Back in August, Penn State fans envisioned that the Lions' game against Michigan State this weekend would be nothing more than a coronation. Beating the Spartans would be the final touch on a sparkling undefeated season that landed Penn State back in Pasadena. Instead, after a season that has been devoid of impressive wins and signature moments, the game is a chance to beat a bowl-eligible team, perhaps earn a share of the conference title and strengthen the Lions' shaky BCS resume. Still, despite falling short of expectations, this season has been a fun one for Penn State and its fans. Each week, the Blue and White faithful not only live and die with each down for their team, but have had a rooting interest in so many otherwise unimportant games.
Consider for a moment the position of a Florida Gators fan (one of my good friends is such a person and gave me the idea for this post). He's enjoyed his program's greatest success the last few years, celebrating two national titles and a 20-game winning streak. He's seen his Gators pulverize the rest of the SEC while being the favorite every time they take the field. Heading into this season, the Gators were easily the top-ranked team in the nation and have known that regardless of what every other team in the country does, all it has to do is win. The only scoreboard that has to be tracked is the one that says "U of F" on it. Sure, it's fun to see if rivals win or lose and the Gator Nation was more than a little curious as to whom it would play in the conference championship game, but outside of those few contests, every other game was completely ancillary.
I am not saying that I wouldn't rather have a Penn State team that was 10-0 right not and ranked first, but given what the Lions are in 2009, I am happy that I get to cheer for all hell to break loose every Saturday. I remember rooting hard against Ole Miss when it was ranked ahead of Penn State and lost on the road to South Carolina, only to freeze in the rain while Penn State blew a fourth quarter lead to Iowa two nights later. Then, as Penn State put together its five-game winning streak, I started to cheer hard against the remaining unbeatens, hoping they would fall back to the Lions and allow Penn State to have an argument to be included in the discussion for the national title. Now, with a possible quarter-share of the Big Ten championship at stake this weekend and a shot at a second-straight BCS berth, this weekend's games will have me glued to my set.
Right now, I am watching Colorado try to hang on for the upset against Oklahoma State, a win that would greatly improve Penn State's chances for a BCS game. I will also, as always, be cheering hard against that four-letter word from western Pennsylvania as it takes on West Virginia and Cincinnati. I'll wish for Utah State to upend Boise State, Minnesota to take down Iowa and Michigan to beat Ohio State. If Penn State were 11-0, I wouldn't care nearly as much about these games, although I would have plane tickets to Pasadena.
There's no arguing that having Penn State in the race for the national title isn't a better scenario than having it fighting for its BCS life, but there's something to be said for how much more invested fans are in all the other games when the Lions need help to get where they're going.
Showing posts with label 2009 Penn State Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2009 Penn State Football. Show all posts
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
THE BALLAD OF OHIOWA
Listen closely and I'll tell you a tale about the 2009 Penn State Nittany Lions. Just stop me if you've heard it before.
A capacity crowd at B
eaver Stadium awaits the appearance of its beloved Lions, roaring in anticipation of a Saturday showdown against a Big Ten power. Penn State, highly ranked and riding the momentum of a string of easy victories, has made believers out of pundits and fans alike and enter the game favored to win and expected to take the lead in the race for the conference championship. However, the thousands of home fans go home disappointed as the buildup for the game far outdoes the action on the field. Ultimately, questionable playcalling, poor execution and crippling special teams blunders bury the Lions in a double-digit loss.
This script has been played out twice in the 2009 campaign, once against Iowa on September 26 and again against the Ohio State Buckeyes on November 7. The loss to the Hawkeyes was upsetting but not unfathomable, the loss to Ohio State was puzzling. The Lions led its game against the Hawkeyes into the fourth quarter until a blocked punt gave Iowa the lead and turned the tide of the contest for good. Still, as frustrating as it was, it could have been considered a "quality" loss. The Haweyes were undefeated and ranked fourth in the country until their starting quarterback got hurt and Iowa dream season spoiled against Northwestern. Additionally, the game was played in less than ideal weather conditions and Penn State, although undefeated, still couldn't get out of its own way in its first three games against subpar competition.
Then came the game against Ohio State. The Buckeyes, the recurring antagonist in Penn State's 17 year nightmare, did what they do best against the Lions, dominate. This loss hurt so much more than the Iowa game because I really don't think fans saw it coming. In the five weeks after the loss to the Hawkeyes, Penn State's offense and defense had become downright frightening. Averaging nearly 30 points per game while allowing less than nine, the Lions were a freight train headed straight for the BCS. Not only was the team playing its best football, but the fans had been conditioned to think that this was not like the other Penn State teams. This Lions team had no problems playing on the road, going 7-1 in the last two seasons and had broken out of its funk against Michigan, beating the Wolverines by a combined 54 points in two years. It had even taken down the Buckeyes in the Horseshoe for the first time since joining the conference. This is not to suggest that the 2009 team is the same as the 2008, but this is the Spread HD and Captain Clark, there was no need to fear.
The worst thing about the loss to Ohio State last Saturday, for me, was that it seemed like Penn State didn't know what to expect. It appeared that Penn State wasn't aware that it had huge deficiencies in the special teams game or that Ohio State had a ferocious defense. It's one thing to lose to a superior team when you execute your best, its another thing to lose a game when you commit a crucial mistake but it's an entirely worse thing to come out flat or to look unprepared in a big game.
In its eleven losses against Ohio State, the Lions are averaging just 10.9 points per game and have scored more than 17 only twice. The 24-7 loss to the Buckeyes is what fans should have expected given Penn State's previous performances against Ohio State, but it still defies logic how this particular team's best effort at home only netted seven points.
Perhaps if Clark hadn't been playing some of the best quarterback in the country, perhaps if the running game hadn't found its stride, perhaps if the wide receivers hadn't appeared to have come of age, fans could understand why Saturday happened. Instead, they are left scratching their heads and nursing that all-to-familiar feeling of letdown.
A capacity crowd at B
eaver Stadium awaits the appearance of its beloved Lions, roaring in anticipation of a Saturday showdown against a Big Ten power. Penn State, highly ranked and riding the momentum of a string of easy victories, has made believers out of pundits and fans alike and enter the game favored to win and expected to take the lead in the race for the conference championship. However, the thousands of home fans go home disappointed as the buildup for the game far outdoes the action on the field. Ultimately, questionable playcalling, poor execution and crippling special teams blunders bury the Lions in a double-digit loss.This script has been played out twice in the 2009 campaign, once against Iowa on September 26 and again against the Ohio State Buckeyes on November 7. The loss to the Hawkeyes was upsetting but not unfathomable, the loss to Ohio State was puzzling. The Lions led its game against the Hawkeyes into the fourth quarter until a blocked punt gave Iowa the lead and turned the tide of the contest for good. Still, as frustrating as it was, it could have been considered a "quality" loss. The Haweyes were undefeated and ranked fourth in the country until their starting quarterback got hurt and Iowa dream season spoiled against Northwestern. Additionally, the game was played in less than ideal weather conditions and Penn State, although undefeated, still couldn't get out of its own way in its first three games against subpar competition.
Then came the game against Ohio State. The Buckeyes, the recurring antagonist in Penn State's 17 year nightmare, did what they do best against the Lions, dominate. This loss hurt so much more than the Iowa game because I really don't think fans saw it coming. In the five weeks after the loss to the Hawkeyes, Penn State's offense and defense had become downright frightening. Averaging nearly 30 points per game while allowing less than nine, the Lions were a freight train headed straight for the BCS. Not only was the team playing its best football, but the fans had been conditioned to think that this was not like the other Penn State teams. This Lions team had no problems playing on the road, going 7-1 in the last two seasons and had broken out of its funk against Michigan, beating the Wolverines by a combined 54 points in two years. It had even taken down the Buckeyes in the Horseshoe for the first time since joining the conference. This is not to suggest that the 2009 team is the same as the 2008, but this is the Spread HD and Captain Clark, there was no need to fear.
The worst thing about the loss to Ohio State last Saturday, for me, was that it seemed like Penn State didn't know what to expect. It appeared that Penn State wasn't aware that it had huge deficiencies in the special teams game or that Ohio State had a ferocious defense. It's one thing to lose to a superior team when you execute your best, its another thing to lose a game when you commit a crucial mistake but it's an entirely worse thing to come out flat or to look unprepared in a big game.
In its eleven losses against Ohio State, the Lions are averaging just 10.9 points per game and have scored more than 17 only twice. The 24-7 loss to the Buckeyes is what fans should have expected given Penn State's previous performances against Ohio State, but it still defies logic how this particular team's best effort at home only netted seven points.
Perhaps if Clark hadn't been playing some of the best quarterback in the country, perhaps if the running game hadn't found its stride, perhaps if the wide receivers hadn't appeared to have come of age, fans could understand why Saturday happened. Instead, they are left scratching their heads and nursing that all-to-familiar feeling of letdown.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
CLARK IS ON THE MARK
Daryll Clark continued his strong play on the road on Saturday, leading Penn State to a 34-13 victory over Northwestern in a game that had all the makings of a typical trap game. Sandwiched between the Michigan and Ohio State games, the contest against the Wildcats didn't seem to have the Lions' full attention for the first 45 minutes of the game as the teams were tied at 13 going into the final quarter. Luckily, Penn State took its "Stanzi-pills" and came out with guns blazing in the fourth score 21 unanswered and put the game away.Clark finished the game 22-31 for 274 yards and two total touchdowns and, perhaps most importantly, no turnovers. Since his poor performance against Iowa in which he tossed three interceptions and completed only 38% of his passes, Clark has been on fire. In the last five games he has connected on 66% of his throws, accounting for 14 total touchdowns and only one turnover. Not surprisingly, the Lions are 5-0 in that stretch with an average victory margin of 27 points.
One reason for the increased success in the aerial attack may be the infusion of Clark's running into the offensive game plan. Nearly 70% of his rushing attempts, 80% of his rushing yards and all of his touchdowns on the ground this season have come in the last five games.
The senior captain's strong performances haven't gone unnoticed as Clark has been named one of 15 semi-finalists for the Davey O'Brien Award and is the only player to be twice-named the Big Ten's offensive player of the week (Akron and Michigan) in 2009.
Still, for all of his success this season, the lasting memory of the 2009 campaign may be crystallized next Saturday when Penn State welcomes the Ohio State Buckeyes to Beaver Stadium. Last season, Clark watched backup quarterback Pat Devlin lead the Lions to a fourth-quarter rally in Columbus through glassy eyes after being knocked from the game with a concussion. Should he lead his team to victory in this game, Clark will finish his career undefeated against as a starter against Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin, the first Penn State quarterback to ever accomplish such a feat.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
THE POWER OF THE MUSTACHE IS NOT OVERSTATED
You know your defense is good when you're not only intimidating the other team, but also the referees. In Saturday's game against Minnesota, the Lions not only completely bottled up the Golden Gophers offense, but also forced one of the officials to the sidelines. The reason:
Mustache Envy.
After a long morning of grooming and weather-coating his lip fur with bees' wax, linesman M. Mahouski is expecting another typical day at the office. He's counting on an October afternoon full of whistle-blowing, flag-throwing and making young coeds swoon with his facial hair pillow.
Then, it happened. Through the misty rain and fogged breath, Mahouski saw it. A patch of glorious hair so unlike the whiskers and stubble he was used to seeing college players wear. A full-fledged chevron (a thick and wide mustache, usually worn long to cover the top border of the upper lip).
Could this really be happening? Mahouski, sporter of one of the best manicured mouth coiffures, was upstaged by a man half his age? This hadn't happened before since James Avalon cheated and filled in his wispy chin growth with permanent marker in the fifth grade. Mahouski was bested in a mustache competition. The decision of what move to make next wasn't his choice. There is a strict code to be adhered to in times like this, one developed centuries ago by men wiser than him. These men wore classic face blankets like the Wandering Jim, the Hardpan, the Flapwings and the Chilly Cheeks. Mashouski had no choice but to leave the game, shamed into exile by the dense mouth insulator of Josh Hull.
It was quite a day for the senior linebacker. A shutout win for his defense, a first quarter interception of Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber and a dominating victory over Mahouski in a moustache contest 100,000 people didn't even know they were watching.
Mustache Envy.
After a long morning of grooming and weather-coating his lip fur with bees' wax, linesman M. Mahouski is expecting another typical day at the office. He's counting on an October afternoon full of whistle-blowing, flag-throwing and making young coeds swoon with his facial hair pillow.
Then, it happened. Through the misty rain and fogged breath, Mahouski saw it. A patch of glorious hair so unlike the whiskers and stubble he was used to seeing college players wear. A full-fledged chevron (a thick and wide mustache, usually worn long to cover the top border of the upper lip).
Could this really be happening? Mahouski, sporter of one of the best manicured mouth coiffures, was upstaged by a man half his age? This hadn't happened before since James Avalon cheated and filled in his wispy chin growth with permanent marker in the fifth grade. Mahouski was bested in a mustache competition. The decision of what move to make next wasn't his choice. There is a strict code to be adhered to in times like this, one developed centuries ago by men wiser than him. These men wore classic face blankets like the Wandering Jim, the Hardpan, the Flapwings and the Chilly Cheeks. Mashouski had no choice but to leave the game, shamed into exile by the dense mouth insulator of Josh Hull.
It was quite a day for the senior linebacker. A shutout win for his defense, a first quarter interception of Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber and a dominating victory over Mahouski in a moustache contest 100,000 people didn't even know they were watching.
BLAME IT ON THE RAIN
It was another uneventful game in a season that's been devoid of big moments for the Penn State football team. Neither the Nittany Lions or Minnesota Golden Gophers seemed to have much juice during the 90th Homecoming Game at Beaver Stadium, but at least the Penn State defense showed up to capture its first shutout of the season, 20-0.
The horrible weather going on all over the northeast scared many of the fans away and made for less than ideal conditions, but it was clear early on that the Golden Gophers just didn't have the talent on either side of the ball to hang with the Lions. Penn State had only one three-and-out possession all day and only had one drive that chewed up fewer than 31 yards. Co-Captain Sean Lee returned to action for the first time since the Temple game to help spearhead a classic defensive effort. Lee and company collected an early interception and stuffed Minnesota at the goal line while surrendering just one drive of more than 24 yards all game.
If one had to pick a pervading theme for the 2009 season so far, it would probably be the rain or the schedule, but the dominating defense would run a close second. In a very Jim Tressel way of looking at things, the season is halfway over and Penn State is 5-1 overall and tied for second in the conference. It's had one really bad quarter all season, so the glass is certainly half-full for this team as it readies for the "difficult" portion of its schedule starting with the Michigan Wolverines next week.
Perhaps the biggest concern coming out of Saturday's game against Minnesota is the health of backup running back Stephon Greene. The sophomore left the game in the first half and didn't return to the sidelines for the remainder of the contest.When asked about it after the game, Joe Paterno said, "...I know he's hurt, but I don't know how badly. It was probably an ankle [injury]."
Friday, August 7, 2009
RANKINGS!
Pre-season college football rankings...can't live with them, can't live without them.
The USA Today Coaches Poll unveiled its 2009 Preseason rankings Friday morning with the Penn State Nittany Lions slotted eighth and the defending National Champion Florida Gators the clear-cut #1.
Pre-season rankings are routinely blasted as being completely inaccurate since many teams haven't even started their practice sessions yet, but they sometimes are a great indicator of what the national perception of your team is for the upcoming campaign.
Overall, here's how the conferences were represented:
As it looks right now, Penn State has only two ranked opponents on its schedule - Ohio State (6) and Iowa (21). By comparison, USC is slated to play five ranked opponents (Ohio State, Cal, Oregon, Oregon State and Notre Dame), Florida is lined up to play three (FSU, LSU and Georgia), and Texas is scheduled to play two (Oklahoma and Oklahoma State).
Surely, these rankings with undergo seismic shifts as some teams' preseason hype morphs into regular season failures and others suprise. Here's a list of teams currently unranked that could make some noise come bowl season - West Virginia (31st), Miami (33rd), Illinois (35th), Tennessee (t-53rd) & Michigan (56th).
The USA Today Coaches Poll unveiled its 2009 Preseason rankings Friday morning with the Penn State Nittany Lions slotted eighth and the defending National Champion Florida Gators the clear-cut #1.
Pre-season rankings are routinely blasted as being completely inaccurate since many teams haven't even started their practice sessions yet, but they sometimes are a great indicator of what the national perception of your team is for the upcoming campaign.
Overall, here's how the conferences were represented:
As it looks right now, Penn State has only two ranked opponents on its schedule - Ohio State (6) and Iowa (21). By comparison, USC is slated to play five ranked opponents (Ohio State, Cal, Oregon, Oregon State and Notre Dame), Florida is lined up to play three (FSU, LSU and Georgia), and Texas is scheduled to play two (Oklahoma and Oklahoma State).
Surely, these rankings with undergo seismic shifts as some teams' preseason hype morphs into regular season failures and others suprise. Here's a list of teams currently unranked that could make some noise come bowl season - West Virginia (31st), Miami (33rd), Illinois (35th), Tennessee (t-53rd) & Michigan (56th).
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
HULL OF A PROBLEM TO HAVE
The Daily Collegian has a couple of good reads this morning about the upcoming season. Will somebody tell these young, enterprising journalists that it's the summer and they should be out slacking off at an internship instead of slaving away to write copy?Of all the units on the defensive side of the ball for Penn State, the linebackers are the one that doesn't have anybody worried. A deep, talented stable of athletic players almost guarantees that this position will be the strength of the team, but that doesn't mean that its not without some uncertainties. Although most fans will tell you that whichever number you plug in will get the job done, there's still doubt as to who will line up next to Sean Lee and Navorro Bowman. Senior Josh Hull is confident that he's going to be the man.
"I'm 100 percent confident enough in my talent that I'm going to be on the field playing linebacker at one of the three spots," Hull said before competing in last Friday's Lift for Life.Click HERE to read the full article.
Over on the offensive side of the ball, the Lions must replace last year's Rimington Award Winner, AQ Shipley at center. Stepping into those shoes is junior Stefen Wisniewski, who started at guard last season for Penn State. It may take a few games before his play resembles his former teammate's, but let's hope he has a better knack for remembering the snap count.
"The last thing you think about is the snap count. I remember A.Q. [Shipley] would turn around and ask Daryll [Clark] what the snap count was like every other play," Wisniewski said about last year with a laugh.Click HERE to read the full article.
Hull and Wisniewski are both players who, despite starting last year, are facing new challenges in 2009. Jack Crawford had only four tackles as a freshman last season, but has everybody talking about what he can do as a projected starter at defensive end in the fall.
"Jack's a monster," senior defensive end Jerome Hayes said. "This year's gonna be a very big year for him, gonna put him in a position where he can really succeed and help us out as a defense so were all excited -- the team and the fans -- about Jack."
Click HERE to read the full article.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
GREAT THINGS AWAITING, EXPECTED OF CLARK
Since Joe Paterno became head coach of the Penn State football program in 1966, nine players (including Curt Warner later this year) have been inducted into College Football's Hall of Fame. Exactly zero of them played quarterback. But just because none of Paterno's signal-callers have been immortalized in South Bend, it doesn't mean that this position isn't one of the greatest harbingers for the Lion's success in a particular season. As a matter of fact, it just about guarantees it.Consider that Penn State will be led by senior captain Darryl Clark at quarterback this season. Last season he won the Big Ten's Offensive MVP award and joined Kerry Collins and Michael Robinson as quarterbacks that have guided the Lions to a Big Ten title. However, unlike Collins and Robinson, Clark accomplished this feat before his senior year, injecting Penn State fans with optimism for his final campaign - and for good reason.
Beginning in 1968, Penn State has enjoyed twenty 10+ win seasons under Paterno. The absolutely remarkable thing about this accomplishment is that each time a quarterback led the Lions to 10+ wins and returned for his next season, he did it again. Think about that. Never has a Paterno-coached quarterback failed to deliver after tasting success in the form of a double-digit win season! Seriously...I looked it up.
(click to enlarge)
(click to enlarge)Thursday, June 18, 2009
TOM BRADLEY SPEAKS, SO DOES JOE...SORT OF
ESPN.com blogger Adam Rittenberg caught up with Tom Bradley recently to talk about the Nittany Lions' defense. Bradley will once again have to prove why he is one of the top coaches in America as the Lions try to replace three starters on the defensive line and the entire secondary.TOM BRADLEY PART I
TOM BRADLEY PART II
Meanwhile, EDSBS has posted the transcript from a "conversation" between the two winningest active coaches, Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden, about the controversy over some of Bobby's wins. Looks like Joe might not be as sympathetic as he's led us to believe.
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