Well, another week, another Nittany Lion loss. I am not QUITE ready to put everybody under the bus yet, but here are my thoughts.
First, for those of you who didn't hear it during the game, ESPN.com was reporting JoePa had a case of the 'Hershey squirts' and then the AP wire lated corrected that to 'green apple splatters.'
Next, I am not sure if anyone caught this (I know I didn't), but tonight on PTI they showed a replay of the Michael Jenkins Int that he returned for a touchdown. He actually spiked the ball on about the 1/2 yard line. Nobody upstairs in the PSU booth caught this. Who knows what would have happened then. Maybe we hold them to a field goal.
I am not ready to call an end to the Anthony Morelli era. I still think that he can play, but he really, really needs to work on looking off receivers at the line of scrimmage. His ass needs to stay in State College over the summer and work on drills where one receiver suddenly becomes "hot" instead of knowing who he'll throw it to ahead of time. And, this is just a theory...I know that there is no such thing as the mafia (wink) and that a bookie would never try to fix a football game, but try this on for size. The spread for last week's game was 16. Hypothetically speaking, what if said QB threw a 2nd interception that was returned for a touchdown? It moved the score from 21-6 (which didn't cover the spread) to 28-6 (which did). And what harm would it have caused? They were already losing, they just happened to lose by a bigger amount. I'm not saying anything is fishy, I'm just saying its something that crosses your mind.
I loved DWB's idea for the "ass-out." Although I will say that it cracks me up how the other schools around the country are trying to compete with the world-famous "white out." Also, why didn't OSU just call it the "Red Sea"? It seemed like a much better title than what ever they called it. Also, Michigan declared a "maize out" for the Notre Dame game this year. I know that Michigan students aren't overly bright, but that doesn't even make any sense. At least a "white out" is a real thing.
Till next time
~K
Monday, September 25, 2006
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Predictions.....
First, I would just like comment on what DWB said. Yes, Seinfeld is the greatest show of all-time not named Blind Date or G-String Divas. I can watch those episodes all day long, and they never get boring. Also, they are perfect "background noise" shows. These are the shows that you put on when you are doing something else. They work so well in this capacity because you already when the funny parts are, so you can just focus back in at those points. Also, no other show added so much to our vocabulary (high-talker, master of your domain, etc.)
Next, onto the game. Well, let's just say that I'm not encouraged. THE Ohio State University has looked really good so far. They were able to go into Texas, and avenge last year's loss. However, I still think we have a shot if we play up to our potential. We have one of those teams where if everything is working we can beat any team in the country. Our problem so far has been putting it all together. Passing game looks good, but the run game is lacking. Then, the next game its the opposite. I would be happy if we were able to hang with them, and maybe put a little bit of a scare into them.
As far as predictions go, I would say Ohio State 21, PSU 16. And I see them maybe winning on a last second Troy Smith TD run or something similar. Also, watch out for OSU's linebacker James Laurinaitis. During the Texas game he was playing the way Posluzsny was last year. Also, he is the son of WWE legend "Animal", 1/2 of the Legion of Doom. (these are the kinds of facts you learn when you have a hi-speed internet and an addiction to Wikipedia.)
Next, onto the game. Well, let's just say that I'm not encouraged. THE Ohio State University has looked really good so far. They were able to go into Texas, and avenge last year's loss. However, I still think we have a shot if we play up to our potential. We have one of those teams where if everything is working we can beat any team in the country. Our problem so far has been putting it all together. Passing game looks good, but the run game is lacking. Then, the next game its the opposite. I would be happy if we were able to hang with them, and maybe put a little bit of a scare into them.
As far as predictions go, I would say Ohio State 21, PSU 16. And I see them maybe winning on a last second Troy Smith TD run or something similar. Also, watch out for OSU's linebacker James Laurinaitis. During the Texas game he was playing the way Posluzsny was last year. Also, he is the son of WWE legend "Animal", 1/2 of the Legion of Doom. (these are the kinds of facts you learn when you have a hi-speed internet and an addiction to Wikipedia.)
Monday, September 18, 2006
For Just 18 cents a Day.....
Well, I was able to make it back to dear Old State this past weekend. The trip itself was a ton of fun, but relatively uneventful. However, during the car ride up with 2 of my traveling companions we stumbled upon a radical, and possibly Earth-shattering idea.
If you're like me, you get tired of seeing those commericals of kids in Third World countries telling you how they have to walk 16 miles, uphill (in both directions) for clean drinking water. However, for my generous donation of just 18 cents a day we get the kid into school, where they will learn to write, begin a campaign of constant correspondence describing their plight, and depress you even further. By the way, how do they tell what kid gets the money? Honestly, I always thought it would cause more trouble if you had a group of have's and have nots in the community. The idea that we came up with takes this basic concept, and simply moves it into a domestic agenda where the relationship is mutally beneficial.
The idea itself has 2 different variations, but they both work off the same concept. In the spirit of consolidation, I'll merge the ideas, but you'll get the general theme we're working for. We decided that we are going to start a program very similar to the one mentioned above, but instead of Third World children, our program will target college students. Here's the plan: each year, you make a small donation to your designated student for that year. The donation could be either in the form of cash, or the pinnacle of collegiate bartering: alcohol. So, each year when you go back to your alma mater, you don't need to worry about finding a place to crash. Your protege for that year would be more than happy to put you up for a few nights. I think $200 a year sounds about right. If you think that sounds high, try booking a hotel room in State College on a football weekend. Imagine as a college student, you got the offer of $200 a year or semester in exchange for 2 or 3 weekends a year of free, guaranteed lodging. Would you have jumped at that offer? Exactly, me too.
But the relationship isn't entirely one-sided. As a mentor, you get pass your infinite wisdom along to those in a new generation. Have you gone through an experience, and said to yourself "if I'd only known that ahead of time." This is where the mentors come in. For instance, your sponsor child tells you he wishes he could graduate so he can get out into the "real world." You interject, tell him that these are the best years of his life, and that he will spend the next 50 trying to get back there. Crisis averted! An added benefit for the mentor is that they would achieve instant "that guy" status. "Hey, who bought all the beer for the party this weekend?" Answer: "that guy who sometimes crashes with Skippy and Jimmy." You're an instant BMOC. Its amazing how far a few bucks go with broke college kids.
Oh, and I don't even have to comment on the possible career networking opportunities for the students.
Now, I'm not saying that this idea is a finished blueprint. It's just a mere outline for something that we think could work. Oh, and just in case you're wondering, $200 a year works out to just $0.55 a day.
Till next week.
~Kevin
If you're like me, you get tired of seeing those commericals of kids in Third World countries telling you how they have to walk 16 miles, uphill (in both directions) for clean drinking water. However, for my generous donation of just 18 cents a day we get the kid into school, where they will learn to write, begin a campaign of constant correspondence describing their plight, and depress you even further. By the way, how do they tell what kid gets the money? Honestly, I always thought it would cause more trouble if you had a group of have's and have nots in the community. The idea that we came up with takes this basic concept, and simply moves it into a domestic agenda where the relationship is mutally beneficial.
The idea itself has 2 different variations, but they both work off the same concept. In the spirit of consolidation, I'll merge the ideas, but you'll get the general theme we're working for. We decided that we are going to start a program very similar to the one mentioned above, but instead of Third World children, our program will target college students. Here's the plan: each year, you make a small donation to your designated student for that year. The donation could be either in the form of cash, or the pinnacle of collegiate bartering: alcohol. So, each year when you go back to your alma mater, you don't need to worry about finding a place to crash. Your protege for that year would be more than happy to put you up for a few nights. I think $200 a year sounds about right. If you think that sounds high, try booking a hotel room in State College on a football weekend. Imagine as a college student, you got the offer of $200 a year or semester in exchange for 2 or 3 weekends a year of free, guaranteed lodging. Would you have jumped at that offer? Exactly, me too.
But the relationship isn't entirely one-sided. As a mentor, you get pass your infinite wisdom along to those in a new generation. Have you gone through an experience, and said to yourself "if I'd only known that ahead of time." This is where the mentors come in. For instance, your sponsor child tells you he wishes he could graduate so he can get out into the "real world." You interject, tell him that these are the best years of his life, and that he will spend the next 50 trying to get back there. Crisis averted! An added benefit for the mentor is that they would achieve instant "that guy" status. "Hey, who bought all the beer for the party this weekend?" Answer: "that guy who sometimes crashes with Skippy and Jimmy." You're an instant BMOC. Its amazing how far a few bucks go with broke college kids.
Oh, and I don't even have to comment on the possible career networking opportunities for the students.
Now, I'm not saying that this idea is a finished blueprint. It's just a mere outline for something that we think could work. Oh, and just in case you're wondering, $200 a year works out to just $0.55 a day.
Till next week.
~Kevin
Friday, September 15, 2006
Toss that Salad.....
I just caught this little tidbit on CNN.com, and it made me chuckle so I felt I would pass it along. I guess that there is some kind E.coli outbreak regarding bagged spinach. Well, either someone at CNN.com is either pretty funny, or totally uninformed. For about 20 minutes the main page for the site, one of the most heavily visited everyday, had the headline of "Toss that Salad." I wish I would have captured a screenshot of it. Now, we see the more Cnn-like headline of "Don't eat bagged spinach." So, either they are totally clueless about these kinds of things, or Skippy the Intern will have a hell of a story to tell his buddies at the bar tonight.
P.S. PSU will dominate the juggernaut of Youngstown State. I will be in the house for the game, and then going to visit my mug at the Phyrst afterwards.
Till Monday
~K
P.S. PSU will dominate the juggernaut of Youngstown State. I will be in the house for the game, and then going to visit my mug at the Phyrst afterwards.
Till Monday
~K
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Not much to add.........
On the heels of a really successful real-time blogging experiment, I feel I can now give you my un-emotional reaction to the game. We got beat by a better team. Plain and simple. I think that we got beat in many facets of the game. I am actually getting mad thinking about this again. Anyway, the big test comes this week against mighty Youngstown State. I will be in lovely State College again this weekend to take in all the festivities. (aka, visiting my mug at the Phyrst.)
Next, I would shirking my duties as Death Pool Grand Administrator if I didn't comment on the Crocodile Hunter. When you create something like the Death Pool, its done with situations like this in mind. I mean, if someone would have had him, that would have taken the whole thing, hands down. Also, really makes you rethink some of your decisions on this year's picks. All the features were there that make a good pick. Just something to keep in mind in a couple of months when we start looking at the D-Pool 2007.
~K
Next, I would shirking my duties as Death Pool Grand Administrator if I didn't comment on the Crocodile Hunter. When you create something like the Death Pool, its done with situations like this in mind. I mean, if someone would have had him, that would have taken the whole thing, hands down. Also, really makes you rethink some of your decisions on this year's picks. All the features were there that make a good pick. Just something to keep in mind in a couple of months when we start looking at the D-Pool 2007.
~K
Saturday, September 09, 2006
PSU vs. Notre Dame......
Ok, here it is! What we've all been waiting for: The big game, PSU vs. Notre Dame. This game is so big, that I am doing the only logical thing possible, keeping a running diary throughout the game. This might be best idea I've had all week. For full disclosure, I should tell you that I originally got this idea from the SportsGuy on ESPN.com. I've told you multiple times before, but I'll say it again. If you like sports and pop culture, you need to be reading the SportsGuy on a regular basis.
2:10 p.m. Well, game time is about 2 hours and 20 minutes away. I couldn't be more excited. I shouldn't let the cat out of the bag, but I already know how this thing is going to end up. For anybody who knows me, you'll know that I am slightly superstitious, with possible low-grade OCD thrown in for good measure. (For instance, I didn't get into my bed on the right side for 2 years. But that's a whole 'nother story.) Anyway, all the signs leading up to kick-off show the game going Penn State's way. Just to let you know what I'm talking about, last night I got home from work and I had the new Frederick's of Hollywood catalog waiting for me. Then, for good measure I simulated the game on NCAA 2007. The result? Penn State 56, Notre Dame 44. This morning, the good times kept on rolling. The new issue of Playboy arrived. While each event might seem insignificant, when you put them all together it looks like a sure fire Nittany Lion victory today.
3:05 p.m. Well, I think I might as well set up some over/under predictions for the game:
1. Kinds of cheese I will eat today: 4
2. Trips to the restroom: 6
3. References to Charlie Weis' Super Bowl victories or rings: at least 1
On a side note, a great T-shirt that is on sale in State College right now reads "Take Charlie Back to the Chocolate Factory." Maybe the perfect mixture of high comedy, and slight cruelty. I love it.
20 minutes till kick-off
3:16 p.m. By the way, the Chad has checked in several times from South Bend. From what I've heard it sounds like there is a large PSU presence there. The full Blue Band is in the house, massive tailgating, free booze, etc. I am almost giddy at this point.
3:38 p.m. First sure fire way of the day to know you're going to hell. The priest from ND is giving the prayer about 9/11 and as they cut to an aerial shot of the stadium, you comment to yourself that the 2 smaller arenas next to it remind you of a set of tits.
3:43 p.m. Another reason why I don't like this school: People who pronounce it "No-tra Dame" instead of "No-der Dame" That must be the 4 Bud Light's talkin'.
3:51 p.m. You know what would be a great idea? Cover the God-damn tight end! He's on pace for about 27 receptions.
4:05 p.m. Christ! A Ganter screwed us. (although the snap looked high) Please, someone tell me there are no more Ganter kids at S.C. High that we have to put up with.
4:20 p.m. The end of the 1st quarter. Well....ah, I don't really know how to classify this. I mean, I'm mad that we screwed up the field goal attempt and then fumbled when we were starting a drive down the field. Maybe 56-44 is a little unrealistic at this point. It could be worse. They need to stop them on this drive, and then score a TD. I did like the fact that they lined D-Wil up at quarterback. And AJ Wallace continues to impress the hell out of me.
4:46 p.m. Ok, I am starting to get belligerent here. Anytime the offense wants to do something, that's fine with me. Seriously. God damn it!!! They just hit the tight end on 2nd and 20! How is this possible? Why does it always seem that when we need that play it never happens, but it ALWAYS happens for the other team? Just FYI, I have now switched to Pottsville's finest. I am 6 into this. I am somewhat amazed that this still makes sense.
5:32 p.m. How to tell your team had a bad first half? The best piece of information I got was a commerical showing Jack Klugman (one half of the Odd Couple), I thought he died in like '97. (note to self, pick Jack Klugman for the 2007 Death Pool). Also, DWB is feeding me this line of shit that he's up to 13 beers. He's obviously using the Chad scale of conversion. Also, the best line of the half came from The Chad: A simple, but effective equation. #7 Sciorotto = #4 Derek Fox. I think I learned that in Math 220.
4:55 p.m. See, this is why I never joined the military. Just 6 beers and 13 points later, I am totally broken. Also, I currently have no pants on. The situation is detiorating quickly here.
5:12 p.m. Is this really happening? Is it still 4 in the morning and I am just dreaming that we are playing like a WNBA team? Does anybody know if Posluszny and Connor made the trip to South Bend?
5:36 p.m. Zibakowski just scores. There is no God!
6:17 p.m. Well, that about wraps it up. Its now 34-3, with about 1 minute left to go in the 3rd quarter. Quite frankly, I am embarassed right now. We didn't even show up. They are marching down the field again, and there is literally nothing that we can do to slow them down. I even had to bear the sight of Jeff Smarahdklsdkfjsldjfa catching a touchdown in the first half. I still have no pants on. And, I got pix message from DWB, via Verizon wireless, and I have visual proof that he's down 13. Impressive. That might be the most impressive Penn State-related thing that I've seen all day. Sad.
7:05 p.m. Well, what can you say? We got our asses handed to us. I feel sick.l We coulda been champions. We coulda gone all the way. The upside of drinking all day is that I don't have that much further to go to hit "consolation-ville." Good times!
2:10 p.m. Well, game time is about 2 hours and 20 minutes away. I couldn't be more excited. I shouldn't let the cat out of the bag, but I already know how this thing is going to end up. For anybody who knows me, you'll know that I am slightly superstitious, with possible low-grade OCD thrown in for good measure. (For instance, I didn't get into my bed on the right side for 2 years. But that's a whole 'nother story.) Anyway, all the signs leading up to kick-off show the game going Penn State's way. Just to let you know what I'm talking about, last night I got home from work and I had the new Frederick's of Hollywood catalog waiting for me. Then, for good measure I simulated the game on NCAA 2007. The result? Penn State 56, Notre Dame 44. This morning, the good times kept on rolling. The new issue of Playboy arrived. While each event might seem insignificant, when you put them all together it looks like a sure fire Nittany Lion victory today.
3:05 p.m. Well, I think I might as well set up some over/under predictions for the game:
1. Kinds of cheese I will eat today: 4
2. Trips to the restroom: 6
3. References to Charlie Weis' Super Bowl victories or rings: at least 1
On a side note, a great T-shirt that is on sale in State College right now reads "Take Charlie Back to the Chocolate Factory." Maybe the perfect mixture of high comedy, and slight cruelty. I love it.
20 minutes till kick-off
3:16 p.m. By the way, the Chad has checked in several times from South Bend. From what I've heard it sounds like there is a large PSU presence there. The full Blue Band is in the house, massive tailgating, free booze, etc. I am almost giddy at this point.
3:38 p.m. First sure fire way of the day to know you're going to hell. The priest from ND is giving the prayer about 9/11 and as they cut to an aerial shot of the stadium, you comment to yourself that the 2 smaller arenas next to it remind you of a set of tits.
3:43 p.m. Another reason why I don't like this school: People who pronounce it "No-tra Dame" instead of "No-der Dame" That must be the 4 Bud Light's talkin'.
3:51 p.m. You know what would be a great idea? Cover the God-damn tight end! He's on pace for about 27 receptions.
4:05 p.m. Christ! A Ganter screwed us. (although the snap looked high) Please, someone tell me there are no more Ganter kids at S.C. High that we have to put up with.
4:20 p.m. The end of the 1st quarter. Well....ah, I don't really know how to classify this. I mean, I'm mad that we screwed up the field goal attempt and then fumbled when we were starting a drive down the field. Maybe 56-44 is a little unrealistic at this point. It could be worse. They need to stop them on this drive, and then score a TD. I did like the fact that they lined D-Wil up at quarterback. And AJ Wallace continues to impress the hell out of me.
4:46 p.m. Ok, I am starting to get belligerent here. Anytime the offense wants to do something, that's fine with me. Seriously. God damn it!!! They just hit the tight end on 2nd and 20! How is this possible? Why does it always seem that when we need that play it never happens, but it ALWAYS happens for the other team? Just FYI, I have now switched to Pottsville's finest. I am 6 into this. I am somewhat amazed that this still makes sense.
5:32 p.m. How to tell your team had a bad first half? The best piece of information I got was a commerical showing Jack Klugman (one half of the Odd Couple), I thought he died in like '97. (note to self, pick Jack Klugman for the 2007 Death Pool). Also, DWB is feeding me this line of shit that he's up to 13 beers. He's obviously using the Chad scale of conversion. Also, the best line of the half came from The Chad: A simple, but effective equation. #7 Sciorotto = #4 Derek Fox. I think I learned that in Math 220.
4:55 p.m. See, this is why I never joined the military. Just 6 beers and 13 points later, I am totally broken. Also, I currently have no pants on. The situation is detiorating quickly here.
5:12 p.m. Is this really happening? Is it still 4 in the morning and I am just dreaming that we are playing like a WNBA team? Does anybody know if Posluszny and Connor made the trip to South Bend?
5:36 p.m. Zibakowski just scores. There is no God!
6:17 p.m. Well, that about wraps it up. Its now 34-3, with about 1 minute left to go in the 3rd quarter. Quite frankly, I am embarassed right now. We didn't even show up. They are marching down the field again, and there is literally nothing that we can do to slow them down. I even had to bear the sight of Jeff Smarahdklsdkfjsldjfa catching a touchdown in the first half. I still have no pants on. And, I got pix message from DWB, via Verizon wireless, and I have visual proof that he's down 13. Impressive. That might be the most impressive Penn State-related thing that I've seen all day. Sad.
7:05 p.m. Well, what can you say? We got our asses handed to us. I feel sick.l We coulda been champions. We coulda gone all the way. The upside of drinking all day is that I don't have that much further to go to hit "consolation-ville." Good times!
Monday, September 04, 2006
A unique title......
In honor of Labor Day, I am going to put as little effort as possible into this post. I couldn't really think of any new and Earth-shattering topics so I decided to write about the one thing that the people who read this blog all care about....PSU football. And, without further to do here are my expert observations.
First, for anyone who was actually at the game, is it asking too much for them to put a dome in? Seriously. For anybody who was there, it was an absolute mess. I think about 2 inches of rain fell in State College on Saturday. I was drenched. Stop being cheap already and just add another 20,000 seats and enclose it all. Put a $1 tax on something and the job pays for itself.
Onto the actual game. Well, this game was like getting a sweater for Christmas. It's nice, but not exactly what you were hoping to see. We'll start on offense. I thought Morelli looked composed for his first start. He had great touch on that pass to Butler on the first drive. However, as pointed out by DWB, he doesn't look to his 2nd or 3rd receivers. Next, offensive line: pass blocking = good, run blocking = not so much. If we couldn't spring Tony Hunt against Akron, I have serious concerns against the Ohio State's and Michigan's of the world. Receivers: wow. I can't believe that a few years ago we consistently saw balls bouncing off chests. And that was just with the cheerleaders before the game. Thank you, thank you....I'll be here all week. Seriously, was it asking too much to have receivers who could actually catch the damn ball? I read a nice article on Deon Butler, and I found out that his only scholarship offer initially came from William and Mary. Kind of glad that he stuck it out with us. I'd love to see the defense that could hang with a 5 receiver set of Williams, Butler, Norwood, Golden, and Bell. That's some major league depth.
Defense. Does anybody remember my preview a few weeks ago that stated "I hope Dan Connor makes 'the leap' this year"? Well, that took exactly 1 week. I'm not sure how this looked on TV, but for anybody that wasn't there, he absolutely FINISHED tackles. I mean, drove people into the ground. Also, my apologies to Tim Shaw. I thought he was going to be the answer to the trivia question 10 years from now, 'who was the 3rd starter with Posluszny and Connor in 2006'? He looks like a serious player as well. The secondary looks like it has some players too. I thought that King and Johnson did a good job keeping the Akron receivers in check. Tony Davis played well also. Ed Johnson displayed a year's worth of frustration, and I hope that he can keep it up for the whole year. Surprisingly, Jay Alford seemed to be a non-factor. But I was busy trying to keep pneumonia at bay, so what do I know.
Special teams. I think that Kevin Kelly exorcised the demons of the Orange Bowl as he kicked those field goals in really bad conditions. Also, if AJ Wallace can keep his hands on the damn ball he will break at least one this year. (on a side note, Tecmo AJ Wallace is now returning kicks and punts for my PS2 team and he fumbled his first 2 attempts, not a promising sign.)
Intangibles. For anybody who wasn't at the game they showed the new video for the year. Let me sum it up for you in a word, INCREDIBLE. If you went to Penn State, see that video, and don't get goosebumps you should have your diploma taken away. I think I had a tear welling up in my eye afterwards. Just fantastic overall. Also, they did something that I didn't remember seeing before. The captains, Posluszny and Levi Brown came out by themselves, followed by the team as they played 'We will rock you.' Another goosebump moment. However, I do have some complaints. First, for anybody that has never tailgated at Beaver Stadium, the whole purpose is to get loaded, sneak beer into the stadium, and then act like a soccer hooligan. Well, this year they have outlawed drinking in the parking lot during the game. So, you can get stinking drunk before and after the game, but not during! It almost seems unAmerican to me. It's supposed to stop people who come up just to tailgate, but have no intention of going into the game. Is nothing sacred anymore? Also, during the game they showed a new website that has a lot of cool PSU football information. You can find it here.
Next week. I didn't get a chance to see any of the Notre Dame / Georgia Tech game, but from the highlights that I saw, the Irish look totally beatable. So, here's my plan of attack for this Saturday. Seeing as how I have no wife, kids, or other commitments I am going to try something new. The PSU / Notre Dame game is on at 3:30, followed by Ohio State / Texas at 8. My plan is to get up, begin drinking at about noon, and then keep a running diary of the PSU game. So, for anybody with 'net access during the game, make sure to check back periodically to get my up to the minute analysis of the game.
~Till Saturday. We are..........
~K
First, for anyone who was actually at the game, is it asking too much for them to put a dome in? Seriously. For anybody who was there, it was an absolute mess. I think about 2 inches of rain fell in State College on Saturday. I was drenched. Stop being cheap already and just add another 20,000 seats and enclose it all. Put a $1 tax on something and the job pays for itself.
Onto the actual game. Well, this game was like getting a sweater for Christmas. It's nice, but not exactly what you were hoping to see. We'll start on offense. I thought Morelli looked composed for his first start. He had great touch on that pass to Butler on the first drive. However, as pointed out by DWB, he doesn't look to his 2nd or 3rd receivers. Next, offensive line: pass blocking = good, run blocking = not so much. If we couldn't spring Tony Hunt against Akron, I have serious concerns against the Ohio State's and Michigan's of the world. Receivers: wow. I can't believe that a few years ago we consistently saw balls bouncing off chests. And that was just with the cheerleaders before the game. Thank you, thank you....I'll be here all week. Seriously, was it asking too much to have receivers who could actually catch the damn ball? I read a nice article on Deon Butler, and I found out that his only scholarship offer initially came from William and Mary. Kind of glad that he stuck it out with us. I'd love to see the defense that could hang with a 5 receiver set of Williams, Butler, Norwood, Golden, and Bell. That's some major league depth.
Defense. Does anybody remember my preview a few weeks ago that stated "I hope Dan Connor makes 'the leap' this year"? Well, that took exactly 1 week. I'm not sure how this looked on TV, but for anybody that wasn't there, he absolutely FINISHED tackles. I mean, drove people into the ground. Also, my apologies to Tim Shaw. I thought he was going to be the answer to the trivia question 10 years from now, 'who was the 3rd starter with Posluszny and Connor in 2006'? He looks like a serious player as well. The secondary looks like it has some players too. I thought that King and Johnson did a good job keeping the Akron receivers in check. Tony Davis played well also. Ed Johnson displayed a year's worth of frustration, and I hope that he can keep it up for the whole year. Surprisingly, Jay Alford seemed to be a non-factor. But I was busy trying to keep pneumonia at bay, so what do I know.
Special teams. I think that Kevin Kelly exorcised the demons of the Orange Bowl as he kicked those field goals in really bad conditions. Also, if AJ Wallace can keep his hands on the damn ball he will break at least one this year. (on a side note, Tecmo AJ Wallace is now returning kicks and punts for my PS2 team and he fumbled his first 2 attempts, not a promising sign.)
Intangibles. For anybody who wasn't at the game they showed the new video for the year. Let me sum it up for you in a word, INCREDIBLE. If you went to Penn State, see that video, and don't get goosebumps you should have your diploma taken away. I think I had a tear welling up in my eye afterwards. Just fantastic overall. Also, they did something that I didn't remember seeing before. The captains, Posluszny and Levi Brown came out by themselves, followed by the team as they played 'We will rock you.' Another goosebump moment. However, I do have some complaints. First, for anybody that has never tailgated at Beaver Stadium, the whole purpose is to get loaded, sneak beer into the stadium, and then act like a soccer hooligan. Well, this year they have outlawed drinking in the parking lot during the game. So, you can get stinking drunk before and after the game, but not during! It almost seems unAmerican to me. It's supposed to stop people who come up just to tailgate, but have no intention of going into the game. Is nothing sacred anymore? Also, during the game they showed a new website that has a lot of cool PSU football information. You can find it here.
Next week. I didn't get a chance to see any of the Notre Dame / Georgia Tech game, but from the highlights that I saw, the Irish look totally beatable. So, here's my plan of attack for this Saturday. Seeing as how I have no wife, kids, or other commitments I am going to try something new. The PSU / Notre Dame game is on at 3:30, followed by Ohio State / Texas at 8. My plan is to get up, begin drinking at about noon, and then keep a running diary of the PSU game. So, for anybody with 'net access during the game, make sure to check back periodically to get my up to the minute analysis of the game.
~Till Saturday. We are..........
~K
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