Monday Nitt Picks

by BSD on Nov 26, 2007 10:07 AM EST in News Comment 21 comments

You won't read this on ESPN, but Kirk Ferentz has been offered the Michigan job and it looks like he's going to take it. Personally I have a lot of respect for Ferentz and I think he'll do well there. Heck, I was kind of hoping he would be around when JoePa retires. But the Michigan blogs are unanimous in their displeasure.

The men's basketball team laid not one, not two, but three eggs this weekend at the Old Spice Classic. We went 0-3 and finished dead last in the field of eight. It's obvious this team has a long way to go to be competitive. The question is will Ed DeChellis be around to see it?

Fortunately we can always count on Nittany Lions Women's teams to make us proud. The women's basketball team beat Drexel this weekend, but head coach Coquese Washington says they didn't beat them bad enough. I love that attitude.

The women's soccer team came up just short against West By Gawd Virginia in the third round of the NCAA tournament. And The Nittany Line makes us wish we had attended more women's soccer games back in college.

This weekend the women's volleyball team will start the NCAA tournament as a #3 seed. So if you're on campus make sure you go out to Rec Hall to support the team.

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WOW

Les Miles must have said no. I would not be happy with Ferentz as my coach. I think he is very overrated.

by Nick7 on Nov 26, 2007 12:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ferentz

LOL, I was reading what some of the people where saying, pure anger for a Ferentz hire at Michigan.

WE ARE, PENN STATE!

by LinebackerU on Nov 26, 2007 12:52 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Why?

I like Ferentz. I like him a lot more than rumored JoePa successors like Schiano and Bradley. Don't get me wrong, I love Bradley, but maybe its best for us if hes just focusing on the defense.

Dick LeBeau was a disaster of a head coach but hes a great coordinator.

P.S. Iggles fans, nice go of it last night. I was behind you all the way. Go Steelers!

God Created the World Out Of Nothing, Paterno Built A National Superpower On Cow Fields...

by fugimaster24 on Nov 26, 2007 1:29 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ferentz had

a couple good years but Iowa has been stuck in reverse for the last couple years. I look at Iowa as a Michigan State in Black and Gold. They have high hopes at the beginning of the season, start off hot and then sh!t the bed the second half of the season. However, they are good for one upset a year.

I guess that is better than PSU's zero upsets per year.

by Nick7 on Nov 26, 2007 2:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yea

I never cheered for them, but last night I was pulling for them so hard. What a wonderful display of play, and they didn't pull a stunt like the Bills did last week. They didn't lay down and get blown out, they exsposed New England for what they where. Though a regular season game, it almost brought me to tears lol. Feely should be that team's QB from here on out, he really cares about the game.

WE ARE, PENN STATE!

by LinebackerU on Nov 26, 2007 2:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

JayPa

Maybe JayPa will be the top contender to succeed(?) Ferentz at Iowa!

by Nick7 on Nov 26, 2007 2:46 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Wow

This is what happens when I spend a couple days on vacation without internet connection. Kirk Ferentz?

by MarkoMancuso on Nov 26, 2007 3:16 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

NSFMF

Think this is an overblown rumor, at least according to several insiders. We shall see

by DCwolverine on Nov 26, 2007 3:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ferentz Rumors

I have no inside knowledge.

I do know however, that when time is of the essence in a hiring like this, the parties involved will start to preliminarily discuss the terms of an employment contract, salaries, buyouts etc. rather than deciding who you want, then discovering you are a million miles apart on what it's going to take to get the deal done.

My guess is that the two sides agreed to talk, and there have been some preliminary contract negotiations based on making sure that when the principals sit down to discuss the job they know a final agreement on financial terms would get accomplished. This might lead an overexcited or uninformed observer to think that the Ferentz had agreed to take the job or that Michigan had decided to offer it to him. Neither of which are necessarily the case.

I believe that this was the main reason for the confusion/controversy in Pittsburgh where Russ Grimm thought that the job had been offered to him before they actually gave it to Mike Tomlin.

Just a guess.

For the Glory National Champions 1982, 1986, 1994,

by jesse. on Nov 26, 2007 5:28 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

what did I miss about the womens VB team

I thought we ended up the season ranked #1 in the nation, why are we the #3 seed in the tournament?

by PSUinTN on Nov 26, 2007 9:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

VB

I know. I scratched my head at that too. Apparently they were ranked #1 in the coaches poll. The coaches evidently must not have a say in the NCAA seeding. Volleyball is definitely way different than football and basketball when it comes to polls. I've seen teams lose a match and not drop at all in the polls.

Mike
Black Shoe Diaries

Hail to the Lion!

by BSD on Nov 27, 2007 8:51 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think it might go by RPI

but I'm not sure.

by PSU Nick on Nov 27, 2007 9:04 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You are correct, sir.

Now I remember reading that yesterday.

Mike
Black Shoe Diaries

Hail to the Lion!

by BSD on Nov 27, 2007 9:18 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Women's Volleyball

In comparing Volleyball to Football, the Big Ten is like the WAC, pretty much a joke as a league. So Penn State is not the top seed in the tournament for the same reason Hawaii is 11-0 and not even part of the discussion of who is playing for a National Title.

The tournament is set up in regions, but unilke the NCAA Basketball tournament, what region you are in controls as to who you play. Penn State's region is traditionally very weak, I think they beat Juniata to go to the final four last year. While in the west all the good teams really beat each other up. That is why PSU always makes the final four in volleyball, but hardly ever wins it.

For the Glory National Champions 1982, 1986, 1994,

by jesse. on Nov 27, 2007 9:02 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah but

We did beat Texas twice this year, and they are seeded #4. So we can't be that overrated.

Mike
Black Shoe Diaries

Hail to the Lion!

by BSD on Nov 27, 2007 9:18 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It might be easier than that

Penn State's two losses this year are to #2 Nebraska and #4 Stanford. Nebraska and Stanford beat Penn State, so they are the 1 and 2 seeds respectively. PSU beat #3 Texas who is the Fourth seed.

For the Glory National Champions 1982, 1986, 1994,

by jesse. on Nov 27, 2007 10:07 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'll keep that in mind

when the WAC puts 6 teams in the NCAA Tournament

by PSU Nick on Nov 27, 2007 9:19 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Juniata

Thanks for the Juniata reference. That is my alma mater!

by Nick7 on Nov 27, 2007 9:57 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This is an excellent team this year

and yes - the Big Ten isn't a powerhouse - the only other 'contender' in the conference is wisconsin (ranked 6th in the RPI).

But this team is special - and still young (which is amazing) - they keep replenishing with outstanding talent. They have a swagger - their goal is to win a national championship.

The regional thing may be true for the initial pairings (1st and second round) - but Hawaii is in PSU's bracket - and they have to play in Louisville (Washington is also in bracket and 1st round venue).

Anything can happen in a tournament setting - if they keep winning - they'll be at home (University Park is the venue for the regional finals) through to the final four (in Sacramento, CA) - (unlike basketball) they do not seed every bracket - (more like tennis - they go up to 16 and the rest are unseeded.

All that said - PSU, for an "eastern" school has a long and very successful history in volleyball - sure they don't have a dynasty - but they are competitive nearly every year - I'm really looking forward to the tournament.

by PSUgirl on Nov 27, 2007 11:02 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Don't get me wrong..

I was just trying to offer an explanation about the seeding.

Penn State has a successful history in Volleyball by pretty much anybody's standards. I believe that that the men's team was the first team east of California to ever win the National Championship. The women's record is consistently outstanding. But the only teams outside of the Pac Ten, California and Hawaii that are consistently any good are PSU, Nebraska, Texas and BYU. Also, while both the men's and woman's teams consistently reach the final four, they rarely ever win it, once each if my memory serves.

Volleyball is a very regional sport, and PSU is about 3,000 miles away from the region where its popular, it's like if Arizona State had an awesome hockey team. That being said, the best kids playing at the East Halls sand court could probably finish fifth in the Big Ten. It's not so much that Penn State is not good, it's that the teams that we play aren't and really don't care. I remember taking Volleyball pretty seriously when I was in school. It's arguably the second most popular sport on campus.

Did they change the way they did the tournament pairings this year, making it more of a National Tournament? Can I get a link to the brackets?

For the Glory National Champions 1982, 1986, 1994,

by jesse. on Nov 27, 2007 11:29 AM EST reply actions 0 recs