Archives for December 2020

This was originally posted as a comment by K. John. Because my comment display widget is screwed up, I thought I would promote it to a post, as it contains a lot of good discussion material, even though its premise is that the season is over, which it ain’t.

I too am glad the season is over. Something tells this was the last game this year. No plus one. No bowl game. Just the long wait until next September as I do not expect there to be a blue white scrimmage. I have seen a few things over the course of the season that I like, though I fear the finish will be blown out of proportions by much of the fan base and they’ll completely forget the flaws that led to a 0 and 5 start. The offensive is what it is. It was caught in a major transformation from college spread to pro-style in a season not conducive to such a shift. The defense however is another matter entirely. If Brent Pry is the D-coordinator next year, I may lose the rest of my hair.

Secondary

The Good – Joey Porter has a future. He has the potential to be our best DB in a very long time. Jaquan Brisker has gotten better every game. He isn’t Adrian Amos but might be able to match Malik Golden or Troy Apke. Castro-Fields settled in before he got hurt. He will likely never hit his potential but is a keeper and will be better playing second fiddle to Porter. Porter should always be on the opponent’s top guy.

The Bad – Lamont Wade is not a free safety. He is a slot corner. Nothing more. If he returns, he can fill a valuable role on the team if he accepts it. More than likely, he’ll end up as a malcontent. Beyond Porter, nobody with superstar potential.

Linebacker

The Good – We have a lot of raw talent.

The Bad – We have a lot of raw talent.

Defensive Line

The Good – They can hold up against an average offensive line.

The Bad – This might hit three paragraphs. I think we have enough talent to stand toe to toe with Ohio State but we continue to push forward with an even front when we have odd front talent. The defense doesn’t work without a combo end and a legit 3-technique tackle and only two players have shown they game be adequate in either role. Furthermore, PJ Mustipher is not a 3 technique. He is a 1. Same for Culpepper. Both could play 2 however. Antonio Shelton (should he return) is not a 1-technique, he is a 0. Same for Hansard. Move Thorpe to defense full time and you can run three-deep at 0 with Mustipher and Culpepper at base end and Beamon, Hawkins and Vanover at the 3/4-technique.

Looking at defensive end, we have a pile of 6, 7 and wide 9 pass rushers but only one spot in the current defense. This group has the purest talent on the team (maybe the entire Big Ten) but is consistently handicapped by Brent Pry’s inability or unwillingness to evolve the defense. Oweh, Toney and Isaac are wasted talent when they have to line up at the 5-technique. Stop doing it. Moving whoever is left to outside linebacker is an obvious move. They even showed it off in last year’s bowl game where they lined up in an odd front well over 50% of the time and several players ended up having career days to include Parson, Toney, Windsor and Gross-Matos.

I can keep ranting but I’ll stop here. Maybe I’ll get on my soap box regarding the offense later. Or maybe I’ll hit the cognac.

Penn State (3-5) draws Illinois (2-5) for Week Nine

Penn State will host the mighty Formerly Fighting Illiniweks (FFI) on Saturday at 5:30 PM in the latest (cue fanfare) G A M E O F T H E C E N T U R Y! The Illinois Indians, not to be confused with the Cleveland Former Indians, will have lost that Lovie Feelin’. They fired head coach Lovie Smith last Saturday after an ass-kicking by Northwestern. Lovie is gone, but not forgotten, for doing such an excellent job of maintaining Illini mediocrity.

Illinois (or the FFI, as I prefer to call them), a particularly docile band of Peoria Indians, will be led by offensive coordinator and interim head coach Rod Smith. (Wonder if he’s related to Lovie? Tell me, I’m too lazy to research it.). Well, anyway, the Smith Brothers have managed to keep the FFFI (extra “F” for “Effin'”) exactly where they belong: the western division cellar.

Penn State, meanwhile, is seeking to extend its wonderful, wacky winning streak to four. Thus, with a perfect 4-5 record, they can leverage themselves into a premium bowl game, such as the Mayonnaise Bowl or the K-Y Jelly Bowl. A problem that could get in the way is that bowl games are dropping like flies. Cancellations due to Covid-19 regulations and ordinances have abounded.

Elsewherez

In other Big Ten Championship Week games, the REAL game is a nooner: Ohio State vs. Northwestern, played in Indianapolis. The rest of the games are pretty crappy, as the league tried to preserve some old rivaries. Thus, the desirable matchup between Indiana and Iowa will not happen. It will be Nebraska at Rutgers (gagggggg!), Purdue at Indiana, Minnesota at Wisconsin, Michigan at Iowa, and Moo U. at Maryland (gaggggggggggggggggggg!!).

I’ll be back later in the week with a better look at the FFFI!

Penn State 39, Michigan State 24

I have to agree with contributing editor K. John when he said that this might be the first game in recorded history of the Big Ten where the officials handed it to the Nittany Lions. Big Ten traditionalists don’t know who to hate more, PSU or Moo U. But anyhow, Penn State marched forward to maintain ownership of the abominable Land Grant Trophy and thus maintain bragging rights over Moo U. for yet another year.

Michigan State won the first half 21-10. As expected, the Nittany Lions came out sleeping, not waking up until someone poured buckets of cold water on them at halftime. Penn State won the second half 29-3.

Buckets of Cold Water

It looked like Moo U. had found themselves a quarterback in redshirt freshman Payton Thorne. After the buckets of cold water, the mighty PSU defense contained the kid pretty well in the second half.

Just to characterize the first, head-up-the-ass, half, Thorne threw an interception that was returned and fumbled back to Moo U. They got a first down out of it, anyway.

Sean Clifford had a decent day, 17-27 for 232 yards and two TDs, while Will Levis came in mostly to do that hackneyed old running play. Finally, the Ciarocca/Franklin offensive brain trust turned him loose long enough for him to complete 3-3 passing for 54 yards. ???? ??????? ????? The Moo U defense had to respect his versatility thereafter. Maybe we’ll see more of that in the laughable postseason.

Neither Side Could Run

Rushing, the Lions never really got going against a halfway decent Moo defense. Top rusher was Clifford, second was Levis. Back in third place was Keyvone Lee with 12 carries for 31 yards. Total team output was a paltry 119 yards on the ground. ??????? ??? ????? ?????

Total yards for both teams were within a gnat’s eyelash of each other. First downs were dead even. Both teams sucked on third down. Against the stout Penn State rushing defense, Moo U. could manage only 64 yards, but they passed for 325 yards against our crappy secondary. Turnovers were even at one each.

I’m glad this season is over. ???????? ?? ???????? Well, maybe. I have to wonder what the postseason has in store. A big matchup with Illinois or Minnesota? A bowl game with an opponent from the Ohio Valley Conference? Where does mighty, 3-5 Penn State go from here?

I’ll be back God Knows When, whenever we have an idea of what the hell will go on in the postseason.