Around the Interwebs: Penn State Football Links for 4/30/2009

Real quick list this week...

• As you all know, the Blue-White game was last Saturday and with it comes a ton of recaps, notes, and opinions. Have at it. [Nittany White Out, Black Shoe Diaries, The Nittany Line, and Zombie Nation]
• As I mentioned recently, Penn State had five former players drafted this past weekend and another 10 signed UDFA contracts. [Black Shoe Diaries & Nittany White Out]

Sorry for the short, condensed post this week. I'm not feeling too well and I have lots of other work to do for the day jobs. Hopefully I'll have more time next week.

Around the Interwebs: Penn State Football Links for 4/23/2009

• More of the same from RB Evan Royster and the Penn State offense in 2009, according to a recent Associated Press article. [Philly.com]

"For the most part I think it'll be pretty much the same," the junior tailback said Thursday. "Why go away from what was working last year?"


• While coach Joe Paterno sweats over the ability, or perceived lack thereof, in the secondary, new starting safety Drew Astorino disagrees. With respect, of course. Astorino doesn't believe the secondary will be the weakest unit come the fall and he is looking to become the leader of the defensive backfield. With the graduation of Tony Davis, Lydell Sargeant, Mark Rubin, and Anthony Scirrotto, Astorino will be looked upon to lead a green unit. [Erie Times-News & The Daily Collegian]
• Devon and Mike 2 are profiling positions prior to the Blue-White game this Saturday. Thus far Devon has looked at the Tight Ends and Mike has done the offensive backfield and receivers. Expect more from them the rest of this week. [Nittany White Out & Zombie Nation]
• Vinnie Iyer interviewed Derrick Williams recently. Among the questions Iyer asks D-Will, who he refers to as Mr. Versatility (which is better than Mr. Irrelevant), is how playing for JoePa prepares someone for the NFL. [Sporting News]
  

When you play at Penn State, you know you're talented enough to play. There, you learn how it's important to commit to work ethic, not only to become a better player but also to help you through life. He teaches us to become well-respected members of the community.

• Nittany Network grabbed a few quotes from Ohio State players and coaches on their feelings toward the Penn State game. Anderson Russell stated that he looks forward to the game against the Nittany Lions, not the Wolverines, the most. OSU safeties coach Paul Haynes believes that the two schools are tops in the conference at the moment. Haynes goes on to praise Beaver Stadium and the fans that fill the seats. [Nittany Network]
  

“I think it’s a huge rivalry because to me their stadium is a tremendously tough place to play and they never rotate off our schedule,” Haynes said. “I go back to when we went there in ’05 (a 17-10 PSU victory) and it was nuts. It was crazy. And now really when I rate stadiums, that’s my Richter scale. I compare everything else to that Penn State environment that they have.

• Earlier this week the University was fined an undisclosed amount for Joe Paterno's actions following the Rose Bowl. The coach did not allow media access to the locker room after the game, violating the game contract between Penn State and the Tournament of Roses Committee. It is a requirement that all coaches allow access to their players in the locker room for all BCS games. Players still gave interviews following the gut-wrenching 38-24 loss to USC on New Year's Day but in the hallway not in the locker room. Sports Information Director Jeff Nelson acknowledged that it was Paterno's idea. [CBS Sports]
• Charlie has some interesting tidbits to pass along this week. First he chronicles the feelings of Brandon Felder towards Penn State and its coaches after he suffered a knee injury. Was his scholarship in trouble? At Alabama, maybe. Not at Penn State. Next Charlie looked at Penn State's effect on BCS Bowl Game TV ratings. Verdict? The public likes us. [Nittany White Out]
• Navorro Bowman, serving a 12 month probation sentence stemming from his role in the apartment fight in 2007, has had his probation increased another 12 months. A judge ruled this morning that Bowman, who violated his previous probation requirements by smoking marijuana twice since December, will be on probation until May 2010. During the next year he must complete his 100 hours of community service - of which he has completed a whopping 0 hours - pay the cost of the hearing, undergo immediate drug testing, be tested each month, and continually report to his probation officer. If any of these terms are broken Bowman will be sentenced to six months in prison. Yikes. Neither the University nor the football staff has commented on Bowman's status. [Read Between the Lions & Black Shoe Diaries]
• Fresh off news that Rutgers has been added to the football schedule in 2014-15 (as well as rumors that Miami could be added soon), there are some rumblings that Boston College could be next foe in Penn State's sights. The administration is certainly going out of there way to make sure this never happens again, aren't they? [BC All-Access]
• Anthony Miller has a small preview of the Blue-White game this weekend as well as a schedule of all the festivities set to take place. Wish I could be there! [Courier Post Online]

Around the Interwebs: Penn State Football Links for 4/16/2009

• Chris Morelli takes the time to point out a few under-the-radar players that may turn some heads at the Blue-White game on April 25 or, more importantly, this fall. Among his "players to watch" are DE Jack Crawford, QB Kevin Newsome, WR Derek Moye, and DB D'Anton Lynn, who he believes will start opposite A.J. Wallace. Morelli also points out that, despite previous acknowledgments (or lack thereof) by Paterno, Anthony Fera is going toe-to-toe with Collin Wagner and could eventually win the kicking duties. [Gant Daily]
• The Tom Dienhart piece ranking the Big Ten coaches caused quite a stir last week. Now Alex ranks the Big Ten coaches. The Ohio State bias shows but, really, Jim Tressel is the best coach in the Big Ten. I can't fault him for that. The problem I have with not just his rankings but any of these rankings is, what is the criteria? Are we talking a full body of work or just over the last few seasons? Either way I can't agree with Kirk Ferentz or Rich Rodrigiez being in front of JoePa. Short term (5 years): Ferentz's Iowa team is 38-24 and 2-3 in bowl games, none of which were of the BCS variety. Penn State is 44-18 and 3-1 in bowls, two of which were BCS games. Long term: Is this even a contest? We're talking about the wins leader in college football. Paterno takes down Ferentz in both situations. As he would do to Rodriguez. [Eleven Warriors]
• Paterno and his team will be entering their final week of spring practice on Monday. And after three hard weeks he is still most concerned about the secondary. Bob Flounders has the lowdown. [The Patriot-News via PennLive]
  

"I'm very concerned about it. We've got a long way to go.

Astorino's had a good spring ... but right now we're not even close (to being a good secondary)."

Paterno said he hopes the secondary can be "adequate" by the time PSU opens its season Sept. 5 against Akron at Beaver Stadium.

"Whether we'll be really good or not is up for grabs."


• Flounders has a great piece today about 2008 All-Big Ten First Team selection Jared Odrick. Odrick wants to have an All-American year in 2009. How does he plan on doing it? By being more violent. Watch out, Big Ten o-lines! [The Patriot-News via PennLive]
• Rick Gosselin believes that former Penn State center and 2009 NFL draft prospect may owe what could become a long and successful NFL career to Paterno. Paterno asked Shipley to move from DT to OC after his first season. Shipley was reluctant but ultimately did what was in the best interests of the team. After starting 39 games at his new position, he'll find himself drafted next Sunday. And, apparently, teams love that he did what was best for the team. Shipley was awarded the Rimington Trophy (nation's top center) for his play during the 2008 season. [SportsDay NFL Blog]
• Plenty of PSU blogs reported on Penn State's teleconference earlier this week, which included the snippet on the concern about the secondary. Other notes from the conference include the false rumors of an injury to WR Chaz Powell, a real injury to CB A.J. Wallace, and that TCU was wanted to fill out this years OOC schedule. The Horned Frogs backed out, according to Paterno.

We thought Texas Christian was going to come here. They backed out. They decided that wasn’t in their best interest.

That's a real shame. TCU has been a steady program over the last few years and would definitely add some spice to a dreadful non-conference slate, which "features" Akron, Syracuse, Temple, and Eastern Illinois. It has been assumed that TCU would have been replacing EIU, a FCS school. Rumors spread at the end of January that Penn State was trying to replace EIU with Utah, Missouri, or an ACC team such as North Carolina. Obviously that never happened. [Nittany White Out, Read Between the Lions, and Zombie Nation]

• Even more alarming than a weak schedule and some injuries is a perceived lack of cohesion and leadership. Dave Mackall reports that Paterno was "edgy" during the Tuesday conference. The legendary coach doesn't view his team as being a complete team quite yet, with no one stepping up and seizing control. This could all be JoePa talk. We know that Daryll Clark and Sean Lee want to be leaders. It's still a little unsettling that the head coach feels this way though. [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, The Times-Tribune, and Pocono Record]
• I am a huge Miami Dolphins fan. Like I do for Penn State football and Phillies baseball I scour the interwebs for stories and blogs about the Dolphins. There was a piece about the many options Miami will have at linebacker during the NFL draft next weekend, including Penn State's Aaron Maybin. However that isn't what caught my eye. What did was a small blurb at the bottom of Barry Jackson's article.

UM and Penn State, who haven't met since 2001, are in talks about booking a home-and-home football series. There's mutual interest.


Sweeeeeet!!! We have home-and-home series with Alabama (2010-11), Virginia (2012-13), and Nebraska (2014-2015) in the near future. We're gonna add Miami, too? Awesome. I'd like it even better if it was the same year as the Virginia games. [Miami Herald]

• The last thing isn't entirely a Penn State thing but they are involved, at least in the 2005 and 2008 version. It is called the "Protest Playoff" and is run by BracketCat at SBNs Kansas State blog. The premise is to create a playoff for each year that the BCS has determined a national champion. BracketCat has already done 1998 through 2004 and he is at the Final Four for 2005, a year that will interest Penn State fans. BracketCat uses What If Sports to simulate the matchups. You can read more about the :Protest Playoff" for the first post, selection sunday 1998. At the bottom of the most recent post are links to all the past years and rounds. [Bring on the Cats]
  

Around the Interwebs: Penn State Football Links for 4/9/2009

• Todd Sponsler reports that College Football News rates the top Big Ten games for the upcoming season. Penn State is participating in four of the top ten, including numbers one (vs Ohio State, November 7) and at Michigan State (November 21). "THE GAME" has slipped to number three. [50-yard Lion]
• With the harsh economic times many professional and collegiate teams have been forced to cut personnel. However we still see players and coaches rake in millions, with no end in sight. Robert Boland has a message for these millionaires: be ready to defend your life. And who does he want coaches to base their life on? None other than Joseph Vincent Paterno. [National Football Post]
  

Be generous in supporting scholarships or programs that benefit everyone, not just athletes, especially now. The chance to look like a hero is priceless, and you have an opportunity to be one everyday. It might just save your job and salary because appearing piggish or detached is an absolute killer. If you want a definition of a role model, picture Joe Paterno. Nobody focuses on how much he makes. They focus on how much he gives. No one is saying you should forget about your retirement account or your family, but shift the focus from your contract to your generous spirit.


• Rivals.com writer Tom Dienhart has been getting a lot of flak over the last few days because of his recent article ranking the coaches in the Big Ten. Can you blame the people complaining? Is this a late April Fool's joke? [Rivals & Sports Illustrated]
  

1. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
The true measure of a man is how he responds to adversity. Ferentz has passed the test, pulling the Hawkeyes from a three-year slump to a 9-4 mark in 2008. Even better, Ferentz appears to have Iowa poised for another glorious run after leading the school to two Big Ten crowns from 2002-04. And Ferentz has done all of this with less-than-blue-chip talent.

2. Rich Rodriguez, Michigan
Think round peg in a square hole. That's the best way to describe Rich Rod's dubious and dreadful debut. We all know he's better than that. Witness the national power he built at West Virginia, where he went 60-26 with four Big East titles. It was painfully obvious the offensive personnel Rodriguez inherited in Ann Arbor were ill-suited to run his spread-option offense. That slowly will change as he fills the roster with his players. Then, look out.


• Dan DiBacco breaks down the 2009 offensive line. It serves to reinforce what has recently been stated by the mass media: the line is rebuilding and unsettled. DiBacco does point out that two freshman could be up for a starting job: Eric Shrive and Ty Howle. [Bleacher Report]
• Galen reports that ESPNs Bruce Feldman put together an extremely early list of teams he believes will compete for the BCS National Championship this coming year. Was Penn State one of them? Sort of. They were not among his top 10, which laughingly contained Notre Dame, but "just missed the cut" along with Oregon, TCU, Alabama, and Ohio State. [The Nittany Line]
• Blogger extraordinaire Adam Rittenberg conducted a Q&A with senior QB Daryll Clark. [ESPN Big Ten Blog]
  

AR: Do you hear the rebuilding argument a lot? I know last year you used motivation from the outside personally and as a team.

DC: Yeah, I've heard it, I've read [about] it on the Internet, newspapers. I hear about it from a couple of friends back at home. I feel like we're going to be a team flying under the radar once more, as we did this past season. [They say] because of us losing a lot, we're going to fall backwards. But we don't believe in that. Me, Sean Lee and a bunch of the other guys that have been called upon to be captains and leaders -- we haven't voted for captains yet -- we've done a good job to get the young guys on the same state of mind that we're in as far as winning football games, letting everyone know what it takes to be winners. We believe we can get it done inside that football building with the coaches and my teammates. We believe we can do just as good as last season, if not better.

---

AR: Would you like to be a captain?

DC: Absolutely. I'm auditioning right now.

• And finally, read this for a good laugh. Joe Paterno is invincible. [Majorly English]

Around the Interwebs: Penn State Football Links for 4/2/2009

• Mike 2 at Zombie Nation isn't happy with Todd McShay. McShay recently wrote an article arguing Penn State was no longer "Linebacker U". Mike doesn't try to rebut him though. Why? Because he has already been over this - twice! [Zombie Nation]
• JoePa isn't happy. What could be bothering him in March? How about the Rose Bow loss to USC, even though it was more than three months ago. [PennLive via The Patriot-News]
  

Nearly three months after USC handled Penn State 38-24 in the Rose Bowl, linebacker Sean Lee and quarterback Darryl Clark believe Paterno is not yet over the defeat. Not that surprising, right?

"[Quarterbacks coach] Jay [Paterno] told me that Joe was really upset about that game,'' Clark said today in State College.

"He thought that we gave them the game. ... That game is still bothering Joe.''


• Ravens Insider interviewed NFL draft prospect and former Penn State OG Rich Ohrnberger. [Ravens Insider]

Ravens Insider: How important has Joe Paterno's guidance been for you?

Ohrnberger: "I stopped by to say hi to him when I was back in town. The soundest advice I got was to do what you've been doing here. You're an athlete. You wouldn't have started at a program like this if you didn't have the right stuff. When we were leaving the bowl game, Joe addressed the seniors and said stuff like, 'When you leave town for the NFL, you're always a part of this family.' Joe and I parted as great friends. I consider him one of my many mentors that I've met along the way."


• The secondary may be the teams biggest concern during spring drills. The coaching staff, and fans for that matter, are confident that there is enough talent at WR, OL, and DL to replace the departed players. Finding the right CBs and safeties may be different. However some may argue that the secondary was the teams Achilles heal in 2008 and change could be a good thing. Joe Paterno knows the defensive backfield is a high priority. [PennLive via The Patriot-News]

"We gotta get a secondary,'' Paterno said. "We gotta get a secondary that can stand on its own two feet.''

Corner A.J. Wallace and safety Drew Astorino, last year's nickel back, will likely be two of the starters, but PSU still needs another corner and a safety.


• Eric Thomas sheds some light on how the first few days of spring practice went and reports that 10 Penn State players are being held out of spring drills as a precaution as they recover from injuries. He also believes that Colin Wagner leads in the race to replace kicker Kevin Kelly, Kevin Newsome already is the backup QB, and that Daryll Clark is demonstrating even more confidence and leadership. [Read Between the Lions]
• Stud LB Sean Lee is back at practice nearly a year after tearing his ACL. The coaching staff will keep him away from contact and he'll be limited throughout the spring. It's not like he needs to prove himself anyway. Saying he is excited to be back in action and ready for the next season is an understatement. [Tim Hyland]
• The Collegian has been ramping up their coverage of spring drills in anticipation for the Blue-White Game on April 25. In their various articles they report a healthy Joe Paterno is back to his usual self, that Sean Lee is pleased to be back (duh!), Larry Johnson has nothing but praise for the new d-line (good sign), and that, unfortunately, the starting o-line has not been determined. [The Daily Collegian, The Daily Collegian, The Daily Collegian, and The Daily Collegian]
• Daryll Clark has gone on record to say that none of the receivers have distanced themselves yet. Though this may seem like a slap, it really isn't. Clark believes that everyone is on the same level and is competing at a high level. He did reserve some additional praise for Brett Brackett, however. [Blog, Sweat, and Tears]
• Jeff McLane has a preliminary offensive depth chart out. His starting WRs are Brett Brackett, Graham Zug, and Derek Moye with Chaz Powell, James McDonald, and A.J. Price behind them. He is predicting DeOn'Tae Pannell a redshirt freshamn - to win the LT job with Johnnie Troutman and Lou Eliades as the starting guards. Redshirt freshman Matt Stankiewitch is in the hunt too. [Lion Eyes]
• Jeff Rice says that seniors Daryll Clark and Sean Lee are taking the reins as true leaders on and off the field. This surprises no one. [Centre Daily Times]
• Frank Bodani says that Penn State has - finally - started tilling southern California for recruits. It's about time! [York Daily Record]
• Mike from ZN is back with a look at how Penn State has had success while maintaining some honor on and off the field. One of the players profiled is Wally Triplett, who was featured in my article on the origins of "We Are Penn State". [Zombie Nation]
  

Wally Triplett - Running Back - 1946-1948

For the football history buffs, this name really rings a bell. Wallace "Wally" Triplett broke color barriers in college and pro football, becoming the first black player to be selected in the NFL draft. Yet more dramatically, Triplett's college career was marked by two defining moments for him, and the sport. In 1946, the players voted to cancel a visit to play the Miami Hurricanes, after Miami required that Penn State leave behind its black players. Then in 1948, Triplett, along with teammate Donnie Hoggard, became the first black players to play in the Cotton Bowl, a 13-13 tie with SMU. It was said that SMU wanted a meeting with Penn State before the game, to protest Triplett's and Hoggard's participation. Accounts from that day show that team captain Steve Suhey responded, "We are Penn State. There will be no meetings," ushering in one of college football's most famous cheers.

• Ed Thompson profiled WR/KR Derrick Williams for Colt Power. This comes just a week after Stampede Blue did the same thing. Maybe Indianapolis is definitely interested in the former Penn State star? [Colt Power]
  

With all of those events in the rear-view mirror, the talented receiver is taking everything one day at a time, preparing for workouts, visits or whatever else he needs to do to secure his roster spot with an NFL team at the end of April.

"You never know how this thing is going to work out," he said. "All you can do is sit down and pray about it and continue to work, because the big thing is it's not about the Combine, it's not about your Pro Day, it's about what you do in that first minicamp and carrying that over into preseason. And then it's about trying to help your team during that first year the best you can."

• Tim King checks in with a nice list of "10 Great Days in Penn State History". The history stretches from January 1966 through January 2006. It's a nice short yet interesting read. [Bleacher Report]

I'll have my own take on the McShay/Linebacker U argument later.

Around the Interwebs: Penn State Football Links for 3/25/2009

• Draft prospect Gerald Cadogan, the former Nittany Lion LT, sat down with Mark McColey and answered a few questions. This is the second interview Cadogan has participated in for blogs. The first, that I linked to before, was done by The Football Expert. Perhaps I should find a way to contact him? [Onward State]
• Bob Flounders reinforces the notion that Penn State lost a ton of talent. Which they did. But he also takes time to highlight who may step up for the Nittany Lions starting today, with the start of spring practice. If you listen carefully you may be able to hear DT Brandon Ware, one of Flounders' players to keep an eye on, gasping for air. [The Patriot-News]
• Former Penn State DE Maurice Evans cleared the air to Josh Langenbacher last week. Langenbacher's article answers some of the questions we all wondered about Evans since he declared for the NFL draft. Here's a shocker: he says "financial considerations" were not a factor in leaving school early. [The Daily Collegian]
• Rich Scarcella takes a stab at the Maurice Evans situation as well. His piece, however, highlights what could or should have been. Evans was supposed to be where teammate Aaron Maybin is right now - a potential first round pick. A suspension and demotion will kill that dream in less than a year. [Reading Eagle]
  
• Every day there seems to be a new or revised article about Allan Q. Shipley being drafted by the Steelers. This time Ron Musselman chimes in on the "match made in heaven" pairing. Shipley has been to the Steelers facility on multiple occasions and each time the organization appears impressed. He has even been compared to Pittsburgh great Mike Webster. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
• Mike 2 has a rundown on last weeks PSU Pro Day, which I also highlighted. [Zombie Nation]
• BigBlueShoe, SBN's Colts blogger, has a terrific writeup on former WR/KR Derrick Williams. He speaks highly of Williams and even goes as far as saying Indianapolis could consider Williams at the end of round one - much like they did with Anthony Gonzalez a few years ago. The post commenters are not as fond of Williams as the writer is. [Stampede Blue]
• The Florida State scandal powers on. The university appealed the NCAA sanctions, as expected, but no word yet on what the final consequences of the cheating scandal will be. FSU is trying to protect football coach Bobby Bowden by insisting the football team not vacate wins from the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Mike 2 has a take on this incident and how the mainstream media are handling it. His opinion? Where's the blood? [Zombie Nation]
• As has been widely speculated before, soon-to-be junior Stefen Wisniewski will shift to center and take over for the departed A.Q. Shipley. With Wisniewski's change of position and the graduation of Rich Ohrnberger, Penn State will be looking for two new guards. And a new left tackle. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
• Frank Bodani lists a few things to look forward to seeing or hearing over the next month, leading up to the culmination of spring practice with the Blue and White scrimmage. [Public Opinion]
  

9. Keep an eye on ...

Jerome Hayes, a hybrid linebacker/defensive end, suffered his second season-ending knee injury early last fall. He's has rehabbed and is back yet again and will be practicing, though in limited fashion. We may begin to determine, though, what kind of recovery to expect.


• Eric Thomas chimes in with his headlines to look out for, players to watch, new faces to learn, and positional battles that highlight April practices. [Read Between the Lions]

3. Chaz Powell: Switched numbers from 12 to 2, and he may be expected to dosoem of the same things the former No. 2 (Derrick Williams) did. I see someone more along the lines of a Graham Zug stepping up as a main receiver, maybe Brett Brackett or A.J. Price, but Powell could be the slash type guy.


• Sam Ross, Jr. has you covered with an intricately detailed spring preview that covers most of what has all been bulleted here thus far. Remember, games aren't won in the spring but what you do now can affect how the fall plays out. Now's the time to answer some of the minor questions.[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]
• Eric Thomas, yes the same Eric Thomas from before, wrote a piece for his day job about the recovery and return of one Sean Lee. [Cumberland County Sentinel]

Now it’s a new season, Lee has a rebuilt knee and he is ready to rejoin one of the best, and still, youngest linebacking corps in the entire country.

Put it this way, Lee coming back isn’t a bad thing. In fact it may be pure hell for opponents that line up opposite of Lee and Navarro Bowman.

“It’ll be different, but Navarro I played with him two years ago. Josh Hull has a lot of experience, and we’ve got a lot of young guys that are ready to step up,” Lee said.


• Mark Wogenrich says that the returning players have one goal in mind: a rematch with the USC Trojans. When? January 7th, 2010 at the Rose Bowl, site of the seasons BCS National Championship Game. He also has the lowdown on how spring practice is allowed to play out. [Allentown Morning Call]
  

Penn State is allowed 15 sessions, including the Blue-White Game, during spring practice. Only 12 of the practices can involve contact, and only eight of those can include tackling.


• Derek Levarse has questions - and answers - for each position as spring practice starts. [The Times Leader]
• Todd Sponsler has the lowdown on where CBS Sports writer Dennis Dodd has us in the football hierarchy heading into spring practice. Hint: Top 10, baby! [50-yard Lion]
  

Around the Interwebs: Penn State Football Links for 3/18/2009

Not too much happening this week, though we have been hit with our first "bad" thing this spring.

• Today is Penn State's Pro Day for any players that have declared for the NFL Draft. Matt Fortuna singles out Derrick Williams in his piece published today.
  

For Williams, Pro Day will be a shot at redemption after disappointing scouts at the NFL combine in Indianapolis a month ago.

The wide receiver ran just a 4.58 40-yard dash and as recently as Tuesday was listed as ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s No. 1 "fallen star."

At least 18 other former Penn Staters will be participating in the workout today. [The Daily Collegian]


• Kevin McGuire has some thoughts on the 2009 Penn State schedule. [Nittanydelphia]

September 26 - Iowa; Talk about a revenge game. What is it about Iowa that keeps Penn State from achieving greatness? There was this and then there was this. Personally I think Iowa is becoming a good rival for Penn State, but I am not sure what Penn State ever did to Iowa to deserve such punishments. This one will be about revenge.


• Andrew Smith has a rundown on the offseason thus far and points out some players to look for at the few positional battles. [Bleacher Report]

The defensive tackle rotation looks set with last year's starters returning, but the end position should make for some intriguing practices and Blue-White game on April 25th. The one player that has me interested is Jack Crawford, who at 6-5 260 is a physical specimen. The native of England has not been playing football for too long, but one can trust Big Larry to teach the Brit the finer points of being a linemen while letting him use his physical prowess to frighten Big Ten QBs all season long.


• Contributor Tim King thinks that Penn State's schedule has them set up for another title run. He highlights the five critical games for 2009. [Bleacher Report]

• I've saved the worst for last. Funny, I usually like the crappy stuff first. Anyway, reports are coming in that one Jared T. Odrick has been cited for disorderly conduct. The PSU DT threw a punch on February 28th outside of The Graduate apartment complex. Apparently five people were involved in the incident and Odrick is the only one cited. Cough. [Centre Daily Times, Black Shoe Diaries, & Zombie Nation]

Around the Interwebs: Penn State Football Links for 3/11/2009

• Joe and Sue Paterno will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the "Honor a Star. Be a Star." Gala in New York on April 29th. They are being recognized for their personal contributions to the community, charities, and the university. [PRNewswire]
• Run Up The Score has completed his look at the incoming freshman football class for 2009. Part Five of "The Kids Are Alright" contains information on soon-to-be-freshman Gerald Hodges, Kevin Newsome, Jordan Hill, Shawney Kersey, John Urschel, Michael Wallace, and Justin Brown. [Black Show Diaries]
• Mike 2 has posted a look at the Penn State depth chart for next season by eligibility. [Zombie Nation]
• Contributor Derek Reed wants to know where have Penn State's rivalries gone? Please, bring back Pittsburgh or West Virginia! [Bleacher Report]
• Some Nittany Lions are undergoing position changes and Todd Sponsler has the scoop. The obvious one is Sean Lee pulling a Posluszny-Connor, i.e. moving from outside to inside linebacker for their senior season. [50-yard Lion]
• Derek Reed returns but this time he examines the 2009 schedule. How about 11-1 and a share of the Big Ten title once again? I'll take it. [Bleacher Report]
• The next topic has a whole bunch of links. Let's get right to it...
• As most of you probably know, Florida State University has been given the near-death penalty for violations revolving around a 10-sport wide cheating scandal. A part of the punishment is the possibility of being stripped of winds from the 2006 and 2007 football seasons. If all wins were removed from those two seasons, 14 wins would be revoked from Bobby Bowden's total. This would place Bowden 15 wins shy of Joe Paterno's current (and ongoing) record. There is no way Bowden could catch him. Paterno currently has 383 wins while Bowden has 382 - but could be dropped to 368 if all 14 wins are revoked. All seven from 2007 will be dropped if Florida State loses its appeal. Most people believe they will. Now that we are all caught up...
• Bill Kline says hold your horses on anointing JoePa the king just yet. There is the lengthy appeals process, proving that ineligible players played a big role in said games, and the fact that the teams that would be getting a forfeit victory will accept it. [Nittany Lines]
• Mike 2 seems to think that Florida State will lose their appeal and will be forced to vacate all 14 wins from 2006-2007. [Zombie Nation]
• Dennis Dodd questions the integrity of Florida State's actions. It seems they only care about Bowden and the football team, not about the athletes and other teams affected. No matter what the final verdict, Bowden will carry an asterisk. [CBS Sports]
• Gene Frenette doesn't think the latest scandal to hit Florida State sports tarnishes Bobby Bowden's legacy. I have to agree with him. It doesn't matter whether or not Bowden finishes as the all time winningest coach. Number two is pretty good, too. Plus, this scandal doesn't tarnish Bowden's legacy. There is absolutely no proof that Bowden encouraged or even knew what was happening. [Jacksonville.com]
• The flip side of that comes from Devon O'Neil, He believes that this suits Bowden perfectly. Not because he in any way endorsed or knew of the cheating. But because Bowden has lost touch with the players. [Summit Daily News]
• A delusional Gary Shelton doesn't think removing wins from Bowden is fair.

As for the NCAA, it admits Bowden didn't know about the cheating. For that matter, the NCAA admits that no one in the FSU administration knew about the cheating. Nevertheless, barring appeal, they are going to take a chain saw to Bowden's record.

Yeah, that makes sense.


Yes, Gary, it does make sense. His team played games with ineligible players. When you use ineligible players those wins are forfeit. The only reason this is a big deal is because of who it is and what is at stake. But you don't make exceptions. I'd recommend reading Shelton's story to see how out of touch and what an ass he is. He completely rips on nerds for no reason at all. [Tampa Bay.com]

• Kevin McGuire has his own take on "The Amazing Race". [Nittanydelphia]
• So does fellow blogger Mike 2. He chronicles the unfortunate end for the wins race but delves into the question: does it really matter? Paterno ended this past season ahead plus he got them all at one school while Bowden had a little help from his stint at Samford. [Zombie Nation]
• Ron Cook backs Paterno and says he deserves the victory. Though Paterno could probably care less. He's never been about records. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
• Lastly, to take the edge off, Spencer Hall, a.k.a. Orson Swindle, writes that if Bobby Bowden loses his appeal and must vacate up to 14 wins from the 2006 and 2007 season, Bowden will make a bold move. He will ask the NCAA to add wins from his time as a major for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Read it. It's hilarious. [Every Day Should Be Saturday]

Around the Interwebs: Penn State Football Links for 3/4/2009

• There were some things during the 2008 season that were just too easy for opposing offenses to take advantage of. This must stop. Now. [Zombie Nation]
• The breakdown of 2010 recruiting class continues this week with a look at a position that had been relatively ignored for that past few years, the wide receivers. Think that had anything to do with these guys? [Black Shoe Diaries]
• Penn State has released its first roster for 2009. Looks like a few underclassmen were just itching for a few seniors to leave. Ah, the ancient art of number grabbing. Though many focus on Navorro Bowman dropping 18 and picking up LaVar's #11, I look further down the list at two young linebackers. Michael Zordich (31) and Michael Yancich (33) both, I believe, redshirt freshman have taken on numbers that have been pretty good for Penn State LBs in the past. Andre Collins, Shane Conlan, and Paul Posluszny all put on the #31. Jack Ham wore #33.[Zombie Nation & Nittany Anthology]
• Frank Bodani believes the Nittany Lions have adapted a new recruiting strategy, one that may pay off in the long run. [York Daily Record]
• Todd Sponsler wants you to vote in round three of the collegiate football stadium tournament. Beaver Stadium is challenging Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Florida). As of 10:45 AM today, The Beav held a 14% lead (57-43) on "The Swamp". Voting ends March 6th. [50-Yard Lion]
• Scott Brown has chronicled the dwindling stars and dropping stocks of former Nittany Lions Aaron Maybin and Maurice Evans. At separate points in the past 18 months each were considered first round NFL talent. That certainly isn't the case for Evans anymore and Maybin is losing his shine every day. [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]
• JB would like to point out that, when it comes to springtime and college football, no news really is good news. [There is No Name on My Jersey]
• Christopher Morelli takes a look at Penn State and college football had the Nittany Lions declined the Big Ten Conference and remain independent. [Morelli OnLion]
• Two former Nittany Lion RBs have been nominated for admission to the college football hall of fame. D.J. Dozier and Curt Warner are both Penn State legends and now may get their due in all of college football. Dozier lead the team in rushing for four consecutive seasons and helped lead the 1986 squad to a perfect 12-0 record and a national title. Warner was a first team All-American in 1981 and the Most Outstanding Player in two Fiesta Bowls plus was an important cog in the 1982 national championship team. [Nittanydelphia]
• Previously Michael Abromowitz sat down with former Penn State OT Gerald Cadogan. Now he has asked a few questions with former Nittany Lion safety, and fan favorite, Anthony Scirrotto. [The Football Expert]
  

Around the Interwebs: Penn State Football Links for 2/25/2009

Lots of information this week! Let's take a look...

• In a recent interview, former Nittany Lion CB Lydell Sargeant lets everyone know he's been training with the one and only "Neon" Deion Sanders for the combine and that the 2008 Penn State football season was a huge success. [Football Review Daily]
• And apparently Sargeant is fast. [2 the Lion Football]
  
• Todd McShay did a video breakdown of former Nittany Lion DE Aaron Maybin, who is projected to go in the first round of the NFL Draft at the end of April. [ESPN]
• Adam Taliaferro is still providing hope and inspiration almost nine years after his unfortunate accident on the football field. [GoPSUsports.com]
• The Pittbsurgh Steelers are interested in former Nittany Lion center A.Q. Shipley, who has raised his stock thanks to a strong combine performance. [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]
• Recruiting is a continuous process. BSD takes a look at the running back position for 2010 and beyond. [Black Shoe Diaries]
• Bill Kline has some video and his own tidbits on what he calls "the Penn State Eight" at the NFL Combine. [Nittany Lines]
• John Sears has a small profile on former Nittany Lion DE Maurice Evans, who is eager to put his past behind him. Unfortunately Evans looked sluggish at the combine and hist stock is falling. [College Football Insiders]
• According to Aaron Maybin, Head Coach Joe Paterno likes to ruffle his players feathers and definitely doesn't act his age. [Pro Football Weekly Draft Blog]
  

  “He tries to hop in our workouts occasionally,” Maybin said. “I don’t think the guy knows his age sometimes. He sometimes forgets the fact that he’s not 20 years old and a young football player. He’ll try to hop into a few of our drills and ends up almost getting trampled.

  "He's a guy that's full of a lot of energy and he definitely inspires us by the way he carries himself."

• As they do every year, Penn State football players made many dreams come true over the weekend for children suffering from cancer during the University's annual Dance MaraTHON. THON raised almost $7.5 million this year for The Four Diamonds Fund. [GoPSUsports.com]
• Could this be true? Maybe, but I think this is just a clever ruse and all about Internet fun. Apparently someone named Goran Mippipopoulos and the group Techno For A More Progressive Europe (TFAMPE) want Penn State to stop utilizing Kernkraft 400's "Zombie Nation" in Beaver Stadium. Mippipopoulos cites "wreckless (sic) and immoral usage" by Penn State and wishes to return the song "back to where it rightfully belongs". President Graham Spanier doesn't seem concerned, at least according to this story I found. [The Scoop and Score]
  

  Not only is their claim ludicrous, we feel it really sets a poor example to the rest of the world. "Zombie Nation" is now and forever will be the worlds song. I don't recall the Baha Men taking such a selfish approach with "Who Let The Dogs Out" and obviously we've all benefitted (sic) from that.

• Budd Bailey has an honest and straightforward look at The Lion in Autumn: A Season with Joe Paterno and Penn State Football by Frank Fitzpatrick. The book is about the 2004 season, which was quite forgettable. Bailey gives it an official "three out of five stars" but says it should be a three-and-a-half (maybe he doesn't utilize halves?) and that, if you're a Penn State football fan it is a four. My interest is piqued. [Sports Book Review Center]
• The spring previews are already rolling out. Here are the first two, with many more to follow (including my own) in the coming weeks. [Bleacher Report] & [Bucks Insider]
• Brian Grummell takes a lengthy look at college football coaching tenure's. No doubt Joe Paterno makes an appearance. Actually, he's mentioned in the introduction. [Fanhouse]
• Coaches take a lot of flak for their salaries which, in all honesty, they don't really control. It's the nature of their business and they get to take full advantage of it. Ron Cook examines coaches and their salaries and examines how Penn State and Joe Paterno are better off for having each other. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
• Back at BSD, Kevin HD examines the first beat writer that takes a stab at Penn State's miserable out of conference schedule for 2009 and the recent Big Ten tie breaker changes. [Black Shoe Diaries]
• What are the premiere gigs in college football these days? Well obviously, according to the ambiguous "coach" Penn State is, or why would I post the link here? He takes into account recent success, tradition, facilities, athletic department, and money. See who else made the Top 12. [Coach Hal]
• ESPNs Mount Rushmore series came to a close recently, with Illinois (Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Ernie Banks, Mike Ditka) taking the title. They received 28.6% of the vote. Pennsylvania (Joe Paterno, Mario Lemieux, Roberto Clemente, Wilt Chamberlain) finished in second, 3.1 percentage points behind Illinois. At least we topped New York (Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Jim Brown, Joe Namath) who finished 4th with 15.4%. [Newsday]
• Joe Paterno is briefly mentioned in a piece about coaches and whether coaching from the sideline or the booth is better. [Rivals]

That's a lot to check out but they come highly recommended by me!

Around the Interwebs: Penn State Football Links for 2/18/2009

• Apparently former LT and draft prospect Gerald Cadogan is one smart cookie - and quite the singer, according to a recent interview. [The Football Expert]
• Run Up The Score has been profiling the 2009 recruiting class and is four fifths of the way done. It was a big class. Check out The Kids Are Alright, Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4. [Black Shoe Diaries]
• How is it that Beaver Stadium was the largest stadium in the nation for the 2008 season yet we still finished second in total attendance... to Michigan again! A hint: it has to do with the schedule. I guess things won't be getting better next year then. [The Nittany Line] & [Zombie Nation]
• BSD chronicles the 2010 quarterback conundrum. We added Kevin Newsome in 2009 and have a verbal from Paul Jones for next year. Do we need another scholarship QB recruit? [Black Shoe Diaries]