Update number one from Florida

Penn State Friends--

Guess I over promised with the idea of a "daily" update. The fun and sun has kept me away from a computer. A really nice change of pace I must say. Think about it, how many days have any of us avoided a computer/balckberry this past year. For a New Years resolution we all should double that number in 2006!!

But, let's talk about getting ready for the Orange Bowl in Florida!

Wednesday, Dec 28:

• Woke up in Chicago at 4:00AM to a balmy 37 degrees. Caught the 6:15 flight to Fort Lauderdale.
• Step off the plane in Ft. Lauderdale to be greated by an Orange Bowl poster....a big smile appears on my face. Penn State is back in the big time! Pass a few more Orange Bowl signs and I am welcomed by a tour agency....must have been the Penn State shirt I was wearing. She wanted to know how many of "you Penn Staters" are coming to the game!
• Get to my rental car and enjoy the 77 degree weather. Why am I living in Chicago again?
• Start the drive down to the Keys, and pass the Orange Bowl stadium. It already has the temporary signage hanging on the outside. I was ready to just drive straight to the parking lot and start cheering...but there was scuba diving to be done first!
• Along the drive on US 1 I got excited because I came upon the world famous Shell World. Said to be the best store in the US that sells collectable shells. Of course, I stopped to browse and add something to my collection. Then about 20 miles further south there was another Shell World....hmmm I was feeling a bit cheated about the first store!
• Got to my Dive motel...and it was exactly what it is called! A huge dive, but very convenient for the following day.
• Watched MeCheatAgain lose to Nebraska. What a bunch of chumps! Big 11 Officials were on the field...no wonder so many calls were blown. At least they sucked equally for both teams!!

Thursday, Dec 29:

• Nothing like the first day of diving....spend an hour the night before setting up gear. Then awake at 7:00AM to get ready.
• Quick breakfast and on the boat at 8:00AM heading out to sea.
• The water in the summer in the Keys they say is 85 degrees.....but today it is 71 degrees. Think about laying in your bath tub submerged in 71 degree water for 45 minutes to get a sense of the cold. I was not a happy camper under the ocean...even the fish appeared cold as one was wearing a Penn State beanie!
• Saw lots of great fish, took lots of pictures...but let talk football.
• Ran into a Florida State fan...who thinks Penn State will "kick the crap out of Bobby and his dumb ass son!" Seems like the FSU fans are giving the Bowdens the same support we gave the Paternos last year.
• The news broke about the Florida State Penitentiary linebacker today. So typical for their team of thugs. Guess A.J. Nicholson was missing some team mates in jail. What is bad for FSU is good for PSU. Can you say M-Rob and Hunt up the middle????
• Met a PSU family at dinner. (Must have been another Penn State shirt I was wearing) Dad and I talked at the bar about the turnaround, Joepa, recruiting and the Bowl game. With a tear in his eye he told me he can't go, as his family is flying back to Philadelphia on Sunday. After his family was seated, and he continued to chat with me for another 15 minutes, his youngest daughter came to tell him that "Mom says you need to come sit down now or you can't renew your Penn State season tickets!"

Friday, December 30:

• Wake up at 6:30AM for a 7:00AM boat departure. Going to dive wrecks all day. More great fish to see and pictures to take. E-mail me if you want to see the pictures!
• Sat outside for lunch (it was 80 degrees) and watched Minnesota blow the game to Virgina. How can you be up so big in the first half, then lay an egg in the second? These Big 11 teams are making the conference look bad.
• Just read all of my key websites to get "up" on my Penn State info. The only highlights I dicerned were: Joe does not like how the team is practicing and D-Wheels is out for sure!
• Time to go catch my last dive of the trip....going out at night. Diving in the dark is so much fun...but even more cold!

Hope to update you again soon. Tomorrow in Key West for New Years!

Go State, beat the criminals.

And who starts for Penn State next year???

Today is the Eve of the Eve. Time to make predictions for 2006.

After much scrutiny here is my forecast for the 2006 first string starters for next year. Current Starters are in bold!

Offense:
QB- Anthony Morelli
RB- Tony Hunt
FB- BranDon Snow
WR- Derrick Williams
WR- Deon Butler
TE- Mark Rubin (gains weight in off season)
LT- Levi Brown
LG- Dennis Landolt
C- A.Q. Shipley
RG- Robert Price
RT- Gerlad Cadogan

Defense:
DE- Josh Gaines
DT- Jay Alford
DT- Ed Johnson (assume grades are improved)
DE- Jim Shaw (or Tyrell Sales)
OLB- Paul Posluszny (yes he will be back)
MLB- Tim Shaw
OLB- Dan Conner
CB- Justin King
CB- Tony Davis
H- Donnie Johnson
FS- Anthony Scirrotto (or Knowledge Timmons)

Special Teams:
K- Kevin Kelly
P- Jeremy Kapinos
KR- Rodney King and Derrick Williams or Justin King
PR- Justin King or Anthony Scirrotto
WR- Deon Butler


That is only 9 Starters returning….be thankful for a somewhat easy schedule!

And the Orange Bowl Winner is....

Orange Bowl Prediction:

Friends I am so excited about this upcoming week. My Bowl trip begins tomorrow, as I travel to Key Largo for a few days of scuba diving, then will spend New Years Eve in Key West, before heading to Miami for the Pep Rally and the Big Game.

Be sure to check here on a daily basis for updates regarding the Bowl Trip...

But let’s talk some football. Hopefully, by now the state of Pennsylvania has quit bellyaching about the match up. Penn State has so much to gain from winning this game. Just look how the recruits are flying into Happy Valley wanting to play for Joepa and the Lions. A win next week will continue the influx of talent.

To pick the winner of the Orange Bowl just review the statistics:

Comparing Offenses:
PSU
Total Offense: #31, 424 yds game
Scoring Offense: #13, 35 pts game

Criminals
Total Offense: #51, 384 yd game
Scoring Offense: #41, 29 pts game


Comparing Defenses:
PSU
Total Defense: #18, 307 yds game
Scoring Defense: #11, 16 pts game
Turnover Margin: #41, +.36 game

Criminals
Total Defense: #15, 302 yd game
Scoring Defense: #28, 22 pts game
Turnover Margin: #83, -.42 game

Record vs. Bowl teams:
PSU Criminals
5-1 3-4

Record vs. Top 30 teams:
PSU Criminals
5-1 3-2

Schedule Difficulty Ranking:
PSU Criminals
#15 #26

Why the Prisoners could win:
- They just beat the #1 ranked Defense in the country in the ACC Championship game.
- They just halted an Offense led by a multi-threat Quarterback
- They do have talent and speed

Why the Nittany Lions could win:
- This team is not going to ruin a great season by losing the last game of the year
- The cocky FSU players are already under estimating the Lions…and the team has already proven how this motivates them. Read this article: http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/13489546.htm
- Joe and the staff will NOT be out coached by Bobby
- Expect our Defense to get at least 2 turnovers!

My Prediction is:
Let’s just use Penn State average Offensive and Defensive scoring numbers…

The Nasty Nittany Lions: 35
The Ditry Indians who have yet to change their NCAA law breaking name: 17

Erik's Bowl Picks for some key games

Here are my Bowl picks:
Note: During the Regular season I was 19-4 (83%):

Alamo bowl = Michigan
Vitalis Sun bowl = Northwestern
Chick-fil-A bowl = LSU
Outback bowl = Iowa
Capital One bowl = Auburn
Tostitos Fiesta bowl = Ohio State
Nokia Sugar bowl = Georgia
Rose bowl = USC

As for the Orange Bowl....the full analysis is coming soon.

Statistically speaking....

Do statistics lie?? Find out tomorrow when the Penn State and Florida State stats are reviewed....

Joe Paterno is Coach of the Year

Congrats to Joepa!!

A great early Birthday gift....more awards to add to the mantle at home.

And in a very classy way Joe diverts attention to not only his Coaching Staff, but also the University of Texas. He and Mack Brown have a major love fest going on!

See the press release for more info: http://www.gopsusports.com/pressreleases/pressrelease.cfm?anncid=9215

Basketball....Are we getting better?

Penn State Fans-
The men's team is now 5-3....one of the best starts in years. But is the program truly in better standing? Will our mens basketball team EVER be GOOD...a player on the National scene??

The normal excuses are:
1. Penn State is a football school, therefore basketball players don't want to be overshadowed.
2. Penn State is not in or near a large city, where the best basketball talent resides. And the best players don't want to live in "cow country"

If these reasons are true, then please explain how these other schools have both a solid Football and Basketball team:
- Texas
- Florida
- Oklahoma
- Michigan
- Iowa
- Michigan State
- Maryland
- Ohio State
- UCLA

What are these schools doing that Penn State can't seem to replicate?

Ed gets one more year by my calendar. Then, if we aren't better, it is time to bring in a big name coach. Not a dirty, scum dragging, NCAA rules breaking coach. But a big name to help us recruit big time.

And yes, the team has suffered transfers and injuries over the years, but that is part of the game...one the coach must prepare to handle.

It is time for Penn State to have two Nationally Ranked revenue generating programs. It will help continue to fund all the other sport teams, who bring great pride to Penn State due to their accomplishment on and off the field.

Go State, beat the Florida State Penitentiary

The 2005 Golden Gelt Awards

There are just so many awards in College Football today, and most are given by some big corporate entity. In addition, they are so serious! Therefore in normal Erik fashion I have created the “Golden Gelt” Awards. But these are some valuable awards for two reasons:

First, Gelt can be traced back to Syrian and Maccabee erea, which dates over 2,300 years ago. Therefore, these awards have a long standing tradition of deep meaning.

Second, there really aren’t any qualifications needed to earn a Golden Gelt award. The awards are purely based upon any witty commentary that I could create.

So, enjoy the 2005 Edition of the Golden Gelt awards:

- The Top Gun Ice Man Award: Michael Robinson

- The Gladiator Award: Paul Posluszny

- The Casper the Friendly Ghost Award: Austin Scott

- The Dennis the Menace Award: Tamba Hali

- The Freshman Award: Deon Butler

- The Flash Gordon Award: Derrick Williams

- The Kamikaze Award: Ethan Kilmer

- The Tasmanian Devil Award: Tony Hunt

- The Tivo Award: The final 2 minutes of the Northwestern game

- The Home Improvement Award: The entire Offensive Line

- The Natural Award: Kevin Kelley

- The Ray Charles Award: All Big 11 Officials

- The Venus flytrap Award: Alan Zemaitis

- The Butterfingers Award: Calvin Lowry

- The White Men Can Jump Award: The Student section

- The Back to the Future Award: The final second of the Michigan game

- The Lion King Award: Joepa

Penn State Football Awards

The football program has rightfully earned a tremendous amount of national attention. And in the process has hauled in a bunch of awards. Here is what has been won to date:

Joe Paterno:
- Home Depot Coach of the Year
- AFCA Regional Coach of the Year
- Big 11 Coach of the Year
- Finalist for Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year
- Cover of Sports Illustrated

Paul “Poz” Posluszny:
- Butkus Award winner – Best Linebacker
- Bednarik Award winner – Best Defensive player
- ESPN Academic All American
- FWAA/Cingular All American
- AP All American
- Walter Camp Foundation All American
- Sports Illustrated All American
- First Team Big 11

Tamba Hali:
- FWAA/Cingular All American
- AP All American
- Walter Camp Foundation All American
- Big 11 Defensive Lineman of the Year
- AFCA First Team All American
- ESPN All American

Michael Robinson:
- Big 11 Offensive Player of the Year
- Big 11 Silver Award – Conference MVP
- Finished 5th in the Heisman voting

Alan Zemaitis:
- AP 2nd Team All American
- First Team Big 11

Levi Brown:
- AP 2nd Team All American
- First Team Big 11

Calvin Lowry:
- First Team Big 11

Scott Paxson:
- First Team Big 11

Who is the BEST EVER College Football team? VOTE NOW!

Which team is the best EVER in College Football?? What about the 1994 Nittany Lions??
Vote on ESPN Sportsnation now!

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/listranker?id=405

Why the Whinning?

Fellow Penn Staters:

Sometimes I just don't get us! Why are we complaining about the Florida State match up? Are we somehow above playing this team? Are we automatically better?

That is a load of Blue and White crap. REALLY, stop seeing the glass as half empty!!!

Here is the situation as I see it:

1. Win this game and Penn State finishes #2 in the final rankings!!
2. Win this game and it shows that Joepa is the better coach
3. Win this game and Joepa will have 21 Bowl wins to Brat Bowden's 19...and he may never catch Joe
4. FSU never travels well to Florida Bowl games, so Nittany Lion fans should be the majority
5. Win this game and show potential recruits how Penn State can beat Florida schools
6. Win this game to prep the team for next season

My request, as a fellowPenn State fan, is that we look at reality. Florida State Penitentiary WON their conference championship, which automatically earned them a spot in this game. Discussion over!

But please don't act like we, or the team has been done a disservice. Our players deserve better from their fans....as they did better than we expected.

Go State, kick some Florida State Criminals butt. See you in Miami!!!

When it absolutely, positively has to be the FedEx Orange Bowl

Today is "Selection Sunday!" When the BCS attempts to generate the same excitement at the NCAA Basketball tournament field of 64.

The problem is that we already KNOW which Bowls everyone is going to attend. Everything has already been decided by the rich men who run the Bowls and the even wealthier ABC Sports. But, hey it is a great time to get major Brands, like my old Tostitos, to sponsor a 1 hour show!!

So, my picks from last week were WRONG...very wrong indeed. As two teams did not follow the script, and two teams never missed a beat.

Bowls should (hey something crazy could happen today...like the NCAA forces a playoff system) turn out as follows:

• ROSE: USC vs. the Shorthorns. Both ran the tables as predicted back in August. Should be a great game. My pick: Trojan dynasty continues
• Sugar: Georgia vs. WVU. Surprise win for Bulldogs...and now I pick them to win again
• Fiesta: Notre Lams vs. Ohio State...the crazy nuts finally show the world that the tarnish still remains on the Dome
• Orange: What a story line for this game now! ABC must be tickled green with ratings. Joepa vs. Grandpa Bowden. Pennsylvania vs. Florida. Penn State vs. Florida State penitentiary! Extra motivation for the Boys to prove they are the best...and so is their coach. A win here further cements Penn State's return to greatness....and will enable the team to finish #2 in the final rankings. Penn State all the way!

There you have it...my much adjusted picks after two big upsets. Unfortunately for the Lions they weren't the upsets we really wanted!

I just can't get over the loss to MeCheatAgain

One last chance to get back at Lloyd:

What caused the turnaround and Bowl picks: Volume #4, Issue #13

Bowl Ready and Waiting Penn State Fans :

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and are now getting ready for the BIG Holiday….College Football Bowl Season!! What did you think I was talking about…a Jolly Fat Man in a red suit???

Bowl Predictions:
Some close games this past week that could have changed the landscape, but:
· The Shorthorns survived a scare from the Ag school
· Notre Lame proved they are not that good, but the geniuses at Stanford failed the test
· LSU was distracted by the “Calling of the Hogs” and played a real sloop of the game

My predictions, based upon more insider input:

Rose: Texas Shorthorns vs. USC, who win National Championship #3
Sugar: LSU vs. West Virginia
Fiesta: Notre Lame vs. Ohio State (change from last week)
Orange: Penn State vs. Virginia Tech

The Bowl selection show is on Sunday, December 4th at 5:00 Eastern….let’s see if any backroom deals are brokered at the last second.


Big 11 Championships or “How Penn State dominated the Fall Sports”!:

Penn State, the “New Kid on the Block” accomplished a feat NEVER done before in the Big 11. Won FIVE Championships in one season!!! (the record prior was a lowly three) Congrats to:

1. Women’s Volleyball
2. Men’s Soccer
3. Women’s Soccer
4. FOOTBALL
5. Women’s Field Hockey

When I say Penn, you say “Kicks Ass”
When I say Blue, you say “Kicks Ass”
When I say Joepa, you say “terno”….hey, I’m not going to mess with the Old Man!


State of the Penn State Football Union or…How did we get so good, so fast?

This is a remarkable year for our football team. We have all heard the stats about the turnaround. And now we see the love the National media is throwing at Joepa and the team. Sports Illustrated is acting like the class nerd trying to ask the Prom Queen for a date the way they are throwing themselves at Joe! Frankly, I’m embarrassed for them!!!!

What caused this drastic turnaround and what needs to happen to keep it going? There are three key factors in my mind:

Coaching Organization Changes, or lack there of…:
Two things happened here….
First, Joe convinced his coaches to stay in Happy Valley. This was the important step to maintain program consistency, as staple of the Paterno era. By keeping the staff in place, coach and player relationships could continue to develop and ensure the best players were on the field

Second, Joe finally has taken a “back seat” regarding the daily operations of the team. Read….he relinquished his exclusive control. Read…he no longer changes the Offensive plays from the sideline. He is allowing the staff to run the team and Joe is acting more like a CEO. Making only the big decisions, being the “face” of the program to the public…and recruits.

What still needs to change:
Penn State needs a full time Special Teams coach. We clearly were better this year than in the past. But really, Calvin Lowry is the best punt returner on the team? And don’t get me wrong…I really like Lowry, in a purely platonic sense of course, but I’m thinking there are better choices out there. Every major program has a Special Teams coach, even if the Coach sucks, like Michigan States!! Time for Penn State to centralize this key aspect of the game under one person. (Note to Joe, I am available for a small salary!!)


Player Selection:
Finally, Penn State put its best players on the field the first game of the year…or at least those who were not in Joe’s or the University’s “dog house”. The best talent earned the starting roles, not just the Seniors or the ones who have been around the longest.

And that made a huge difference…not just for this year…but for future recruiting. First, the Freshman gave the team the exact talent boost the team needed…you know the one Joe told us about and we laughed. In addition, the youngsters also brought in a new attitude. Call it confidence, call it swagger, call it cockiness….but in the end it was a winning perspective.

The best part however, is now High School players know that if they are GOOD enough, they too could play their Freshman year for Papa Joe. And that will go a long way in keeping the door open to the best players in the country!!

What still needs to change:
Nothing, we just need to continue to play the best talent without wasting precious red shirt years. Look for another 2-3 true freshman to have an immediate impact in 2006


Team Leadership:
Quick name the team captains of the 2001 team? How about the 2003 team? I’ll make it easy…what about last year?

Know why you can’t name those players? Because they were not strong leaders! Leaders need to either set an example by great play on the field or use their motivation skills to rally the team in the locker room.

Here are the Team Captains from the FOUR recent losing seasons:

- 2000: James Boyd, Rashard Casey, Mike Cerimele and Justin Kurpeikis – None really epitomize leaders or high NFL caliber players

- 2001: John Gilmore and Bob Jones: Again, nice guys but not Rock Stars

- 2003: Sean McHugh and Deryck Toles: Hard workers yes, but “get in your face and make it happen leaders” NO

- 2004: Zack Mills and Derek Wake: We all love Zack, but he was never a fireball. And Wake…he was riding the pine after the 2nd game!

But this year, we have three very strong captains. Michael Robinson, whose own story is parallel to the great turn around of the team. We have the “Do everything, be everywhere, next great one” in Paul Posluszny. And Alan Zemaitis, the “if you pass it near me I will intercept it” football vacuum.

A football team, just like any organization, is a direct reflection of the people who are the leaders, the people who set the tone, the people who others want to emulate. This team has performed in a superior manner due to the three captains.

What still needs to change:
Again, the team needs to continue to pick aspirational captains. Perhaps we will see Poz in a repeat role???


Key games and picks of the week:
Last week I was 3-0, which makes me 16-2 (90%) since the start of this segment:
Let’s look at the BCS implication games only…

- UCLA vs. USC: The Trojans have a new empire, which will not be stopped.
- Florida Sate Penitentiary vs. Virginia Tec: Bobby is the latest legend to fall on hard times. This game won’t help. But how great would it be for Penn State to play FSP…and lose to Joepa?
- Shorthorns vs. Colorado: CO will lose all their clothes in this game and go home in the buff
- Georgia vs. LSU: This is the toughest call of the day….I will take the extra Katrina emotion and LSU
- West Virginia vs. Southern Florida: Can you believe our first opponent of the year almost made it into the BCS? But now the game means nothing…so the “kiss your sister” team pulls out a sloppy win.


Upcoming subjects to be covered by the Editor:
Erik’s Season awards: The Golden Gelt
2006 Recruiting Update
Derrick Williams update
Team Preview for 2006


Final Rant of the Week:
Mack Brown tells ESPN Gameday that he believes College Football needs a playoff system. That it is unfair to Penn State, LSU and Oregon, “who may be playing as well as USC or Texas”. Mack, congrats!! That is the first intelligent thing I have ever heard you say.

Of course it is easy show compassion for the other guy, when you are benefiting from the BCS!

Give us a playoff system or give me death!

Only 5 more days until we know where we will vacation
Erik “all I want to Hanukkah is for USC or UT to lose” Rosenstrauch

Is Notre Lame Deserving?

Notre Lame is going to get a $14MM+ payday...which they don't have to share...for what appears to be a GREAT 9-2 season. But lets look a bit closer at the facts:

They only BEAT THREE teams with winning records this season:
Michigan (7-4)
BYU (6-5)
Navy (6-4)
…and not sure the second teams two should really count!!!


They beat two teams who were vastly over rated at the time:
# 23 Pitt...ended the year 5-6
#22 Purdue..ended the year 5-6


They lost to a vastly over rated team at the time:
Michigan State...ended the season 5-6


Of course they played tough against USC…..but close doesn’t get you anywhere…unless you are Notre Lame!

After a pittiful showing this weekend against Stanford, they dropped in the polls as the media finally saw they are not that good.

So, why will they get a Fiesta Bowl bid...it is all about the $$$$. If it was about the best teams playing for a championship we would have a playoff system...like every major College sport.

If NL plays Ohio State; the "Emporer will be shown to wear no clothes" And if it is Oregon, it would be a chance for the Ducks to earn some of the respect they desire!

At the end of the day, NL negotiated the spot they earned in teh BCS by winning 9 games. And if many of the teams listed above were actually good this year the 9-2 record may have been impressive. But it is NOT!

Lions are the King of the Big 11 mountain Volume #4, Issue #12

Celebrating (or relieved) Penn State Fans :

Congratulations to everyone who loves Penn State football. The transformation is complete….we have gone “Back to the Future”. The Lions we all love have returned from their extended vacation. I think aliens kid napped our team and coaches for “research purposes” over the pas few years…at least they picked the greatest college football coach…but we would have gladly given them Bowden (any of the family) instead.

The real question is this: Have the press (and the fans) learned to stop questioning Joe…or will a few loses next year cause the same stir?? Who cares right now….

We are Big 11 champs!!
We are going to a BCS bowl game
We win and end the season ranked #2 in the country
AND….We may still play in the Rose Bowl. (But you better believe in Santa Claus before you start booking flights to Pasadena)


East Lansing Road Trip:

Living in Chicago, back in Big 11 country, has many football privileges…like getting to attend the Northworsten and Extinct Spartans games. Here are some random observations regarding the game/road trip this past weekend:

- MSU stadium is really nice….for a Div II school. The only comment that came to mind is what no man every wants hear, ”Oh, it is so…cute!”

- Michigan State really HATES MeCheatAgain. Hates them so much that is was embarrassing….the crowd cheered the loudest anytime the final score of the Ohio State – MeCheatAgain game was announced...which was often! Hates them so much, that they showed a video of Sparty beating up a student in a Maize t-shirt at half time (more on that later)

- MSU fans are the biggest “chicken little” and whiners that I have ever experienced. Even more than us Penn Staters. I’ve never been around fans who jump on and off the bandwagon every other PLAY. The guys behind us would predict what mistake the feeble Spartans would make next. Fan support was pretty low.

- MSU fans LOVE their band. It’s such a scary love fest, that I think the tuba players shares their harem with the football players!
Scary love: They introduced every Senior band member at half time. Including the “5th year Seniors”. I guess they took a redshirt in freshman year???

Scary love: They played a 10 minute “humor” video at half time, created by the band members. Let’s just say the band needs to recruit some humor…or don’t redshirt those people next year

GOOD love: And this was VERY cool! After the game the street outside the stadium was lined with fans. Then the band marched and played down the street to the cheers of the crowd. How cool would it be for the Blue Band to exit the stadium as a group and march down Curtain road???

- Sparty was not a good loser. Granted we were sitting in the Graduate student section…and I was the only one obviously cheering for the Nittany Lions…but the losers decided to take their wrath out on me. Even more telling was the lack of Mich State fans in town after the game. Of course their basketball team, who was #5 in the preseason rankings and were on the cover of Sports Illustrated, lost to Hawaii.

- Finally, let me help all of you avoid a tourist trap. In Battle Creek, stay away from Kellogg’s Cereal City. At least the Hershey tour is fun!


Spartan’s Fallen Empire:

Did you know that Michigan State won 6 National Championships back in the 1950’s and 60’s?? Clearly Sparty was more comfortable with Vacuum tubes than Microchips.

Sparty’s Empire is long dead…and the football teams performance is abysmal. Look at this winning percentage over the past five years:
- September: 73%
- October and November: 34%

That is called “not getting the job done”…and will cause a revolving door on the Head Coaches office.

Bottom line…we did not play a good game. But we won! Joe threw the team out of practice last week because they were sloppy and could not catch the ball. And honestly they did not perform much better on Saturday. But we won!

Grades:
Coaching: B
The team played tight on Offense and soft on Defense.
The Offensive play calling was pretty vanilla….we saw more plays run out of the I formation than in any other game all year.
The Defense ran the “bend but don’t break” formation…using too many 4-3 schemes when the nickel would have been a better, but more risky choice.
Did the staff really take TWO weeks to develop that game plan??

Offense: B
No one was really sharp. Mikey was off the mark early, then his receivers could not catch the ball. I felt like I traveled via the Twilight Zone back to 2004 after three consecutive drops….
Tony Hunt ran hard in the second half…but found little room to move early in the game. BUT he did eclipse the 1000 yards mark. And expect even more from him next year!
Justin King…was has happened to him? His Offensive role has diminished over the past three weeks…
What I would do for a 6th year of eligibility for Mikey Rob…he has really improved during the year.

Defense: B+
We gave up plenty of yards between the 20’s. Just too soft on both pass rush and pass defense.
BUT, we had 4 interceptions, and were very tough in the Red Zone. In fact, by the fourth quarter the “fans” behind us knew whenever Sparty got within 60 feet of the end zone bad things would happen.
Mich State found the way to keep Poz from making big plays….force him to cover decoy receivers all day. No worries, Dan Conner made 14 tackles

Special Teams : A
Clearly, someone on the staff saw something on film, which turned into a blocked punt and touchdown.
Great kick coverage led by Ethan Kilmer story…coming to a Sunday night movie soon.



Random Penn State Thoughts:

Bowl Game:

So what is going to happen?? Here are my predictions, based upon a few “off the record” comments from some Fiesta Bowl friends:

Rose: Texas Shorthorns vs. USC National Championship #3
Sugar: LSU vs. West Virginia
Fiesta: Notre Lame vs. Oregon
Orange: Penn State vs. Virginia Tech

How did I come up with these picks? It is this simple, bowl games are all about television ratings and traveling fans….
- Rose Bowl will get the #1 vs. #2 BCS teams…and I don’t see UT or USC losing
- Sugar MUST take SEC vs. Big East champs
- Fiesta Bowl gets first at large pick…they won’t pass up on Notre Lame and the money
- Orange get the second pick to match up against the ACC champ. And Penn State is almost as golden as Domers
- Fiesta then gets the last pick. It will be between Oregon and Ohio State. And while Ohio State is the bigger name…they have played in the Fiesta Bowl 2 of the last 3 years. Thus, the fans may not travel to the same location….and the Pac 10 feels cheated by the BCS last year.

Of course, last week everyone thought Miami would be in a BCS bowl…..


Travel to the Bowl Game:
Who is going??? We are working on travel plans now. Let me know if you are going and want to be part of our traveling caravan. Bowl selections will be announced on December 4th.


Big 11 awards:

Our team got some love from their own conference…expect even more awards in the coming weeks. Here is the info: http://www.gopsusports.com/docs/football05/2005_All-Big_Ten_Teams_1.pdf


Upcoming subjects to be covered by the Editor:
Erik’s Season awards
Derrick Williams update
State of the Penn State Football Union
Team Preview for 2006
2006 Recruiting Updated


Key games and picks of the week:
Last week I was 3-0, which makes me 13-2 (87%) since the start of this segment:

Florida Sate Penitentiary at Florida: Hey Bobby, maybe you can start to include your High School coaching wins to stay ahead of Joepa??
Shorthorns vs. Texas A&M: UT will provide some manure all over the Aggies for Spring planning season
Georgia vs. Georgia Tech: The bees stung the ‘canes…Bulldogs aren’t impressed


Final Rant of the Week:
Want to know what Lloyd Carr said after another loss to Ohio State and Tressel…that his team needs to get “lucky”. They just don’t get enough “breaks”. ARE YOU KIDDING ME????


Give us a playoff system or give me death!

Enjoy the Turkey and don’t get full on bad football,
Erik “We are out of Bizarro World” Rosenstrauch

Lions enjoyed the rest, now it is time to prove they are the BEST! Volume #4, Issue #11

Excited Penn State Fans:

A year of incredible Penn State football has arrived at the final game. Joe Paterno and the team know this is a huge game! And it is a game where they control their future.

Destiny, as the general media likes to say, is in their hands (and feet). However, I want to reference a scene from the critically acclaimed movie, “A Knights Tale”.

In the movie a young pheasant boy is told by his father, “that any man can change his stars”. Of course, in stimulating cinematography, that boy grew to become a great knight and friend of the King of England.

Friends, our beloved Nittany Lions are about to accomplish the same transformation! They are going to travel to East Lansing this weekend and destroy some Spartan soldiers, and make everyone forget the past turmoil and disappointments. Instead, Lions fans will remember this team as the one who returned Penn State football to its rightful place at the top echelon of the football world.

Mikey, Alan, Paul and the boys will indeed “change their stars” and at the end of the game the Spartan team will be seeing stars from the abuse the Lions deliver. It is going to be a beautiful thing!


Let’s talk about the BCS:
Thank you to all who wrote me and told me I was CRAZY for my thoughts about the Lions loss to MeCheatAgain. Let me just be sure everyone understood my view:
I hate MeCheatAgain!!! In fact, I was so mad at the loss that I could not leave my house that night. So, I was just as disappointed as the rest of you
However, I think this BCS system would not have rewarded an undefeated Penn State team with a chance to play in the championship game. WHY? While the computers love us, the pollsters would never rank us above the Shorthorns or USC.

Let’s just win TWO more games and finish #2 in the final polls!!!!



Michigan State Prediction:

Friends I am so excited about this upcoming weekend. As I am making my first Big 11 road trip in over 5 years!! And I am hoping for a very different result this time, as last time I sat in that toilet bowl in Ann Arbor…

However, I very conflicted about this game. While I truly believe Penn State should win going away….I keep coming across information that worries me. So, I will lay out all the facts that I have captured and then make the big Prediction

Comparing Offenses:
PSU Dead Romans
Total Offense #24, 437 yds game #5, 507 yd game
Scoring Offense #11, 36 pts game #14, 35 pts game


Comparing Defenses:
PSU Dead Romans
Total Defense #11, 297 yds game #95, 421 yd game
Scoring Defense #11, 16 pts game #79, 29 pts game


Why the Spartan could win:
Michigan State is 9-1 vs. Top 10 teams since beating #4 Penn State in 1997 (the game was at East Lansing)
This is the most prolific Offense Penn State has faced all year
Penn State is only 3-3 in East Lansing
Emotions for Mich State:
Senior Day
Must win to gain Bowl eligibility (last year was the same circumstance when they came to Happy Valley and they got spanked 37-13)
Chance to ruin our year (I don’t believe the negative to someone else is really compelling motivation….)
ESPN Gameday is present giving them National attention
Game their quant 80,000 person stadium (Of course, you can still buy tickets to the game…so I they may not have a rabid fan following)


Why the Nittany Lions could win:
Since joining the Big 11, Penn State is 9-3 vs. Michigan State
John L Smith is only 18-17 at home……
Michigan State is 2-5 in the Big 11….only beating cellar dwellers Illinois and Indiana…who have horrible defenses, #110 and #93 respectively
This is the second most prolific Offense they have seen all year…and Northwestern hung 49 points on these conquered soldiers!
Sparty is 1-5 in the last six games…have the Romans folded up camp and gone home? (Note, the editor predicted this idea 7 weeks ago)
Emotions for Penn State:
Win the Big 11
Get first bid to a BCS game
Return Joe Paterno and Penn State to greatness
ESPN Gameday is present giving us more National attention
I estimate that 35% of the crowd to be Penn State fans


My Prediction is:

What was I thinking….the outcome is obvious!!!

The Nasty Nittany Lions: 35
The Extinct Spartans: 17

Mikey accounts for over 300 yards and gets an invite to the Heisman ceremony
Hunt runs for another 100 yards and breaks 1000 on the year
Paul gets another 12 tackles and Hali gets another 3 sacks



Random Penn State Thoughts:

Bowl Game:

The latest inside knowledge has us in the Orange Bowl vs. Miami. The Fiesta Bowl committee is being a bit blinded by the fake gold on Notre Lame’s helmets.

But, there is so much more to a bowl bid than the game itself. It is the circular process that enables strong teams to remain strong……

The chance to practice for 4 more weeks. Bowl games are a reward to Seniors and a training camp to under classmen. A time for the younger players to learn and the coaching staff to evaluate the talent in the program.

So, Penn State’s bowl game this year will enable the Lions to be successful next year!!


Bobby don’t look back!:

Our favorite coach at the Florida State Penitentiary, Bobby Bowden, better work a little harder at winning. Because the resurrected greatest coach of all time, Joe Paterno, is now only 6 wins behind! And the way Penn State and the illegal Indians of Florida State are playing, Joe should be closer by the end of the year!!

Way to go Joe!


Travel to the Bowl Game:
Who is going??? My friends will begin working on travel plans after we win next week. So, let me know if you are going and want to be part of our traveling caravan. Bowl selections will be announced on December 4th.


Key games and picks of the week:
Last week I was 4-0, which makes me 10-2 since the start of this segment:

Ohio State at MeCheatAgain: This is a tough game for us Penn Staters….if UM wins…and we win, then the Big 11 title is solely ours!! However, the Crazy Nuts are 3-1 under Tressel against the Wolverettes. So the NUTS win!!!
USC vs. Fresno State: The prophylactics will have some fun.
Auburn vs. Bama: The Elephants will be stuffed after this loss


Final Rant of the Week: Remember our friend Mr. Dick Harmon from multiple wives state?? Here is his Harris poll this week: http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635161081,00.html

He moved us up to #7…must have been the outcry across the country pointing to him being an idiot that caused us to jump 10 spots without playing!!!

However, my award for the “Best crying for votes” goes to Mack Brown and his ability to “talk” his way into the BCS last year!

Of course, our leader Joepa has no idea about the Polls, or at least he acted as such during his press conference today. He again, as he has for decades, called for a playoff…because he believes this team can beat anyone!

Give us a playoff system or give me death!


Mulit-media specials of the week:
Our Nittany Lion has been learning some new dance moves. Here he is doing the Napoleon Dynamite dance. Enjoy!
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/d/h/dhv103/liondancing.avi


Enjoy the win and our second Big 11 title,
Erik “I will cheer until I can’t talk” Rosenstrauch

Penn State may have a bye, but I am still writing Volume #4, Issue #10

Stunned Penn State Fans:

That is exactly what all of us have become….truly. No one could have expected, predicted, hoped that the Nittany Cubs we have been watching for the past few years, would grow up and become such ferocious Lions so quickly!

This team, and most importantly the Senior class, deserves an enormous amount of praise…for they truly have earned it. Every sport writer has written in great detail about the challenges and tribulations of this Senior class. The “issue” list includes:
Living in Joe’s Dog House at some point for most of them
Football career threatening accidents, both on the field and the road
Trouble with the law, including criminal trials
Major family crisis

And the Senior class hung in there. They endured the negative words written and spoken about them and their football abilities. They survived the questioning of every aspect about the Football program: the coaching, the recruiting, the discipline and even the weight training.

From everything they experienced we all should learn the most important lesson: To live life with HEART!!

While we used analytics to determine what was wrong, they used emotion to drive what could be right. This class has proved their mettle. They have earned their Blue and White uniforms. Not in the number of wins they brought to the program, but in their ability to make us all believe. To remind us that if you set a vision, and you work tirelessly to follow your dreams, they can come true. Just ask the 25 Seniors who were introduced this past Saturday!


Let’s talk about the BCS:
Our Lions are up to #5 the BCS rankings and #6 in the popularity polls. Can you hear the whispers under everyone’s breathe??? “What if we were undefeated, we could play for the Championship!”

Let me be direct on this, and it will sound a bit crazy. Right now I am GLAD we lost to Mecheatagain. Why? Because IF we were undefeated, we would be left out of the Championship game anyway. We would have become the Auburn of 2005.

Why I am so sure that IF we had a chance to go undefeated in the regular season we would not leap over the Shorthorns or USC? Because the 4th version of the BCS system remains broken. It relies upon too much opinion. For instance, Dick Harmon of the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, one of the esteemed Harris Poll voters (which counts for one third of the BCS ranking) has our Lions ranked #17 this week!! http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635159398,00.html

Who are these other teams that Mr. Dick believes are better than the Lions??
- #11 TCU (lost to SMU by 11)
- #14 Ohio State (lost to Penn State)
- #15 Wisconsin (was crushed by Penn State)

Here is Dick’s e-mail if you would like to send him a little love note: dharmon@desnews.com

Face it Penn State fans, USC and the Shorthorns are NOT going to lose this year. And with this type of idiotic voting we would never have passed either one anyway.

So, in my mind I am glad we don’t have to suffer through another undefeated, yet unanointed National Championship team!!!

However, I WILL predict that Penn State will win TWO more games this year. And finish SECOND in the final National polls and BCS rankings!!


Was-a-Con-and-a-Sin Recap:

WOW!! These victories are beginning to look easy!!! We just destroyed Badgers on both sides of the ball. The Senior lead Lions flexed their muscles and had their way with the rodents!!

Keep in mind that Wiz was 8-1. The Badgers were clearly supposed to be much better than Illibad and Purdone. But Barry and his boys looked completely unprepared to match Penn State, and were taken behind the woodshed for their
failings.

How good is Penn State right now? Look at these stats:

In the Big 11 we have the #1 scoring Offense and #2 scoring Defense
Only the Texas Shorthorns and Penn State have a Top 25 Offense and Defense

The grades are going to be high, just like the level of play we witnessed!

Grades:
Coaching: A
The staff put together a gem of a game plan and clearly had the team prepared to execute.
To Joe: Please accept my mea culpa…once again you clearly show why you are and will always be the Grand Pooba of College football.

Offense: B
Mikey sets the single season Total Offense record of 2,687 yards and still has a game to go. Whose record did he break…the great Keary Collins!
Tony Hunt gets another 151 yards, over three times more than his media favorite opponent Cal-Who? And he is only 48 yards from reaching 1000 for the season.

Defense: A+
As a team they rushed for -11 yards. So basically they earned a NEGATIVE FIRST DOWN by running the ball.
Cal-Who?, the latest Heisman hopeful to be destroyed by the D, gained 38 yards on 20 carries. And -1 yard in the second half!!!
NO ONE has rushed for more than 78 yards on our filed. That is Protecting Your House!
19 Tackles for a loss, seven by Tami Hali. 9 Sacks, four by Tami Hali. These are obscene numbers for the team…and even more so for one player! Clearly Superman donned the #91 Penn State jersey.

Special Teams : B
Calvin is still killing me…as this week he has a huge punt return. Would have liked to see that performance for the past three years.
Bad snap on an easy Kevin Kelly FG attempt.


Michigan State Prediction:

Since we have an offer week, the analysis will come out next week. But here are some quick thoughts:

First, WHO is going to the game?? I will be there to see us win our second Big 11 title. We are staying TownePlace Suites in East Lansing. Please let me know if you are going!!

My initial take on this game is simple: Which Michigan State team is going to show up on their Senior Day?
The one that beat Notre Lame OR
The one that got shut out in the 2nd half by Purdue, who has the statistical worse defense in College Football, and lost the game.



Random Penn State Thoughts:

Over the next few weeks, I am going to tackle a variety of Penn State angles. Such as post season awards, team preview for 2006, issues still faced by our football program, and the all encompassing “What Ifs”!

What If?

M Rob was made the full time quarterback last season? How good of a passer could he be? How many more games could we have won with both his athletic and leadership abilities?

The Offensive line, which has played great this year, had become a strong unit two years ago? After all, it has essentially been the same personnel for the past three years!

Joe stopped calling the Offensive plays three years ago? Galen Hall is 100% in charge of the play selection. And it clearly shows. Sure, Joe is happy to see the I formation when inside the 5 yard line, but the rest of the play selection is coming from a different stage than the past.


The Black Athlete according to Joe:

Only one person tried to make a story of Joe’s comments; Mark May of ESPN and a Pitt grad. To summarize; Joe was asked about how the College game has changed. Joe said it is a new game due to; Spread offense, Indoor Practice facilities and black athletes.

In Joe’s world these are changes since he has been a part of the College game for over 60 years! While Joe may have many negative qualities, being prejudiced is NOT one of them. A Joe coached Penn State team was diverse before corporations and news organization created that word. Joe has always given opportunities to the best student athletes he could find, regardless of background. Black, Polish, Jewish, Steel working families…Joe never cared. He just wanted kids who wanted to excel the right way.

Joe has always done it the right way, as Penn State has never had the NCAA even sniff around his program. That is something Mark May and his Pitt brothers could learn.

Great article on Joe: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2215256


Bowl Game:
Who is going??? My friends will begin working on travel plans after we win next week. So, let me know if you are going and want to be part of our traveling caravan. Bowl selections will be announced on December 4th.


Key games and picks of the week:
Last week I was 2-1, which makes me 6-2 since the start of this segment:
Michigan State at Minnesota: The Spartans will lose the fight with the Rodents
Northwestern at Ohio State: The Crazy Nuts will poison these Wildcats
LSU at Bama: Lions will kill the slow, lack of offense Elephants
Florida at South Carolina: Spuerier shows his old team who is boss


Final Rant of the Week: The BCS dodged another bullet this past weekend, as two more previously undefeated teams fell apart. But how do we really know who is the best team in college football TODAY? Clearly the preseason polls are worthless, and you can look beyond the Big 10 to see that fact. But even the current polls are biased. Voters look out for THEIR local best interest. And while that is understandable and to be expected, it harms the people who really deserve fairness and equity…the football players.

Give us a playoff system or give me death!


Mulit-media specials of the week:
Here are links to TWO great Penn State videos sent by readers. Please keep sending the files and links to share with others!
I told you so: We all love this onehttp://www.personal.psu.edu/users/e/j/ejd160/back.wmv
Our fans are better than yours: What a great pre season predictor!http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/e/j/ejd160/speed.wmv

Enjoy the FREE weekend
Erik “Guess I can leave my house now” Rosenstrauch

Badgers die in the Beaver: Volume #4, Issue #9

Penn “let’s live in Paternoville” Stater’s:

First, please enjoy the movie of the 2005 best hit in College football

What a fun time back in Happy Valley for homecoming. Here are a few of my random State College observations:
- Graham (we had a beer on Saturday) has done a great job with both the construction of new buildings and beautifying the campus. It really has the feeling of a top notch school….let’s just hope they are getting smarter students today than me!
- Creamery Ice Cream new flavor – Lions’ more! Yummy!!!
- Brothers pizza still has a ton a grease, but it is good and still cheap
- Nothing like watching a Penn State game and having the smell of manure waif over the stadium. Reminds us that it is still an Ag school
- College Kids will wear ANYTHING or barely NOTHING for Halloween…therefore, I will return to get my Ph’d.
- I am now officially a “rich Alum”, as I ate my first post Penn State game meal at the Nittany Lion Inn. Guess times have changed since I was a waiter there…

Where do we go bowling?:
Still too early to say….we have TWO tough games left to win. But my inside sources are reporting that the Fiesta Bowl wants Joepa to come back to the desert. The Tostitos Bowl loves us and we love them, as we are undefeated in that game. And who do they want us to play…..Notre Lame!

The ABC money men feel that a PSU vs. NL game could get higher ratings than the Championship game…..

Regardless, of what bowl game I WILL be there!! What about you?? Want to join for a great time and win number 12?? Let me know if you are attend the party!


Purdone Recap:

Penn State fans I have a major axe to grind with US, the Penn State fans. We are a bunch of spoiled whiners!!!! That’s right I am calling everyone out on our behavior after the game.

Everyone is complaining about the win.
We WON by 18 POINTS!!! And yet we are not happy!
We gain over 500 yards of Offense and we are not happy!
We already have more wins this year, than the previous two years combined….and we are not happy!

If you want to complain about something, then focus on what my good friend Bryan Hoover has termed as “The Big Ten Spot”! Let me define “The Big Ten Spot” for you:
- It is the placement of the ball post a play, PLUS some. Think of it like a “Bakers Dozen”…a little more for FREE!! Or maybe it stems from the fact that the conference continues to be called “the Big Ten”, when there are Eleven teams. The Refs give a little extra as a BONUS!


Grades:
Coaching: B
The play calling was a little suspect…we made this game tougher by trying to be too cute in the Red Zone on Offense.
The team was not sharp in both picking up the blitz
The Defense over pursued on a few plays…you would have thought they were kids chasing good Halloween candy

Offense: C+
Three times we start inside the 10 yard line, with a first down. And it equaled Three field goals….that will not get the job done in the final 2 games!
Too many potential big plays were not converted into big plays. We need to get the killer instinct back…at least when we are on the football field. As that instinct can cause problems while walking around campus.
Mikey was blitzed and he was off. As they say; he couldn’t have hit the ocean while standing on the beach on Saturday. Let’s just hope other teams don’t replicate this game plan!

Defense: A
Come on, Purdue scored 15 points….45% less than their normal output!!

Special Teams : C
Calvin is killing me…I give him some love one week and the next he is back to his normal mistake causing self. Look I won’t waste your time by discussing how there must be 5 people better than Calvin on the team at this job…
Kevin Kelley…great day for the youngster…he clearly has shown development over the year and is top 20 in the nation for points scored.
And if I read one more “Ethan Kilmer Story” I think I may cry. Let’s just make an E! True Hollywood Story!



Wisconsin Prediction:

This is a scary team. First, they have the history of kicking our butts every year AND they are a completely opportunistic team that just keeps winning games. Here is the lowdown on both stories:

Since we joined the Big 11 the Badgers have done exactly that to us, as we are 3-5 overall against them…BUT
Our record at home is 1-3 AND Wisconsin broke our 1993 – 1995 winning streak of 20 games at Beaver Stadium. So clearly we don’t have an advantage at home on Saturday

To those attending the game this weekend please do me a favor; since my big mouth will not be there, please wear white and yell loud. You must be the 12th person (I am PC) and help the Lions defend our home turf, which looks really nice since the mid season replant!

Want to see some strange numbers: Wisconsin has been out gained in every Big 11 game this year…yet they are 5-1. Even last week Illinois had 538 yards to their 464!!!

So to analyze this game I have reviewed the NCAA national team rankings/statistics and with the use of my trusty slide rule have this to show you:

Comparing Offenses:
PSU Bad Gers
Total Offense #30, 428 yds game #43, 400 yd game
Scoring Offense #17, 36 pts game #7, 40 pts game


Comparing Defenses:
PSU Bad Gers
Total Defense #14, 297 yds game #97, 426 yd game
Scoring Defense #11, 16 pts game #51, 24 pts game


What does all this mean…Wisconsin makes their own luck!! They find ways to win games. Turnover the ball, make special teams errors, miss a tackle and Barry and his boys will make you pay…with a loss.

As for Calhoun, the #5 rusher in Div 1 football…just have him call Maroney, the #3 rusher and Sutton the #6 rusher and ask how they did against the Lions. (For the record; Maroney had 48 yards and Sutton had 112 yards, which is 20 less than his average)

There are a few other emotional factors that will affect this game, in our favor:
The Seniors, who have suffered so many defeats over the past four years WILL lead us to victory in their final home game.
Mikey Rob owes Wisconsin. Time for him to put a hurting on them, after the abuse he took last year.
Time for Joe to show he can out coach Barry in his final attempt.
Yes, we are a Nike School, but….. “WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE!”

My Prediction is:

Penn State Super Seniors: 34
Badgers Beaten in the Beaver: 24

Don’t put away your warm clothing, as we will be visiting the sun in late December - early January!


Key games and picks of the week:
Last week I was 4-1…Mecheatagain still haunting me!
Miami at Virginia Tech: VT is on the way to being a BCS buster!
Tennessee at Notre Lame: Weis for 10 more years…I liked when Notre Lame was bad. Another win for them.
Illinois at Ohio State: The Nuts are still in the hunt


Final Rant of the Week: Want to really see a BCS train wreck? Watch what happens if Virginia Tech keeps winning…their strength of schedule may enable them to surpass Texas as the #2 team. Remember beating a team twice, like Texas will probably do to Colorado in the Little 12 Championship game, actually hurts their strength of schedule rating.

Give us a playoff system or give me death!


Enjoy the NINTH win of the season,
Erik “We owe the Badgers a black eye” Rosenstrauch

Penn State fans get ready to Boil over with joy: Volume #4, Issue #8

Penn State Homecomers:

The football gods are shining upon us. The pieces are falling into place for us to win the Big 11 and go to a BCS bowl, with that $13 Million payout (of course we have to share that with the rest of the Little 10).

But first and foremost we need to take care of our business. Here is a quick review of how we do it:
Beat Purdue…more on that later
TOUGH game at HOME vs. Wisconsin. They will also be 8-1 (as they get to whip Illinois this week) and trying to win the Big 11. They will play very tough. But we are the more complete team on both sides of the ball. And we have much better balance on Offense. And the Beaver Stadium crowd better be ready to bounce!
Go on the ROAD to Michigan St. They are in the process of folding their tents and leaving camp, like they do most years. In addition, we will finally get a week of rest and preparation before the game. With our motivation and their tendency to quit we should roll in this one.

Key FACT of the week:
As many of you know, I am a bit crazy about Penn State in two ways:
- First, I love to analyze statistics about the team
- Second, I have an overblown opinion about my influence on the team’s performance.

So, let me deliver my latest “FACT”..as I truly affected the team’s performance by residing in Texas. Here is the data:

Performance while Erik resided in Texas (1998 – October 31, 2004)
43-38 in 81 games = 53% winning percentage

Record after Erik moved back North (November 1, 2004 – Present)
9-2 in 11 games = 82% winning percentage

Therefore, the case is closed about the effect of living in “enemy” territory!!!


Give them some Love:
Hope you haven’t missed some of the other Penn State teams having a great fall season:
Women’s Field Hockey team is #6 in the country and won the Big 11 title
Women’s Soccer team has the #1 ranking and won the Big 11
Men’s Soccer team has won the Big 11 regular season crown

Great job to those teams. Now let’s look at this past week’s game…or as I like the say “Penn State’s 30 minutes of Fury!”


Illibad Recap:

Wow, what a show put on by the Lions. It looked like a game for 4 minutes, then Penn State took Illinois behind the wood shed and gave them many more than 13 lashings with a wet noodle!!

In fact, Joepa’s new nickname should be “Joseph the Merciful”! This game provided many record setting events; M-Rob tied for Touchdowns in a game and set the record for touchdowns in a half, most Penn State points in a half, etc. But if Joe didn’t stop the Offense (we did not throw a pass in the second half) and replace the Defense (did anyone else catch Matt Rice get mad for being taken out and then sneak back in for a 3rd down play later in the game) we could have looked like one of those schools from the Big 12 by running up the score.

From my point of view there were only 2 positives that could come from a game like this:

The Starters sat for the entire second half.
This gave them a well deserved rest, since the Big 11 Office is making us play 10 straight games. And you can’t get hurt while sitting on the sidelines…as injuries are beginning to creep up on the Lions (Jordan Norwood did not make the trip to Illinois)

Maybe Illinois will finally play mad…against Wisconsin!
Zook had a week to prepare his team for us…and that was the result??? They really can’t be that bad…and let’s hope they decide to fight this upcoming week and make Wisconsin work for a win.

The grades are pretty obvious in a game like this….

Grades:
Coaching: A
The most important aspect was that the team was over the emotional and physical drain from the prior three weeks. They came ready to play and that bodes well for the remainder of the year.
It appears that I was wrong about Justin King. He will be playing more Offense the rest of the year and Donnie Johnson will man the nickel spot. The question is, will this just for the easy games vs. playing better passing teams like Michigan State later in the year.

Offense: A
We scored an Offensive touchdown the first 6 times we had the ball. We gained as many yards in the first half as Illinois had for the game. Enough said about production.
Mickey Robinson looked great. He made the few tough throws look easy.
Austin Scott….I just don’t get this guy. He has definitely regressed while at Penn State. Just blow on the guy and he falls like a sack of potatoes. And he does not have any explosive speed or power. Maybe that injury was worse than reported, but clearly Hunt is the man.

Defense: A
If you really want to see a huge man with a big heart just look at Tamba Hali. He could have killed the QB on the unblocked blindside sack in the second quarter...but he pulled up! Yes, a Defensive End eased up on a sack. I just hope it did not cost him a few million in the NFL draft by showing a little class and heart.
Nice adjustment to the no huddle Offense by Illinois. But really this game was the definition of “Shooting fish in a barrel”.

Special Teams : A
Here is THE stat of the game: Calvin Lowry returning punts! In the first 7 games = 140 yards. Against Illinois = 127 yards. Even Calvin looked fast!



Purdue Prediction:

You want to know how much the professional sports experts really know about College Football; almost every major National publication predicted that Purdue would either win or be in the mix for the Big 11 title. Purdue is playing more like “Phew whew” they stink so bad: 2-5 overall, and 0-4 in the Big 11.

How bad is bad….Purdue’s passing defense is rated 117th in the NCAA…out of 117 teams!!

How low is low…Purdue had 5 turnovers against Wisconsin, including 2 interceptions returned for touchdowns.

But, this could be the week they put it all together for the big upset??? Or will Joe Tiller’s team cause him to have a “Boilermaker” after another defeat?

And for the record what kind of mascot is a Boilermaker??? Do you really want to be named after men who built boilers for locomotive engines? What no Indian tribes to ridicule (per the NCAA latest rules) in Indiana….look at the name of the state!!!! Editors Note: The NCAA is based in Indianapolis, Indiana…is that why they are so protective of Indian tribes???


My Prediction is:

Penn State Happy Homecoming: 37
Purdue is anything but perfect: 14

New Feature: Key games and picks of the week:
Boston College at Virginia Tech: Red vs. Blue State, Red wins
Ohio State at Minnesota: Do Beavers eat nuts, no they don’t
Wisconsin at Illinois: Do you need to ask?
Georgia at Florida: No Bulldog QB, the Gators win
Mecheatagain vs. Northwestern: Randy Walker may be the Big 11 coach of the year, Go Wild Wildcats!


Final Rant of the Week: The BCS is such a load of….really stupid analysis. The Texas Shorthorns are now #1 in the country! I feel for USC, because Penn State has been shafted like this in the past. How do you win a game and go backwards in the poll? Bush can’t win another election so quit trying to give Texas another National Championship (Nixon in 1969).

Give us a playoff system or give me death!

Enjoy the EIGTH win of the season,
Erik “I’ll be Happy in Happy Valley this weekend” Rosenstrauch


Web Site of the week: This is a very pre Penn State Big 11 slanted site, but it is fun to read
http://www.collegefootballnews.com/

We are still the Big Cat in the Big 11: Volume #4, Issue #7

Penn State Mourners:

Before providing my normal analysis this week, I need to provide a mass apology to everyone.

Last week I may have put the jinx on our Nittany Lion squad:
First, I waxed about why Penn State would NOT go undefeated
Then, I forecasted that if Penn State allowed the Wolverettes to hang in the game we would “lose small”, as in lose a close game.

And now both of these theories have come true! My bad!!! Please accept my Mea Culpa!!!

In an attempt to win back my Penn State friends I am going on the record with these predictions:
Penn State wins the Big 11
Earns a 10-1 record
Plays in a BCS (Bullsh_t Championship Series) Bowl Game

How sure am I of these soon to be facts? Take your money to Vegas and book these bets. Then take your winnings and meet me at the Bowl game. Just buy me a nice Whiskey Bourbon and let’s call it even!!


Mecheatagain Recap:

Really, I promise I am done with those comments!! Good teams don’t let some bad calls beat them….unless of course the Good team also makes too many other mistakes!

We were clearly the better team, but our game broke down in too many areas. So, the grades are NOT good. The game should never have been close….we were shut out in the first half??? On the season Penn State had scored 49% of their points in the first 2 quarters, but we laid an egg on Saturday!!

Bottom line, we loss due these 4 Simple Rules:
Too conservative of Offensive Play calling in the first half
Lost the Turnover game (our 2 vs. their 1). However, they did not score any points off our Turnovers, and we earned a TD
Returned to not so special Special Teams again. The only savior was an botched extra point that turned into a 2 point conversion
Pathetic Defensive Play calling and execution. The strength of our team clearly let everyone down.

That said, let’s hand out the weekly grades…and with this report card the team would be sent to their room and lose Xbox privileges!!!

Grades:
Coaching: C
Somebody please explain the 2nd half Defensive schemes?? We score 15 points in 15 seconds…then allow the Michigan pathetic offense to score and covert the 2 point play on the next series. We let momentum get away!
And on Michigan final drive…..maybe act like you want to mount a pass rush. Once again, the legitimacy of the “Prevent Defense” is proven…..that it PREVENTS getting a win!!!!
Look we can’t cover kick and punt returns. Learn it, Know it and Plan accordingly!!! Don’t kick to really fast people!!! Joe please this lesson.
Let me help the coaching staff with a little fact…Penn State has converted EVERY 4th down play this year. Don’t go for the 40+ field goal on 4th and 1..drive for the first down.
We needed to come out and score early and often in this game…the Offensive Play calling was too conservative for a big game on the road. We reverted back to a plain vanilla Offense…for the second week. Could more trouble be brewing ahead???

Offense: B+
The team did everything but score in the first half.
Yes, Mickey Robinson scares the crap out me…whether he is passing or running the ball. But the guy is PURE leadership…and you can’t coach that. Give the man his props, he led the team to points in the 4th quarter and what should have been another game winning drive in the final seconds.
Another GREAT, yet quiet game from Tony Hunt. He wins my “Hard Hat Award” for the year. Just comes to work, produces, then goes home and pays his taxes. A real workhorse on the team.
D-Wheels with a broken chassis...more on that later.

Defense: F
Talk about a Jekyll and Hyde performance. Solid in the first half only allowing 3 points…then Halloween arrived early and some souls from the grave invaded the White shirts on Defense!!
Outside of the Zemaitis’s strip and touchdown the team did not show up when the game counted…look at these stats
- Three sacks in the first half…none in the second???
- Allowed Henne to look like the second coming of Tom Brady in the fourth quarter.
- Mike Hart….gained precious YAC (yards after contact) the entire game.
- And what type of defense did we run on the last play of the game… Stand around and watch them win???? We executed that one to perfection!
There is the saying, “Live by the sword, die by the sword”. Defense won the game for us against Ohio State….the return isn’t so much fun.

Special Teams : F
The only thing that prevented this unit from earning a “G” is that Kevin Kelly somehow took the botched extra point attempt and ran it into the end zone.



Illinois Prediction:

We have only lost to the “NCAA ban due to an Indian named mascot” team once….in 2001 at their stadium, after they had a bye week and it was Illinois homecoming.

Interesting all those factors are at work again this week. WHATEVER!.

This should be a win going away for the following reasons:
Illinois’ Defense has more holes than Saddam Hussein’s excuses. Really Indiana put up 36 on these guys. (Even Rutgers scored 30 in a loss)
The Politically Incorrect Illinois Offense is not much better, scoring 20 points in the last 2 games combined!
Just how bad are they…in three Big 11 loses they have been outscored by 98 points!!!!


There is only ONE way we lose this game. We don’t come to play. Our heads are still stuck in Ann Arbor.

And I believe Joe and the coaching staff, along with the Team Captains will get everyone refocused and ready to play. Look for plenty of second string players in the late 3rd quarter.

All that is left to answer is what to do about the loss of D-Wheels. First, you can not replace talent like his….so how do we fill in the gap? Earlier in the year I would have expected more Offensive plays for Justin King. But due to Cronin’s drunken party night and subsequent team dismissal we need JK on Defensive side. Especially against Zook’s spread Offense. King will play some Offense, but he will not be the every down replacement.

Therefore our Wideout sets should look like this:
Deon Butler (#3)
Jordan Norwood…if he is ready to go (foot question) (#24)
Terrell Golden (#4)
Ethan Kilmer (#43)
Lydell Sergeant (#16)


My Prediction is:

Penn State Rebounds for the Big 11 Championship run: 37
After this loss they will want to Cook Ron Zook: 17

This is the first step of the upcoming FIVE game winning streak…including the bowl game.

Enjoy watching on the Duece!
Erik “please accept my apologies” Rosenstrauch

Web Site of the week:
http://www.geocities.com/psulionsden/index.html