The Big Ten: Why We Suck

I worked very diligently on crafting a title for this this article but ultimately, this was the one thing that kept coming around. Our fall from grace as a dominant NCAA Division I power conference has been fast and painful. The fall has been different for every team in the conference. Like most conferences we have our less relevant football programs (stupid Northwestern so concerned with actually GRADUATING players) but the fact remains that, in the past, when our power teams came to play your school, it was time to break out the Icy Hot because a severe beating was nothing short of imminent.

Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Where do we currently stand? Iowa players are telling their own fans to be quiet. Minnestota forgot there were more than 4 games in the season. Wisconsin did too. Michigan decided to field their understudy ballet students instead of actual football players. Both Penn State and Ohio State had the unfortunate mishap of checking their talent on the airplane to L.A. rather than carrying it on and somehow it wound up on a plane headed for Pewee Valley, Kentucky. Oh, and Ohio State can’t seem to beat the SEC even if the referees would let them bring crowbars on the field. I mean, in what sane world does tOSU go nearly undefeated on the season only to have the entire college football world question, not whether they should go to the National Championship or not, but whether they even deserve to be CONSIDERED?!

No doubt we’ve all thought and thought about this and I would imagine you’ve come to the same redundant conclusion that I have: We suck because we suck. No doubt we’ve all read that iron sharpens iron. That’s what we used to be for each other. The Michigan-Ohio State game was such a vehement battle to the death, that any competitor after was like playing in a pick up game at the park on Sunday afternoon. The rivalries so legendary that watching the game for the 5th, 6th or 95th time still gets you on the edge of your seat and out of your chair. Now the rivalries are harder fought in the stands and after the game than they are on the field. We’re just not good enough to make each other better anymore.

One of the problems is that the decline happened for all of the teams at a quick pace simultaneously. The conference has not adapted to a more modern style of football, one that relies somewhat less on braun and more on strategy and speed. This is made evident when we play schools like USC who have more strategy than 70% of the NFL teams out there. When we play the SEC, they run away like we’re standing still because, regardless of the attempts we’ve made as a conference of teams to get out of our concrete boots and into the new style of warfare, we just haven’t caught up. They’re shooting smart bombs and laser guided missle systems while we’re reloading our muskets with paper patch bullets and screaming hateful chants in olde english. We just aren’t that relevant outside of our own conference. People look at us like that fighter going into the ring when he should have retired. Yeah, they respect his history and the amazing things he’s done, but they’re not afraid of him anymore. They’re not afraid of us anymore.

In the end, our games are still hard fought battles in the trenches. Our sense of tradition and honor is greater than anyone else’s. We hate each other but we hate them more.

I, for one, am tired of this. I’m ready to read a USC writer talk about how Michigan or Ohio State is more than likely going to ruin Pete Carroll’s season. I’m ready to be confident in saying that no matter who goes into the national championship game against us, the Big Ten will ride out of town with a tan and a crystal football. Every other conference should be complaining and making excuses about why we slaughter them year in and year out. It’s time for this trend to stop and it has to stop quickly.

We are the greatest conference in the NCAA. It’s time to remind everyone else of that fact.

Quick Thoughts on Penn State’s Blue White Game

Penn State will now move into the long abyss after the Blue White Game and before the summer practice sessions begin. But first, let me point out a few things about the game.

Offense

• Daryll Clark and Evan Royster could very well carry the team this year. While Royster only logged three carries, they amounted to 21 yards. He looked fluid, as usual, and shouldn’t have a problem with the…
Continue reading at Bleacher Report – Big Ten Football

Penn State’s Massaro tears ACL, will miss season

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
Penn State's defensive line depth has taken a hit as the team announced that redshirt freshman defensive end Pete Massaro will miss the 2009 season with a torn ACL in his right knee. 
Massaro sustained the injury during Saturday's spring game and will undergo surgery in the next 2-3 weeks, according to team doctor Wayne Sebastianelli. …
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Penn State spring game recap

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
Penn State head coach Joe Paterno sounded a bit more optimistic about his team's spring progress before the annual Blue-White Game, and the Nittany Lions turned in a solid effort before a record crowd of 76,500 at Beaver Stadium. The White team edged the Blue squad 21-16.
There weren't many revelations in the spring game, though Penn State can…
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Spring in the Shoe

A sun drenched Ohio State Horseshoe took on a record crowd of 95,722 fans to show-off the Ohio State Buckeyes to the nation. The score might have reflected an unbalanced contest in the Gray’s favor, but I don’t think that bothered any of the fans there. Dawning the shorts, tank-tops and sandals (Tressel even chose clothes for the weather putting on the Hawaiian Ohio State shirt) you came with sun tanning lotion and a curiosity that you didn’t have the past three seasons. It is not a scary feeling, but a charged feeling of nervous energy walking into a party and saying, “I wonder who we are now?”

The entire country is asking the same question. After watching two national championship trips end in disappointments and watching last year’s Buckeyes loose to 3 different national championship contenders (USC, Penn State, and Texas) the view beyond Ohio is not suppose to a favorable one, but if anyone part of that view watched ESPNS’s top plays on Saturday they saw the pretty 44 yard rainbow pass thrown from Terrelle Pryor to an open Lamar Thomas in the corner of the end zone maybe they will become as curious as the rest of us. Below are some other observations and highlights that showed up like blooms in spring.

Quarterbacks. We might have not gotten to see Pryor for as long as promised, but we saw what we wanted to see, an athlete that has improved from just being a running quarterback to a complete player. Terrelle Pryor showed a live-arm with better accuracy, that when given time he will hit seams and plays that will make highlight reels. His instincts might always slow down his release, but he showed more confidence in looking over a defense and letting it fly. Joe Bauserman was 10-21 and showed confidence throwing into several tight windows. Jason Siems finished 2-5 for 21 yards and had good poise for being the third string quarterback. Terrelle Pryor has made it hard to recruit some of the top Quarterbacks in the nation that want more playing time, but Pryor’s size and strength should protect him. When you are as big as some linebackers playing quarterback you are hard to bring down.

Running Backs. Brandon Saine is back looking faster and more determined displaying a majority after a season troubled by a hamstring injury that should make him a threat to defenses in the Big Ten. His 6’1” frame and 217 pounds should be more rugged this year. When we first met Saine we were introduced to a versatile back with a lot speed. This year I am hoping to see a complete versatile back that can be a threat to burst through the middle or catch the 5-yard dump off and turn it into 10 or more. Boom Herron was steady playing for the scarlet team that looked like it had the better O-line for the run. Both of these backs together in the backfield will create a diverse offense. The depth at running back for Ohio State is always deep. History draws running backs to the Buckeyes. I saw 5 backs play in the game the biggest highlight coming from Marcus Williams for the Gray who finished the game with 98 yards on only 7 carries the most which came on his first that was a burst out of the backfield. Probably the best run-blocking of the game was given to Williams on that play when he slid out from behind the line and into one of those holes that he dreams of in his sleep.

Wide Receivers. They are who we thought they are!! Too put a spin on the too-famous a quote from Dennis Green. We thought they were talented and they proved that they are and they should continue to prove it in the fall. Devier Posey enters his sophomore season as a 6’3” 205 pound imposing giant that should make corners start to shake when they see him line up across from them. The most impressive thing about him is his hands. He just snags the ball out of the air whenever he wants with perfect form (I think everyone wanted to see Pryor and him on the same team, we will have to wait). Lamar Thomas might have given a fist-pump when he got put on the same team as Terrelle, but he also knew he have to show up and he did, getting behind the defense to catch the opening TD of the game. I was worried about Ray Small and so was someone else, because after dropping a pass and looking a little shook up the Gray team ran an onside-kick play and recovered the ball. This let him have one more shot (some people just need a second chance) and he took advantage of it. Catching an underthrown ball from Pryor he showed who he was with an ankle-breaking fake and an appearance in the endzone at enof the first-half.

Defense. The Ohio State moniker might be a little concerned that Terrelle Pryor put up 191 passing yards, but then again he is on our team. The Ohio State University is Linebacker-U (I am not sure what the course numbers are though). The lineage is lengthy and drooled over by the NFL if you are patient you will be rewarded. Tyler Moeller should be rewarded for not just tackling Pryor on his first jaunt out over the line-of-scrimmage, but also for chasing down the longest run of the game from behind. The defensive backfield looked shaky, but in the spring Wide Receivers have the advantage early so I wouldn’t be concerned right now. The Gray did get an opportunistic interception late. Turnovers are often a specialty of the Buckeyes defense and the depth at linebacker should create lots of blitzing opportunities.

Offensive Line. This might have been the biggest surprise in the entire game. I saw plenty of penetration by the defensive line like a lot of fans did, but there was a certain physicality out there by individuals that was not there last year. The leader has got to be Justin Boren the Michigan defect that will be interesting to watch when it is time to play Michigan and the crafty Rodriguez. He is like having an NFL veteran on the college level. He is exactly what Ohio State needed on the O-line this year a leader that has it out for that team up north should provide our line with nasty instincts it needs to compete this fall.

All in all it was a beautiful spring day for the Buckeye fans that could enjoy working on their tan while watching their beloved Buckeyes. The highlights should be good memories to keep all of us happy for the next couple of months before July (that is about the time I get really antsy for football). I’ll continue to give some highlights in these dry months ahead, trying to keep my excitement in check for the upcoming season. Though if you feel like I do right now you can say it with me…”Bring on the Trojans!!”

Penn State Blue White Game Preview: Defensive Backs

Three years ago, the Penn State football team lost all four senior starting defensive backs. Everyone was freaking out about how the program could sustain losing that kind of veteran talent, and continue to win.

Well, Penn State emerged just fine, and continued to play at a high level in the defensive secondary the last three seasons. Now, with four seniors again lost to graduation, some with…
Continue reading at Bleacher Report – Big Ten Football

Taking off for the weekend

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
I'm getting an early start on the weekend, about to take off from Midway to spend a few days with friends down in St. Louis. If you need your Big Ten fill, check out my post on Penn State's hopes to repeat as league champs. 
That's it for now, but check the blog next week for recaps on the final six spring games as well as NFL draft…
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Penn State guns for repeat in the Big Ten

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — When searching Penn State's roster for an authority on the program's rich history, center Stefen Wisniewski is a pretty good place to start.     Rich Kane/US PRESSWIRE   Stefen Wisniewski leads an offensive line that loses three of its five starters from last season.
His dad Leo…
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Rose Bowl Says Penn St. Violated Media Rules

Rose Bowl officials say Penn State violated two media access agreements at this year’s game.
Continue reading at College Sports for NBC4i.com

Receiving Jobs Up For Grabs At Penn State

It’s time for a new set of receivers to catch on at Penn State.
Continue reading at College Sports for NBC4i.com

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