Nitt Picks Gets No Respect
by BSD on May 13, 2010 10:10 AM EDT
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Last week we had the back and forth with Alabama fans after the Nittany Lions got 27 votes out of over 1200 in a poll on Roll Bama Roll asked "Who will be the first to beat Alabama?" It seems there's just not much love to go around for the Nittany Lions these days.
Eleven Warriors arbitrarily ranked the teams with the best running backs in the Big Ten this season, and he put Penn State third on the list behind Wisconsin and, you guessed it, the Buckeyes. He had this to say.
Evan Royster is the type of horse that almost every team in the country wants, but I feel that there is no real depth of talent behind him and I wasn’t impressed by his performance in 2009. Last year Royster was a pre-season Heisman candidate, but rushed for only six scores, despite racking up 1,169 yards and a 5.7 yards per carry average. His yardage and average certainly impress anyone, but I think he should have found pay dirt a bit more often and his numbers against big time opponents were mediocre at best.
He has a fair point on Royster's performance in big games last year, but let's not forget his 2008 season when he rushed for 1200 yards and 12 touchdowns. Did he get worse in 2009? I think you have to put a large part of the blame on the offensive line. Also, it's not Royster's fault that every time Penn State found themselves in a 1st-and-goal situation on the one yard line Joe Paterno called a quarterback sneak.
I also don't agree with 11W's contention that Penn State is thin at running back once you get past Royster. Stephfon Green has proven to be a capable backup that can break a play at any time, and Paterno may have some tricks up his sleeve with Curtis Dukes and Silas Redd this year. I don't think you can find a Penn State fan out there that would consider the entire season lost if Royster gets hurt.
What does Ohio State have that's so great? Terrelle Pryor led the team in rushing last year. Brandon Saine is nothing special. Boom Herron can't seem to stay healthy, and didn't have a single game over 100 yards when he was. Color me unimpressed. Maybe Ohio State has some good freshmen coming in I don't know about, but why should the Buckeyes get credit for that while Penn State gets no credit for Dukes and Redd? But this is what makes these arbitrary offseason lists so much fun.
Moving on, Big Ten Network analyst and failed head football coach Gary DiNardo takes a stab at ranking the teams of the Big Ten. He puts Ohio State, Iowa, and Wisconsin in his top three, and then he says there is a big drop off after that. He puts Penn State in the next group with Michigan State and Purdue. If you recall, Penn State has blown out Michigan State the past two years, and Purdue hasn't been to a bowl game since 2007.
Ok fine. I understand that Penn State has some holes to fill this year. It's tough to stay had a highly competitive level when you lose Jared Odrick, Navorro Bowman, Sean Lee, Josh Hull, Andrew Quarless, Dennis Landolt, and Daryll Clark. All of these players have won All-Big Ten honors at some point. But so far, this is the only argument I see being made against Penn State.
He likes what Danny Hope has done at Purdue, and wonders if Penn State can overcome its shaky quarterback situation now that Daryll Clark who also provided much of the Nittany Lions' running, is gone.
Since when was Daryll Clark a huge part of the running game? I must have missed that. Maybe on the goal line he was, but Penn State rarely ran with him after the 2007 Alamo Bowl. If a running quarterback is so essential to Penn State's success, we should go undefeated this year with Kevin Newsome at the helm. I fully expect him to blow Clark's rushing stats out of the water.
I'll say it again. There is some shuffling going on with the offensive line, but there is a lot of experience and talent to work with there. The running backs and wide receivers are stacked. Odrick is the only loss on the defensive line, and Devon Still will do just fine there. Penn State has been recruiting well at linebacker for years, and the coaches are tickled pink with the depth and talent they have to work with. Suddenly after two years of complaining how bad Josh Hull sucked, now he's a major loss? If all anyone can point to as an area of concern is the quarterback, where we have some really physically gifted, though inexperienced guys to choose from, I think Penn State will have a fine season.
Finally, it was announced this week that Penn State will play Maryland in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. I don't know how the last place team of the Big Ten gets paired up with the Co-Champions of the ACC, but you're welcome to the rest of the Big Ten for taking a bullet so the Terps don't knock off a team like Ohio State or Wisconsin.
As you can imagine, Terps fans view this as a major insult. Just check out some of the comments in response to the linked blog post by the Baltimore Sun.
This is a slap in the face to the Terps. They were co-champions of the ACC and so should of played one of the top teams in the Big 10 in the tourney but got one of the doormats instead.
If you are counting at home, so far one commenter calls it a "slap in the face", and three other commenters call it both a "joke" and a "slap in the face". And one Maryland fan who attended PSU thinks it's "awesome".
Sorry Terps. Consider this payback for all those years we were an independent and had to play down to your level in football just to fill out our schedule.
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Lack of RB depth
Let everyone think we’ve got no one but Royster. Then they’ll never be expecting it when of the “nobodies” goes flying past them. Touchdown, Penn State!!
"God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy"
I know
I can’t wait to hear Brent Musberger the first time he sees Dukes knocking over linebackers like bowling pins.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
Mike's stated
a few times now – and I agree / feel better about our OL this year (at this point) than compared to last year; in that this group has alot of starts and actual game time to their credit (yeah, not all at the same position…but, but, but…)
We might not win all 3 of the big away games; but I am thinking 2 of the 3 we will. Since we don’t regularly play AL, and we play them 1st, I will pick on them as I am viewing PSU at this point.
> Match-ups: PSU OL / AL DL
Tieing into the above statement, I pick our OL over AL’s DL (and our O over their D in general.) Reason: as discussed before – they return 2 starters; one of which played in ~1/2 of their games last yr due to injury.
I see our O play-calling heavy on the SHD read option. Right now I believe that will be our strength. I still see KNew as the starter. He does not have to pass @ 70%. If he can maintain @ about 50% (with some good down-field passes) that should be enough to keep them from stacking the box. Moreover, I believe the fact that their young D’s lack of our 2010 game film AND game experience against us bodes much more in our (JoePa’s) favor.
Yeah, we’re ‘gonna run on them; we will pound the ball…and in the process, the right O play-calling and having the running options of KNew, ’Rolls/Green/Dukes (and I’m believing DSmith/JBrown/Drake sprinkled in) is going to give them fits. If our O gets on a roll here…don’t be sooo surprised that the scoreboard is well lit in our favor.
PSU D / AL O:
I see this as a closer match-up. We know they can run. We know they have Julio. Returning QB McElroy can connect to Julio. So, your guess could be as good as mine as to how their O play calling will be designed headed into this game.
I could totally understand if they come out testing our DB’s. In their minds, they ran really well against all but 1 or 2 teams last yr (but did not see a D style that is common to the Big10 style.) So they are probably more confident that they can fall back on their ‘legs.’ In their planning, if they can pass well…it will set up the run. That’s sound planning…
If they come out running, and we are prepared with our front 7 to key-in, and we stop them > that’s going to really surprise the remainging ‘cockyness’ and ‘OMG – but we are the SEC’ mental stigmas these kids have. This in itself could begin the mental death knell on these types of kids.
They will get some passes in on us; but I totally can see our DB’s (with some LB help) out performing AL’s expectations/game planning here.
The speed we have with Latt’s/Crawford (if he keeps his head and plays ‘contain’) plus the talent and rotation depth and speed we have on the DL again will have them at a loss for underestimating us. Our LB’s need to play better than expected for a new group; and AL will begin to play as the Cringing Tide as the quarters count on in the south.
" When you cross that Blue Line, you are mine...Across the Blue Line, it's all football. " " And what you need to do in your life is paint Blue Lines everywhere. " - Joe Paterno 2009
by BlueWhiteLife on May 13, 2010 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Don't underestimate the ability of a young QB to shit himself in a big game.
I don’t see us winning, I see a decent game, but no win. Sorry I am off the Kool-Aide this year.
I am Laura Nichols and I like Bacon.
BSD is an addiction, and this is the first step.
by carolinaeasy on May 13, 2010 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions
that is my feeling
I think it will be entertaining but also frustrating.
I am Laura Nichols and I like Bacon.
BSD is an addiction, and this is the first step.
by carolinaeasy on May 13, 2010 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions
You have the better 'inside' here
but I think we have the potential to score better this year – from both sides of the ball – than last year.
" When you cross that Blue Line, you are mine...Across the Blue Line, it's all football. " " And what you need to do in your life is paint Blue Lines everywhere. " - Joe Paterno 2009
by BlueWhiteLife on May 13, 2010 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I should add / note
reason being – we knew, and then saw that DC was going to be held back from the run option under ‘normal’ circumstances, due to concussion proclivity. IIRC, it really wasn’t until the bowl game when we watched him in his more true to form.
They will most likely lean towards Newsome with the read option green light. If we get lucky and he outperforms a ‘rookie’ STB qualities; I see this as giving many fits.
It’s not just that he performs ‘well,’ it’s that he has the potential to become a big mix in the option.
" When you cross that Blue Line, you are mine...Across the Blue Line, it's all football. " " And what you need to do in your life is paint Blue Lines everywhere. " - Joe Paterno 2009
by BlueWhiteLife on May 13, 2010 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm with hbeach and Easy on this one
I think you’re expecting Michael Robinson, but not anticipating the chance(s) of another 2005 Northwestern, only this time we don’t have DWill, and the ball may not drop in our favor.
For the first time, I’m becoming comfortable with a less than stellar year. I don’t think it’s going to be a disaster, but I’m not going to hold my breath for 10/11 wins. We will have one of the toughest schedules, if not the toughest, in the country this year. And if that wasn’t pressure enough, we have a newbie QB under center. If we’re competitive, but lose all three of our tough road games this year, I’d have no problem calling this year successful. If we manage to come away from one of those trips with a W, I’ll be ecstatic, but I’m not going to automatically assume we win 10 games this year even if that’s the case.
by dawsonPSU10 on May 13, 2010 11:44 PM EDT up reply actions
pretty much where I am
I like to think (or at least hope) that I’m fairly reasonable with my expectations. If I’m going to laugh at other teams (cough, OSU, cough) over-hyping their freshman QB and expecting big things, then I can’t really turn around and think our true soph (or true frosh) QB is going to really be any better. Plus, although I don’t think our O-line will be terrible, I don’t think there’s enough positional experience there right now.
Our defense should be fine, though, and as long as we can solidify the O-line, establish the run game, and not screw the pooch with the QB then we should be a decent team. Unfortunately, just having a decent team isn’t going to help much with the big three away games.
by The JuggerNitt on May 14, 2010 2:44 AM EDT up reply actions
So much stupid.
-I think the 11W commenters are more insane than the PennLive ones.
-When someone can justify Wisconsin to me I’ll buy that we’re more like Purdue than them. The fact that we don’t play the Badgers this year makes me hate expansion and want to start lobbying for contraction.
-Clay didn’t do anything against Ohio State or Iowa either. In fact no one did anything against those two fronts last year, including conf-champs Oregon and GT
-Maryland has every right to be pissed off. We’re going to kill their RPI next year, and I don’t understand why they deserve that after finishing the way they did last year.
I know about your diabolical plan.
dunno about the contraction vs expansion
the only time it really matters not playing an opponent is if both teams are good (ie top of the conference), and if both teams are that good, then they’d be meeting in the conf championship game anyway.
by The JuggerNitt on May 13, 2010 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Maryland has every right to be pissed off. We’re going to kill their RPI next year, and I don’t understand why they deserve that after finishing the way they did last year.
Whether or not PSU is better next year in hoops — I think we should be improved even with the defections — playing PSU won’t be an “RPI killer” if the Terps win. Even a bad BCS conference team should generally be in the top 200 of the RPI (thanks to the SOS of oppononets of opponents component of the RPI) and you get bonus credit for true road wins.
It’s more correct to say that playign PSU in the Challenge is a missed opporunity for Maryland to get a big RPI boost by playing a top team. But playing PSU in the BJC won’t harm your changes to make the Big Dance.
Jamaal Berry
Maybe Ohio State has some good freshmen coming in I don’t know about
But I agree with you re: OSU running game. 11W wasn’t going to put his home team any less than second, though.
Black Shoe Diaries
Success With Honor
I knew they had some guy
I barely follow PSU recruiting anymore, let along Ohio State recruiting.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
Assuming rankings are people's expectations of how the season will end:
I’ve seen PSU placed anywhere from 15th to 24th.
So what kind of record does a team ranked 15th through 24th in the post season have over the past few years? There’s a fairly routine breakdown:
15th-19th ranked teams go 9-3 in the regular season and lose their bowl game. (9-4)
20th-25th ranked teams go 8-4 in the regular season and win their bowl game. (9-4)
Color me optimistic, but I see this as a 10-win team.
I'm expecting 9 wins, myself
wouldn’t be surprised with just 8, and would only be slightly more surprised at 10 wins. Those 3 road games are going to be brutal.
by The JuggerNitt on May 13, 2010 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Debbie Downer checking in here:
6 wins can actually see this (not likely though)
7 wins fully expecting this
8 wins will be happy with heading into 2011
9 wins means we win EVERY one of the non “big three road” games, that’s asking a lot
10 wins I just don’t see it
What is my basis? I try not to think too much, I just think this QB situation is as big as made out to be. Yes, our defense will keep all games close, but you gotta score to win. I have ZERO confidence attempting a field goal over 40 yards and who knows who will be punting.
Sorry I ruined your black panther party.
by hbeach08 on May 13, 2010 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
+1 for the gumpism
+2 for the realism in the post
I am Laura Nichols and I like Bacon.
BSD is an addiction, and this is the first step.
by carolinaeasy on May 13, 2010 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions
HA!
Right back @’cha!
/ and 1
" When you cross that Blue Line, you are mine...Across the Blue Line, it's all football. " " And what you need to do in your life is paint Blue Lines everywhere. " - Joe Paterno 2009
by BlueWhiteLife on May 13, 2010 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions
grrrr…
" When you cross that Blue Line, you are mine...Across the Blue Line, it's all football. " " And what you need to do in your life is paint Blue Lines everywhere. " - Joe Paterno 2009
by BlueWhiteLife on May 13, 2010 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I'm pretty much with you.
Although I don’t see five losses out there for PSU. I’m thinking this is going to be another one of those seasons where it takes a while for the new OL to get settled in and figure out what they’re doing, but the Alabama and Iowa games are too early in the year. But the Ohio State game in mid-November? Maybe that’s a different story. Probably not, but we’ll see. Just off the cuff now, I’m thinking 8-4.
"When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time" - Max McGee
by Run Up The Score on May 13, 2010 2:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Is it just me...
or is the talent gap between OSU and PSU continuing to narrow more and more since 2005?
Especially on offense, I really don’t see anything they have that we don’t this, save for a QB with some more experience, but who is, by no means, a guaranteed commodity.
Agree with the first point.
On the second, I think we have some issues on the oline, that’s something OSU, and increasingly Iowa, have been able to take care of.
I know about your diabolical plan.
Although we'll see about Iowa.
They’re doing the same thing this year we did last: assume that a few losses won’t wreck the whole ship. It very well may, but as always with the lines it’s impossible to tell.
I know about your diabolical plan.
head to head...
most of our issues with OSU have been squeaking out more than 10 points. Maybe its the pucker-up offensive approach and etting our D win. Last year it was pretty evident that we didn’t have the OL to make anything happen, so I agree with you there.
by Artiefufkin10 on May 13, 2010 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions
Can't run for crap unless there's blocking.
And that was the story for Royster last year, especially against Iowa and Ohio State. To say that it was Royster who wasn’t “clutch” last year is kind of dumb*, to be honest. It’s not his fault that Ohio State’s entire defensive line was destroying Penn State for 60 full minutes last year. My only problem with Royster was his fumble late against Iowa — that was a dagger. Royster was the guy who was keeping the ball away from Ohio State at the end of the 2008 game while superstar Beanie Wells was running for 55 yards on 22 carries. The difference between ‘08 and ’09? Offensive line. Royster didn’t suddenly become average.
- - Not that 11W isn’t a great blog. It is. But it goes to show how difficult writing a list like that can be. Brent Carter’s not even with the team anymore. Beachum’s coming off ACL surgery and probably won’t play this year. And if I was putting that list together, I’d have Iowa at #1. Robinson, Wegher, and Hampton are better than any other group. Ohio State, uncharacteristically, doesn’t really have a great RB who will get a bunch of carries. Saine and Herron don’t really scare anybody. The younger guys, I’m a bit more worried about.
"When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time" - Max McGee
by Run Up The Score on May 13, 2010 10:43 AM EDT reply actions
that Iowa fumble...
absolutely killed me. I was still holding on that we could pull it off and he was the last guy I expected to lose the ball.
I hope we get them at their place this year. The tables are turned and expectations are higher in Iowa City than they are in SC. Some tough love by Bama in the first month in front of a national audience, and suddenly the prime time kick off at Iowa doesn’t seem so daunting. At least I can hope…
by Artiefufkin10 on May 13, 2010 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions
It'll be interesting
Assuming we lose to Alabama and drop out of the rankings, it’ll be the first time in years where Iowa will be the favorite. Our coaches will be able to change the message to the team from “get revenge” to “get respect”.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
This scares the crap out of me
Overachieving has been a stronger calling card for Iowa in the last decade than living up to expectations.
Adrian Clayborn is strong enough to pull the ears off a Gundark
by The Bacon Explosion on May 13, 2010 10:52 AM EDT up reply actions
given alabama is likely to be no. 1 when penn state comes to town...
i have a hard time seeing a loss knocking the nittany lions out of the rankings. unless y’all are on the lip of doing so already, of course.
Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.
Well
Some polls have us in the 20-25 range. In the old days if you were ranked there and played well against the #1 team in the nation you might move up. Nowadays, if you lose you drop no matter who you play.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
rankings now
Are so affected by this transient feeling “OMG they lost a game?! THEY SUCK!”. We could lose by a FG in triple overtime to Alabama and I bet we still drop in the rankings, just so a 3-0 South Florida can move up the list after crushing FIU.
IMO they need to average the votes for the first 8 weeks with the previous week’s ranking. That way you can kind of dampen the transient response and avoid Alabama jumping up 20 spots in the rankings for beating a crap Georgia team that was vastly over-rated like in 2008. If you do that, it’ll be harder for teams to drop like a stone for 1 loss, and vice versa, meaning by the time you get to week 9 you don’t have teams artificially too high or low b/c the voters over-react to certain games.
Do you want the mustache on, or off?
Too bad.
Right
There is a lot more emphasis on perfection. It’s the lazy man’s way of voting. A 3-0 team must be better than a 2-1 team, even though the 3-0 team beat three lousy teams and the 2-1 team has played three ranked opponents. It’s so much easier to look at it in these simple terms than to actually look at the facts and apply logic.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
But on the flip side,
That would give an added weight to the preseason rankings. The better solution would simply do away with official rankings until a certain amount of weeks into the season.
by VVeRPennState on May 14, 2010 9:41 AM EDT up reply actions
This is my stance
Hold off on the rankings until week 5 so we can sort out all of the preconcieved notions.
But rankings sell ratings, so ESPN will never go along with it.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
That was how it was done back in the day right?
No polls until week 4 or 5?
I am Laura Nichols and I like Bacon.
BSD is an addiction, and this is the first step.
by carolinaeasy on May 14, 2010 9:51 AM EDT up reply actions
11W excels at some things.
But pretending to be objective about anything is not one of them. Putting lists together like this and saying " I feel that there is no real depth of talent" or “quite frankly I just think they are overrated” or " I think he should have found pay dirt a bit more"….I don’t know why you can’t try a little harder than that.
I know about your diabolical plan.
if they had just evaluated the starting duo/trio of each team...
that would have been more fair and legit. But to analyze the recruiting depth of OSU RB while ignoring other team’s makes the article especially lame.
by Artiefufkin10 on May 13, 2010 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Blogs and commentators rarely look beyond returning starters/healed injuries
I can’t really blame them for this, it is hard enough to truly keep up with three of four teams let alone an entire conference of running backs. I would assume the thinking is like this, OSU has entire backfield returning, they were good last year, must be great this year. PSU looses all big ten QB (who ironically some ripped for not being able to “win the big one”) and have one running back they can name so they must be bad. End of analysis.
Adrian Clayborn is strong enough to pull the ears off a Gundark
by The Bacon Explosion on May 13, 2010 10:51 AM EDT reply actions
Good point
All we ever heard about Clark from the Big Ten was how overrated he was. Now he’s a huge loss?
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
whatevs...
2009 Pryor with 2009 Clark stats would have probably been, at the least, a top 5 Heisman candidate.
Clark always got the raw deal because nobody ever heard of him coming out of HS and apparently penn state is a much worse QB school than OSU.
/krenzel
//smith
by Artiefufkin10 on May 13, 2010 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions
Well, one of those guys won a Heisman.
"When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time" - Max McGee
by Run Up The Score on May 13, 2010 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions
and he's flourishing in the NFL
right??
by Artiefufkin10 on May 13, 2010 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Still, Heisman.
We like to remember Troy Smith ’05, not Troy Smith ’06.
"When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time" - Max McGee
by Run Up The Score on May 13, 2010 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions
Agreed
I generally brush off arguments about what a player accomplished in the NFL. He could be all pro in the NFL for all I care, but if he doesn’t help Penn State win football games then he’s no good to us.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
Just to point this out, FWIW
2002 Carson Palmer* USC Quarterback 1,328
2003 Jason White Oklahoma Quarterback 1,481
2004 Matt Leinart USC Quarterback 1,325
2005 Reggie Bush USC Running Back 2,541
2006 Troy Smith Ohio State Quarterback 2,540
2007 Tim Tebow Florida Quarterback 1,957
2008 Sam Bradford Oklahoma Quarterback 1,726
2009 Mark Ingram, Jr. Alabama Running Back 1,304
Every one of those guys was the best player on the best team in the nation at the time (pre-bowl rankings), with the exception of Tebow (imagine that) and the kinda-exception being that Bradford played for the #1 BCS team, not the #1 AP team.
Kind of a worthless award IMO.
I know about your diabolical plan.
Look at that list.
I wouldn’t trade Charlie Batch for four of those QBs.
Black Shoe Diaries
Success With Honor
by Jeff Junstrom on May 13, 2010 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions
It really is disgraceful
The Heisman has become a joke. It always goes to the best quarterback on the best team. If there are no great quarterbacks on teams ranked in the top two or three, it goes to the best running back.
And since former Heisman winners get a vote, the electorate is becoming flooded with offensive minded people who all appreciate good offense. What would it take for a linebacker, defensive end, or even a wide receiver to win the vote?
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
Totally agree, Suh was the best player
Let's Go State!
by Gopher Broke on May 13, 2010 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Who would you take if you were a head coach?
Ingram or Suh?
Adrian Clayborn is strong enough to pull the ears off a Gundark
by The Bacon Explosion on May 13, 2010 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Not even close, it's Suh.
"When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time" - Max McGee
by Run Up The Score on May 13, 2010 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Ingram
Only because of my offensive background, and assuming there are no other choices available. I.E. Royster in the second or third round.
I am Laura Nichols and I like Bacon.
BSD is an addiction, and this is the first step.
by carolinaeasy on May 13, 2010 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions
ingram
because he’s made of nothing but awesome and win.
Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.
He's a very special player, but I like my Evan Royster just fine.
Did Ingram ever get a schollie offer to play lacrosse at Johns Hopkins? Huh?
Black Shoes. Basic Blues. No Name. All Game.
Whenever there is another position involved in the race
it seems like they are the product of a hype-machine though. Charles Woodson and Orlando Pace come to mind. For some reason, Willie Mays Hayes just popped into my head.
Really, the fact that players campaign for the award more or less destroys its integrity. I flipped on the WWL the other day and they were talking about the QB from Washington starting his campaign with talk show visits and the like. Shouldn’t this kid be in class or something?
I can't stand the constant hype Tebow got/gets
but you have to admit his 2007 campaign was insane. 50 or so TD’s? Are you kidding me? Most negative thing about him is the press, not his performance. He doesn’t walk on water no matter what ESPN says.
Granted a lot of those 2007 numbers have to do with the team around him, as evidenced by his 2008 campaign, but still 2007 was quite impressive and I would argue he was deserving that year.
Adrian Clayborn is strong enough to pull the ears off a Gundark
by The Bacon Explosion on May 13, 2010 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm not suggesting they aren't good players.
The problem with football — and with the heisman and the lists like 11w coughed up — is that football is so interdependent on everything that there is no way anything can be extracted and measured on it’s own merit.
I know about your diabolical plan.
You're right
I do like to remember Troy Smith ’05.
Let's Go State!
by Gopher Broke on May 13, 2010 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
Excellent!
Let them all think this way. I, for one, would love to go into week 2 way under the radar. No depth at running back? How’s a running QB with (a healthy) Green, Dukes and Redd on deck. This could shape up to be a surprising season.
For all the experts out there
I really think that the average poster on BSD has a better feel for the team than any of them. I can remember years when I thought we were ranked too high and some too low, and in the end the team played more to my expectation than the so called experts. If we are going to be compared to Purdue in football then our Basketball team is going to be as good as Purdue since we have Battle back, that makes as much sense as the football comparison.
Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils
National preseason expectations vs. results
In 2005, national publications averaged us as #30 heading into the season. Yes, that means no #, but rather just a spot on ‘others receiving votes’. (http://preseason.stassen.com/consensus/2005.html) We ended up as #3 in the AP/coaches.
In 2008, national publications averaged us as #21 heading into the season. (http://preseason.stassen.com/consensus/2008.html) We ended up as #8 in the AP/coaches.
Just two recent examples…
by Paterno Ave on May 13, 2010 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Of course, a counter-example could be last year, when we were projected #8 in the preseason and ended up 8/9 in the Coaches/AP.
by Paterno Ave on May 13, 2010 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions
That's not necessarily a counter-example, as the media was right on (blind squirrell n'at).
I’m hoping for a similar situation you outlined in you first comment. Highly overlooked, question marks coming in, etc. Then BOOM! POW! right in the kisser.
Black Shoe Diaries
Success With Honor
by Jeff Junstrom on May 13, 2010 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions
3-5 loss year
I’m feeling like this year will have a few really bad losses, like 35-7 type games, as the offense struggles. Bama, OSU and Iowa appear to be pretty likely losses, and I could see a WTF game or two in there as well. Get in the 3-4 conference loss range and it’s middle of the pack.
I hope I’m wrong, though.
I'm feeling a surprise win at Iowa this year, for no good reason.
Alabama and Ohio State are likely going to be rough games, though.
"When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time" - Max McGee
by Run Up The Score on May 13, 2010 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions
I could make valid arguments that all three are beatable. And I did (SPOILER ALERT!).
But we’re also obviously beatable. It will be who takes advantage of the other’s weaknesses to a greater extent.
Black Shoe Diaries
Success With Honor
by Jeff Junstrom on May 13, 2010 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions
Is it September yet?
It’s gonna be a long, cruel summer.
by Frank O'Brien on May 13, 2010 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions
My gut is saying we pull a win against a team we probably shouldn't win against
but then we have that WTF game against someone later. I don’t know who, I don’t want to think about it, my gut’s just set on 9-3, and anything more than that seems to be pushing it. I hope I’m wrong, but my Kool-Aid:Fear ratio is all out of wack until I see this team play.
It’s almost September right?
by dawsonPSU10 on May 14, 2010 12:04 AM EDT up reply actions
Eh
I just don’t see a WTF game this year. After Ohio State, Iowa, and Wisconsin (who we don’t play), there is a pretty considerable drop off. I don’t see Michigan putting it together this year. Illinois should be teh sux. Northwestern is kind of coming around, but Kafka is gone and we handled them pretty well when they tried to do anything other than the QB draw play. Indiana? Please. Minnesota might be a tough game, but they don’t have Eric Decker this year so I think their offense is going to struggle. Maybe Sparty will be better, but we get that game at home so I’m not too worried.
I see 6-2 at a minimum in conference this year. Sneak a win at Iowa or Columbus and ten wins is a possiblity.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
How about Wisconsin in 2004?
Pitt currently has both a better football and basketball team than Michigan.
How about Wisconsin in 2008?
Ohio State in 2003? (actually, every O$U game in 2003 was a WTF for them.)
How about every single Michigan State game?
OSU in 03
Brutal. I remember at the time thinking the clock management was really bad. It took me years to forgive Joe for that one.
by Illegal Formation on May 13, 2010 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Maurice Humphrey?
Was that the name of the WR who ran out of bounds five yards too soon on the penultimate play of the OSU game?
Sadly, it turned out it was the least of his problems.
Blogging about D.C. Baseball since April '04. Penn State alum. Also partial to the Washington Capitals, New York Yankees and Yale football.
I think so
and from the other end of the stadium, it looked like Kimball’s kick missed juuuust short.
by Illegal Formation on May 13, 2010 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions
One of my friends had a theory a few years back that
most 8-year-old kids understood clock management better than NFL coaches because of playing Madden. Thankfully, PSU has gotten much better at that, it was truly pathetic for about 20 years.
Wiscy 2008
One of my absolute favorites from that season. I was scared shit-less about our first road game being at Wiscy. Then they could do absolutely NOTHING to stop us. It was pure domination at it’s finest.
by dawsonPSU10 on May 14, 2010 12:00 AM EDT up reply actions
I just shuddered with the memory of her broadcasts
I am Laura Nichols and I like Bacon.
BSD is an addiction, and this is the first step.
by carolinaeasy on May 13, 2010 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Although she did call the coming out party for MRob & D-Wheels.
Northwestern 2005. I can still hear her supple baritone voice on that call late in the 4th quarter.
by Cairo on May 13, 2010 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Meh
I’m feeling a 9-3 regular season record. I expect a couple of losses from our tough 3 road games. I think we’ll steal a win from one of them, but have an agonizing loss to somebody like Michigan State or Michigan.
Luring recruits with my new "Posting HD" scheme since '08.
Same
I have a hunch we’ll pull off an early upset and get everyone thinking that we’ll exceed expectations, but then we’ll lose to some handjob of a team like Minnesota because of young QB mistakes or special teams. On the bright side, I think this year will be more exciting than last year, when everything went according to plan, even if we end up with more losses.
by Illegal Formation on May 13, 2010 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions
I think I’ll take that over last season. Probably won’t feel the same way after we lose to Minnesota…
by Paterno Ave on May 13, 2010 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah
It’s all fun and games until there’s Gopher fans all over the boards talking smack about your team.
Do you want the mustache on, or off?
Too bad.
Yeah
I’d hate for all two of them to go on a posting rampage here.
Luring recruits with my new "Posting HD" scheme since '08.
Yah sure you betcha
Do I count, even though I fully converted from a Gophers to a Nittany Lions fan once I got my grad school acceptance letter from PSU five years ago?
Let's Go State!
by Gopher Broke on May 13, 2010 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions
I just got my grad school acceptance today
To Minnesota though. I don’t think I’ll become a Gophers fan over a Lions fan though.
Congrats
If you’re anything like me, you’ll find ways to enjoy your grad school, but you’ll continue to bleed Blue and White
"I did my walk of shame this morning and everyone was so much nicer," she said. "People were inviting me to parties at 9 a.m."
And if you're like me
You’ll pick fights with undergrads and anyone else at your grad school (Pitt) for all three years.
Sadly, GWU next year provides absolutely no reason for me to get angry, so I’ll probably not be in the same zone.
"Every player we have, someone-maybe a parent, a grandparent, someone-poured their soul into that young man. They are handing that young man off to us. They are giving us their treasure, and it's our job to make sure we give them back that young man intact and ready to face the world."
-J.V.Pa.
I wouldn't be surprised if we knock off Alabama
we usually do well against SEC teams, despite their hype machine. I don’t know if we’ll win or not, but I won’t be surprised like I was against Nebraska.
The game that worries me most (because I frankly think a close loss to Alabama would actually be better than a loss in the Big Ten in the eyes of those who rank us) is Ohio State. I’m still not on Iowa’s bandwagon, though they played an excellent game last year, but if you still have Stanzi as your quarterback, I expect a few interceptions coming our way. Ohio State is the one team where Paterno still doesn’t seem to be able to relinquish his “Run on First and 10” mentality which is why that game scares me most.
I'm with you on these
Playing well vs SEC
Stanzi still in there / (our DB’s will be / should be much better than last yr)
PSU vs tOSU is PSU vs tOSU
" When you cross that Blue Line, you are mine...Across the Blue Line, it's all football. " " And what you need to do in your life is paint Blue Lines everywhere. " - Joe Paterno 2009
by BlueWhiteLife on May 13, 2010 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions
I think if you are going to make a running game list it should take the offensive line into consideration as well.
You could have an dominant running back behind a shitty oline and look like dookie (the NFL has plenty of RBs who were unknown in college, yet a stars there). Or you can put an average RB behind a stout oline and look like a hiesman trophy winner (See Ron Dayne). So ranking a teams running backs with out mention of the offensive line creates a system that is tragically flawed.
I am Laura Nichols and I like Bacon.
BSD is an addiction, and this is the first step.
That sounds like a job for Dataman!
I’d be interested to see a cross-referenced list of OL strength and perceived RB strength. Make that into a list.
Black Shoe Diaries
Success With Honor
by Jeff Junstrom on May 13, 2010 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions
I have the feeling that
I’m NOT going to have a feeling about the team till the season starts.
by DerryPharmer on May 13, 2010 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions
CEasy
Since you are infinitely more qualified than I, can you share any thoughts on our run blocking experience this coming year?
Here’s why I ask: I look at our potential tackles and I’m scared, freightened even. But I see a lot of experience and tough players who are not athletic. It makes me think our tackles will have difficulty in pass protection. I’m starting to wonder if that matters. It’s looking like even our LT will have guard experience. If we go back to a more option heavy offense (a la 2005), will it make a difference that we don’t have the prototype huge athletic freak as bookends?
If the answer is, and this is maybe more rhetorical, that we won’t have any trouble running the ball, then I just do not feel panicked about our QB play. Newsome in an option and run heavy offense with some short sideline routes strewn in might be the most threatening offense we have seen here in a long time. You could have 3 guys lined up in the backfield who can take it 90yards on any given play.
by PSUinBOSSton on May 13, 2010 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions
I will be glad to do something like that but I would prefer to do it in a proper story
Give me a couple of weeks to a month and I will see if I can make a proper story of the oline based on the spring game, and their body of work last year. But my gut feeling is we will be okay, but let me look at it and come back to you.
I am Laura Nichols and I like Bacon.
BSD is an addiction, and this is the first step.
by carolinaeasy on May 13, 2010 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Wow!
That’s incredible, I will look greatly forward to it!
by PSUinBOSSton on May 13, 2010 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree fully
But that’s not going to stop people from thinking everything in any sport happens in a vacuum. And so, let the list-making continue!
"I did my walk of shame this morning and everyone was so much nicer," she said. "People were inviting me to parties at 9 a.m."
ugh, post fail
there was a perception that alabama’s offensive line would take a step back last year with the loss of andre smith. but one of the reasons that ingram got that heisman was that the line gelled pretty much from the start and performed at a high level all season. both ingram and richardson are great backs as their yardage after contact indicates. but the offensive line made damn sure that initial contact came after the line of scrimmage all year.
Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.
Cairo, c'mon...
We would beat you if we hadn’t lostColt McCDarrylDaryll Clark.
Sorry, I just feel like after two successful years, and pretty much every attainable PSU QB record in his pocket, we should probably all know how to spell his name by now.
by dawsonPSU10 on May 14, 2010 12:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Zach Mills thinks you should shut up.
"When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time" - Max McGee
by Run Up The Score on May 14, 2010 9:17 AM EDT up reply actions
PAL PUZLULZNY ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SAY SHUT UP
"I'm colonel cool! And I'm the captain on this rocket to the stars!"
Well Maryland is losing Vasquez...
Granted, their top 5 off the bench are probably better than are starting five but…I’m not sure that team is ACC Championship caliber without Vasquez.
God Created the World Out Of Nothing, Paterno Built A National Superpower On Cow Fields...
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