzed down the field on its first three possessions setting up an early 17-7 second quarter lead. After that though, it was all Nittany Lions. On Michigan's remaining eleven drives of the day, it was limited to eight three-and-outs, including six punts, a fumble and a sack by Jarid Odrick for safety, giving Penn State its first lead of the day, 19-17.


For Penn State fans, there was reason for panic early in the football game. Before many people even got to their seats, center A.Q. Shipley launched the first snap of the game over Daryl Clark's head, setting up a 2nd-and-26. Penn State was unable to rebound and was forced to punt the ball away. After a long sustaining Michigan touchdown drive, Daryll Clark fumbled the ball away on Penn State's next possession. A Michigan field goal would shove Penn State in its deepest hole yet this year, down 10-0. Like any good heavyweight fighter though, Penn State kept on swinging. Thanks to a big kickoff return from redshirt-freshman Chaz Powell, the Nits responded quickly with a 44-yard Evan Royster touchdown run. On that play, it looked as if Royster would be brought down at the line of scrimmage, but he managed to break off a few tackles and take it to the house for Penn State's first score. After another touchdown by each squad, Penn State would go into the locker room trailing for the first time at the halfway point this season.


Clearly, some adjustments were made. The Nittany Lions came out in the third quarter sticking it to Michigan. Freshman Drew Astorino replaced Anthony Scirrotto, who suffered a concussion, and big play from true freshman Michael Mauti, (the next great Penn State linebacker), and sophomore Bani Gbadyu, led a stifling Penn State defense that allowed only 79 total yards in the second half. Penn State's offense overcame its early jitters too, racking up 36 straight points en route to a 482 yd performance.

Maybe it would be better for Josh Hull to be publicly criticized more often. The junior linebacker, looked awful Saturday. (Following the Illinois game, Hull was called out for misreading plays and not making tackles. He followed up with a 12-solo tackle outing at Purdue). Against Michigan, Hull looked fundamentally challenged. He was never in the right place, got pummeled by Michigan running back Brandon Minor, and had to be replaced by Mauti. The young man from Louisiana made a case for himself to be the new starter, looking fast and aggressive, while making big play after play (7 stops, 1 TFL, and a forced fumble on a kick return). Hull will get his chance again, but he better make the most of his next opportunity, or Mauti might be anchoring the Penn State defense earlier than expected.

The special teams continued to play well. Backed in a corner and down 10-0, the Nittany Lions' kick return team wedged a hole that a Mack Truck could have driven through, leading Powell to the 48 yard line, and setting up terrific field position for the offense. Kevin Kelly became the Big-Ten career scoring leader with 376 points after converting three of four field goal attempts, and five extra points. And punter Josh Boone pinned Michigan deep in their territory with big punts almost the entire day.

Royster has a running style that no Penn State back has ever had before. Maybe it's because he was a high-school standout in lacrosse, (Royster was recruited by every major lacrosse program in the country), that makes him so dangerous with the football. It seems that every time his number gets called, he is able to keep his shoulders square downfield while making Chris Berman-style "whoops" as he slashes his way to big plays. His vision is tremendous, and his lower body is so powerful. Another huge day for Royster, tallying 174 yards and a touchdown on only 18 touches. That's an amazing average of 9.7 yards per carry. He now has 893 yards and 10 TD on the season. Look for him to go over the 1,000 yard mark next week in Columbus.

State College local, Nathan Stupar is quietly making a name for himself. The redshirt-freshman is leading the kick coverage team by making tackles all over the field. He contributed in a huge way Saturday by blocking a Michigan punt at a crucial point in the game to set up Penn State's offense with excellent field position.

Yes, like all losing streaks, this one had to come to an end at some point. Penn State has beaten Michigan finally, sits atop the Big Ten at 8-0 overall and will likely be #3 when the BCS rankings come out Saturday night. Certainly, life is good in Happy Valley right now, but there is still much to be accomplished. Let us not celebrate too long (nobody can probably drink today anyway after last night) because next week is the newest "game of the year" for Penn State. Big start to the season so far, yet a few more challenges lie ahead. Only time will tell if this dream season is truly meant to be.

THIS IS THE YEAR

Michigan has been a total nuisance to Penn State for over a decade now. The Nittany Lions have had numerous opportunities within the past 9 meetings to win, but as we all know too well, that just hasn't happened. For the Penn State players, the past events might not matter in their preparation for Saturdays showdown, but for Penn State fans, it's a whole different story. The fans have been there to experience all of these losses, and like a pesky gnat buzzing around your head, Michigan just won't go away. Taking a look at the numbers so far this season, you have to believe that if there ever was a time to do it, this has to be Penn State's year to finally beat Michigan.

Michigan: 100th in the country in total offense at 18.8 ppg
Penn State: 7th in the country in total offense at 45.3 ppg

Michigan: 54th in total defense allowing 344 ypg
Penn State: 8th in total defense allowing 259 ypg

Michigan: 116th in 3rd down percentage at an astounding 27.2%
Penn State: 8th in 3rd down percentage at 52.3%

Michigan: 114th in turnover ratio at -1.33
Penn State: 18th in turnover ratio at +1.14

By the way, for those of you who could have imagined this, but haven't actually saw the statistic, Derrick Williams leads the nation in kick returns with an amazing 38.3 yards per return. His ability to break out the big play has put seperation between Penn State and their oppenents at crucial moments in several games this year. As Joe Paterno has mentioned a few times, Dick Anderson and Bill Kenney deserve a whole lot of credit for their work with the special teams.

As the statistics point out, if Penn State doesn't beat Michigan this year, it will not be a result of not having the better team. The Nittany Lions have quite possibly the best offensive line unit in the country, playmakers at all offensive positions, and a Tom Bradley led defensive that straight up shuts you down. This could be the best all around team that Penn State has ever had. That is a bold statement, and only time will tell whether it is right or wrong.

STREAKS

The buzz around the media circuit seems to be centered around our streak of futility against Michigan. That streak sits at 12 years, which translates into 9 games. However, I just heard on ESPNU that there is an even more impressive/depressive (whichever side of it you're on)streak out there; it is Missouri's losing streak against Texas. The last time Missouri has beaten Texas was 1896! Talk about dominance over another team.

Enough talking about other teams. Let's move on to our game. I see this game going one of two ways; either its a close game through the first quarter, or maybe half or we flat out dominate from start to finish. In the first scenario, I see a game similar to Notre Dame last year, where we are clearly the dominant team but shoot ourselves in the foot numerous times on the way to winning comfortaby. I do not see this happening though. This team is so much different than last years. I see a more motivated team which has a ton of leadership on both sides of the ball. I see us opening up the playbook and showing the rest of the nation that we are for real (and to shut Mark May up once and for all). There are some doubters still out there, and this is a game to help make them see the light. I understand that Michigan may be down this year, and a blow out win probably will not be that impressive to outsiders, but this win can give us the necessary momentum before our showdown with Ohio State.

My prediction for this weekend........48-6 (I debated making my prediction 51-10). So take either one. Hopefully it is close. I just do not want a close game.

Enjoy Homecoming Weekend/the game everyone and LETS GO STATE!!