BSD Mailbag 10.22.13

We saw What Iowa, Northwestern, and Wisconsin did in the first half against Ohio State and we saw why they came just short in the second. Do we have the tools to do what Wisconsin, Iowa, and Northwestern did in the first half, while also avoiding what happened in the second? misdreavus79

I really think Penn State is fully capable of keeping things interesting on Saturday for the first half or so. If the Nittany Lions want to come out with a 'W,' they will need to play near flawlessly for 60 minutes. That means limiting mental mistakes that cause penalties and blown coverages, and not turning the ball over. They will also need Christian Hackenberg to play more like a senior than a freshman. That's a tall order for a freshman playing in such a harsh environment, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. I think the reason none of the teams you mentioned could close out the game is because Urban Meyer is a damn good football coach, and may make in-game adjustments better than anyone in the nation. There's a reason he's 18-0 with a team that regularly needs to pull out close victories.

Do you think we see the TEs used a lot more in this game after the success that Iowa had using them? Ben16

I think we're all surprised that the tight ends haven't played a bigger factor thus far. You have to believe BO'B has a few things he'll pull out of his back pocket on Saturday, and I'm almost certain a few new packages that feature the tight ends creating mismatches is one of them. The tight ends had a big day last season against Ohio State despite the loss, and I think we'll see more of that on Saturday.

How do you think the team will come out on Saturday? Will they be flat or will they be ready to go? spigmana

This is prime-time against the number four team in the nation, and arguably Penn State's biggest rival. If they come out flat something is very, very wrong. This team will be ready to go by kickoff- the question remains if they will be able to keep that intensity and play focused football for 60 minutes. If not, it will be a long trip back to State College.

Can our secondary shut down their passing attack? mook1525

I don't think they can shut them down, but they can limit them and hopefully come up with some key stops on third downs. Penn State has struggles to cover the perimeter, so they will need to put pressure on Braxton Miller and force some bad throws. They will also need to get to him quickly. Miller can escape pressure until he eventually finds an open receiver. Those are the types of plays that could completely destroy this defense if they give him enough time.

Will we see Lynch in this game? And which RB will have the most yardage for this game? Drea1020

I would like to pretend I know what I'm talking about regarding Lynch, but at this time the best way to answer that would be to flip a coin. My head is saying that Belton will get the majority of carries going forward, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Zwinak get his head straight and run the ball so damn well that he leaves BO'B with no choice but to keep him in the game. I'll go out on a limb and say Zwinak gets it together for a 100-yard game.

Should we be ranked? After this past BCS busting weekend, Should PSU be a ranked team or does our sanctions keep us from consideration? Our loss toUCF now looking better with their big win and a big win against 5-0 Michigan leaves me to believe that we are a top 25 team. A win at the shoe has to get us ranked right? PSUsincebirth

No. They lost by 20 to Indiana just a few weeks ago, and will need to keep proving themselves to get back in the rankings. Plus, the B10 is held in such poor regard nationally, a 4-2 record just isn't going to cut it. If they win on Saturday, they will find themselves somewhere in the 20s for their efforts.

While I think the recent success in recruiting is awesome, I have concerns that neither line is being addressed as much as they should. Is this a legitimate concern or am I missing seeing verbal line commits or is there a lot more time left? BigMaple

I would feel much more comfortable with a few stud linebackers and linemen committed, but you have to believe this coaching staff knows what they're doing. There is plenty of time, and with the scholarships being placed back on the table I believe it's way too early to get that worried.

Is there an individual "band-aid" brand on the market that comes in an easy-open wrapper?! Smee

Not a single one. Maybe I should quit wasting my time with these questions and get to work on this?? Dolla dolla bills, y'all.

What makes Urban win wherever he goes? Is he really that good of a coach? He doesn’t seem like the kind of douche bag Lane Kiffin is, and besides Urban wins. psupro

You don't win at Bowling Green and Utah, bring Florida back to the promised land, and then take over at Ohio State and transform a 6-6 team into a 12-0 team without being a damned good coach. No matter what you think about him personally, he has an incredible football mind that will always produce. All he needs to do is have a group of players buy into his system and he wins. Obviously he's capable of this as well.

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