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