This weekend will mark the five-year anniversary of a very special in Penn State football history.It's the five-year anniversary of the last time the Nittany Lions beat anyone worth a damn.Five years. The above statement speaks volumes about where Joe Paterno's program is really at.
The calling card of the 2010 Penn State football team? Mediocrity | PennLive.com
That's the opening to Bob Flounder's article yesterday. A long piece about why you and I should be unhappy about a 51-13 record over the past five years and 2 Big Ten titles. A span of 5 years where Penn State stormed back onto the national stage spending 3 straight yearsranked in the Top 25. It doesn't matter that two of the program's best quarterbacks and probably best receiving core came through the gates or Beaver Stadium, or that Penn State finally beat Ohio State and Michigan on the road. All that matters is how many Top 5 teams you've beaten. I've apparently missed out on a reason to feel like these past 5 years have been a failure.
Look. I always want to win, but I'm a realist. Penn State in regards to average age isn't far from fielding a high school team. I expect them to win, but I also don't fly to my typewriter every time they lose to one of the oldest most talented teams in the Big Ten on the road. None of that changes Penn State's issues. Hugs and kisses won't make the offensive line block, and it won't make Zug catch a pass, but it will make the season easier to handle, and it doesn't mean this team has hit it's potential.
I understand the point Flounder's is trying to make. Penn State isn't the high octane team it once was. But we knew that going into this year. That ultimately is some of our fans greatest downfall. We all in some way expected to lose to Alabama, Iowa, and Ohio State, but at the same time people expected Penn State to play at a high enough level to "almost win". When you expect to lose you have to expect ugly. It's why you lose.
Wanted: Better players - Talent dropoff, coaching confusion hurt PSU
I decided to do Nitt LInks this way today due to the pure fact my brain can't handle these articles with just a witty one-liner. This whole article reads like somebody had a list of things that could be rehashed and the winner got to ride a pony around the office. I am far from the final word on these things, but it seems that Giger may have won the game. I'll let you come to your own conclusions.
Whatever your Penn State issue, Bolden isn't one | PennLive.com
It's a rare day that I want to hug David Jones. Today is one of those days. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he wrote this article in direct response to his coworkers.
--Best Of The Rest---
Illinois Football Game Notes vs. Penn State
Stats, numbers, and TVs.
Battle Named To Wooden Award Top 50 List For Second Year
I hope you come to game this year if you get a chance. Battle is going to go down as the best player in program history and the most under appreciated athlete in school history. Say what you will about Ed, but Talor has gone out there and done his best game in and game out. Lack of results doesn't always equal lack of passion.
Penn State Hot List for Illinois | PennLive.com
Glad to get that out of the way.