Beaver Stadium getting some new threads

According to an article I saw on FootballStadiumDigest.com, ANC Sports will be installing two very large LED screens in Beaver Stadium prior to Penn State's Aug. 30 kickoff with Coastal Carolina.

FSD.com: "The new signage will synchronize with various live sports feeds to distribute real-time information to the displays. The new system also can handle out-of-town scores, in-game team summaries, up-to-the-minute player statistics and many other stats. ANC won't have long to wait how people like the new setup. The first of seven Nittany Lion home football games will be played August 30."

ANC's president and CEO, Jerry Cifarelli, told FSD.com that the goal is to "provide one of the premier event experiences in collegiate sports." Great idea, but is that really what Penn State should be concentrating on right now? I'm sure we will all love having the live feeds from these screens, but is it at the cost of other things?

I'm not trying to get in the way of progress. Plenty of people were pissed off when the south end zone was closed off and the beautiful view of Mount Nittany was forever lost from inside the stadium, but we've all moved on. The Blue Band has moved its stadium spot about a dozen times, and no one really cares after first noticing. But to me, this new stadium display could take away something that we all look forward to each game. When Dean DeVore--Penn State football PA announcer--runs through the updated scores from other games, how much fun is it to hear everyone cheer or jeer for the winning/losing team? Yes, the new LED screens will offer the same score updates, but it won't have everyone's attention when the scores are announced. It just one of those little things that make the difference between college and pro sports. Most college football fans remain obsessively committed to the sport due to the tradition factor that the NFL grossly lacks, especially in the stadium atmosphere department.

We'll all probably forget about this by the end of that first game, but it's just one of the many little things Penn State has done recently which sort of raises an eyebrow. What if the administration put that money back into the school itself, instead of just pumping up tuition another couple percentage points each year? Sorry, I'm getting too preachy. I'll go now.

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And when, exactly, did the Big Ten ask for your advice?

Sean Jackson, a CFN blogger, had a coherent (that was about it) write up on how the Big Ten can be better in 2008. Now, I won’t get into the fact that he’s just one of the many talking about the Big Ten as if it’s the MAC or even the Big East circa 2004. Jackson just made some fundamental mistakes in his assessment of the conference going into 2008, mistakes which should have been, at the very least, addressed by CFN before publishing the article.

“It’s essential that the Big Ten establishes a tone early in the season especially for the younger teams such as Michigan, Penn State, and Michigan State. If the younger teams can develop confidence from the beginning of the year, it’ll make the Big Ten much more competitive. If not then history will repeat itself.”

Young? I’m not one to defend those two other teams from Michigan, but to lump Penn State, Michigan and Michigan State in the “young” category is just not correct. Penn State may return as many as 18 starters for 2008, and many more with starting experience. The Lions have an upperclassmen-laden depth chart this fall, and Jackson clearly gives away his failure to do even minimal research by labeling Penn State as a “younger” team in the Big Ten.

Michigan’s defense is shaping up to be one of the better in the conference in 2008, with the entire line returning, an excellent leader in MLB Obi Ezeh, two returning starting corners, and two safeties with starting/meaningful experience.

The Spartans return EIGHT starters on offense, including fantastic back Javon Ringer and signal caller Brian Hoyer. Meanwhile, the defense has six starters coming back, and three more with starting experience. I’ve even called for Michigan State to finish third in the Big Ten this year!

“For the past two years it’s been Ohio State, then Wisconsin and Michigan dueling for second. Illinois emerged last year as a pleasant surprise adding a fourth team to the mix, but from then on it gets ugly pretty quick. Want to prove the media wrong? Want to field teams in the BCS that will compete? Then the core of the conference needs to get better. Teams need to start challenging and keeping up with Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Illinois, in order to make this conference better.”

Has Jackson even watched a Big Ten football game the past two seasons? If I remember correctly, Illinois was 2-10 the year before last, and 2-10 the year before that! He also falls into the pack mentality by failing to recall that the past two seasons, Big Ten BCS teams have played USC twice, Florida, and LSU. I’m not so sure any other conference would do much better against those opponents. The only team that proved it deserved a shot against those two eventual national champions was USC, who’s still (as much as we’d like to ignore it after Vince Young tore them apart in ’05) in the middle of an incredible dynasty of dominance.

Just try to tell me that Oklahoma (which was blown out by Big East “weakling” West Virginia) should have played LSU last year, or Virginia Tech, or even Kansas (which lost to Missou) or Missouri (which lost--twice--to Oklahoma). USC was the only other choice to play in the BCS National Championship Game, and while they probably could have beaten LSU, the Trojans lost to Stanford at home, so the voters never would have gone for placing them ahead of Ohio State. And if you want to take the “voter-bias” point further, West Virginia should have also been given serious consideration, but because of the largely false assumption that the Big East can’t compete, the Mountaineers were left out.*

I don’t think that I’m as upset at Jackson, as it seems. It’s just this snowballing effect since Ohio State lost the 2007 national championship to an LSU team that was supposed to win it from the beginning. Jackson and CFN are just the latest to fall victim to this black hole of sensationalism in college football. There’s nothing wrong with the Big Ten. The SEC isn’t faster than holy hell. USC is still the best football team over the last six years. And don’t worry, next season the media will latch onto something else that will have one half of college football fans whining, and the other half cheering. If everything was so easily explained in this sport, why would any of us even care to watch?

*I won't include Illinois in this part of the conversation, due to the fact that the Rose Bowl goons made the horrible decision to invite the Illini to Pasadena last season. Yeah, the team was January-bowl good, but not hey-let's-play-USC good. The Big Ten should have only had one BCS representative in 2007, period.

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Poll Results: Fans say PSU going January bowling

Expectations are soaring for this year's Penn State football team. With more than 100 votes in, Zombie Nation readers pegged Penn State to be 8-1 by the end of October. That one loss is most likely to Ohio State in Columbus, but a majority (66%) of voters pegged the Lions with that one loss (39%), or undefeated (27%). The less optimistic fans still greatly favored a 7-2 (24%) record over 6-3 (9%). With an easier November schedule, this could be the makings of a BCS at-large bid. Be sure to vote in Zombie Nation's next poll, "PSU's Regular Season Record," coming this afternoon!

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Early Point Spreads You Should Know

The leader in picking college football games, CollegeFootballPoll.com, has released its MAC, Big East and Pac10 previews. I don’t believe there’s a more accurate operation out there for setting lines and picking W/L records in college football. Sure, I love to read the hundreds of previews throughout the year, but when it comes down to game time, I’m checking the lines set by CFP’s computers.*

Not to say that I’m at all surprised, but Penn State is favored by relatively comfortable margins in three games released. The Lions are early 2.72-point favorites against the Beavers in week two, Syracuse is an early 25.74-point underdog in the Carrier Dome, while in-state rival Temple is an early 15.04 underdog for the Owls’ visit to Beaver Stadium in week four.

The only one of those games I'm a little concerned about is Oregon State. Now, I fully believe Penn State will win it, but I also agree with the CFP computers that it could be a very close game. I was really surprised with the Syracuse line. The Orange(men) won't go to a bowl game, not even close. But for CFP to set a line larger than 25 points, the Syracuse faithful should start bracing themselves for an ugly afternoon. This could set up a very interesting story line when the Fighting Illini come to town and Penn State is sitting pretty at 4-0.

*CFP has been freakishly accurate since its inception in 1993. From CFP: “The computer has picked the winner in 74.7% of all games played since 1993 (7,828-2,645) while beating the spread in 54.2% of those games (5,221-4,419)... The computer has predicted the national title match-up three times (1993, 1998 and 2005), and at least one contestant every year except 1994, 1997, 2001 and 2006. The team it picked to win the title did so three times (1993, 1998, and 1999), and lost in the title game four times (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005).” Yeah, I’d call that freakish.

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First Look: Michigan Wolverines

You won’t find a more intriguing story line for 2008 outside of Michigan. Last season was considered by many to be a complete disaster, but lost in the mix were some very impressive highlights. The program is going into overhaul mode, with new uniforms, a new stadium, and most noticeably, a brand-spanking-new head coach in Rich Rodriguez. The offense will look vastly different than anything run in Michigan Stadium in the last, well, ever. The fans are preparing themselves for a worst-case scenario in 2008, but they shouldn’t worry too much. After all, this is Michigan, and even with all the problems, there are enough players to make this season at least palatable, if not surprising. I hate when people say “I can see this team going anywhere from [insert really bad record here] to [insert really good record here],” but in 2008, Michigan can only be labeled as completely unpredictable.

1. The “Snake Oil Salesman” -- Remember how pissed off Kirk Herbstreit was when Les Miles denied his interest in the Michigan coaching job? I’d be. Well folks, that was just the beginning, as no one could have predicted the firestorm coming when Rich Rodriguez shocked his alma mater and left West Virginia (60-26 record, 2 BCS bowl wins) in a cloak of secrecy for Ann Arbor. Any coach in the nation should be afraid to face RichRod on the field, but he’s never been so vulnerable as right now. Defections, staff shakeups and the graduation (and NFL Draft-entering) of some of the best talent this team had, will cause more than headaches in 2008. I don’t want to imagine how scary Michigan will be a few years from now. It could even happen next year, but for 2008, RichRod could lose some of his luster.

2. Starting from scratch -- Losing the career record-holders in passing AND rushing yards wouldn’t look good for this team even if Ryan Mallett (No. 1 recruit ’07) hadn’t transferred to Arkansas. Adding to Michigan’s stress is the mishaps of running back Kevin Grady, who didn’t know when to say “when,” and will most likely be in the dog house for the rest of this season. That leaves a very green running back contingent, but one that’s bursting with potential. Stepping in where Mallett should have been is probably Steven Threet. Although not as hyped as Mallett, Threet has great size (6’6”, 230) and has better mobility that Mallett. The defense loses its top four tacklers (358 total tackles), but the line returns intact and should take some pressure off the back seven. There are enough leaders on this side of the ball to keep things under control in 2008.

3. No more “Big House” -- Ok Michigan, you can still keep “The Big House” nickname, but you’re no longer the “biggest” house. Several thousand seats were removed from Michigan Stadium for renovations (actually, UM was sued because the stadium hasn’t been updated since the Ice Age, and didn’t have enough handicapped seating/accessibility). Unfortunately for the Wolverines, most of the toughest games come on the road, outside the friendly confines of Ann Arbor. However, opening with Utah, at Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Illinois won’t be an easy slate. Then, finishing out the season with trips to Penn State, Purdue, Minnesota and Ohio State, with home games against Michigan State and Northwestern sprinkled in, will present a formidable challenge for a Michigan team that could be looking for a break. With this schedule, even one key injury could spell disaster.

Next week’s First Look: Ohio State Buckeyes

-First Look: Wisconsin Badgers
-First Look: Purdue Boilermakers
-First Look: Illinois Fighting Illini
-First Look: Temple Owls
-First Look: Syracuse Orange(men)
-First Look: Oregon State Beavers
-First Look: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

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Playing Ketchup

I've been really lazy busy the past week or so, which is why I haven't been posting as often. But here's just a quick catch up session before Monday's First Look:

1. The Nittany Line has been doing a very good, very smart retrospective of Penn State's 2007 squad. The best part about it is that he's doing it unit-by-unit. This week's focus is on my personal favorite, the defensive line. Is there any other unit that has so much of an impact on a team? I mean, really, if you can't stop the other team from running the ball, you're screwed (see: Penn State 2003). I highly recommend reading TNL's work on this.

2. Bob Flounders had to pump out something this week. The offensive line will be a strength? Really? Damn people.

3. Dennis Dodd is pissing off Big Ten fans, again. And everyone else, for that matter.

4. 2theLion pointed out this week that Kansas sued (and won) a small T-shirt shop for violating copyrights on the COLOR BLUE. Yeah, it's interesting, and a bit scary that no one gives a rats ass about the First Amendment anymore.

5. And finally, Penn State's recruiting class for 2009 is looking really good. Ok, so it's not USC, Ohio State or Miami good, but you can't say these guys won't be able to win some championships in the near future. Lineman Nate Cadogan (yes, he's Gerald's brother), and wide receiver Christian Kuntz both committed to Penn State this week*. That brings the class total to 16, and it's not even August!

*I linked to BSD on these stories because there's no point in linking to the big two (Scout and Rivals) since it's old news now.

**I'd also like to remind everyone to cast your vote in the poll below the posts. And check out last week's results, too!

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Poll Archives

Here you'll find all the polls from Zombie Nation.

-07/21/08. Fans say PSU going January bowling
-07/14/08. Fans say PSU undefeated by October

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First Look: Wisconsin Badgers

If you want to find a grossly under-appreciated football team, look no further than Madison, Wisconsin. Since 2004, the Badgers have gone 40-11 and played in FOUR straight New Years Day bowls against SEC opponents (UW went 2-2). What more does this program have to do to prove its national worth? Because of some really dumb BCS rules, Wisconsin was left out of the at-large picture in 2006, even with its 11-1 record and an upset of Arkansas in the Capital One Bowl. Under Coach Bret Bielema, Wisconsin is looking more like the Badgers of the ‘90s. Hopefully for them, those ‘90s Rose Bowl wins will come again soon, too.

1. An ideal succession -- There hasn’t been a smoother transition from one coach to another than at Wisconsin. Barry Alvarez will go down as one of the game’s all-time great head coaches, and it looks like another one will follow right after. Bret Bielema seems to have actually improved the football program overall since Alvarez left in 2005, going 21-5 his first two campaigns and two January bowl games. Granted, it will take a lot for Bielema to bypass Alvarez in terms of career accomplishments, but he’s at least on the right track. Bielema is committed to maintaining Wisconsin’s smash-mouth style of football (which doesn’t mean “slow,” SEC fans), and one can argue there’s no need to change anything in the future.

2. The “‘backs” are back -- Under Alvarez, Wisconsin had been known for running the ball right down your throat, but the last few seasons of his tenure, production began to dip at the position. Then came in Brian Calhoun who blew up for more than 1600 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in 2005. No one was sure what would happen once Calhoun declared early for the NFL. Frosh running back PJ Hill quelled any anxiety, rumbling for 2781 yards the past two seasons. In 2008, the Badgers will lean on his talent more than ever with the departure of senior quarterback Tyler Donovan. Allen Evridge transferred from Kansas St. (was beat out by Donovan in ’06), and has some experience in Bielema’s system. But with guys like John Clay, Lance Smith and Zach Brown, don’t be surprised if Wisconsin uses a full three-deep running back rotation in ’08.

3. It’ll be a rockin’ Camp Randall -- Playing at Michigan, then home against Ohio State and Penn State in three straight weeks will give even the toughest teams headaches. Fortunately for Wisconsin, it’s tough enough to at least get through two of those games. I really doubt 3-0, but anything is possible when your team plays in one of the wildest environments in all college football. Other games to watch for will be at Fresno State, Michigan State, and at home against an Illinois team that upset the then-No. 5 Badgers in 2007. Wisconsin hasn’t gone undefeated in Big Ten play in, well, a really long time, and I don’t see 2008 being any different. However, getting through with only one conference loss, and Wisconsin could land itself in a BCS game.


Next week’s First Look: Michigan Wolverines (Homecoming)

-First Look: Purdue Boilermakers
-First Look: Illinois Fighting Illini
-First Look: Temple Owls
-First Look: Syracuse Orange(men)
-First Look: Oregon State Beavers
-First Look: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

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Poll Results: Fans say PSU undefeated by October

Well, the optimists have it. With more than 100 votes in, Zombie Nation readers pegged Penn State to be 5-0 by the end of September. It should make for an interesting month of October, with games against Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio State on the docket. Be sure to vote in Zombie Nation's next poll, "PSU's record at the end of October," coming tomorrow!

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About Zombie Nation

I thought it might be a good idea to have some sort of "About" page, so here ya go:

The Blog

Zombie Nation was founded in May 2007 as a Penn State football blog. It is dedicated to (somewhat) ethical journalism/blogging, and will do everything possible to provide solid analysis, un(sort of)biased opinion, and uphold a commitment to honor the Penn State football tradition. That being said, from time to time Zombie Nation will also take a few pot shots at other blogs, sports writers and articles. This is not intended to imply any real animosity towards those entities; keep in mind that this is a BLOG, not a news organization. It’s all in good fun.

The Writer/Founder

Mike Pettigano, a reporter at the time for a newspaper in Northern Virginia, founded Zombie Nation after seeing a colleague’s blog, PJS. Since then, he’s moved on to education, but the blog has remained and continues to grow. Some day Mike hopes to return to journalism in some form, and move back to State College. But for now, this his way of releasing some of that Penn State football fervor.

As a four-year member of the Penn State Marching Blue Band, he attended his first game in 2002, when UCF came to Beaver Stadium. Mike’s never missed a home game, and was fortunate enough to attend games in Columbus (2004), Ann Arbor (2002, 2005), East Lansing (2005), West Lafayette (2003), Champaign (2005), the Fed Ex Orange Bowl (2006) and the Capital One Bowl (2003). A student of the game in every respect, Mike’s original love for history fit well into his college football addiction. He’s constantly researching all those meaningless stats, absorbing every tidbit of info, and hates when big-name broadcast crews screw up. Enjoy Zombie Nation, and Fight On, State!

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Well, I'm smarter than at least one football writer

Someone pointed out to me a while back that there's a test you can take online. That test is the same test given to prospective college football officials. I wasn't too motivated to do it. That is, I wasn't until I found out Dennis Dodd took it, and got a 46 (out of 100). So what was the first thing I did after that revelation? Why, I took the test of course. I thought that since someone (even though he's not my favorite writer) like Dodd got only a 46, I'd probably score lower. Who wouldn't think that? What do you know, folks, I scored a 51. No, I didn't look up any of the answers before submission. (I took the written version of the test over two nights, about two hours total, then punched in my online answers) So a 51 isn't so freaking bad, considering only six years ago I didn't even know how the downs system worked. I kid you not, until I marched onto the field for my first Penn State football game--UCF 2002--I didn't give a rats ass about football. Here's my test results:

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Links for You: Happy Hour Valley, Buckeye Battle Cry, and Varsity Blue

Because I'm such a nice guy, I'll give you stuff to read until I get off my ass and write something original. But before I do that, I've put up something I think resembles a decent header. I figured since I was in State College yesterday and earlier today, I would take a few shots of the stadium (yeah, as if I haven't seen it before). I noticed that one of my favorite parts of the giant erector set is the lion above the sports museum. So I took the shot, and there we go. A few hours of driving later and a few minutes on the computer, Bada-Bing! I had a header. But enough about me, here's some links I've come across. Good reading from Penn State's own Happy Hour Valley, plus some crap out of Ohio and Michigan (again, because I'm such a nice guy).

-Apparently, some brilliant Oregon writer is talking shit about how the Beavers are going to come in and whup up on the Lions. Happy Hour Valley is calling shenanigans on this one, as the Oregonian's argument is loosely coherent at best. HHV's closing says it all.

"Certainly, everyone is entitled to their opinion/prediction on how a game will go and I am not bashing the writer for predicting that Oregon St. will somehow get the upset, I’d probably do the same thing if I were in his shoes. However, it is important to realize that the writer makes a huge mistake in underestimating the fact we’ve got the personnel to run an efficient spread offense and that the writer overlooks the fact that Oregon State has had recent troubles performing on the East Coast.

With that being said, I very much look forward to what should be an intriguing contest come September 6th…"

So do I.

-The Ohio State's of the world (well, actually, just THE Ohio State of the world, since I don't think anyone outside of Michigan can secrete so much cockiness) are--get ready for this--worried about the Penn State game this year. Now, I'm no expert in Big Ten history before 1993, but am I not correct in pointing out that Penn State hasn't won in Columbus since 1978, and NEVER since joining the conference?

The Buckeye Battle Cry isn't taking the Lions lightly this year. I'll give him credit for lowering the cockiness down from 11 (Ohio State and Michigan's cockiness dial goes up to eleven, as regular dials only go to ten, this one goes to eleven), but in this case, I'll even admit it would be a mammoth upset for Penn State to walk out of the 'Shoe with a win. BBC puts it:

"Penn State - October 25th - Ohio Stadium
The Lions are no slouch this year, and they're hungry for that one win that will give them a crack at a BCS bowl. Winning in Columbus would do it....just ask Illinois. Plus, dammit, we don't get much time to rest up after a tough road game at MSU."

I don't care how the Lions would do it. If it's Ohio State fatigue, fine. If it's just overlooking the Lions, fine. Just remember, an 8 p.m. kickoff can do crazy things to football teams. Can't wait.

-I know this isn't really news, but I just had to poke the wounded beast. Varsity Blue has a nice little write-up on the Kevin Grady situation. The kid's really good, but has issues (sound familiar anyone?), and Michigan fans would like to see him turn things around and get back on the field. I wouldn't bet on that right now.

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First Look: Purdue Boilermakers

In this week’s First Look, the Purdue Boilermakers offer up a unique situation. With a departing coach in Joe Tiller, a dynamite quarterback in Curtis Painter, and more question marks than answers, the boys from West Lafayette could surprise more than a few around the Big Ten in 2008. Following the first losing season in more than a decade, the Boilermakers rebounded with consecutive eight-win seasons, yet managed to be far less than impressive along the way. Can this team overcome some major obstacles and send Tiller out on a high note? I’m not sure it will be a season to remember, but there’s no reason Purdue couldn’t go bowling this Christmas.

1. Win one for the Tiller -- Teams do funny things when faced with its coach’s swan song. Joe Tiller took this program from the Big Ten basement to respectability, seemingly overnight with his “Basketball on Grass” philosophy. In one of my all-time favorite quotes, Tiller responded to doubts about his spread attack working in the Big Ten, “Maybe they didn’t know what November was like in Wyoming.” The funny thing about Tiller is that he never gets the credit he’s due when it comes to molding quarterbacks. Drew Brees and Kyle Orton had what it took, and now Curtis Painter is looking to be yet another Purdue signal-caller to go down in the Big Ten record books, all thanks to Tiller’s tutelage.

2. And speaking of quarterbacks -- If there’s one player taking the snaps this fall every team should fear, it’s Curtis Painter. Not only does he have the arm to chuck it around all day (3846 yds ’07), he can take off is he needs to (164 yds ’07). The problem for Painter this season is that Purdue loses four of its top five receivers from 2007 (Greg Orton returns, 752 yds). The running game should be even better, as Kory Sheets (859 yds ’07) and Jaycen Taylor (560 yds ’07) both come back, but their production depends on an offensive line which has the talent for big things this year. None of that matters, though, if the defense can’t stop anyone. This is a unit which loses five of its top six tacklers from 2007, and first-round NFL Draft pick Cliff Avril (8.5 sks ’07). The Boilermaker defense had enough trouble in 2007 (26.5 ppg/389.2 ypg), and I don’t see things looking up for 2008.

3. Make or break early on -- The 2008 Purdue football team will know right away just how good they are with a ton of rough games early on. A very good Oregon team comes to town in the second week, followed by a trip to South Bend, where the Irish are looking to revenge last year’s loss. Then the schedule really gets difficult. Penn State (first team to shut out Tiller-led team, 12-0 ’06) is in West Lafayette, then trips to Columbus to take on a stacked Buckeye team and Evanston where Northwestern might not give in so easy after Purdue scored 21 unanswered 4Q points last year (W 35-17). Purdue has also had trouble down the stretch in recent seasons, and with games against Michigan, at Iowa and Michigan State, and wrapping up hosting Indiana, it will take a bit of Tiller magic to turn around the November slump.

I’ll be traveling back to PA today, so I’ll try to have something up by Wednesday.

Next week’s First Look: Wisconsin Badgers

-First Look: Illinois Fighting Illini
-First Look: Temple Owls
-First Look: Syracuse Orange(men)
-First Look: Oregon State Beavers
-First Look: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

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Schedule

2008:

Coastal Carolina
Oregon State
@Syracuse
Temple
Illinois*
@Purdue*
@Wisconsin*
Michigan*
@Ohio State*
@Iowa*
Indiana*
Michigan State*

*Big Ten Game

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Dukes and Gress make a two-fer

Just when we thought Penn State's early recruiting bonanza was over, two more pretty good high-schoolers said they're coming to the land of Paterno. Another mammoth lineman, Adam Gress, and (shock!) running back Curtis Dukes committed to Penn State just hours apart yesterday. I don't know about you, but this class isn't looking all that bad.

The thirteenth and fourteenth commits in the class of 2009 were rated somewhere in the upper-middle area for next year. Gress is rated by the "Big Two" (Rivals and Scout) with three stars, and Dukes was given three stars by Scout. Rivals hasn't rated him yet. (Ed. note-I said earlier how I hate the star-ratings, but for practical purposes, I'll still refer to them when discussing recruits.)

We can see that this is the kind of class which sets groundwork for a few years down the road. When was the last time Penn State has gone after so many offensive linemen? Sure, every class has a couple, but this one is very deep at the position. Combine that with the Lions' philosophical switch over to the spread offense (more often than before, at least), and it looks like the coaching staff is placing more emphasis on scoring points, rather than having to shut out opponents every week. I'm not trying to put the cart before the horse here, but these recruiting classes of late are head and shoulders above those from the turn of the century.

I still don't quite understand why many fans are freaking out about Penn State's lack of skill recruits. Not that long ago, we were blaming everything on the offensive line. EVERYTHING was the line's fault. Now that the guys up front are performing above retard level, all anyone can complain about is the (mythical) lack of skill players on Penn State's roster. As I said before, outside of a few recruiting classes like 1999 and 2000, Penn State's image as a recruiting failure is purely psychological. Coaching, bad breaks and a few bad apples all seem to converge at the wrong time for Penn State. Winning nine games shouldn't be acceptable for Penn State fans, but it's nothing we haven't seen before.

-Rivals list of PSU commitments.

-Scout list of PSU commitments.

By the way, Temple and CCU games will kickoff at noon on the BTN. I hate noon kicks. Oh well.

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First Look: Illinois Fighting Illini

I didn't pretend to know more than I did in the first four First Looks, as nothing substitutes for the intimate knowledge gained from playing the Big Ten foes year in and year out. Now First look will concentrate on the conference opponents, leading off with Penn State's Big Ten opening game, the Illinois Fighting Illini. If you told me two years ago that Illinois would go to the 2009 Rose Bowl, I'd say you were practically nuts. Well, Ron Zook and the Illini did just that, going from 2-9 and 2-10 to 9-4 over the last three seasons. And while the program is certain to post a winning record in their encore season, the Illini will probably have a tough time matching 2007's nine wins.

1. Champaign is a long way from Gainesville -- It seems like ages since Florida fans were calling for Ron Zook's head in The Swamp. The Illini thought Ron Turner was their ticket to glory after he lead the 2001 squad to the Sugar Bowl and an outright Big Ten championship. Things quickly turned sour, and after three straight losing seasons with no sign of improvement, Turner was let go. The school invested a lot in Zook's hiring, which paid off in the end. He proclaimed that Illinois' 63-10 drubbing by Penn State in 2005--a game in which PSU lead 56-3 at the half--would be their lowest point. It was. Not only is Zook a fantastic recruiter, but he's instilled a can-do mentality Illinois hasn't had since the Lou Tepper years. Don't expect the Illini to go anywhere but up from here.

2. Can the loss of one player hurt that bad? -- In this case, it might. Rashard Mendenhall arrived at Illinois with much fanfare in 2005, but didn't play much his first two seasons, gaining only 858 yards over that time. Then last season he exploded for 1681 yards and 15 touchdowns on his way to the Big Ten Player of the Year, Illinois' first since 1990. The problem came when Mendenhall declared early for the NFL, leaving quarterback Juice Williams as the leading returning rusher (755). None of the next three rushers cracked 300 yards in 2007, with Daniel Dufrene gaining 295. If you talk to Illini fans, they'll tell you there's excitement in the air surrounding Dufrene. After all, he was the guy who ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run in Columbus to upset No. 1 Ohio State last November. The Illinois faithful can only hope he can duplicate that kind of playmaking ability in 2008. But unless Williams makes leaps and bounds in his passing ability, don't count on the kind of rushing production Illinois has enjoyed the last two seasons.

3. The tough games just got tougher -- Most of Illinois' toughest games came at home in 2007. That's not the case in 2008, and combine that with the fact that Illinois isn't going to sneak up on anyone this season, don't count on the mammoth upsets of 2007. Missouri is returning most of its superstars. The Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin games are all on the road. And Ohio State is an even better team that it was last year. There are only seven games which Illinois should expect to win this season, but not even the home games against Iowa and Northwestern are certain victories. This team has nearly the same talent as it did in 2007, but experience is the biggest question mark. If Illinois can steal one in Madison, State College or Ann Arbor, fans should consider this season a success, as 2009 is shaping up to be a killer year for the Fighting Illini.

I'm out of town all this week (I'm actually in PA right now), so posting might be light. I promise, though, that I'll have something else up this week to quench some of the college football thirst.

Next week's First Look: Purdue Boilermakers

-First Look: Temple Owls
-First Look: Syracuse Orange(men)
-First Look: Oregon State Beavers
-First Look: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

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Big Ten Bloggers 2008 "Fearless" Conference Predictions

In the last of three 2008 Big Ten Bloggers Preseason Predictions posts, the Big Ten looks to take a turn for the weird. Outside of Ohio State, not many teams are expected to do extremely well in 2008. (I beg to differ) Michigan State, Northwestern and Penn State seem to be gaining steam among us "experts," with Ohio State still leading the pack. Again, I'd like to thank Lake the Posts for organizing this and putting it all together. So here ya go.

Coach of the Year
Pat Fitzgerald, NU (ZN vote: Mark D'Antonio, MSU) I figured if MSU is as good as I think (more on that later), its coach will get the nod here, but the masses have spoken. I was torn though, having changed my answer from Fitz' just before submitting these picks. Sorry, LTP. Speaking of LTP, he said:

"I was shocked considering the same constituents voted the Cats to finish 9th just two weeks ago. As I mentioned the Cats received votes at nearly every ranking though, and clearly my badgering of the bloggers has influenced the vote. Amazing, a coach who is heavily favored to bring his team to the 3rd straight title game comes in second to Fitz. So much for low expectations by my peers!"

Most Likely To Strike Heisman Pose
Beanie Wells, Ohio State. (ZN vote: Same) Duh. But, of course, I'd love to be pleasantly surprised by one of our own. LTP said:

"The only other competitor in the voting was Wells' Ohio State teammate, LB James Laurinaitis, though most conceded the offensive bias of the Heisman would make this unlikely."

Last Year's Illini Will Be This Year's....?
Michigan State (ZN vote: Same) This one was pretty easy. I think D'Antonio is one of the best coaches no one really respects yet. I could see MSU in the Captial One Bowl or better. LTP said:

"General consensus is Ohio State is in a league of their own with Wisconsin and Penn State a tier below and then it is a free-for-all. Sparty had lots of competition as everyone other than the three top tier teams mentioned above got some love with the exception of Indiana."

Upset Game of The Year:
Utah over Michigan (ZN vote: MSU over Cal) I know mine wasn't a "wow" pick, but if MSU can do that, it could be a big year for the Spartans and D'Antonio. I'd have to agree with some of the other guys though, who said that Utah over UM isn't that big of a deal, if you've followed UM's issues lately. LTP said:

"BHGP tried to stir up Happy Valley by taking Coastal Carolina over Penn State (BHGP gets the homerism award for picking Iowa in nearly every category, including Mitch King for Heisman...wise guy!). I chose Central Michigan over Purdue in the combo "its tough to be beat a team 3 times in 2 seasons" cliche along with the classic trap setup between Oregon and Notre Dame games. Wisconsin going down early was a popular choice as, Buckeye blogs led the way. Around the Oval had Akron over Wisconsin while Eleven Warriors had Fresno State upsetting the Badgers."

Name You'll Know In December That No One Knows In June:
Evan Royster, PSU (ZN vote: Bani Gbadyu, PSU) I figured at the very least a few teams knew who Royster was already: Wisconsin, Purdue and Texas A&M. That would cover a good chunk of people in two conferences. But I guess the "that no one knows" was meant figuratively. Sorry, folks, but Gbadyu has a chance to start this fall, and if he plays like he did in 2007 (the small bit we have to go off of), then he'll be up for at least conference HM. LTP said:

"Amazingly only one player received more than four votes as nearly every blogger voted for someone from his own team. Several were able to raise above the fray."

Most Likely to John McLaren (lose it in postgame rant, NOT lose his job):
Rich Rodriguez, Michigan (ZN vote: Same) I just think that the combo of a previously successful coach, a really bad team (relatively), and a media/fan base like UM's, is a formula ready to explode. And Dick-Rod is Mt. St. Helens. LTP said:

"Bonus points to Badger Sports Fan for providing visual aides for several of his answers, especially this one, where he made his case for Mark Dantonio. A Sparty blow-up has become almost a rite of passage thanks to John L. Smith's legacy, but once again Michigan State lost out to its big bro in Ann Arbor as bloggers are warning you to keep Michigan postgame pressers on the TIVO."

Highest Draft Pick In 2009:
Beanie Wells, Ohio State. (ZN vote: Same) There's no other real star in the league right now on the same level as Wells. Granted, he wasn't as well-known as Tebow (SEC love fest strikes again!), but once he broke that long TD run against LSU, his Heisman campaign was officially on. LTP said:

"The voting was much closer, but again it was a two dog race between Laurinaitis and Wells."

Must See Game of The Year That Is Not Michigan-Ohio State:
Ohio State - USC on September 13. (ZN vote: Same) We all kind of knew this one would get the nod, but there are plenty of good games to watch this year. My second would have been a pure homer pick in PSU/Michigan since it could be the first time PSU wins since 1996. We'll see though. LTP said:

"However, Penn State-Wisconsin got quite a few votes and came in 2nd and the Illini got some love, mostly from bloggers whose teams are seeking revenge (most of them!)."

Big Ten Bloggers 2008 Predictions:
Part 1, Conference Order of Finish
Part 2, All-Conference Teams

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Let the meaningless polls begin!

This will be the first in a series of absolutely pointless reader polls gauging fan sentiments going into the 2008 Penn State football season. I ask everyone to take part and let your voices be heard! I haven't yet come up with the next topic for polling, so please feel free to suggest any questions or topics we could poll.

(Of course, as soon as I put this post up encouraging all of you to vote, the poll I made flipped out on me. I'll have it up as soon as I can. Sorry about that.)

(You know what, it's a piece of shit. I'll go with the boring-ass blogger poll.)

(Now even the blogger poll isn't working. Forget it, I'll have it later.)

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First Look: Temple Owls

With this coaching staff, Penn State really needs to schedule Temple as its homecoming game. Really, Temple Head Coach Al Golden was one of the great Penn State tight ends (’91), Defensive Coordinator Mark D’Onofrio was his team mate and an outstanding linebacker for the Lions, and even the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, Matt Ruhle is a former lion (’97). I think the biggest draw for this game is already being set up--the pupil vs. the mentor. But the underlying story line--one PSU fans may overlook--is the amazing job Golden has done in Philadelphia since his arrival in 2006. Five years ago, if you said “Temple” and “bowl game” in the same sentence, it was part of a joke. Now, it’s a real possibility. Scary, huh?

Three things you should know about Temple:

1. Could be the best staff in the nation -- That’s not an understatement. If Golden and Co. pull of the once-impossible and take the Owls bowling, this will turn into the new Rutgers-type feel good story. The results may not blow your mind, but this staff has changed the attitude of a program. In Golden’s first year, the Owls were outscored by 365 points. Last year that margin shrunk to 118, and won four games! Those four wins were the most since 2002, and the three-game win streak was Temple’s longest since 1990!

2. Everyone returns -- Temple returns every single starter from 2007, and some have moved to backup spots to make room for some new young talent. That will translate into crucial depth if this team has to finish strong to gain bowl-eligibility. Quarterback Adam DiMichele (PSU Transfer) enters his senior season behind a veteran offensive line, with big play threats like Bruce Francis and Jason Harper, and a shut-down defense. If the Owls can win the turnover battle (broke even in ’07), this could turn from a promising year to a special one.

3. A challenging, but not impossible schedule -- Temple gets only five home games this season, but only one of them is probably out of reach (UConn). The away games set up nicely with trips to Army, Buffalo, Miami (OH), Central Michigan, Navy and Kent State. I figure only Central Michigan and Navy should pose real problems for the Owls. But if Temple could have a winning road record this year, a bowl is certainly reachable, with the final two games at home against Eastern Michigan and Akron.

That wraps up the non-conference slate for First Look. Penn State has every chance to arrive here at 4-0, but that doesn’t guarantee much after last season’s disappointing Big Ten campaign. What purpose these first four games will serve may not be realized until October, as the early schedule will allow Penn State to work in its new quarterback(s) and gain some identity on both sides of the ball. Don’t expect these teams to go quietly. Just ask Michigan how easy I-AA teams are. Just ask Syracuse if they’re going to be jacked up to play a bitter old rival. Just ask Oregon State if they’re going to take their 2,000-mile journey lightly. And just ask the Temple Owls if they want to help their coach beat his old team.

And you thought the non-conference games weren’t that interesting.

Next week’s First Look: Illinois Fighting Illini.

-First Look: Syracuse Orange(men)
-First Look: Oregon State Beavers
-First Look: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

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