ABCs Mike Patrick makes bold statement

During this evening's Michigan State-Penn State "Big Ten Championship" game, ABC announcer Mike Patrick made quite the statement about the 1994 PSU team. After talking about the number of time PSU has been in the Rose Bowl (this will be only the 3rd), Patrick stated that JoePa has had 4 teams go undefeated and NOT win a National Championship. The 1994 squad, headlined by Kerry Collins, Ki-Jana Carter, and Bobby Engram, was the last. Patrick then said that he had seen Penn State play multiple times that season and said that THEY WERE UNDOUBTEDLY THE BEST TEAM IN THE NATION. Take that, Nebraska!

Penn State, the REAL 1994 National Champions!

Oh and by the way, Penn State CRUSHES Michigan State, 49-18, to win the 2008 Big Ten Championship and will head to the Rose Bowl for a showdown with USC/Oregon State on 1/1/2009.

WTF was D'Antonio doing at the end of the game? Two TOs with 9 seconds left? Down 31?!?!? WTF?!?!?!

Michigan State-Penn State Prediction

Short and sweet this week.

This is a huge game for both teams. If Penn State wins they go to the Rose Bowl. If Michigan State wins they win a share of the Big Ten title with Ohio State (as long as they beat Michigan). It's freezing in State College today and there is the possibility for some snow. Winds will be relatively strong and they, plus the cold, could impact the game. Look for this to be reminiscent of the Iowa game (groan). Not a big offensive day for either team. Who will make the big play? Because of the emotion on the Penn State side - senior day, final game at Beaver Stadium for them, chance for a 2nd Big ten title in 4 years - I think they come out on top. But it'll be a hard-nose, ground it out type of game.

Michigan State 16, Penn State 27

The long-awaited return

I received a letter from a fan the other day, and I'd like to share it with you...

Dear Tom,

When are you going to be returning to Sports Fountainhead? Your contributions used to be so thoughtful and witty. My internet surfing experience just won't be the same until you come back and grace the blog with your presence again.

I left some split pea soup in the fridge, because I know it's your favorite. I'll be home from work at 4pm.

Love,
Mom

Yes, thank you, uh, erm, "Mom", for your insightful words of encouragement. And I am back. It's been a rough few weeks with exams, commitments, and the like, but with the holiday upon us, I can return to blogging again. Trust me, it wasn't easy being away. I wanted to blog badly when Navy beat Notre Dame. Or Air Force. I wanted to blog when Billy Gillespie and Kentucky lost to Gardner-Webb. Or when Michigan State lost to Grand Valley State (with Drew Nietzel). Or when Wyoming's coach flipped the bird. Or when Brent Musburger had his annual orgasm at the Ohio State-Michigan game.

Well, at least it's not too late to blog about Louisiana-Monroe beating Alabama last weekend. People in Tuscaloosa are still hung over after drinking all the Kool-Aid they served at 'Bama's spring game. Now their savior is 6-5 in his first season with a 3-game skid.

Also not too late to mention that Penn State's women's volleyball team won their 5th-straight outright Big Ten title last weekend, an unprecedented mark in the conference. I was in town Friday during the thrilling 3-1 victory over #9 Wisconsin -- these ladies are damn good, but then again they usually are.

And, oh yeah, Lloyd Carr's retiring. Yawn. Tell me something I don't know.

Anyway, I planned on taking the wood to our Nittany Lion football squad today, but I'll restrain myself ... slightly. The day had disappointment written all over it, really. It was grey and gloomy, that general feeling of malaise in the air. I had left State College early Saturday morning to come home, as students are enjoying a (well-deserved!) week-long Thanksgiving break.

The Lions decided to get fancy, and trick plays were abound. I think we're just wondering where they've been for the first 11 games. Did it really take us four months to figure out how to run these plays or were we saving them for a grandiose finale?! The coaches do need to admit, though, that Morelli in the WR position has never fooled anyone and has never worked. But the two fake FGs were brilliant. First, Kevin Kelly pooches it from about the 37-yard line, and we down it on the MSU 1. Then, up 17-7 in the 3rd quarter, Boone fakes a high snap and Kelly runs it in for six! Wow! Holy Spartans, Batman!

So, okay, we're up 24-7 in the 3rd, and their crowd's out of it. Things are so bad that our kicker is now running rampant in Spartan Stadium. So, you know, it's been a long day, I drove a while ... it might be a good time to put my head down and rest. I start nodding off slightly. I'm semi-conscious when MSU marches down the field and makes it a 24-14 game. I'm even closer to dreamland when we go back up 31-14. Well, all is good, I think I'll just close my eyes and...

"Tom, I thought I'd wake you up. Michigan State just scored and took the lead."

Aw, crap.

Don't ask me how. Don't ask me why. I was asleep, which I thought might be okay when your team is up 17 points in the third! Oh, but look, it's okay, some guy named Carter wearing the number 32 is running through the MSU defense. Phew, that was close. Oh, there he goes, running it again. We're within striking range!

Dammit, what is Morelli doing holding the ball and dropping back?! Game over.

Doesn't it say something when your fourth-string running back who has never played in a game before can move the ball at will when your senior quarterback with two years experience completely halts the drive?

Well, look, I'm not going to cry over spilled milk anymore, this is in the past. Let's look ahead. Can a decent bowl victory erase the calamity that is the 2007 season? With all the troubles off the field, our inexperienced two-year starting QB, and our hot-shot recruit who has made our secondary look like swiss cheese ... can we forget? I mean, in 2006, we at least lost to all the big boys -- overrated Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, and overrated Wisconsin, three of those losses on the road. Now, switch out Notre Dame and replace it with a decent Illinois team. Okay, now switch out 12-1 Wisconsin and replace it with ... 7-5 Michigan State. Three losses on the road. Can a bowl win really make us forget?

Looking farther ahead, like a good fan should when his team is in disarray, some of the question marks we had to start 2007 no longer exist for 2008. There is no running back problem, as Evan Royster looks really solid and it sounds like we have a good backup in... whoever Carter is. The two people I'll really miss in the senior class are Matt Hahn and Dan Connor. Sean Lee's been waiting for this moment to step up as a leader for a while, and he'll shine. I don't worry about our LBs at all. The O-line has really brought it together this year, and I'm pretty sure most if not all will be returning. Who woulda thunk our O-line would be a bright spot?

That's not to say there aren't glaring question marks. I don't know whether or not I'll be happy if Justin King declares for the draft. If he really cares about a career, he won't. Not after his abysmal performance this season. But then again, if he does, maybe it'll mark a new day for the secondary. If not, I hope JoePa whips him around and shows him what's what before August '08. Clark has shown promise at QB, but little else, as we haven't seen him too much on the field. However, I will say that he probably had more playing time before starting than Morelli did. Penn State's version of Jimmy Clausen (AKA "the answer to all our problems"), Pat Devlin, will still be still untested as our backup, despite the whole student section seemingly on his bandwagon. Not me. Until he can prove he deserves to be there more than Clark, I'm sticking with JoePa and his (assumed) decision to play Clark next year.

So, maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves. Let's get to Orlando, win the Champs Sports Bowl, and finish this season 9-4 ... again. And hey, if JoePa can't pass Bobby Bowden for most career wins, let's at least take another Bowden to the woodshed and hope we play Clemson. Although that Cullen Harper is a pretty good player.

This week, I hope to put a final update on my "Buy or Sell" predictions, and evaluate some of the performances by first-year coaches this year.

We Did Beat Michigan State...

...at giving blood. From the Penn State Faculty/Staff (UP) Newswire:

Penn State came from behind to beat Michigan State 2,170 to 1,935 in the 14th Annual Penn State-Michigan State Blood Donor Challenge.The winning school was announced on the field before the game Saturday, Nov. 24, at Michigan State. This is the second year that Penn State dominated the match. The challenge is a friendly rivalry aimed at increasing blood inventories before the winter holidays. "What an outstanding finish," said Wendi Keeler, American Red Cross field representative for Penn State. "Penn State not only came from behind to beat MSU by 235 units of blood, we beat our own goal by 170 units by breaking the 2,000 unit mark." Keeler expressed her appreciation to the 2,500-plus donors and all of the event's sponsors.

WE ARE PENN STATE. In all seriousness, great job. It's wonderful to see these 2 schools giving blood in a useful capacity. Penn State has now won 2 years in a row. This was the 14th year of competition. I couldn't find results from years 1-12. I think it's pretty even. If I recall a plaque in the HUB, PSU dominated early then MSU caught up and now PSU is back. But I could be completely wrong.

Long Overdue

I apologize for my lack of blogging as of recent. Blame a hellish week of work and exams for that. I apologize in advance for the absence of frequent updates this weekend -- McDonati is in Bloomington with the Lions, and E and I are out of town. However, I attempt to make my penance with some more college football talk.

First off, did anyone hear about the near-disasterous landing the USC squad had in South Bend? Maybe God really is on the Irish side.

And how about Cinderella's glass slipper shattering last night?

Anyway, last week, the Nittany Lions handed the Wisconsin Badgers a huge, upper-case, bold-faced L, leaving fans scratching their heads for the third-straight week pleading, "Why didn't we do that against Michigan?!" It was a complete role reversal. Suddenly, it was Wisconsin turning over the ball and making silly mistakes and not JoePa's squad. The defense lived up to its end of the bargain once again, holding P.J. Hill to a season low. Man, for somebody who ran into this season with lots of preseason hype, not a lot of talk about him anymore, eh? Anthony Morelli finally looked like a veteran QB and if a play wasn't made, it didn't fall on him. Maybe JoePa was right about his WRs not stepping up and making plays after all... well, at least this week. Yes, Wisconsin was overrated (who called it?!), but this is still a huge win over a ranked team band a great confidence boost.

In a Buy or Sell update, UConn fell to Virginia 17-16 on the road last Saturday, validating my "sell" pick, unless they make an improbable Big East run. I'm now 7-3 on the season for Buy/Sell. Still waiting on Kentucky and Arizona State.

Alright, picks for this weekend.

Florida at Kentucky
Kentucky used up all its magic last week in a thrilling 3-OT victory over LSU last week. A win against Florida keeps them in the SEC East race, but a loss makes South Carolina/Florida the marquee match of the division. The Gators are coming off a 2-game skid and a valuable week of rest, and now they're seeing red. Look for the Wildcats to get chomped in another nailbiter.

LSU at Auburn
Recall that Auburn lost to Sly Croom and Mississippi State at home, 19-14. Also recall that LSU steamrolled M-State on the road 45-0 in the season opener. Yikes. So is the Auburn that lost to USF at home going to show up or the one that shocked Florida in The Swamp? Furthermore, consider that with USF out of the top two, LSU is still well into the thick of the national race. Don't think for a second Les Miles and the fans in Death Valley won't be pumped for this one. LSU takes care of Tommy Tuberville's Auburn team at home.

Tennessee at Alabama
Nick Saban and the Tide have been rolling after two straight losses, but keep in mind that they played Houston and Ole Miss. Tennessee is 1-2 on the road this season, beating M-State last week by 12, but losing to Cal and Kentucky by a combined 53 points. The Tide will roll at home, providing them great momentum into their home date with LSU next week.

Michigan at Illinois
Most people thought Penn State had the best home conference slate in the Big Ten, but my vote would go to Illinois. The Illini welcome their third-straight ranked opponent to Memorial Stadium Saturday, and will chalk up their third win over a ranked opponent at home.

Michigan State at Ohio State
Okay, enough fooling around. MSU had their obligatory win of the season. Time for them to start losing again. Well, okay, maybe that's harsh. MSU and OSU matchups have provided spark in the past, but with this one at home and with OSU's ridiculous defense, the Buckeyes should roll into Happy Valley still the top team in the land.

USC at Notre Dame
Ha! Oh, oops. Sorry. But really, if Booty's out for this one, it could sure get interesting if USC doesn't pull away early. Sharpley has been steadily improving, so it's on the Irish O-line and the defense to make sure this doesn't get ugly.

Texas Tech at Missouri
Missouri has to win this game by outscoring Graham Harrell and the Red Raider offense, because their defense isn't going to win this game for them. Can a defense ranked 100th in passing defense handle Harrell? This one could come down to who scores last, but I think Tech's slightly better defense gives them the edge in this one that ends up having a basketball score.

Buffalo at Syracuse
Bonus pick! This one's gonna be closer than anyone thought at the beginning of the season. Don't look now, but Buffalo's 3-4 and 3-1 in the MAC. Syracuse is a hot-and-cold squad that will shock you one week and disappoint you the next. The disappointments will hit a new low this weekend as Buffalo squeaks by the Orange. Turner Gill becomes the front runner to replace Bill Callahan at Nebraska.

Buy or Sell

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the college football swap meet. We have some traditional powers and early season surprises lined up for you, and our job is to tell you whether you should buy or sell. Keep in mind that the Sagarin ratings include Division 1-A and 1-AA teams. And that the schedule rank is only to date.

Texas Longhorns (4-0)
Sagarin Rating: 9
Wins over Arkansas State (92), TCU (48), Central Florida (60), and Rice (174)
Schedule Rank: 109th out of 242
What do you do? Sell. And sell quickly, if you can. Texas's most impressive victory came against sputtering Rice, while follies against ASU and UCF have not padded the Longhorns' resume. And with K-State rolling into town and the Red River Rivalry shortly after, this is going to be a long two weeks for Mack Brown.

Arizona State (4-0)
Sagarin Rating: 11
Wins over San Jose State (126), Colorado (58), San Diego State (78), and Oregon State (39)
Schedule Rank: 87th out of 242
What do you do? Buy. This is the 4th team that Dennis Erickson has taken into the top 25 in his career. Think he knows a thing or two about coaching? The Sun Devils have looked impressive, and with Stanford, Wazzu, and Washington next on the roster, we could be looking at a 7-0 Arizona State team in the top 15. And they'll need all the momentum they can get for their next four -- Cal, Oregon, UCLA, and USC. At least the Bears and the Trojans come to Tempe.

Clemson (4-0)
Sagarin Rating: 12
Wins over Florida State (25), Louisiana-Monroe (136), Furman (146), and NC State (67)
Schedule Rank: 101st out of 242
What do you do? Sell. Just look at the next two -- Georgia Tech at home, followed by a road trip to Blacksburg. Uh oh. Clemson barely held on by a thread at home in the Bowden Bowl, and their storied end-of-the-season meltdowns fall short to only those by Michigan State. The middle of the schedule doesn't seem so bad, before wrapping up against BC and at South Carolina. Look for BC to edge out the Tigers for the Atlantic Division.

Kentucky (4-0)
Sagarin Rating: 13
Wins over Eastern Kentucky (131), Kent State (97), Louisville (63), and Arkansas (33)
Schedule Rank: 86th out of 242
What do you do? Buy. Well, at least for this week, as the Wildcats will roll over Florida Atlantic (who, at 3-1, are a surprise in their own right). Then comes a winnable game at South Carolina, followed by home dates with LSU and Florida. Andre Woodson is a fine senior quarterback, and anyone who can out duel Brian Brohm deserves some props. They surprised many by beating McFadden and company in the Nutt House, including yours truly. Mark it down: Florida at Kentucky will be the game that determines the outcome of the SEC East.

Cincinnati (4-0)
Sagarin Rating: 14
Wins over Southeast Missouri State (208), Oregon State (39), Miami-OH (102), and Marshall (134)
Schedule Rank: 149th out of 242
What do you do? Sell. There's room for only one Cinderella in the Big East. The Bearcats played 3 out of their first 4 at home, with the lone road trip to Miami-OH. And the opponents have been less than impressive. The trouncing of the Beavers proved to be clutch, but watch out when Big East action starts in Piscataway. Yikes! Cincy later has to travel to Tampa to wrestle with the Bulls and then West Virginia will come calling.

Wisconsin (4-0)
Sagarin Rating: 16
Wins over Washington State (40), UNLV (75), The Citadel (133), and Iowa (43)
Schedule Rank: 77th out of 242
What do you do? Sell. The Badgers apparently like to keep it close. Really close if they're on the road -- say, against UNLV. Even with a primetime win over Iowa under their belt, the Badgers still haven't answered a lot of questions. One question that's sure to be answered after away games at Penn State and at Ohio State and a home date with Michigan is, "Why were these guys in the preseason top 10?"

Missouri (4-0)
Sagarin Rating: 19
Wins over Illinois (42), Ole Miss (74), Western Michigan (122), and Illinois State (145)
Schedule Rank: 108th out of 242
What do you do? Buy. The Big 12 North is still up for grabs, and even though Nebraska could still be the front-runner after the USC thumping, there's nothing that says Missouri or K-State still can't snatch it up. The Tigers are idle this week, and they're gonna need their rest -- after the Huskers come to town, Chase Daniel and the gang head out to Norman to face some little team named Oklahoma. The Missouri-Nebraska showdown will determine the early direction of the division.

South Florida (3-0)
Sagarin Rating: 22
Wins over Elon (141), Auburn (38), and North Carolina (84)
Schedule Rank: 93rd out of 242
What do you do? Buy. College football has found its Cinderella this season, and she lives in Tampa. There have been whispers going back to even 2005 about the talent of this South Florida team. We saw a glimpse last season when the Bulls upended West Virginia in Morgantown. Now the Mountaineers travel to Tampa tomorrow to begin conference play, and this one's going to be a doozy. If they pull off another shocker, two of the conference's other three best teams -- Louisville and Cincinnati -- both are at home, but Grothe, et al. will have to face Rutgers on the road. Beating Auburn on the road isn't so easy, you know. South Florida is the new Rutgers.

Purdue (4-0)
Sagarin Rating: 23
Wins over Toledo (115), Eastern Illinois (164), Central Michigan (113), and Minnesota (77)
Schedule Rank: 132nd out of 242
What do you do? Sell. Yeah, the Irish are in town this week, but the Buckeyes' impending visit is sure to be a headache for Curtis Painter. I know the Boilermakers keep bringing back the offensive firepower, but the defense is always suspect. How did Minnesota put up 31 on these guys? Plus, Joe Tiller has a history of failing to living up to expectations. Road games in Ann Arbor and Happy Valley loom, too.

Kansas (4-0)
Sagarin Rating: 26
Wins over Central Michigan (113), Southeastern Louisiana (190), Toledo (115), and Florida International (160)
Schedule Rank: 177th out of 242 (Eep!)
What do you do? Sell! Please sell! Kinda looks like Purdue's schedule, doesn't it? At least Purdue beat somebody in the top 100... on the road. Kansas hasn't left home, but will do so in two weeks, when they visit Manhattan after a completely undeserved respite. Sure, the Jayhawks will go bowling -- games with Baylor, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State could ensure at least .500 -- but even the North division title could be too lofty of a goal.

Connecticut (4-0)
Sagarin Rating: 31
Wins over Duke (104), Maine (156), Temple (161) and Pittsburgh (62)
Schedule Rank: 137th out of 242
What do you do? Well, first of all, you giggle because Maine is ranked higher than Temple. Then, you sell the Huskies. Do you think Akron thought UConn would be 4-0 back when they scheduled them? Beating Pitt at Heinz Field is somewhat of an accomplishment, and at least a split isn't unrealistic against Akron and at Virginia, so they could be 5-1 when they resume Big East play. The last six of the year is nothing anybody wants to be put through -- Louisville, South Florida, Rutgers, Cincy, Syracuse, and West Virginia. Eep! At least basketball season starts soon.

Michigan State (4-0)
Sagarin Rating: 34
Wins over UAB (124), Bowling Green (69), Pittsburgh (62), and Notre Dame (114)
What do you do? After you laugh that ND is out of the top 100 (and ranked lower than Bowling Green), you buy the Spartans. Mark Dantonio built a nice little foundation over in Cincinnati, and now he has a chance to make some big changes in a town where John L. Smith messed everything up. A trip to Madison will tell a lot about this Spartan team, but mark my word that they will be at least 6-1 before rolling into Columbus. Michigan and Penn State have to travel to East Lansing. Expect the end-of-the-season slumps to end and a surprising upset to go down.

This weekend's prime Big Ten matchups

Time to look ahead to this weekend because, let's face it, it's never too early to start thinking about college football.

Let's take a quick look at three intriguing matchups involving Big Ten teams. Later this week we'll take a look at some big SEC matches and the mediocrity of this weekend's Saturday Night Football split telecast (it's why Iowa/Wisconsin is not included here).

Illinois at Indiana
Why it's important: The Big Ten's perennial bottom-feeders square off in each team's conference opener. Both are off to a decent start -- a combined 5-1 record between them -- with the only loss between the two coming when Missouri beat Illinois in a tense 40-34 game in St. Louis. One will be one step closer to a long-awaited bowl game, the other will head back to the basement. Ron Zook is out to prove he's more than just a glorified recruiter, and Indiana still looks to honor the memory of Terry Hoeppner.
Important Stat: Illinois and Indiana have combined for a 13-67 conference record since 2002. The best performance put up by either team over the last five seasons was a 4-4 finish by Illinois in 2002. Indiana went 3-5 last year. Over that same span, Indiana was 1-7 four times and Illinois went 0-8 twice.
The Edge: Of the two Memorial Stadiums, this one's being played at Indiana's, so I think the home field advantage gives it to the Hoosiers.

Penn State at Michigan
Why it's important: The winner in Ann Arbor Saturday gets the inside track at the Big Ten title. I know that sounds odd, with Michigan's 0-2 start, but c'mon, it's Michigan. They're bound to bounce back somehow. Both get Ohio State and Purdue at home and Penn State gets to play Wisconsin in Beaver Stadium. Anthony Morelli is making smarter passing decisions, but still needs to work on his overall play. (In other words, let's not scramble with 14 seconds left in the half, cut away from the sideline and cough up the ball.) It should be interesting to see if the Wolverine's D has improved or whether the Notre Dame O-line was just that awful. Lloyd Carr may also be pulling a Charlie Weis and we may never know if Chad Henne or Ryan Mallet will be the starting QB for Michigan until the 3:30pm kickoff.
Important Stat: The last time Penn State beat Michigan was 1996. In other words, Lloyd Carr owns Joe Paterno. Luckily for Nittany Lions fans, most Wolverine fans only remember that Jim Tressel owns Lloyd Carr.
The Edge: Penn State, but only if Joe Paterno releases Anthony Morelli and Galen Hall from his chokehold and lets them exploit the Michigan secondary. Austin Scott or Rodney Kinlaw up the middle is not going to win this football game.

Michigan State at Notre Dame
Why it's important: Notre Dame has never started 0-4. I think this is only the second time they've started 0-3 -- something Ty Willingham never did -- but surely the first 0-3 squad never looked this bad. Just the other day, I saw an ESPN report about Notre Dame students' reaction to the 0-3 start. One sophomore said, "Well, as long as we keep the winning streak against Navy alive, I think we'll call it a successful season." Charlie Weis will be looking to right the ship at home. Mark Dantonio will be looking to avoid that typical, disappointing slump that annually started about this time of the season in the John L. Smith era. Sparty might be handing the Irish a historic loss if they can't get their act together quickly.
Important Stat: Notre Dame leads the nation in most sacks allowed this season thus far, at 23. (Hey, at least they lead in one category.) Michigan State is tied for the most sacks against their opponents, at (I believe) 17. Yikes. Jimmy Clausen better bring a lot of ActivOn and IcyHot to the stadium Saturday.
The Edge: Michigan State. If Michigan can put up 38 points and devour Notre Dame fresh off a 39-7 embarrassment against Oregon (and some other travesty that Michigan fans no longer speak of), then Sparty's got a damn good shot.