Hey USC, We Are…Penn State, Not "Just Another Big Ten Victim"

This Jan. 1 Penn State (11-1) will be making the trip to The Rose Bowl for just the third time in school history, and for the first time since 1995. Their opponent USC (11-1) on the other hand, will be taking the short trip to Pasadena for the 33rd time in school history, and the fifth time in six years.

Of USC’s previous 32 appearances in “The Granddaddy of Them All,” they’ve won 23 of them. With The Rose Bowl being a traditional Big Ten Champ vs. Pac 10 Champ game, 16 of USC’s 23 wins have come against the Big Ten representative.

In the past three Rose Bowls that USC has played a Big Ten team, USC has won by a combined 109-49. And in the third week of this season, USC and Ohio State squared off in the Coliseum in what was supposed to be a game that decided who’d make the National Championship Game in Miami.

USC continued their trend against the Big Ten as they cruised to a 35-3 win over Ohio State, and instantly became everyone’s favorite to be playing in Miami on Jan. 8.

So why do both teams end up meeting in The Rose Bowl, rather than the National Championship? Both teams were upset in last second fashion to conference rivals. USC lost to Oregon State in Corvallis 27-21, and Penn State lost to Iowa in Iowa City 24-23. National Championship hopes for both teams were ultimately lost due to these losses.

What most people consider one of the better matchups of the bowl games, USC fans, and some of the media don’t agree. Many think that the game will be just another USC drubbing of a Big Ten team, and they deserve the National Championship instead.

Here’s an idea USC, don’t go 11-1 with your only loss to a huge underdog like you have the past three years!

The following FACTS are why this won’t be a blowout.

Joe Paterno has appeared in 34 bowl games, and has a 23-10-1 record in those games. That’s a .697 winning percentage. Pete Carroll has appeared in seven bowl games, and has a 5-2 record. That’s a .714 winning percentage. Both these coaches know how to get their teams ready to play in big games.

Both teams have above-average defenses, Penn State has only allowed 149 points this season and USC has allowed only 93.

Penn State has one of the best front four in the Nation with defensive ends Aaron Maybin and Maurice Evans, and defensive tackle Jared Odrick, between the three of them they have 19.5 sacks, and 32.5 tackles for a loss.

Behind them could be the next great linebacker at “Linebacker U,” Navorro Bowman who has 98 tackles on the year. Penn State also has two good cornerbacks in Lydell Sargeant, and Tony Davis.

Penn State’s safeties are a classic example of bend but don’t break, but they seem to break every once in a while. Anthony Scirrotto showed signs of being a star his sophomore year, but never seemed to progress from there. Mark Rubin is great against the run, but mediocre against the pass, and against USC QB Mark Sanchez, both of them could have a long day.

The media-darling USC defense is obviously the most intimidating defense in the nation. With names like Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, Kaluka Maiava, Clay Matthews, Fili Moala, and Taylor Mays being household names by now, and the fact that they’re all on the same team is very intimidating.

Almost as intimidating as the 5′ 6″ freshman running back Jacquizz Rodgers of Oregon State who ran for 186 yards on the mighty USC defense, and lead the Beavers to a victory over the then-No. 1 Trojans.

The same Jacquizz (not that there’s more than one in this world) had a successful game against Penn State as well with 22 rushes for 99 yards. But more impressively Penn State steam rolled Oregon State 45-14.

Yes, the same team that USC lost to. Though conveniently the common opponent brought up is Ohio State, and USCs 35-3 win over them, but Penn State only managed to beat them 13-6.

The Ohio State team USC played didn’t have the Heisman favorite at the time, Chris “Beanie” Wells playing for them, and the game was at the Coliseum. Penn State was able to beat Ohio State at the Horse Shoe, with a healthy Beanie Wells.

Obviously the same argument can be brought up about the USC–Oregon State game. It was away, in a hostile environment, etc. But what really irks me is when the media, or a USC article says how much Oregon State progressed from the Penn State game to the USC game.

Wow! What a difference 19 days makes. If that’s the case, then imagine how much better Ohio State was 42 days after playing USC, when they played Penn State.

Anyways, both teams have potent offenses as well. Penn State scored 482 points this year with one of the most talented offenses in school history lead by QB Daryll Clark.

And USC didn’t seem to miss a beat with the departure of John David Booty, scoring 450 points with 2005’s No. 1 QB recruit Mark Sanchez looking like he had the job since the day he got there.

Sanchez threw for 28 touchdowns, rushed for two more, and was intercepted 10 times. Catching everything was predominantly Damian Williams and Patrick Turner.

Williams has 707 yards receiving, and eight touchdowns with his 48 receptions. Turner has 667 yards receiving, with 10 touchdowns in his 45 receptions.

With fewer receptions but just as impressive stats, Ronald Johnson has 29 receptions for 488 yards, and six touchdowns.

Clark threw for 17 touchdowns, ran for another nine, and was intercepted four times. Clark also has three good receivers in Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood, and Derrick Williams. Butler leads the team in receiving, with 43 receptions for 713 yards, and seven touchdowns.

Norwood has 38 receptions for 605 yards and five touchdowns, while Williams has 40 receptions, 451 yards, and four touchdowns.

But they don’t call Penn State “Linebacker U” for nothing, nor do refer to USC as “Tailback U” for nothing. It’s no secret that USC has a stable of running backs; USC has three running backs that have over 600 yards in Joe McKnight, Stafon Johnson, and CJ Gable.

Between the three of them there’s 19 touchdowns, and just under 1,900 yards. All three running backs possess the skill to be starting stars anywhere, but it’s USC, and they all complement each other perfectly.

Penn State’s not too shabby at the running back position either, largely due to the wonderful job that the offensive line does for the feature back Evan Royster.

Royster a 1,200-yard rusher brings with him to Pasadena 6.5 yards per carry, and 12 touchdowns, and his backup Stephon Green isn’t bad either. Green has 521 yards so far this season, with four touchdowns on top of that, but what Green really possesses is speed.

Greens 4.2-second 40-yard dash provides speed to complement Royster’s patience, and they’ve worked well together all year. Wide receiver Derrick Williams, and QB Daryll Clark are often involved in the running game as well. Williams has rushed for 226 yards, and three touchdowns, and as stated earlier Clark for nine touchdowns and 265 yards.

On Jan. 1, none of these stats will matter. Both teams will be walking onto the field confident. But only one will leave confident, as the other will leave heart broken. A lot will be found out in the 2009 Rose Bowl.

Is the Big Ten as weak as they’re made out to be? Is USC’s defense as great as it’s made out to be? Did USC deserve a shot at the National Championship? Did Penn State? Did Penn State even deserve to play in the Rose Bowl?

These questions can only be answered by the team, and if there’s nothing else for Penn State to play for other than winning “The Granddaddy of Them All,” all they have to do is look to the sideline, and see the real granddaddy of them all, Joe Paterno.

This game will be not be a blowout. It will be a well-played game with some of the greatest coaches ever squaring off against each other. I can see a minor mistake being the turning point of the game in a low scoring affair.

With both coaches known for preparing their teams wonderfully this could be one that goes in the history books.

Penn State is not “just another Big Ten victim” for USC.

WE ARE…

 

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Seven Big Ten players named Academic All-Americans

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

The Big Ten was well represented on the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America first team, as seven players made the list, two more than any other conference.

League champ Penn State led the way with four first-team Academic All-Americans: safety Mark Rubin, left tackle Gerald Cadogan, offensive lineman Andrew Pitz and linebacker Josh Hull. Other honorees include Ohio State wide receiver Brian Robiskie, Illinois center Ryan McDonald and Northwestern long snapper Phil Brunner.

Cadogan, Robiskie and McDonald all made first-team Academica All-America for the second consecutive season.

Penn State had the most Academic All-Americans of any Division I team. BYU, Dayton and North Dakota State were the only other schools with multiple selections.

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Greene, Laurinaitis headline All-Big Ten teams

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

The All-Big Ten teams have been named by the league’s coaches and media members. My analysis will come later tonight.

Iowa running back Shonn Greene and Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis were selected as Big Ten Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year by both the coaches and the media. Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor was the consensus choice for Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Penn State’s Joe Paterno was the media’s pick for Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Here’s the full list.

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Penn State Football: Week 13 Review and Bowl Preview

Week 13 Review

Penn State finished the regular season on a cold and snowy afternoon in Happy Valley last Saturday with a blowout win over Michigan State.  The Nittany Lions defeated the Spartans by a score of 49-18 to secure a share of the Big Ten regular season title and the Big Ten’s automatic bid to a BCS bowl.

In my season prediction article from the summer, I had predicted that Penn State would win this game by a score of 45-20.  This was probably my most accurate prediction of the season, and it is fitting for their last regular season game.

Penn State came out and played brilliantly from start to finish of this game.  The score was 49-7 in favor of Penn State early in the fourth quarter before Michigan State scored some meaningless points at the end of the game.

For the PSU seniors that played in their last game at Beaver Stadium, this game could have not been any better.

Senior safety Anthony Scirotto had four tackles and an interception.

Senior safety Mark Rubin had eight tackles.

Senior linebacker Tyrell Sales had six tackles.

Senior cornerback Lydell Sargeant had three tackles and an interception.

Senior cornerback Tony Davis had three tackles.

Senior wide receiver Derrick Williams had 51 yards receiving and a touchdown.

Senior wide receiver Jordan Norwood had 127 yards receiving.

Senior wide receiver Deon Butler had 133 yards receiving and three touchdowns.

Senior fullback Dan Lawlor had a rushing touchdown.

Senior quarterback Paul Cianciolo completed his only pass of the game.

Senior kicker Kevin Kelly was 7-7 on extra points and recorded a tackle on a kickoff.

But the undisputed player of the game for Penn State was not a senior.  It was junior quarterback Daryll Clark.

Clark finished the game with 341 yards on 16-26 passing with four touchdowns and no interceptions.  The passing yardage and touchdowns were both career highs for Clark.  Clark also had a rushing touchdown to bring his total touchdowns to five for the game.

In last week’s edition, I mentioned that a possible explanation for Clark’s poor play in the last few games could be lingering effects from his concussion suffered in the Ohio State game.  I compared him to NFL quarterback Trent Edwards, who also had struggled since coming off a concussion.  It is interesting to note that Trent Edwards, like Clark, also had a breakout performance on Sunday.

I don’t think there is any reason to worry about Clark’s subpar play in prior weeks.  Expect him to perform at an optimal level in Penn State’s bowl game.

Another thing that cannot go without mentioning in this game was the effort of the Penn State defense.  Michigan State running back Javon Ringer came into the game as the leading rusher in the Big Ten and a potential Heisman candidate.  He left the game with only 42 yards rushing on 17 carries.

The Nittany Lions forced Michigan State quarterback Brian Hoyer to beat them in the passing game, and he fell far short of the mark set by Clark on the other side of the ball.

Bowl Preview

With their win against Michigan State, Penn State finished the regular season with a record of 11-1, going 7-1 in the Big Ten.

Their record in the Big Ten was matched by Ohio State, but Penn State will represent the Big Ten in a BCS game by virtue of their head-to-head defeat of the Buckeyes earlier in the season.

It is also nearly certain, as the Big Ten representative, that Penn State will play in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

Even the most optimistic PSU fans have to accept that Penn State’s national championship aspirations are dead now, as Penn State remained behind both Utah and Texas Tech in the latest BCS rankings.

It is a very interesting topic as to who Penn State will meet in the Rose Bowl.  The Rose Bowl features the Big Ten Champion against the Pac-10 Champion.  The Pac-10 Champion is still undecided at this point.

Oregon State and USC are both 7-1 in conference games with one conference game remaining.  Oregon State has yet to play Oregon, and USC still has to play against UCLA.

Should both teams remain tied at the top of the standings, it will be Oregon State that will represent the Pac-10 in the Rose Bowl due to their head-to-head victory over USC earlier in the season.  This is terrible news for PSU fans, as Penn State has already defeated Oregon State this season by a score of 45-14.

As a fan, I want Penn State to have the opportunity to prove themselves against one of the teams to be considered the best in the country.  USC would provide that opportunity, and Oregon State certainly would not.  Having already blown out the Beavers, Penn State will find it nearly impossible to impress in a second game against Oregon State.

The only way for Penn State to find USC as their opponent in the Rose Bowl, then, is for Oregon State to lose to Oregon, and also for USC to defeat UCLA.

It seems likely that USC will defeat UCLA, as UCLA has a record of only 4-6 on the season.

There is also a reasonable chance that Oregon State could lose to Oregon.  This is a rivalry game, and both teams have the same overall record.  Oregon State also has injuries to their starting quarterback and starting running back that kept them both out of their last game.  The game will be played on Oregon State’s home field, however.

No matter who Penn State ends up facing in the Rose Bowl, I like their chances.  Penn State has won all of their bowl games in the past three seasons.  They have defeated a team from the ACC, SEC, and Big 12 in those three wins.

Penn State’s defense is good enough to shut down the talented offenses it could be facing in Pasadena, and their offense is certainly equipped with enough weapons to put some points up on the board.

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Tressel Not ‘Ecstatic’ With Buckeye Offense

COLUMBUS, Ohio — This figures to be a week of learning for No. 13 Ohio State.

No, not necessarily in the classroom. Not even in a football game.

Instead, the Buckeyes will have a bye week to do nothing but rehash Saturday night’s 13-6 loss to No. 3 Penn State that put a severe dent in any hopes of winning the Big Ten title or continuing as a national contender.

“You probably learn less in victory than you learn in defeat,” coach Jim Tressel said Tuesday on the Big Ten coaches conference call. “We’ll learn a lot about ourselves.”

The Buckeyes (7-2, 4-1) have three games remaining after Saturday’s day away. They play at Northwestern (6-2, 2-2), at Illinois (4-4, 2-3) and at home against archrival Michigan (2-6, 1-3) before heading for a bowl game.

Ohio State will spend most of this week working on fundamentals and analyzing their mistakes before even taking a peek at the teams that lie ahead, though.

Things were pretty much going their way through three quarters against the Nittany Lions. They led 6-3 in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter and had the ball near midfield. Then the game, and a good part of their season, spiraled out of sight.

Freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, rather than just keep the ball for the 12 inches or so that were needed on third and less than a yard, decided to bounce outside right end in an attempt to get big yardage. Instead, his ill-advised move resulted in Mark Rubin punching the ball out of his hands, with Penn State’s Navorro Bowman recovering at the Ohio State 38.

Seven plays later, Penn State backup quarterback Pat Devlin did precisely what he was told to do on a sneak and scored from a foot out to give the Nittany Lions a 10-6 lead with 6:25 left.

Tressel said it was clear that Pryor should have just gotten the first down and then headed back to the huddle instead of trying to win the game by himself.

“For sure the best decision would have been to stay focused on really what we needed at the moment,” Tressel said. “What we needed at that moment was a first down, obviously.”

After Ohio State was forced to punt on its next possession, Devlin led the Lions downfield to set up Kevin Kelly’s 35-yard field goal for a 13-6 lead with 1:07 remaining.

Pryor completed two passes to Ray Small for 37 yards in a last-minute attempt to tie the game, but then he tried to hit Brian Hartline near the goal line and the underthrown ball was picked off by Penn State’s Lydell Sargeant in the end zone.

It was Tressel who made the decision to put a raw freshman in as his starting quarterback while benching sixth-year senior Todd Boeckman in the fourth game of the season. Tressel said in hindsight he wished Pryor would have run or thrown the ball away instead of making that final pass.

“We probably could have picked up about 15 yards and that would have been my first preference because then we would have been somewhere inside the 20 and maybe we had three shots at the end zone,” he said. “But certainly, you’d love to throw it away and live to see another play.”

This is not the first time that Ohio State has been ineffective on offense with the conservative Tressel calling the shots. In his 98 games as head coach, the Buckeyes have failed to score an offensive touchdown nine times.

Tressel made it clear that his entire offense – which has not produced a touchdown in three of the last seven games – was to blame instead of singling out Pryor or the offensive line.

“The inconsistency that we’ve had across the board – and not just up front, across the board – has lent itself to not being ecstatic about our offensive performance,” he said.

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Tressel not ‘ecstatic’ with Buckeye offense

Will Ohio State be able to figure out its struggles on offense? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

COLUMBUS (AP) — This figures to be a week of learning for No. 13 Ohio State.

No, not necessarily in the classroom. Not even in a football game.

Instead, the Buckeyes will have a bye week to do nothing but rehash Saturday night’s 13-6 loss to No. 3 Penn State that put a severe dent in any hopes of winning the Big Ten title or continuing as a national contender.

“You probably learn less in victory than you learn in defeat,” coach Jim Tressel said Tuesday on the Big Ten coaches conference call. “We’ll learn a lot about ourselves.”

The Buckeyes (7-2, 4-1) have three games remaining after Saturday’s day away. They play at Northwestern (6-2, 2-2), at Illinois (4-4, 2-3) and at home against archrival Michigan (2-6, 1-3) before heading for a bowl game.

Ohio State will spend most of this week working on fundamentals and analyzing their mistakes before even taking a peek at the teams that lie ahead, though.

Things were pretty much going their way through three quarters against the Nittany Lions. They led 6-3 in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter and had the ball near midfield. Then the game, and a good part of their season, spiraled out of sight.

Freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, rather than just keep the ball for the 12 inches or so that were needed on third and less than a yard, decided to bounce outside right end in an attempt to get big yardage. Instead, his ill-advised move resulted in Mark Rubin punching the ball out of his hands, with Penn State’s Navorro Bowman recovering at the Ohio State 38.

Seven plays later, Penn State backup quarterback Pat Devlin did precisely what he was told to do on a sneak and scored from a foot out to give the Nittany Lions a 10-6 lead with 6:25 left.

Tressel said it was clear that Pryor should have just gotten the first down and then headed back to the huddle instead of trying to win the game by himself.

“For sure the best decision would have been to stay focused on really what we needed at the moment,” Tressel said. “What we needed at that moment was a first down, obviously.”

After Ohio State was forced to punt on its next possession, Devlin led the Lions downfield to set up Kevin Kelly’s 35-yard field goal for a 13-6 lead with 1:07 remaining.

Pryor completed two passes to Ray Small for 37 yards in a last-minute attempt to tie the game, but then he tried to hit Brian Hartline near the goal line and the underthrown ball was picked off by Penn State’s Lydell Sargeant in the end zone.

It was Tressel who made the decision to put a raw freshman in as his starting quarterback while benching sixth-year senior Todd Boeckman in the fourth game of the season. Tressel said in hindsight he wished Pryor would have run or thrown the ball away instead of making that final pass.

“We probably could have picked up about 15 yards and that would have been my first preference because then we would have been somewhere inside the 20 and maybe we had three shots at the end zone,” he said. “But certainly, you’d love to throw it away and live to see another play.”

This is not the first time that Ohio State has been ineffective on offense with the conservative Tressel calling the shots. In his 98 games as head coach, the Buckeyes have failed to score an offensive touchdown nine times.

Tressel made it clear that his entire offense — which has not produced a touchdown in three of the last seven games — was to blame instead of singling out Pryor or the offensive line.

“The inconsistency that we’ve had across the board — and not just up front, across the board — has lent itself to not being ecstatic about our offensive performance,” he said.

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Blame Tressel For Lack Of Ohio State Offense

COLUMBUS, Ohio — What’s brewing today with the 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes …

BUCKEYES BUZZ: Scoring points has never exactly been a specialty of Jim Tressel-coached teams.

The Buckeyes have not scored an offensive touchdown in nine of his 98 games as head coach of the Buckeyes. In other words, a little more often than once a season Ohio State fails to score an offensive touchdown.

This becomes even more obvious when you consider that the Buckeyes have failed to score a touchdown on offense in three of their last seven games (USC, Purdue, Penn State).

Who calls the plays for the Buckeyes? Tressel does. Even though Jim Bollman, the line coach, has the title of offensive coordinator, there is no dispute that Tressel really calls the shots on offense.

So if you don’t like the play-calling or personnel when the Buckeyes have the ball, don’t go putting “For Sale” signs in Bollman’s front yard. The offense is Tressel’s baby.

BIG TEN HONORS: Taking Big Ten player of the week honors on Monday were …

Michigan State QB Brian Hoyer (from North Olmstead), who completed 17-of-29 passes (58.6 pct.) for 282 yards and a season-high three TDs to lead Michigan State to its first win at Michigan since 1990. The senior quarterback added a 24-yard reception and surpassed 200 passing yards for the third time this season and the 11th time in his career.

Penn State LB Mark Rubin, who had a career-high 11 tackles and made the play of the game when he forced a fumble in the fourth quarter, which the Nittany Lions turned into the game-winning scoring drive to remain undefeated and stand alone atop the Big Ten standings. Rubin is a senior safety who had nine solo tackles.

Wisconsin P Brad Nortman, who averaged 51.7 yards per punt and placed three kicks inside the 20-yard line in a victory over Illinois.

STAT OF THE WEEK: The six points by Ohio State in the loss to Penn State was its fewest in a home game since 1982.

NO OSU HONORS: Ohio State’s coaches usually select their players of the game each Monday. There were no selections by Monday evening. A team spokesman said perhaps the honorees would be released on Tuesday.

GENTRY NOMINATED: Injured Ohio State walk-on P/WR Tyson Gentry has been nominated for the FedEx Orange Bowl/FWAA Courage Award, to be announced at the end of the season.

Gentry, a senior from Sandusky suffered partial paralysis after he was injured during a spring practice in April 2006, but he has remained a valued member of the team.

He was asked to help out as a receiver on the scout team. During a scrimmage, he suffered a broken C-4 vertebrae in his neck after catching a pass.

“I remember catching the ball and going a few steps to turn up field, and the ball started to slip,” Gentry remembered. “And I think I looked down to go to grab it, and just the way I was dragged to the ground – it wasn’t even a hit, just throwing me down to the ground. I think the way my head went down, it kind of went to the side and that’s pretty much how it happened.”

After several surgeries, Gentry has movement in his head and shoulders, and partial movement in his arms.

He continues a rigorous therapy regimen and has seen progress, regaining some feeling in different areas. Using a motorized wheelchair, Gentry continues as a member of the team, attending meetings, practices and games. He is still listed on the team roster.

Gentry, whose father also played at Ohio State, will be honored along with other Buckeyes seniors at the final home game against Michigan on Nov. 22. He is on track to graduate with a degree in speech and hearing science next spring. His goal is to earn a master’s degree and become a speech therapist.

The Courage Award was created by ESPN The Magazine’s senior writer Gene Wojciechowski, also a member of the Football Writers Association of America. Writers from the FWAA vote on the winner each year. The requirements for nomination include displaying courage on or off the field, including overcoming an injury or physical handicap, preventing a disaster or living through hardship.

MOVING ALONG: ESPN’s College GameDay, which was on hand in Columbus on Saturday, will move on to Lubbock, Texas, this week for No. 1 Texas at No. 6 Texas Tech.

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Spencer: Not even LeBron could help this bunch

 

The face of the 2008 Buckeyes plopped into a chair, looking mentally exhausted and — this is scary — physically spent. He was at a loss for answers after Ohio State was held without an offensive touchdown for the second time in three weeks and third time this season.

 

“I just punt,” A.J. Trapasso said.

 

He does it quite well, actually, and way, way, too often.

 

Knowing Jim Tressel’s track record when it comes to working with explosives, we must have been kidding ourselves, breathlessly anticipating a new era of spread offense when freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor took over the controls six weeks ago. The closest they’ve come to replicating Joe Tiller’s once-vaunted “basketball on grass” attack was having LeBron James on their sidelines for moral support during Saturday night’s 13-6 loss to Penn State.

 

So much for the Buckeyes riding a wave of Scarlet Fever to an eighth straight home win over the Lions and controlling their own destiny in the Big Ten race. LeBron’s gray beanie and gray scarf — didn’t he get the memo? — better matched the mood in the stands and the skies over Tressel’s head as he plotted his next move.

 

Unfortunately, the record Ohio Stadium crowd of 105,711 didn’t have the option like TV viewers of switching channels to watch a more scintillating World Series rain delay.

 

 

There are mitigating circumstances to consider, of course. Penn State hadn’t risen to No. 3 in the nation strictly as an offensive juggernaut. But, even after giving Joe Paterno’s defense props, this question bears asking: How can a Tressel attack that features the nation’s No. 1 tailback, the nation’s No. 1 high school recruit and two receivers who combined for 107 catches and 17 touchdowns last season be this bad?

 

Simple. It’s almost always this bad. Don’t look now, but not only have the Buckeyes fallen out of the BCS title race and out of first place in the Big Ten for the first time since their last loss to Penn State on Oct. 8, 2005, but they’ve sunk to 95th and 107th in NCAA total offense and passing offense, respectively.

 

So what else is new?

 

In Tressel’s seven previous seasons, Ohio State only twice has ranked higher than 62nd (out of 119 teams) in total offense. The 2003 and ’04 teams were 93rd and 98th, respectively. Four of his teams have ranked 87th, 92nd, 97th and, last year, 86th, in passing offense.

 

Tressel, who lives for field position tussles, sprinted down the sidelines Saturday to embrace Trapasso after a 52-yard punt. Another time, he was waiting to bump fists with Trapasso after he boomed a 59-yarder. Hey, Jim, how about saving the celebrations for something that really matters. You know, touchdowns?

 

There’s no more deceiving number than Pryor’s career-high 226 passing yards against the Lions. It was Tresselball at its best (and by that I mean worst) during a 13-play drive that consumed nearly half of the third quarter. The Buckeyes ended up with a go-ahead field goal, but three points there was more of a victory for Penn State.

 

Even though Pryor completed all four of his passes on the drive, Tressel put on the brakes after a 17-yard catch by Brian Robiskie gave OSU a first down at the Penn State 26. Three straight Beanie Wells runs up the middle followed, no matter that Penn State crowded the box and forced Wells to slam his head against a wall all night.

 

Wells’ frustration mounted when asked afterwards if OSU needs to get defenses to fear the pass, thus opening up more running lanes.

 

“You can kind of answer that question (yourself),” he said. “That’s football. You can’t just … I don’t know.”

 

His coach obviously doesn’t. After the Lions missed a potential game-tying field goal in the fourth quarter, Ohio State had a chance to go in for the kill, hit ‘em while they’re down. Instead Tressel runs the ball on all five plays before the botched quarterback sneak at midfield that basically gift-wrapped victory for JoePa.

 

A glassy-eyed Pryor, dealing with his first loss as a starting quarterback in 22 games, dating back to a one-point loss in the 2006 Pennsylvania state finals, was beating himself up afterwards. 

 

“I thought I was scoring a touchdown,” Pryor said about bouncing the play outside before the ball dribbled loose. “I was looking at the end zone. I was going to beat No. 9 (defensive back Mark Rubin). I had the edge. I guess he just punched it out. It was the worst feeling of my life. They were pinching in, and I figured I’d take a chance. I’ll probably get in trouble in the film room for it, but I just wanted to make a play.”

 

Tressel likely will paralyze the kid with more talk about no turnovers, no turnovers, no turnovers. Is it any wonder that Pryor, like predecessor Todd Boeckman, waits too long to pull the trigger in the pocket? Instead of being encouraged to win games, they’re told not to lose them.

 

Two weeks off to stew over his other turnover, a game-sealing interception born out of panic, won’t help Pryor. At least it gives Tressel plenty of time to think about this irony: Other than taking a knee, there’s not a safer play than a quarterback sneak. If you can lose a game on that, you can lose it on anything. So you might as well play to win.

 

He’s got an exciting quarterback and this can still be an exciting season. The Big Ten runner-up will secure one of the 10 coveted BCS bowl slots, so Ohio State at 10-2, maybe even 9-3, would get in. Especially because the Buckeyes always bring a big following.

 

They actually stand a much better chance paired with a Big East or ACC champ in a BCS game than they do in the New Year’s Day Florida bowls (Outback, Capital One) against an SEC outfit or in the Alamo Bowl against a Big 12 opponent.

 

If Penn State plays for a national championship, we might even be looking at a rematch of USC-OSU in the Rose Bowl. Yikes. Then again, Pryor in Pasadena could have the makings for a Hollywood ending.

 

As long as the script’s not a dud.

 

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Paterno turns tables on foes and critics

By LARRY PHILLIPS

NNCO

COLUMBUS — The funeral postgame setting in Ohio Stadium seemed absolutely appropriate for Joe Paterno on Saturday night.

Pundits have been shoveling dirt on his grave for decades. He’s too old to coach, has lost his disciplinary edge, his teams no longer are top-shelf material.

The 82-year-old Paterno has ordered crow for the critics this season, with his team poised to reach the national championship game. A 13-6 win against Ohio State leaves three mediocre Big Ten teams between 3rd-ranked Penn State (9-0, 5-0) and a perfect regular season.

It also continued a streak-busting campaign.

Last week, the Nittany Lions stopped a nine-game slide against Michigan. Beating the Buckeyes in Columbus was a first since 1978, and also the first time since Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1993.

Paterno’s reaction to turning the tables on his foes and critics at the same time?

“Ah, I really don’t pay any attention to that,” Paterno said with a wave of his hand.

He was more excited, and rightfully so, by the flawless play of his team. Penn State committed no turnovers and no penalties. The Nittany Lions took advantage of Ohio State’s two miscues: Terrelle Pryor’s fumble on a botched quarterback sneak led to the go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, and an interception in the end zone sealed the game.

“I’m happy for the kids. They worked hard tonight against a good football team,” Paterno said. “We changed a couple things at halftime and came out with a lot of confidence.

“They kept their poise, and that one turnover was the ball game because nobody had good field position until that (fumble).”

The play of the game was made by Penn State defensive back Mark Rubin, who not only stopped Pryor cold in the open field, but stripped him of the ball on a third-and-1 quarterback sneak.

“I just didn’t want to let him get the first down,” Rubin said. “I tried to square up and push him back. I’m not going to lie: I just happened to get my hand on the ball and was able to bounce it out.”

Paterno was guarded in praising his team before Saturday. They were unchallenged while blasting every opponent by at least two touchdowns. Penn State leads the Big Ten in offense, keyed largely by big plays and defense.

But starting quarterback Darryl Clark was knocked out of the game in the fourth quarter, and backup Pat Devlin came in to lead two of his team’s three scoring drives.

“Surprisingly, I didn’t have butterflies. I was confident in our offensive line,” Devlin said. “This is what you prepare for, you don’t remember the fear.”

So much for being pushed.

“You’re never sure how good some kids are until they’ve had some time and had to overcome some things,” Paterno said. “I think Pat is a heck of a quarterback and we have two or maybe three guys I think are good. He had a lot of confidence and did everything you wanted him to do at the end of the game. He is a good football player.”

There were a number of those on the field.

Ohio State defensive end Thaddeus Gibson was a constant nemesis in the Penn State backfield, and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins was a big reason Penn State was unable to shake loose with a game-changing big play.

“Ohio State played a great defensive ball game,” Paterno said. “Their cornerback (Malcolm Jenkins) is one of the best we’ve faced this year.” Penn State’s defense was brilliant, too, limiting Chris Wells to just 55 yards on 22 carries.

“He’s an exceptional back, a big, strong kid,” said Nittany Lions defensive coach Tom Bradley. “We did a great job tackling and swarmed to the ball.”

Penn State will welcome its bye week before traveling to Iowa then closing the season at home with Indiana and Michigan State.

“Our guys faced adversity tonight against a tough football team,” Paterno said. “We need to be smart and keep our poise and we’ve been pretty good at that this season.”

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Big Ten lunchtime links: Zook steamed after loss

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

Several Big Ten teams might have a case of the Mondays, but you shouldn’t. The most exciting month in college football is right around the corner.

Here are some links to get you through the day.

• Illinois coach Ron Zook wasn’t happy the day after a loss to Wisconsin, calling out his team and quarterback Juice Williams, Bob Asmussen writes in The News-Gazette.

“This is what Juice doesn’t sometimes maybe understand, one minute everybody tells him how good of a player he is,” Zook said. “Somebody brought up the thing about coming out at the end of three years. Let me tell you something, he better worry about next week. Then he better worry about the next week.”

• Some good Michigan State nuggets from Joe Rexrode’s blog in the Lansing State Journal. Running back Javon Ringer and safety Otis Wiley both should be available Saturday against Wisconsin. Also check out this post on Michigan State’s mostly civil postgame celebration at Michigan. Roland Martin = hilarious.

Tonight, civility and competitiveness returned to this rivalry at once. Not that there wasn’t some woofing. Roland Martin said U-M’s players were doing a lot of it during the game. He said linebacker John Thompson called him “Uncle Roland” a couple times.

“Uncle Roland gave you a spanking, son,” Martin taunted back afterward.

• Northwestern saw the risk-reward to using its quarterback on the move against Indiana, and Minnesota is toeing the same line with Adam Weber, Kent Youngblood writes in the Star Tribune.
• For the first time, Ohio State lost the gamble of playing Terrelle Pryor at quarterback. The toughest challenge will be picking up the freshman after a crushing loss, Doug Lesmerises writes in The Cleveland Plain Dealer.

After the Purdue game, Pryor said the college game was just like high school, only faster, even as teammates reminded him that this wasn’t high school. If Pryor jukes Penn State’s Mark Rubin in the open field after that bounce and hits the end zone, he’s a hero this week. In high school, undoubtedly that’s how it would have gone down. At this level, the other guys are pretty good, too. So Pryor fumbled. And that was it.

• After Michigan’s latest loss, coach Rich Rodriguez might have come to the conclusion that he simply needs better players to turn things around, Mark Snyder writes in the Detroit Free Press.
• Even though Penn State has stepped up this fall, the Big Ten doesn’t deserve another team in the title game, Rivals.com’s Tom Dienhart writes.

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