April 30, 2010

Depth Charting: Into the Summer

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Did Paul Jones (under center) move his way up the depth chart following a great spring game? Probably not...

This would seem like a somewhat pointless exercise, going over the depth chart following the 2010 Blue-White Game. But there is still a lot to take away from the glorified practice session we all watched last weekend.

A week ago, we took a look at the last-minute depth chart heading into the game, which is one of the toughest things to project at any point in the season. Looking back, it was filled with all kinds of stuff that now needs to be cleaned up, mostly dealing with who belongs where. Here we go...

Offense

The quarterback race, despite what has exploded onto the message boards, remains the same. Kevin Newsome didn't lose his job. Matt McGloin was what you'd expect from a backup. And Paul Jones did not win the job. Sorry, but this will remain an open race until August, if not even later.

On the outside is a situation similar to the quarterbacks. Shawney Kersey had a fantastic day in the eyes of a casual fan, but did have some pretty bad drops. The coaches have said all spring how Kersey needs softer hands, and that he had been dropping plenty of passes all spring. Kersey will most likely get into the top-six rotation, but isn't exactly a starter right now.

Then there's the offensive line. I'm not even sure I want to tackle this today, as there isn't enough ibuprofen east of the Mississippi to combat the royal headache spawned from trying to break down the offensive front five.

But I'll try anyway. From what we've been hearing, there are two main contingency plans, each addressing two positions that are aleady known trouble spots: offensive center and left guard.

Situation #1 - Center

Doug Klopacz has been and still is the starter at center. However, should the move not work out well enough by summer, the staff have said that Stefen Wisnewski will move back to his 2009 position. That would open up the right guard spot, where 2009 starter Lou Eliades would return. In turn, that would leave a hole at right tackle, where Eliades started the last half of spring practice, and in the Blue-White Game.

In the first few practice sessions this spring, Mike Farrell and Adam Gress were the leading candidates, with Eric Shrive close behind. One of those three would absolutely have to step up and claim the starting role for this to work.

Situation #2 - Left Guard

DeOn'Tae Pannell started the Captial One Bowl at left guard, continuing that role in the Blue-White Game on Saturday. He displaced starter Johnnie Troutman, who had sustained a minor injury late in the season. But when Troutman wasn't able to quickly reclaim his old starting job this spring, I wasn't the only surprised pundit out there. The word around the internets is that Troutman's second-team status is partly (or mostly, depending on who you talk to) due to his inability to maintain his weight, or maintain a schedule. Troutman had been battling weight issues for a while, then failed to attend mandatory team breakfasts in March.

If Troutman gets his act together, and gets his butt out of Joe Paterno's dog house, Pannell will probably move back out to left tackle. But before you cringe, consider that this would allow the same starting interior line to maintain its cohesion from 2009. Talk all you want about how bad the right tackle position was (Pannell, Ako Poti, and Nerraw McCormack) in the first half of the season; but the interior played outstanding.

Pannell getting pushed out at left guard doesn't necessarily mean that he will get the starting left tackle job, either. Quinn Barham has become the talk of the line lately, as the coaches have praised his performance all spring.

The left side of the line all depends on whether or not Troutman can step up.

Defense

Suddenly, things aren't so crazy. The defensive line is looking fantastic as usual under Larry Johnson, Sr. The secondary will return all of its key players by this summer. Even the linebacker positions, all of which will be new full-time starters this fall, aren't nearly as scary as anything on offense.

Chaz Powell will probably be the No. 3 cornerback, behind D'Anton Lynn and Stephon Morris. This is a great move by the staff, as Powell is a great athlete who can offer superior depth in teh secondary. Andrew Dailey stepped in for Drew Astorino in the Blue-White Game, which didn't make much of a difference. Astorino will return this summer anyway.

The starting linebackers are still the same group we anticipated at the start of spring ball: Nate Stupar, Chris Colasanti and Bani Gbadyu. Barring injury, they will start in the fall. But that doesn't mean a guy like Gerald Hodges couldn't rise up and steal a starting job. Hodges was everywhere in the Blue-White Game, but one scrimmage doesn't mean he's earned anything.

Throw Michael Mauti into the mix, and Penn State is just fine at linebacker.

Pre-summer depth chart. Keep in mind that the "First Team, Second Team..." stuff isn't meant to be concrete. In most cases, Penn State has a rotation of players. It breaks down into this:

First Team = Starts or plays in nearly all situations;
Second Team = First one in to replace starter or at least one play per drive;
Reserves = Guaranteed playing time, but probably when PSU has a big lead.





OFF

First Team

Second Team

Reserves

QB
#12 Kevin Newsome, So
#11 Matt McGloin, rSo
#10 Paul Jones, Fr
RB
#22 Evan Royster, rJr -OR- #21 Stephfon Green, So
#25 Silas Redd, Fr -OR- #26 Curtis Dukes, rFr
#30 Kykeem Brodie, So; #23 Shaine Thompson, rJr
FB
#37 Joe Suhey, Jr
#35 Pat Zerbe, rFr
#33 Andre Dupree, Fr
WR
#6 Derek Moye, Jr
#19 Justin Brown, So
#14 AJ Price, rFr
WR
#7 Curtis Drake, So
#20 Devon Smith, So
#8 Brandon Moesby-Felder
WR
#5 Graham Zug, rSr
#4 Shawney Kersey
#83 Brett Brackett, rSr
TE
#89 Garry Gilliam, rFr
#80 Andrew Szczerba, rJr
#13 Mark Wedderburn, rSr
LT
#67 Quinn Barham, rJr
#78 Mike Farrell, So
#58 Adam Gress, rFr
LG
#50 De'OnTae Pannell, rJr
#74 Johnnie Troutman, rJr
#75 Eric Shrive, rFr
C
#68 Doug Klopacz, rSr
#54 Matt Stankiewitch, rSo
#53 Ty Howle, rFr
RG
#61 Stefen Wisniewski, Sr
#64 John Urschel, rFr
#77 Lou Eliades, rSr
RT
#77 Lou Eliades, Sr
#52 Chimaeze Okoli, rJr
#75 Eric Shrive, rFr
LS
#53 Jon Rohrbaugh, rSo
--
--
K
#36 Collin Wagner, Jr
#28 David Soldner, rSo
--
KR
--
--
--
KR
--
--
--
Hold
--
--
--
DEF

First Team

Second Team

Reserves

DE
#81 Jack Crawford, Jr
#44 Kevion Katham, Jr
#90 Sean Stanley, So
DT
#71 Devon Still, rJr
#47 Jordan Hill, So
#75 Evan Hailes, Fr
DT
#85 Ollie Ogbu, Sr
#99 Brandon Ware, So
#72 James Terry, rSo
DE
#56 Eric Latimore, rJr
#59 Pete Massaro, rSo
#84 Kyle Baublitz, Fr
OLB
#15 Bani Gbadyu, rSr
#51 James Van Fleet, rSo
#32 Dakota Royer, Fr
MLB
#48 Chris Colasanti, Sr
#33 Mike Yancich, rSo
#9 Mike Zordich, rSo
OLB
#34 Nate Stupar, rJr
#6 Gerald Hodges, So
#11 Khairi Fortt, Fr; #40 Glen Carson, Fr
CB
#12 Stephfon Morris, So
#2 Chaz Powell, rJr
#5 Derrick Thomas, rFr
Hero
#10 Nick Sukay, rJr
#13 Andrew Dailey, rJr
#27 Jacob Fagnano, rSo
FS
#13 Andrew Dailey, rJr
#23 Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, rFr
#2 Chaz Powell, rSr
CB
#8 D'Anton Lynn, Jr
#14 Mike Wallace, rFr
#10 Malcolm Willis
PS
Russell Nye, rFr
Graham Zug, rSr
--
PR
Brandon Moseby-Felder, rFr
Shawney Kersey, rFr
--




Have a fantastic weekend!

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Stefen Wisniewski on 2010 Lombardi Watch List

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Wisniewski (61) in pregame warmups prior to last week's Blue-White Game.

Penn State interior lineman Stefen Wisnewski has been named to the 2010 Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List. The announcement was made this morning on GoPSUSports.com:
"This spring, Wisniewski returned to guard, where he played in 2007 and '08, after earning third team All-America honors at center from Collegefootballnewscom. A starter in 25 of 26 games the past two seasons, Wisniewski saw action on 905 snaps, the third-highest total on the team in 2009, led by 86 in the wins over Minnesota and LSU. Wisniewski and the O-Line played a huge role in Penn State ranking No. 2 in the Big Ten in total offense at 406.9 ypg. The Nittany Lions were the only Big Ten team ranked in the top five of the conference's four primary offensive statistical categories in 2009."
And a little more about the award itself, if you're not already familiar:
"Candidates earned a place on the preliminary Watch List by earning All-American honors or by being named to their respective all-conference first team as selected by the conference's head coaches in 2009. The Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List will be updated prior to the start of the 2010 season in order to identify those players who have been selected as pre-season honors candidates."
I hate to go out and say this stuff, but I truly believe that if Wisniewski earns First-Team All-America honors this season, and gets this award or the Rimmington, he could go down as one of the greatest interior linemen ever to play at Penn State. That's saying something big, considering his own lineage and that of the Nittany Lions' strong history on the offensive line. Good luck, Wiz!

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Notre Dame: The Gift to Bloggers That Keeps On Giving

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Just as us college sports bloggers are beginning to wonder how we're going to fill the void between now and September, along comes Notre Dame with another gut-busting attempt to look "hip" in the eyes of the nation. I guess there IS such a thing as a Touchdown Jesus and he really, really, loves us all.



I urge you all to do your civic Internet duty and post this video to every Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and any other social media platform, something this awesomely bad deserves nothing less. Might I also suggest a little game to play with your friends while watching this video called "Spot The Non-White Person?" It'll provide hours upon hours of searching fun*.


* Literally so, because the video is entirely comprised of White people.


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Tre Bowman: YouTube Superstar

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His name is Tre Bowman (pictured, right). Trey is a 6'4" guard recruit for Penn State. You might know him for the fact that he actually maintains a MySpace page...STOP LAUGHING, DAMN IT. Trey also has a plethora of YouTube highlight videos and recently expanded his personal video library with a vengeance. Behold, his deft Pistol Pete-like shooting touch combined with his thunderous breakaway dunks known to impregnate women! (H/T Victory Bells Rings)



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April 29, 2010

Penn State offers DE/TE Marco Jones

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Maryland defensive end Marco Jones (Rivals/Scout/ESPN) received a scholarship offer this week from Penn State. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound prospect from The Boys’ Latin School in Baltimore is projected as either a tight end or a defensive end in college. I'm not yet sure if this is a reaction to losing out on Ben Koyack, who committed to Notre Dame last week, but Jones is a very solid recruit from one of Penn State's favorite recruiting grounds.

Jones says he wants to make a decision before the football season begins, which starts the clock for Penn State's prospects with the rising senior. He now holds between seven and nine offers, depending on which recruiting service you read. Those offers include West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Louisville, UConn, Kansas State and North Carolina. Jones recently returned from a trip to Rutgers, which he said impressed him and his mother very much, particularly in terms of the academic prowess of the school. If academics are a priority for Jones and his mom, Penn State should be in the top few schools.

Three defensive ends--six ends including the tight ends--currently hold offers form the Nittany Lions. The addition of Jones brings the defensive ends count to four. Why does that matter? Well, it doesn't really. But it does give somewhat of an indication that Penn State wants to sign at least one defensive end in this upcoming class.

One defensive end might not sound like a lot, especially for Penn State. That's because, well, it isn't a lot. Larry Johnson, Sr. brings in pretty much a new defensive line rotation in each recruiting class. To sign only one defensive end in 2011 would surprise the hell out of a lot more people than just me.

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April 28, 2010

Don't Call It A Comeback: Tony Hunt gets tryout with The Giants

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DID YOU KNOW? Tony Hunt was one of only a handful of college football players who dared to attempt the mid-air "Heisman" pose.



Remember back in 2007 when Tony Hunt was drafted by the Eagles and the entire portion of the PSU fan base whom are also Eagles fans were praising the pick and felt that Hunt would become the short-yardage power back to complement a speedy Brian Westbrook? You, you remember that? Well, it didn't exactly work out that way.

After a season-and-a-half long hiatus from the NFL though (Hunt was released from the Eagles in October 2008), Hunt is attempting to make the New York Giants' roster. Former Collegian football and current Jersey Star-Ledger writer Jenny Vrentas has the scoop:

Throughout the past few days, names of players who will attend the Giants' rookie mini-camp have trickled out. The team released Monday a full list of 54 players who will be at the Timex Performance Center this weekend.

Along with the seven Giants' draft picks, and 11 players on the current roster who are eligible based on accrued seasons, will be 13 players who signed as undrafted free agents and 23 attending on a tryout basis....

Among the tryout players are a handful of veterans, including LS Ryan Neill (Rutgers), FB Anthony Cotrone (Maine), RB Tony Hunt (Penn State) and WR Lance Leggett (Miami).


I'm not sure how strong the Giants' need for a backup running back is, particularly with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw being the two guys who get the most carries. Perhaps Hunt could end up making the roster in a fullback type of role, one who can effectively run block but also utilize his ability to carry several defenders on his back as he fights for those precious few yards in short-yardage situations.

Mike also suggested an obligatory posting of a YouTube video of Hunt's 158-yard rushing performance against Tennessee in the 2007 Outback Bowl but the only video we found featured three carries by Hunt and then a post-game victory interview. Luckily, I discovered a far better highlight package set to an old familiar tune.




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Wednesday Recruitin': Blue-White Mish-Mosh

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Just the straight dope...


Incoming freshman QB Robert Bolden (top) has been helping his Nittany Lions push for 2012 linebacker James Ross (bottom), Bolden's former teammate at St. Mary's High School in Michigan.

I'm bumping this first point to the top, not because it's more newsworthy than the others in this update, but rather it... well, you'll know why when you read it.

• Michigan standout 2012 linebacker James Ross gained some attention by showing up for the Blue-White Game on Saturday. Ross is from the same school as incoming freshman quarterback Robert Bolden. Apparently, Bolden has been one of Penn State's most vocal recruiters on Ross, constantly calling out "Penn State. Linebacker U." (now you know why I bumped it)

• Two big-time offensive linemen, Maryland's Donovan Smith and New Jersey's Marquise Wright, both told Blue White Illustrated that they thoroughly enjoyed their visits last weekend. Smith said that Penn State will "ride with him until the end," following his visit to campus last weekend. He also took a trip to the University of Maryland earlier last week. In the offers front, Smith recently received an offer from Wisconsin, bumping his total to more than 10. Wright has had Penn State at the top of his list for a while now, so his satisfaction after the Blue-White Game didn't come as a shocker to anyone.

• Maryland corner/receiver Brandon Phelps told Scout.com, “Right now Penn State sits pretty high with me... I’d like to make my decision before [next season] so I can play without having that on my shoulders.” But that doesn't mean anything. Phelps has every intention of keeping his recruitment open to nationwide programs, including south of the Mason-Dixon line, and west of the Mississippi. "It's wherever I feel is going to be the right fit for me whether it's in California, Louisiana or whatever," Phelps told William Weathers of Rivals.com. "It's where the best fit for me." The rising senior has received a scholarship offer from LSU, where he said he's "definitely interested." Phelps now has about 20 scholarship offers going into the month of May.

• Also at the game was one of Ross's teammates, wide receiver Allen Robinson, who told Nittany Network, "Oh, I like this one. This is the No. 1 [visit] by far."

• In-state tight end Ben Koyack gave his verbal commitment to Notre Dame this past weekend, in one of those "Oh, Shit!" moments for Penn State fans everywhere. Koyack was viewed by many as very much in the mix for the Nittany Lions, even though he had narrowed his top choices to the Irish and Ohio State just last week.

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April 27, 2010

Let's Hold Off On Erecting a Paul Jones Statue For Now, Shall We?

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Freshman QB Paul Jones (10) leaps away from trouble... and into Penn State fans' hearts.

Like every true blue-blooded Penn Stater, I immersed myself in Blue-White weekend last Saturday. While I did, in fact, attend the actual game itself, I truthfully don't remember a damn thing about it aside from the TD passes thrown by Paul Jones, which brings me to my gripe: Anyone who proclaims that we're headed for a potential repeat of the dark years if Jones isn't immediately named the starter either haven't watched enough Blue-White games in years past, or are just plain retarded. Yes, unlike Kevin Newsome and Matt McGloin, Jones actually threw touchdown passes and appears to have the best natural throwing arm of the three but let's recap what he was going up against:
  • 3rd string defensive players/towel boys
  • Simplistic defensive schemes with no blitzing allowed
  • An atmosphere that's the polar opposite of what the team will face down in Alabama in four-and-a-half months. We're talking coffeehouse versus a f*cking rock concert here, folks.
By the way, does anyone remember how Newsome and McGloin both looked last year? Allow me to refresh your memory: Both QB's threw for a combined 3 touchdowns against the same caliber of defensive players/schemes that Jones just went up against. Um, yeah, I'm sure you sure were singing their praises back then as well, weren't you? Let's not forget either, Jones' grasp of the playbook is likely nowhere close to McGloin or Newsome's, being that he's only been on the team for a few months. Granted, he does have another four months before the season opener to expand his knowledge and further impress the coaches with his talents, possibly to the point where he could be the designated #2 QB going into the Youngstown State game.

Perhaps if Newsome is an abysmal failure and shows absolutely no hope of improvement midway through the season, Jones might become a viable starting option. Let's not kid ourselves though into thinking that Jones gives us the best chance to win at this point in time, particularly with a green offensive line still trying to find their way. If you're going to go with an inexperienced quarterback playing behind a shaky O-line, you're better off settling for the guy with the quickest feet as they can potentially scramble their way out of trouble (think: Michael Robinson), and Newsome best fits that mold.

Keep in mind I'm not saying that Jones will never become the worthy starter, not by any means. If he's truly worthy of the five-star knighting the Scout.com folks gave him, he may very well become part of a two-QB rotation with Newsome at some point this year, perhaps even securing the starting QB spot in 2011. Of course, this analysis doesn't include the other blue-chip QB recruit, Robert Bolden and what he may bring to the table over the next couple of seasons. Right now though, it would be ridiculous to suggest that based on one solid performance in the Blue-White game that Jones should be handed the starting job without question.

Not that most of you are going to grasp such a concept though...We now return to your regularly scheduled dream sequence of you and Paul riding a white stallion together on a beach.


Good God! That...that's Paul Jones' music!

Some Other Blue-White Observations:

I had the most incredible piece of grilled chicken ever at a friend's tailgate. I don't remember the exact ingredients (I know bourbon was involved in it), but I'll be damned if I didn't have an orgasm in my mouth while chowing down on it. I was tempted to ask somebody for a cigarette and a light after I was done, and I don't even smoke...What's that? You wanted analysis about the game itself? Sorry, but I'm not some beat writer who's being forced to write about a glorified scrimmage that doesn't have any deeper meaning. I tend to think of college football spring games as the Scrotie McBoogerballs of sports.



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It's STEFEN, dammit!

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Don't ask me why I dedicated an entire post to just this. It's just really annoying, ok? Penn State's starting offensive lineman, the son of Leo Wisniewski, and nephew of Steve Wisniewski...

His name is StefEn Wisniewski, NOT "StefAn." That's right, college football "experts." Probably the best interior lineman in college football next season, and you're calling him Stefan. Good job! [one idiot in the crowd doesn't get the sarcasm, claps twice before realizing no one else is clapping]

Let's compare the two, shall we? This is Stefen Wisniewski:
"Despite not having played center at Penn State, Wisniewski's talents and productivity are evident, as he received preseason first-team All-Big Ten recognition from Phil Steele's 2009 College Football and preseason third-team All-America notice by Athlon Sports College Football... Wisniewski is one of the squad's premier students, compiling a perfect 4.0 grade-point average during the 2009 spring and 2007 fall semesters in the Schreyer Honors College. He was selected a 2008 second-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American® and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. He also is active in community service activities. Born March 22, 1989 in Pittsburgh, Pa."
This is Stefan Wisniewski:
"In Hamburg, Wisniewski became involved in the left-wing scene. He protested the detention of RAF terrorists and participated in squattings and in the protests against the conservative Springer press. After the death of Holger Meins, a member of the Red Army Faction, as the result of a hunger strike in 1974, Wisniewski joined the group."
Unless Penn State's starting offensive center is a 57-year-old, Eastern-European terrorist, I think his name is being spelled incorrectly by more than a few lazy folks out there.

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Number Crunching: 2009's Biggest Over/Underachievers

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Did the national champion Crimson Tide produce as many draft picks as they should have in 2010? O.M. Leung takes a look in today's breakdown of the NFL Draft.

A few days ago, a Linebacker-U.com reader pitched us his analysis of the NFL Draft, and how it could be used to determine College Football's most underachieving and overachieving teams in 2009. Of course, it was really cool stuff, or else you wouldn't be reading about it right now. Without further delay, in our first post of its kind here at Linebacker-U.com, we give you a reader-contributed post...

Now that the NFL draft is over, I crunched some numbers for fun to see how the PROs regarded the development of their “farm teams” – the colleges, versus the final polls, and versus the colleges' 2006 recruiting rankings.

For the Draft Position Rankings: I assigned 255 points for the first overall pick, 254 points for the second overall pick, and so on. Number 255, Mr. Irrelevant, would therefore get 1 point. Just to re-enforce number 255’s irrelevancy, I also assigned 1 point to each of almost 300 undrafted free agents who had been signed for rookie camps. I totaled the points and ranked the 109 colleges with draftees.

For the Draft Round Points: Rank by Round Points: A 1st Rounder gets 7 points, 2nd Rounder gets 6 points … 7th Rounder gets 1 point.

For poll ranking: I used the average rank from the final AP and Coaches’ Polls for the 39 teams that received votes, and used the CBS.com poll for teams beyond the 39.

Position Pts RnkPosition Pts College
Round Pts RnkRound PtsCollege
11738Florida
151Florida
21345Oklahoma
238Oklahoma
31135Texas
333Texas
41111USC
433Alabama
51101Alabama
532USC
6998Tennessee
630Tennessee
7956Iowa
728Iowa
8760South Florida
823Penn St
9759LSU
922LSU
10758Utah
1022Utah
11740Penn St
1121South Florida
12727Georgia Tech
1221Georgia Tech
13625Clemson
1318Clemson
14607Oklahoma St
1418Oklahoma St
15604Mississippi
1516Mississippi
16573Virginia Tech
1616Notre Dame
17554Notre Dame
1716TCU
18549Oregon
1815Virginia Tech
19529Illinois
1915Oregon
20521TCU
2015California
21503California
2115Rutgers
22493Rutgers
2214Illinois
23491Nebraska
2314Nebraska
24464Miami (Fla.)
2414Miami (Fla.)
25441Kentucky
2514Georgia
(Tie-break by Draft Position Points)

If we rank the colleges by taking the average of the final 2009 AP and Coaches Polls, and subtract from that rank the Draft-Position-Rank, then we have:


Polls-Draft Differential
Avg Poll RnkCollegeDraft Position RkDifferential
1Alabama54
2Texas31
3Florida1-2
4Boise St5248
5Ohio St6257
6TCU2014
7Iowa70
8Cincinnati5143
9Penn St112
10Virginia Tech166
11Oregon187
12BYU6755
13Georgia Tech12-1
14Nebraska239
15Pittsburgh8267
16Wisconsin3721
17LSU9-8
18Utah10-8
19Miami (Fla.)245
20Mississippi15-5
21USC4-17
22Texas Tech9472
23Central Michigan136113
24West Virginia10278
25Clemson13-12
26Oregon St10377
27Navy10780
28Oklahoma2-26
29Oklahoma St14-15
30Stanford5020
31Auburn321
32Georgia27-5
33Rutgers22-11
34Arizona29-5
35Middle Tenn9762
36Florida St33-3
37Connecticut6629
38Arkansas7739
39Air Force10768
One can argue that the colleges with differential close to zero did as well as they should based on talent level as judged by the NFL draft, whereas the colleges with high positive differential overachieved and those with high negatives underachieved in general.

The overachievers in 2009 appeared to be:

Central Michigan, Navy, Air Force, Middle Tenn, BYU, Boise St, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Stanford, TCU

The biggest underachievers in 2009 appeared to be:

Oklahoma, USC, LSU

In evaluating the overachievers and underachievers, obviously perceived recruiting success (or lack of) should be taken into consideration. I looked up Scout.com’s 2006 recruiting ranking, then calculated several rank differentials and came up with a few best and worst lists:


Polls-Draft-Recruiting Breakdown     
Good Drafts, Low '06 Recruiting2010 Record06 ClassBad Drafts, Good '06 Recruiting2010 Record06 Class
Louisiana Tech(4-8)No. 94Texas A&M(6-7)No. 21
Arkansas St(4-8)No. 116Pittsburgh (10-3)No. 11
TCU(12-1)No. 73Oregon St (8-5)No. 41
Fresno St(8-5)No. 96Michigan St (6-7)No. 43
Utah(10-3)No. 60Ohio St (11-2)No. 13
South Florida(8-5)No. 56Arkansas (8-5)No. 30
Northwestern(8-5)No. 71West Virginia (8-5)No. 56
Rutgers(9-4)No. 63North Carolina St(5-7)No. 42
Indiana(4-8)No. 79Iowa St(7-6)No. 59
Ohio(9-5)No. 103Boston College (8-5)No. 44
      
Good Poll Finish, Low Draft Rank2010 Record Bad Poll Finish, High Draft Rank2010 Record 
West Virginia(8-5) Illinois (3-9) 
Oregon St (8-5) Maryland (2-10) 
Pittsburgh(10-3) Louisiana Tech (4-8) 
Middle Tennessee (10-3) Vanderbilt (2-10) 
Ohio St(11-2) Michigan(5-7) 
BYU(11-2) Notre Dame(6-6) 
Boise St(14-0) Syracuse (4-8) 
Houston(10-4) Washington (5-7) 
Temple (9-4) Arkansas St (4-8) 
Central Michigan(12-2) Arizona St (4-8) 
      
Best Poll Finishes, low '06 Recruiting2010 Record06 ClassWorst Poll Finishes, high '06 recruiting2010 Record06 Class
Middle Tennessee (10-4)No. 111Maryland (2-10)No. 27
Central Michigan (12-2)No. 99Michigan (5-7)No. 9
Boise St (14-0)No. 78Illinois (3-9)No. 28
TCU(12-1)No. 73Notre Dame (6-6)No. 5
Cincinnati (12-1)No. 70Vanderbilt (2-10)No. 61
Ohio (9-5)No. 103Arizona St (4-8)No. 32
SMU (8-5)No. 91Texas A&M (6-7)No. 21
Utah (10-3)No. 60North Carolina St (5-7)No. 42
Oregon (10-3)No. 52Washington (5-7)No. 35
Troy (9-4)No. 89Syracuse (4-8)No. 51

Here's the final breakdown of the data we've presented in this analysis:


Total Draft PtsCollegeRnk by Draft Result06 Recruiting Rnk09 Final Polls
1741Florida123
1350Oklahoma2728
1138Texas332
1117USC4121
1106Alabama5181
1002Tennessee62448
959Iowa7407
768South Florida8717
763LSU95644
758Utah106018
743Penn St1169
728Georgia Tech124913
629Clemson132225
610Oklahoma St141629
609Mississippi151520
576Virginia Tech163110
557Notre Dame17566
550Oregon185211
532Illinois192899
524TCU20736
508California212341
495Rutgers226333
494Nebraska232914
464Miami (Fla.)241419
445Kentucky253456
414UCLA262058
412Georgia 27432
393Northwestern287140
391Arizona291934
359Michigan30980


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April 26, 2010

Landolt, Wallace sign as free agents

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The New York Giants have signed Penn State offensive lineman Dennis Landolt as an undrafted free agent. Rumors had been swirling that he would end up in Washington, but landed with the 'Skins' division rival.

Landolt was an All-Big Ten performer at tackle for the Nittany Lions. Early speculation has Landolt shifting to offensive guard.

A.J. Wallace has been signed by Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent. In Miami, he will join first round draft pick Jared Odrick. The highly recruited cornerback out of high school never quite developed into the shutdown corner many had expected. But it's great to hear that he will have his shot at the NFL.

Wallace left Penn State with four career interceptions, three coming his senior season.

Congrats to A.J. and Dennis!

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April 25, 2010

Redskins sign Daryll Clark as free agent

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Former Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark will attend the Washington Redskins mini-camp as an undrafted free agent, news that was confirmed by several media outlets earlier this evening. Clark later tweeted that this was the case, contrary to rumors that he'd been signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent there.

Clark was the 2008 and 2009 first-team All-Big Ten quarterback, leading his Nittany Lions to a Big Ten championship and consecutive 11-win seasons, including a New Years Day bowl win over Louisiana State.

Best wishes to Daryll!

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Quarless, Shuler and Hull round out Penn State draft class

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Andrew Quarless (10) will be a Green Bay Packer.

While many Penn State fans were enjoying live Nittany Lion football at the Blue-White Game, the final rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft were wrapping up in New York City. It was a very good draft for Penn State, as three more Nittany Lions were taken.

Andrew Quarless was drafted in the fifth round, No. 154 overall, by the Green Bay Packers. Even with all his off-field and maturity problems over the years, he has definitely vindicated himself with a fantastic senior campaign at Penn State, and now as a Green Bay Packer.

Ready to face Quarless as an NFC North rival, Mickey Shuler was selected in round seven, No. 214 overall, by the Minnesota Vikings. This came as a slight surprise, as Shuler never claimed the No. 1 tight end spot at Penn State. But he has great upside, and will be sure to contribute at the next level.

The final Nittany Lion drafted this year was former walk-on Josh Hull. It's a great story of a typical Penn State football player. The St. Louis Rams took Hull with the next-to-last pick, No. 254 overall, in the seventh round. Hull will have a great shot to make the practice team, as he's a hard worker and smart kid.

Word late tonight is that Daryll Clark has been picked up as a free agent. We'll have more on that in a little while. So check back soon.

Congratulations to all the Nittany Lions selected in the 2010 NFL Draft. Good luck, and we know you'll make the Nittany Nation proud!

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Photo Gallery: 2010 Blue-White Game

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Penn State was kind enough to give us a press pass for the Blue-White Game. I ended up with about 700 photos--about 380 were usable. Here are about 60 or so of those shots, what I feel were some of the best ones of the day. I'll add in the captions later today. Be sure to tell us which ones were your favorites in the comments section. Enjoy...



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April 23, 2010

Eleventh Hour Depth Charting: 2010 Blue-White Game

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Not sure if this is the way I want to do it during the actual regular season, but here goes. Penn State's spring depth chart isn't exactly what it looked like when the team first suited up in March. The defensive backfield, offensive line, and linebackers have seen more shuffling than cruise ship deck full of senior citizens. The offensive front five have been the most frequently changed over the last five weeks, as we've seemingly been told of a new starting lineup every few days.

I tried to sift through all the haze. There is no guarantee that this is rock solid, but neither is 99 percent of the stuff you've read on the internets this spring. So, here is what I've been able to carve out as the most probable starting depth chart for the 2010 Blue-White Game.

! Keep in mind that this is the SPRING SCRIMMAGE, not a real game. The coaches have planned to experiment, shift, test, and tinker with the lineups as the game goes along. This depth chart is designed specifically with this scrimmage format in mind. Enjoy...










































































































OFF

First Team

Second Team

Reserves

QB
#12 Kevin Newsome, So
#11 Matt McGloin, rSo
#10 Paul Jones, Fr; #16 Shane McGregor, rSo; #19 Garrett Venuto, rFr
RB
#22 Evan Royster, Jr -OR- #21 Stephfon Green, So
#25 Silas Redd, Fr -OR- #26 Curtis Dukes, rFr
#30 Kykeem Brodie, So; #23 Shaine Thompson, rJr; #24 Derek Day, rSo; #29 Kevin Kowalishen, rSo
FB
#37 Joe Suhey, Jr
#30 Josh Matzkin, rSr
#33 Andre Dupree, Fr; #35 Pat Zerbe, rFr
WR
#6 Derek Moye, Jr
#19 Justin Brown, So
#14 AJ Price, rFr
WR
#7 Curtis Drake, So
#8 Brandon Moesby-Felder
#83 Brett Brackett, rSr
WR
#5 Graham Zug, rSr
#4 Shawney Kersey
#20 Devon Smith, So
TE
#80 Andrew Szczerba, rJr
#89 Garry Gilliam, rFr
#13 Mark Wedderburn, rSr
LT
#67 Quinn Barham, rJr
#78 Mike Farrell, So
#58 Adam Gress, rFr
LG
#50 De'OnTae Pannell, rJr
#74 Johnnie Troutman, rJr
#75 Eric Shrive, rFr
C
#68 Doug Klopacz, rSr
#54 Matt Stankiewitch, rSo
#53 Ty Howle, rFr; Mark Arcidiacono, rFr
RG
#61 Stefen Wisniewski, Sr
#64 John Urschel, rFr
#77 Lou Eliades, rSr
RT
#77 Lou Eliades, Sr
#66 Chimaeze Okoli, rJr
#75 Eric Shrive, rFr
LS
#53 Jon Rohrbaugh, rSo
--
--
K
#36 Collin Wagner, Jr
#28 David Soldner, rSo
--
KR
(no KOs in BWG)
--
--
KR
--
--
--
Hold
#83 Brett Brackett, Jr
--
--
DEF

First Team

Second Team

Reserves

DE
#81 Jack Crawford, Jr
#44 Kevion Katham, Jr
#90 Sean Stanley, So
DT
#71 Devon Still, rJr
#47 Jordan Hill, So
#75 Evan Hailes
DT
#85 Ollie Ogbu, Sr
#99 Brandon Ware, So
#72 James Terry, rSo
DE
#56 Eric Latimore, Sr
#59 Pete Massaro, rSr
#84 Kyle Baublitz, Fr
OLB
#15 Bani Gbadyu, rSr
#51 James Van Fleet, rSo
#32 Dakota Royer, Fr
MLB
#48 Chris Colasanti, Sr
#33 Mike Yancich, rSo
#9 Mike Zordich, rSo
OLB
#34 Nate Stupar, Jr
#6 Gerald Hodges, So
#11 Khairi Fortt, Fr; #40 Glen Carson, Fr
CB
#12 Stephfon Morris, So
#2 Chaz Powell, rSr
#5 Derrick Thomas, rFr
Hero
#10 Nick Sukay, Jr
#13 Andrew Dailey, Jr
#27 Jacob Fagnano, rSo
FS
#13 Andrew Dailey, Jr
#2 Chaz Powell, rSr
#23 Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, rFr
CB
#8 D'Anton Lynn, Jr
#14 Mike Wallace, rFr
#10 Malcolm Willis, rFr; #4 Evan Lewis, rFr
PS
???
--
--
PR
(No PR in BWG)
--
--




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Navorro Bowman To The 49ers In Round 3

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So, two and a half rounds into the NFL Draft and we now have our third Nittany Lion chosen in Navorro Bowman, who just went to the San Francisco 49ers with the 90th pick in the 3rd round.

I'm not about to fuel a debate about whether Bowman is a 'sleeper pick' for being taken this late in the draft but I will say this: Congrats San Fran, you're getting yourself a bonafide ankle-snapper...just the way Mike Singletary likes it.

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Cowboys draft Sean Lee in Second Round

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The Dallas Cowboys traded up to grab Penn State's Sean Lee, with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Lee finished his career with the Nittany Lions having earned All-Big Ten and All-America honors, despite some nagging injuries.

The Cowboys traded with the Eagles to get Lee. His selection in the mid-second round came as sort of a surprise, considering his injuries last season seemed to lower his draft stock to the third or fourth round.

Congratulations, Sean!






*Update: From Tim...

You know, because Sean Lee rhymes with Chong Li and both of them deliver bone-crushing hits

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Beaver Stadium gets new-look end zones (w/ Poll)

1 comments
This one just has to be a Guido D'Elia special. Not in any recent seasons has Penn State painted the end zones for the Blue-White Game. It's just not necessary to waste the time and effort for one meaningless game... unless ESPN comes knocking.


(Fight On State message board thread)

Special Blue-White Game End Zones...



Most fans out there have already been saying this is just a temporary move. I have to agree. This looks like just a stunt to spruce up the stadium for a national audience. But God help us all if this is even being considered as a permanent design.

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Get Well Soon, Tim Beidel (aka PennStateHoops.com Webmaster)

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A lot of you who frequent PSU-themed blogs and websites are probably familiar by now but in case you aren't: Tim Beidel (pictured, right>>>), better known as the architect of PennStateHoops.com, is currently at Maine Medical Center where so far he has spent the past three weeks recovering from a severe case of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare disease that triggers temporary paralysis and from which most people fully recover from in the end. The bad news, is that recovery can take anywhere from several weeks to several months.

The good news though, is that Tim appears to have taken a significant step towards recovery, per the latest entry on his CaringBridge.com journal

We (Linda/Mom, Larry/Dad) just left Tim after our best hour with him since he was admitted. He was talking up a storm (we are still lip-reading but getting better at it -- as is he). In fact, he wouldn't shut up. He is so much better, hard to believe what a difference 48 hours can make....

Several Doctors came in, all reacted immediately to his improved condition. One said the team will be meeting early next week to consider moving Tim out of the ICU to the "AVU" unit. He said that means Tim is "moving in the right direction -- making major progress". Folks, we have turned a huge corner.....

The first thing he wanted to show his Dad was the pressure he can put on his arms. I lifted up and supported his left arm and elbow and was amazed at the pressure he applied as he pushed it down....

Tim: "I was never scared about recovery, I was anxious about how long it would take"....


Sounds like a fighter, indeed. We here at LBU are thinking of you, Tim and are psyched about your latest triumph in what will hopefully be a very speedy path to a full recovery. Thank you for creating/maintaining a website where Penn State basketball fans can get their information fix and can congregate for some quality discussion not seen on any other PSU message board. Get well soon.




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April 22, 2010

Dolphins Draft Jared Odrick in First Round

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The Miami Dolphins used their 28th pick in tonight's NFL Draft to select Penn State's own Jared Odrick. The senior defensive tackle was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year, and Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2009.

Odrick came to Penn State as a very highly-touted defensive end, which will bode well for his projected NFL position in Miami. The Dolphins are expected to use Odrick as a defensive end.

Congratulations, Jared!

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2010 NFL Draft, First Round LIVE BLOG

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This is our first Live Blog, powered by CoverItLive, here at Linebacker-U.com. We will begin around 7:15 p.m., and go through the final first round selection. Enjoy the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft!



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April 21, 2010

Michigan at Penn State set for primetime

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The last time Penn State and Michigan kicked off at 8 p.m... ugh.

Michigan and Penn State will play a night game this year in Beaver Stadium. As announced today by ESPN:
The schedule for Saturday, Oct. 30, will include two Big Ten games at 8 p.m., each featuring a ranked team: No. 2 Ohio State at Minnesota and Michigan at No. 19 Penn State. The games will be televised simultaneously on either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2.
This comes on the heels of last week's announcement that Penn State's trip to Iowa City will also be a primetime kickoff.

(HT: BSD)

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Abbreviated Media Roundup: Spring Game, Draft Week

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Just some nuggets from across the internets, as we crest hump day. Much ado about the NFL Draft, the Blue-White Game, and such as. In no particular order, but not completely disorganized:

Philly.com: Penn State has officially rolled out its new pitch for screwing the senior students out of their traditionally great seats near mid-field. No, seriously, it'll be better if you're all in the end zone!

Blue White Illustrated ($): Trey Burke, 2010 basketball recruit, will still come to Penn State, despite the embarrassing season this past year.

The Daily Collegian: Good piece on incoming frosh quarterback Robert Bolden. Forgot about him, huh? (HT: BSD)

Phil Grosz, BWI ($): The coaching staff is experiementing with the O-line configuration. The lineup was the same in a scrimmage this past Saturday--RT - Lou Eliades, RG - Stefen Wisniewski, C - Doug Klopacz, LG - DeOn'tae Pannell, LT - Quinn Barham. Also, Curtis Dukes and Silas Redd could be the next Lydell Mitchell and Franco Harris.

The Orlando Sentinel: A good overview of what's going on with the BCS meeetings in Scottsdale (Scottsdale?) and the conference meetings in Washington, DC. Some good quotes from Joe Paterno, but none you probably haven't already heard.

This is the man with the college football world in his hands. Scary.

Sporting News: Graham Spanier is keeping a tight lip about expansion talks in DC this week. He said no announcement is expected. We'll see about that.

The Des Moines Register: Another pitch for Nebraska.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Ron Musselman's NFL Draft preview, highlighting Sean Lee, Jared Odrick and Navorro Bowman. Lee could be the No. 2 inside linebacker.

The Chicago Tribune: Just a look at the outside linebackers. You have to scroll down quite a bit to find Bowman. Yikes.

Philly.com: Lee, however, could be a huge sleeper. Who doesn't love a little homerism?

The Boston Herald and Yahoo! Sports: The New England Patriots could go after Odrick. The Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year wouldn't mind.

ESPN: PSU recruit Ishaq Williams is just another fantastic lineman from NYC. Good stuff about Larry Johnson, Sr., too.

From the blogs...

The Rivalry, Esq.: Spending most of the spring disecting every Big Ten team. Good reading.

MGoBlog: Brian gives us his self-proclaimed insane 16-team Big Ten configuration.

Lake the Posts: Northwestern could play the Illini in Wrigley Field, so it's been a topic of interest this week.

Eleven Warriors: A Q&A with PSU recruit Doran Grant.

Hammer and Rails and Boiled Sports: Review of the Black and Gold spring game. Plus, a giant bobblehead of Drew Brees.

Bucky's 5th Quarter: The Wisconsin spring game drew... well, not too many folks.

The Daily Gopher: Minnesota has stormed onto the Fulmer Cup board.

Ready for some football?

The Only Colors: MSU needed double overtime to beat... itself.

The Enlightened Spartan: The Notre Dame-MSU game will be under the lights.

Nittany White Out: Our buds hosted this week's Blue White Roundtable. Check it out. Tomorrow they will have the wrap up post.

2 The Lion: It's the first "game" of 2010. Naturally, everyone's favorite tailgating gals will be out in force!

Happy Wednesday!

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