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Penn State Blue Band wakes up tailgater | Penn State vs. Temple (via gotoaroundtheleague)

This Scholarship Offer Was Totally Not Stapled To Your Birth Certificate.  As noted in the Fanposts, there's a weird rip in the time-space recruiting continuum with respect to Levi Norwood.  We were all led to believe that Levi wowed the coaching staff at the recent senior-only camp, leading to the formal scholarship offer.  As it turns out, well, not so much:

On Friday and Saturday, he worked out at Penn State's senior camp, meeting current Lion recruits P.J. Jones and Adrian Coxson and catching up with former teammate Alex Kenney. However, he had actually been in town for the entire week, helping Little Lion boys basketball coach Drew Frank with a camp at the high school.

Most had felt Norwood had gotten his Penn State scholarship offer based on his performance at Penn State's camp. Norwood, however, said that was inaccurate.

"I had the offer a week before I came back,'' Norwood said.

Not that it's any sort of groundbreaking revelation, unless Norwood was misquoted or misspoke.  As long as Norwood wasn't visibly limping or drooling on the football, he was going to get a scholarship offer.  His dad coached here for a number of years, his older brother went from walk-on highly scrutinized greyshirt to the school's #3 all-time receiver, Penn State preaches loyalty and family, etc.  But there was a little spinning going on last week, it seems.

Creampuffery.  So, have you heard anything about Penn State's non-conference schedule lately?  The York Daily Record's Frank Bodani (one of the best on the PSU beat, incidentally), does a little reverse engineering of his own:

Part of it is an aberration, a rare chance to pocket another $4 million from an eighth home game. Remember that the Nittany Lions travel to Alabama next year and get the Crimson Tide at home in 2011.  Part of this also is a change in the college football landscape. The recent 12-game schedule makes it easy for everyone to grab a guaranteed non-con victory at home.

But the most important thing?  Like it or not, this schedule will do more to help Penn State make a national title run than hurt it. Look at it this way: With the Nittany Lions breaking in multiple new receivers, offensive linemen and defensive backs, it will take a while to find their stride, to play up to their talent level. Go back to 2005 to see how this works.

Sadly, this one reads like a press release from the ever-breathless GoPSUSports.com.  Yes, the joke of a schedule makes it more likely to go 12-0 or 11-1.  Obviously.  We're all happy to not be playing at Florida in Week One.  That doesn't make it a good schedule.  It's about the $4 million, and playing Alabama in 2010-11 doesn't make up for Eastern Illinois and Akron in 2009.  Fine, it's about money.  We know it, Penn State knows it, let's move on.  Just don't come back in November whining about ZOMG ESPN HATES ON PENN STATE MARK MAY IS A JERK if they're absolutely skewering 11-0 Penn State* for their garbage non-con.

Like The "World's Strongest Man", But Without All Those Scandinavians.  Penn State's annual Lift For Life fundraiser will be held Friday from 2-7 p.m. at Holuba Hall.  Suggested donation is $5 for kids and students and $10 for adults, proceeds to benefit the Kidney Cancer Association:

Last year, more than 90 Nittany Lion football student-athletes tested their strength and endurance in the 11-exercise competition (featuring bench press, leg press, tire flip, iron cross and others), which raised more than $70,000 for the Kidney Cancer Association.

...

If you do make the trek to Happy Valley, you'll have a chance to meet and get autographs from current and former Penn State  players. New this year is a "Fun Zone" with kids games, a silent auction and onsite credit card processing.

Uplifting Athletes events are organized by current football student-athletes.  The Penn State Football chapter of Uplifting Athletes is run by members of the Nittany Lion football team, including officers Brett Brackett, Jesse Alfreno, Patrick Mauti and Ryan Gmerek, as well as Brennan Coakley, Mike Farrell, Ty Howle, Stephen Joseph, Shelton McCullough and Matt Stankiewitch.

In Scores Of OthCOME TO PENN STATE.  CDT has a glowing review of Penn State's early recruiting efforts.  Michigan DE C.J. Olaniyan is narrowing his choices.  Shockingly, early playing time is a point of emphasis.   

* - Yes, that involves at least four legitimate leaps of faith.