Indiana has Its Hoosiers

It's very simple. They are not good. We are playing at home. If PSU comes out less than ready for some angry homicide, I will have lost some faith in the senior leadership on this team.

Unleash the HD!!!!!

Indiana - 13
PSU - 48

I turned 29 on Thursday. Again. Every time I turn 29 it hurts just a little bit more. The communion I go through every Saturday with PSU brings me back to younger days, and the pain of age goes away. I can drink whiskey with impunity. I can smoke 300 packs of cigarettes. I can play 80 minutes of MARFU rugby. I can go an entire tailgate without using the port-o-johns. These are but a small few of the feats I am fully capable of on gameday.

Enjoy the game, and LET'S GO STATE.

PSU 13, OSU 6

What...A...Game. I wrote after the Michigan game that "Some say that this only makes us stronger. I say bullshit-adversity is faced against good teams in dire situations. When this kind of adversity is overcome, the team gets confidence. " Saturday night is exactly what I was talking about.

So there I sat on the evening before gametime. I had a dual TV setup (went with the PSU game on the HD), my laptop humming along so I could drunkenly post on BSD, and a whole motley of remote controls to various electronic means for enteratainment. I'm pretty sure it was a sin. But I don't care. Nothing was ruining this for me. No distractions. I was watching this game on my terms. And I would do it all over again, provided I did not have tickets to the actual game. Selfish? Definately, but I did not want inferior viewing of the game at a bar, lines etc.

Wow. After I typed the above, I noticed something. That is freakin' weak.

Onto the recap...

PSU Notes

• Both lines were immune from penalties. No, wait, let's try that again. PSU had a few non-calls (Royster on a screen in the 2nd-I think Ohrnberger got away with one there), but the OSU OL was straight mugging the PSU DL. Examples-Odrick was held thrice, the third most frustrating because he had Pryor in his sites. I'm not saying he would have caught Pryor, but the forcefull hand placed inside Odrick's shoulder pads spun him sideways. And when you twist a 6'5" DT sideways with one hand, it looks pretty damning. The second person to get 'jobbed was Maybin; he was forcing Pryor's decision making all night, and at the crucial moment (which lead to the INT, and ultimately the game), Maybin was tackled while rushing. If that play went otherwise, you could bet there would be a new Dick Honig All-Star nominee.
• ZUG? ZUG. ZUG. ZUG. ZUG. ZUG. ZUG.
• Did anyone notice Shipley diagnosing Clark's concussed status with his fingers? After Clark's initial frustration, he quickly reverted to a leader and cheered his team on. Leader's do not do the former, but the latter. Call it a push.
• Bowman>>>>>>>Laurinitis.
• All night long, the defense was flocking to the ball. Know when the run defense is doing its job? When the RB isn't falling forward for the extra yard. Wells always had one person in front of him to make the stop, and 2-3 others to drive him backward.
• Royster made some weird decisions. In the second quarter, with PSU in the redzone, a middle screen was called. He followed his blockers to the second level, where it appeared to me that he would have more than enough leverage for the first. He had 600-700 lbs. of PSU OL grade beef trucking downfield to block, but he elected to go laterally. Bad move. He as he tried to turn the corner, he was blindsided. This could have lead to a fumble. It didn't, but you catch my drift.
• From the opening whistle, Rubin was everywhere. His defensive prowess can be exemplified thussly:
I love the "Noooooooooooooooo" in the background. That being said, Rubin's forced fumble was followed by the smartest football play by an individual I have seen since Westbrook knelt down on the one last year. Tyrell Sales was prone, and the fumbled ball was bouncing near him:

He knew that Pryor or another OSU player would prob get the ball before he could get to it. Instead of trying for possession, he batted the ball further away.

Bowman came up with the ball, and you know the rest.

PSU played brilliantly on defense, and the offense made some plays. Tresselball? Nope, Paternoball. And it worked.

I would be remiss if I didn't give OSU some props. They played one hell of a game.

OSU Notes

• Terrelle Pryor is going to be everything that was expected of him. We wanted him to throw. Pryor, with the help of some motivated receivers, made some very spectacular plays. He finished with 226 yards, a personal best. I would not criticize him for trying to bounce outside and making a play. He took the weight of all OSU hopes on his shoulders and almost single-handed beat the #3 team in the nation. As an 18-year-old.
• OSU has some damn fine corners (when they weren't getting flagged), and their DL put pressure on Clark all night. Especially Gibson. The one time they let Clark breathe, the Clark to Zug combo burned them.

Quote of the Game:

"I looked at Ohrnberger in the fourth quarter and he looked back at me. And we said, 'We're not losing this game.' " - A.Q. Shipley (seen below)

Other than the above, all I have left to say is that I am extremely proud to be a PSU fan. And so help them God, if these kids get in trouble "relaxing" in their bye-week, the backlash will be hell-sent.

It's a New Year

Thank God.

Below is a recap/update of all my favorite teams from the past year.

-Penn State: Failed expectations. This was supposed to be Morelli's maturing year, the one where he succeeds despite an undersized and under experienced OL. The opposite happened. However, I do feel good about this coming year. We have a favorable schedule, 16 returning starters, a good OL, a maturing DL, great RBs, CBs, S, etc. The pieces are still there. We need a leader and a little luck. And by that I mean a leader, LJ sr. to stay, and Jay to leave.

• Michigan is known for developing QB talent, why can't we?
• It is rumored that Collins at least had the balls to defy the offensive coaching scheme. Any chance we can get him back?
• We need a placekicker. I do not want a game coming down to Kelly trying to make a FG over 40 yards (or any, for that matter). By the end of the year, he couldn't even force a touch back during kickoffs. Inexcusable.

Philadelphia Eagles: Too little, too late. With an OL that struggled the entire year, the Eagles were abysmal in the red zone. The DL was shallow at the ends-Abiarimi is not a starter, and Thomas/Cole had to shoulder the entire burden of the pass rush. We still need a WR.

• Rumor is that the front office is meeting with Westbrook to restructure his contract. Praise Allah. The guy played every down he could and turned into a legitimate MVP candidate. Cancel his debt, give him a raise. Or better yet, overpay him again to make him act like the best damn RB in the league.
• Drafting needs: 1) DE-we are very weak here. 2)OL/WR-i can't tell if this year's poor play was due to age, or just an off year. Everyone knows the Eagles still need a big WR. Curtis falters in press coverage, and Reggie Brown is only a legitimate #2. 3)S/CB-Reed and Hanson were godsends this year. We need depth-Shepphard has missed too many games recently, and Dawkins is on his last foot. The man is 35; Turn him into a coordinator, just keep him near the team. The D responds to him.
• Preliminary draft-the Eagles resigned Gasperson, which means that they feel secure at WR not to draft one. Look for a free agent acquisition.1) Lawrence Jackson (USC), Jeremy Thompson (Wake), or Jason Jones (VT) would be nice fits and could definitely fall to the Eagles at the 19th spot.
• Upside:Jordan, Bradley, Cole, Westbrook, Hanson, McNabb, Bunkley, Patterson, Gaither, Brown, Reed, Celek
• Downside: Justice (even tho it is noted he played better against Buffalo. Wrong team from NY, but I digress), Jackson, LJ Smith(I hate him), Reagor, Kearse, Shepphard(sorry, too injured), Thomas (the one who renamed himself), McDougle (again, why does this guy have a job?),

-The Flyers-An excellent offseason restructured the entire team. This team is tough, gritty, and ornery. In short, a Philly team that won't lay down. They are steadily improving after a December slump. They like beating Pittsburgh.

• I believe Les Bowen from the Inquirer wrote that the Flyers are slumping at the right time. It's tough to agree that slumping is a good thing; in retrospect he might be right. That putrid stretch at the beginning of December showed the Flyers their deficiency: everyone needs to play defense. Our D is still a step off, and everyone needs to step it up. Results? A three game winning streak, and Biron's numbers go back up. And hopefully I didn't just jinx them.
• The Eastern conference is very tight right now. Hopefully, we get Gagne back soon, and make a good stretch run. I need to really look forward to a good Flyers team in the playoffs. This team provides the hope that wasn't there last year.

-The Phillies-Mozeltov for making an unprecedented run toward the playoffs, and thank you for giving this city a glimpse of the team's real potential. Even better, we knocked the Mets out. Take that, Seinfeld.

• I hate to see Rowand go, but that is most likely going to happen. Best of luck to him, and I hope someone, besides the Mets, pay what he is worth. Utley, Howard, Hamels, Meyers, Kendrick, and J-Roll are locked in and this town is ready for the spring to roll around. I can't wait.

-The Sixers-I don't care.

On to other news

• The Eagles almost beat the Pats last night. If not for two god-awful passes, the outcome might have been different. As my roomate put it, "Feeley throws the ball too late in the route, and then hangs it up there". Yeah, that's about right. However, I found myself thinking during this game, "Is it me, or does this OL only block for qbs NOT named McNabb?" Dunno. Still, an inspired performance like that is worthy of being chronicalled in an anthem by Rush.
• Speaking of Futrama references:

Figure 1-1: Good News Everyone! The long wait is almost over

On to news around the Big Ten: Mike over at BSD is reporting that Kirk Ferentz is being considered for the head coach vacancy/power vacuum that is Michigan. Don't know what to think of this one. Iowa has underperformed since 2003. Other rumors include Tom Bradley going to Pitt as a result of Wannstache being demoted to waterboy.

In PSU news: Bowl announcements coming soon. Personally, I think a nice game agains a despondant Kentucky or Texas would be about right. Definately would watch that. Or an ape fight. Again, with the Futurama references:

Figure not shown because I couldn't find the picture from "Futurestock" of the Apefight. You get the metaphor.

...And Spartans on Attack

Figure 1-2: A metaphor for minimalist warmongering

First and foremost, everything I have read about the Hub incident sickens me. I don't care what started it, do these players not know they are held to a higher standard? Could they be that stupid?

The short answer is yes. Reports stem from Chris Bell off the top rope, to a good old fashion stomping from the lineman. I'm through with these lesions. Suspend for first offense. Otherwise, get rid of 'em.

Baker needs to be banished from Happy valley forever. His thugginess belongs somewhere south of the border, but definitely not at PSU.

Timmons is done for the year. Additionally, he now has to change his first name. No player named "Knowledge" should be involved in two altercations in one year. That's just flat out hypocritical.

As for the rest(Phil Taylor, Abe Koroma, Thom McEowen, Chris Bell, Willie Harriott, Devon Fentress, Toriano Moody and Johnnie Troutman ), screw you guys for the rest of the season, the bowl game, and spring practice. Once finals are done, tell them to pack their shit and get out of town. Call them from the bowl game. Tell them it is mandatory to get involved in Jerome Hayes' anger management class. It worked wonders for him (see Notre Dame cheapshots). Tell each one of them they have to apologize to the graduating seniors for screwing up their team.

Think about this-would Joe have put up with this back in the 80s and 90s? NO, resoundingly. Back then, people were kicked off the team for having a beer at the airport.

Now what? We have a not-so-police friendly Michigan State coming into town this weekend. This is another team that should have beat Michigan, but alas, they cannot defend the long ball. Well, maybe that's not fair considering Michigan lost Tacopants to the Philadelphia Eagles.

My scouting of MSU comes from watching said game. The first half, they were awful. The second half, they decided to just keep the ball on the ground, with great results.

For PSU to win:

• Pray that the underclassmen can step up.
• Same offensive gameplan as Purdue
• Michigan can run the ball effectively-Bolster the middle of the line with Connor. Keep Lee or Sales attached to MSU wunderkind TE Kellen Davis-he and Devon Thomas are a real threat to our blitz.
• Maurice Evans has to wreak havoc again. I hate the fact that we have to rely on him due to incarceration, but there it is.
• No more kicks returned for TDs.

I would be more optimistic if we had Bowman and Baker with us. But I can't be. This was supposed to be the season where Morelli becomes the leader of the offense, the D shuts everyone down, and free beer.

PSU 23, MSU 13. What can I say, I am indeed still a believer that somehow this team will find a way to win against an equally crappy MSU team.

Failed expectations

• Chris Bell becomes a real threat
• Best CBs in the B10
• King a top 10 draft pick
• Scirotto dealing out justice over the middle
• Morelli becomes an above-average QB
• B10 championship
• 12-0. We never had a schedule so easy.
• Austin Scott channels LJ
• Quarless channels Kyle Brady
• Wallace starts at CB by week three at Michigan
• We beat Michigan

Maybe that one isn't fair to Wallace. Bradley had a way of playing the corners 10 yards off the LOS. It's really not Wallace's fault.

Good Stuff

What did we do right? What do we have to look forward to? Please keep in mind these are all overshadowed by the off-field behavior of certain players.

• The O-line becoming a frighteningly cohesive unit. Everyone said that this was the weak spot on our team. Ask our RBs how they feel about that prediction.
• Kinlaw and Royster. First names redacted because I keep messing them up. I talked with them last week, and they forgive me. And by "them" I meant that girl's boobs I was staring at in the bar last week. They always forgive me somehow....
• Derrick Williams-it took him awhile, but he is quickly becoming that exciting freshman we all knew from 2 years ago.
• The receiving corps. Kudos all around.
• DC-40 breaking Poz's record.
• Ending our loss streak to Iowa.

Still, the negatives are greatly outweighing the positives. I kind of just want this season to end, kick some players off the team, watch Connor get drafted, and fast forward to a great blue and white game.

And finally...

This week's Admiral Akbar award goes to the Oklahoma/Texas Tech matchup. Again, with the flimsy premace.

Recap of Last Weekend

The good:

• The food.
• I got drunk
• PSU won
• I got to see some friends

The Bad:

• Philadelphia just keeps getting dirtier
• PSU played very unremarkable football
• Morelli fumbles again.
• Event planners need to be castrated for their planning of the tailgating atmosphere. Here's why: 12 port-o-johns. 15,000 people. Nobody directing traffic. Level 3 riots at the one location that had'em. On top of that, they decided to bring a hook and ladder through the mob outside at around 10 am. Just stupifying. Organizers fully knew the size of the crowd that was coming due to the large amount of tickets sold. 69,000 tickets were bought.
• God-awful weather. At least it kept the beer cold.

Again, Philly had the chance to show the out-of-towners what a great city it is. And it dropped the ball. In short, if Philadelphia can't learn to clean itself up, it deserves the reputation of being a nasty city. I'm pretty sure that all the trash causes an unhealthy situation for the inhabitants, hence why so many mutants are running around. And these aren't the good kind, like Jean Grey and her gravity-defying breasts. Nope. Kind of like pissed off moorlock-mutants. And they are breeding...

At least I have this week to look forward to claiming this trophy:

Figure 1-1: For the love of God, why?

Seriously, I would rather just have an out-of-conference rivalry, with say, 'Bama. Both fanbases respect each other, and they could play for the lion's tail, joepa's glasses, or Bryant's hat. All three are solid. Instead, we get to play for something that looks like a freshman's architectual design from the 70's.

I Give a Hoot..

Figure 1-2: "Mr. Owl, does Temple playing at the Linc have anything to do

with the Eagles being cursed?"

Bloggers note: again, this is not the format i was going for. please bear with me.

That's owl-humor. Get it? Yeah, like you could come up with something better, so back off.

So now onto Temple, and then Michigan State, or as I like to call it, the Ashley Simpson part of the schedule. Not nearly as exciting as their more talented predecessors, but still good enough to masturbate to.

I will be heading up to Philly for the game. Apparently, the lots open 5 hours before kickoff, meaning that I will be openly intoxicated by 8 AM. What's on the menu? Brats, leftover beer from the Michigan road trip(American Ale gets better with time, right?), chips, and the coup de grace, 8 lbs. of roasted pork for sandwiches served with extra sharp cheese, and maybe some broccoli rabe. That's food that Britney Spears would sell her kid for.

What do I expect?

• Temple is actually better this year, so it will not be a blowout until the second half.
• Kinlaw gets the lion share (another mascot pun. am on a roll) of carries when the game is in hand.
• Morelli doesn't see the 4th quarter.
• We open up throwing deep

I am kind of interested to see who will be getting the reps in the 4th (knock on wood).

Prediction:

PSU 41, Temple 17

It's the DWill Show!

Figure 1-1: Best game since being a frosh. Kind of a good thing.

Note:this is the fourth time i have reworked the format of this post. And it still reverts to some f'd up form that was not intended. Hence the lack of spacing, odd text centering, etc.

Caught the game at the CarPool again down here in Arlington with some friends. Better service, better food, same PSU results. Good times.

To make matters better, I decided to give myself the day off (from drinking) to watch multiple games. Let's just say I took some perverse pleasure in eating an entire bag of Doritos, half-nekid, in my bed while watching ND collectively soil theirs.

Of course, my slovenly bliss was cut short by my brother, who texted me that Michigan and FSU were now going to lose. Jerk. At least Rutgers and Nebraska were soundly thrashed.

Just to recap:

Defense

They rushed 6 almost every passing down, with good results. Yes, we did get burned a few times, but there was definite pressure on Painter to make the hurried throw. In short, we looked much better against a lesser offense.

Game balls go to Lee, Evans, Taylor, and yes, JUSTIN FREAKIN' KING.

Lee single handedly changed the face of the game on the goal line. Instead of stripping out the RBs soul, he decided to settle for the ball. Some say offensively we did nothing after the turnover, but getting from your own 1 yard line to midfield definitely improved our field position during the game. So we had that going for us, which is nice.

Even though the play on the line improved, Taylor and Evans stood out for the pressure applied.

Justin King. Wasn't exactly in "shutdown", but at least he looked angry enough to respond to those critical of him. Myself included. He knocked away a sure touchdown, tackled well, and played his best game of the season.

Offense

Derrick Williams gets the first game ball and highest praise. When the game was still up in the air, King caught everything thrown his way. He didn't waste time trying to make a move; rather, he just turned upfield and ran. And run he did, scoring off of a beautiful end-around. Shout out here for Lawlor, who sealed the deal with an excellent seal block. When he turned upfield on that play, I had visions of him blowing past Hawk....Keep it up, DWill.

Game balls to Evan Royster and the offensive line. The line performed admirably, giving Morelli all day to throw, and Royster highway-sized running lanes. I always say the tone of the game is set at the lines-in this case, the OL provided the means for lengthy drives, and ground up the Purdue DL. The culmination of which was Royster busting a 26 yard jailbreak to the endzone. Look again at Purdue's D after that play. They were done.

Morelli-didn't go for the extra mile on the run, didn't fumble, and provided enough accuracy on the pass in coverage that it couldn't be intercepted. The only really bad toss i my mind was when he missed butler streaking down the sideline toward the endzone. This exact route worked perfectly on Wisconsin, and ended in 6. Regardless, he made the right plays.

A smack in the head to Quarless. Way to kill a great drive on the goal line. Just unacceptable. And to make things worse, he jumped the gun again, but this time the results weren't as dire.

Jay and Galen-once again, great playcalling. Joe finally trusts these two-enough where we can go for it on 4th and 2 when we are only winning by 3 in the second half. And they called a qb sneak-again, thank you Lawlor for improving the position. You know what i mean.

Special teams

Someone take Kelly out. Seriously, kneecap him. To start, he isn't kicking the ball deep enough. Yes, I realize it is colder, but still, every time he kicks it short and in the middle of the field, we get burnt.

We put together a great drive at the end of the half, and he misses the chip shot. Luckily, Purdue was boneheaded enough to make contact with him.

Overall Thoughts

• It really disconcerts me that many bloggers picked PSU to lose, and then overly criticize them when they performed beyond expectations. Man up, and give the kids some credit.
• Someone needs to prohibit a mummer's horn in a bar during an early game. They don't go well with hangovers. My impression of the jackass who was toot-happy: What a great play, I think I'll blow this foghorn. Wait, nobody is responding positively. You know what, THAT JUST MEANS I'LL HAVE TO BLOW LOUDER!
• Thanks go out to the underclassmen who sent the seniors out with a victory.
• Dan Connor surpassed Poz's record, bully for him. I still think Poz would win in a fight.
• O, and I gave myself some love, European style, for the prediction of what we need to do for this game. I am so smart. S-M-R-T. If I can state what needs to be adjusted to win and the other team doesn't read my blog, it's there own damn fault they lost. There, I said it.
• Dorito crumbs are surprisingly edible the next morning. Even when picked out of one's chest hair. O, DON'T ACT DISGUSTED. I AM WHO I AM. I CAN HEAR YOU JUDGING ME.
• The reffing. The effing.

Lastly, I got a good look at Purdue Pete. Let's just say this flashed across my mind:

=

+

Purdue its gold and black....

Figure 1-2: Great Iron Horse Come to Valley

This Saturday Purdue rolls into town; it's Senior Day in Beaver Stadium. My, where does the time go. Just seemed like yesterday Connor was cranking ex-coaches.

I can't speak for the team, but I just feel deflated. Our normally formadable D was shredded last week. Whether by injury or not, the PSU D has been the one constant in my universe for awhile. Even during the bad years, It always showed up in one form or another.

So now we come to the pass-happy Boilermakers. Repeat: pass-happy. The same style of offense that killed us in the past two weeks. What can we possibly do to stop them? What possible hope do we have?

For one, Coaching needs to get their collective heads unf_cked. Against OSU, bringing blitzers kind of worked in that it forced Boeckman to make quicker decisions, with some good results on our side. When we rushed four, we got destroyed. Seriously, we should have just put in 3 extra DBs and rushed one lineman.

Secondly, keep running the ball. We were having noticeable success in the running game, and our coaches decided to put the game in Morelli's hands. Bad move. This strategy also doubles to keep the already struggling defense off of the field.

Third, play like you want to win. Words cannot describe what went through my head when we punted on their 38, especially when the running game was working. Let's just say it took me three cigarettes and a bar full of slutty Halloween costumes to get ready for the second half. 10-17, or heaven forbid, 14-17, does wonders for a teams' ego going into halftime, especially when you start the second half with the ball. Prolonged drives and intestinal fortitude will win out against Purdue.

Fourth, tell DWill to stop moving like Austin Scott. Pick a path and take it. Stop dancing. Don't go down in token contact.

Fifth: Quarless, Golden, Norwood, repeat.

Sixth: No more screen passes. Morelli had overshot the RB in screen passes 4 games in a row. By a lot. It just so happenned that OSU was well aware of this fact.

I am not sold on putting Clark and/or Devlin in yet. Clark is still far too inaccurate, and Devlin just isn't ready.

What do I think will happen? I am fully confident that our offense will employ the run early and often. However, this game will be won based on the ability to force Painter's hand. Rush 6 from every conceivable angle.

Final score: PSU 27 PUR 23

Foggy Memories

Figure 1-1: The second biggest letdown of the year.

Caught the game at Front Page whilst touring the Nightmare on M street. So many pretty girls dressed...well......If'n I ever do have kids, they can't be girls. Big ups to the staff at FrontPage for putting the PSU game on the flatscreen right in front of us.

All signs were positive coming into this game-our D would figure out what is wrong, the students were into it, beautiful weather, and 2 dollar Miller Lights. Hell, even the wings I ordered were good, which is somewhat of a rarity down here in DC.

Then the game started. Kind of. Hard to tell with all the commercials. The PSU D hit the field first, and promptly got lit up. OSU got 3 out of it because we were rushing LBs from the outside, forcing Boeckman to make his reads faster.

Then the PSU offense took the field and came out flying. Unbridled enthusiasm at the bar.

So with PSU up 7-3, what did the defense do on the next drive? Rush 4. That's right. They were getting blown up by OSUs line, so we decided to put no pressure on Boeckman. From that point on, things get kind of foggy. 2 dollar Lites combined with that steaming pile will force what's left of your brain into blackout mode.

But this is what someone told me: OSU picked us apart the rest of the game-all sides of the ball were screwed.

What does this tell you? We definately got outcoached. Tressel et al. did their homework, and put together THE perfect gameplan. They threw where we weren't, and blocked where we were.

Does OSU have better talent? I really don't know. I can't tell what this PSU team has at this point. After the Iowa and Wisconsin games, it was thought that we definately have the pieces. I am not so sure after this mudhole stomping.

If we lost a close game, I could prob handle it better than this. At least then we had a chance of winning this game.

I am still too disturbed to properly write about this game. All I can do is sputter out terse statements. More tomorrow. For now, I just feel entirely let down.

PSU vs. OSU nonsense

Tale of the tape- A quick breakdown of the school and their relative strengths in a heah-to-head. PSU answers are first because they won the coin-toss.


School

• The Pennsylvania State University
• The Ohio State University

push

If brevity is your thing

• Penn State
• Ohio State

push

If it isn't

• Penn State
• THE......OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

advantage: PSU

Mascot

• Brutus Buckeye
• The Nittany lion

advantage: PSU

What the hell is....?

• A Nittany Lion
• A Buckeye?

push

Stadium capacity

• 107,282 (110,753 record)
• 101,569

advantage: PSU

Can count on them to beat....

• Anyone but Michigan
• Anyone including Michigan

big advantage: OSU

Coaching Fashion Statement

• Rolled up pants and black shoes. Coke-bottle glasses. Old-school Moxie.
• Sweater Vests

advantage: PSU. Sweater vests are never a fashion statement

Tailgating environment

• In the cow pastures as far as one can stagger.
• Local Hotel

advantage: PSU

Tailgating Hazard

• Bags of urine, Eagles and Steelers fans, lack of port-o-johns.
• OSU fans, Columbus

advantage: OSU. Are you kidding me?

Annoying accent

• Yins. Yuhns. Stillers. Iggles.
• Midwestern Drawl

advantage: OSU. nothing in the first answer is even a word.

Good looking (female) cheerleaders

• Not historically
• Yup

advantage: OSU by a nose

Football player grad rate

• Extremely high
• Extremely low

advantage: PSU

Football player draft value

• Extremely low
• Extremely High

advantage: OSU

Recent linebackers of note

• Poz, Connor, Shaw, Lee
• Laurinitis, Hawk

advantage: PSU. Hawk DQ'd for marrying Brady Quinn's sister

Results:

Looks like PSU 7-5! Huzzah!

Indiana Wrappup

Figure 1-1: They aren't exactly who I thought they were

Before I sharpshoot this game in my "analysis", I first and foremost would like to say I was dead wrong about this Indiana team. Why? As I stated last week, I mailed it in. I didn't do my homework, so imagine the surprise when Indiana marched down the field and scored on their first drive. Other positives for Indiana include the 6-7" manchild, Jay Hardy, dismantling Justin King. Offensively, this team only lacks a good running back. The Hoosiers WILL be getting a bowl game, so bully to them.

The Good

• Anthony Morelli, the offensive line the running game. Jay and Galen have these guys firing on all cylinders, and the play calling still is refreshing. The only caveat here is the 3 FGs in the second half, all from the goal line. Do NOT make FGs a habit within the ten yard line. Look what happenned to the Eagles yesterday.
• We won a close game on the road. We have accomplished neither of those two this season.
  
• Maurice Evans. This guy is an absolute terror. And is a sophmore.

The Bad

• The rest of the d-line. No pressure from anywhere but Evans.
• Our defensive strategy. They passed 48 times. I would say 24 of them, we played the run. As a result, Indiana aired it out and torched us.
• Justin King. He got straight beaten. I understand that he was covering a 6-7" force of nature, and the QB had the brains to throw the jump ball (a la the Randy Moss method), but he is relying on just his presence near the receiver to discourage the pass attempt in his direction.

The Ugly

• We finally got the full-blown injury bug. Losing Hahn could be a devastating blow for the running game. Additionally, he is a senior, and he shredded his ACL. That is not the way for a guy who plays so hard to end his career. It just isn't fair.
• Losing Odrick with a broken ankle for the season. 6'5" DTs with ability are rare. Luckily, we have very competant reserves in Abe Koroma, McKeown, etc. Additionally, he will be back next season.
• The reffing. Or as all call it, "The Effing".

We got the win. The offense was good. The D was not. We lost 2 good starters. Indiana is a good team. There is now parity in the B10.

Indiana has its Hoosiers

Figure 1-3: Better than sucky this year

I actually got to watch some of the IND/MSU matchup on saturday after our glory. It looked like the MSU offense was running Madden drills on them.

Short preview this week, because there really is nothing really to preview. In other words, I am lazy . PSU is favored, and holds the advantage in almost every facet of the game. The only question marks for this PSU team is:

1. Can we win on the road against a team with a winning record? Or more generally, can we win on the road?

2. Indiana is #1 in the NCAA in sacks pergame (thanks Turkey !). Can our offensive line hold them?

3. Can we handle a lesser option offense?

Illinois taught the Lions how to defend the option-they have seen this type of offense before and adjusted perfectly. This answers question #3.

Our offensive line is extremely cohesive right now. In the last three games, they have opened up massive running holes for our backs. Word out of practice this week is that Quarless is working his ass off to get back into the lineup after being benched for half-assing blocks last Saturday, so all signs are pointing toward the positive.

Can PSU win on the road? Depends. If we use the game plan from Michigan, this game will be a tossup, at most an ugly win. If we use the game plan from the last few weeks, the score will only be close at the opening whistle.

So two out of three questions are answered in the positive, one is a maybe, leaning toward the positive.

PSU 45 Ind 7. The seven comes in garbage time. This team is hungry, pissed, and clicking.

Final thoughts

• I still feel horrible for Hayes. This kid has to work hard for the next 9-11 months to get himself back to a usuable condition, and even then he still might have lost a step.


• Will Morelli pass on first? Will we run? I don't know, and neither do the Indiana coaches. This puts us at an extreme advantage in that our strategy is now totally hidden, which means our strategy can succeed.


• PSU never "looks ahead" to the following game. This team always focusses on the task at hand.

PSU/Iowa Recap

So much went right this game, but there were still a few mistakes. As predicted (kinda), PSU played its most complete game of the season, defeating Iowa 27-7. Please note I got the total points scored right.

Notes from the first half:

• PSU comes out throwing downfield! Offense is churning, picking apart the Iowa D! Great drive!! Kinlaw fumbles... Enter Royster.
• Morelli looks good. His problem again is staring down receivers. It almost looks like he sees an open receiver, and his brain takes 2-3 seconds to coordinate his body. When he was trying to go through his progression, found an open receiver, and had to throw the ball with haste, he was inaccurate. Otherwise, he hit some receivers in stride, threw over the middle. The one play that killed me was a wide open Royster down the sideline on a screen. He was overthrown by 10 yards. On a screen.
• The defense absolutely owned the Iowa offense in every facet, holding them to 3 first downs.
• The most blessed drive was the last one of the 1rst half. About a minute left, PSU starting deep in its own territory. Morelli runs the no-huddle like Elway, and drives the team down into FG distance. Kelly splits the uprights from 53 yards. Absolute ecstasy. For one drive, everything clicked and PSU looked how i thought it should.
• Norwood flips the ball at the guy who tackled him. 15-yard unsportsmanlike. I still agree with the call-I think Norwood's intention was to just talk some ish to the defender, and made the mistake of flipping the ball near him. The defender walked into it, but still, you can't make these kinds of decisions when you are 0-2 in the B10.

Notes from the second half

• PSU still dominant. 20-0. Morelli is driving down the field and throws a pass to Williams on the sideline. Well thrown ball, and the Iowa safety makes an excellent play on the ball. Was Morelli at fault? Maybe. But it is a throw I can see most good QBs try to make.
• Iowa airs it out, and beats King downfield. Short drive, ending up in an Iowa TD. King is getting too complacent. 20-7. First nerves setting in.
• Next drive, Morelli gets flushed, and makes an unforgivable pass into triple coverage. Pick. Officially nervous. The PSU D comes up huge, reminding me why I should have faith in them.
• The offense, now featuring a more focused Kinlaw, goes right down the field and easily puts the ball in the endzone. Iowa is physically and mentally beaten. PSU wins, snapping a 5 game losing streak to Iowa.

Overall

First and foremost, the defense was stellar with the line blowing up the Iowa OL. The DTs were both studs-Iowa had no inside running game. Kudos to them. The LBs were left free to roam and finished up whatever the DL left over.

Derrick Williams officially has his confidence back. Bell should thank Williams for bailing him out after that drop in the endzone.

Morelli followed the same pattern as the Illinois game. Start competent, get confident, screw up in the second half. He did look improved in that he didn't give the game to Iowa, so bully for him.

Again, we need to platoon the RBs. Royster and Kinlaw make a very good combination. Royster just needs to stay healthy.

This game was a definite confidence booster to the OL. They did struggle at times in the passing game, but excelled in opening holes for both RBs.

Next week, we get Wisconsin at home. All players should be extremely motivated to beat a ranked team for homecoming.

Bring on the Illini

It's sink or swim time. Let's look at what Chief Illi.....oops. What crappy mascot have the pc nazis deemed appropriate again?

Figure 1-1: Another great mascot castrated

Anyhoo-on to the Illini. Since Ron Zook took over, this team has become downright scary. The talent waiting on this team will insure a competitive squad for years, starting with the offensive threats of Juice Williams and Mendenhall in the backfield. Look for the option early and often.

As far as passing goes, I still don't see them as that much of a threat. Even tho' they have top recruit Arrelious Benn waiting, they still need to find a way to get the ball to him. Wait, that sounds disturbingly familiar.

As far as defenses go, PSU will be facing a faster, more competent defense than Michigan's. By the way, MGoblog really had some great insight into Michigan's defense from last week. In a nutshell, they really didn't do anything impressive, outside of the play of the DTs. It really came down to Morelli, the O-line whiffing on blocks, and Scott. Basically a "wait until they f-up" kind of defense. Hey, it worked. We got beat. Let's move on.

On defense, I expect Illinois to rush us early and often. Keep Morelli hemmed in, and make him force throws. Although Morelli didn't throw any picks last week, it seems that tacopants reared his ugly, invisible head more than once. This is assuming that Zook watches the game film, which we all know he will.

On offense, look for an option attack a la Michael Robinson, but with less throwing. Say what you want, but the PSU d held Hart to under 4 yards per carry last week.

For PSU, you know what to expect on offense. If we run up the gut on the first play, i think i will have to punch someone/thing. Probably a hobo. 'Cause they don't count. For once, I would just love to see play action on first down. And for the love of God, do not hand the ball off to Scott when we are driving.

On defense, more of the same last week with emphasis on making plays outside the hashmarks. PSUs DTs i looked pretty solid last week, IMO.

Final prediction? PSU, 14-10.