Three times since 2002, Ohio State has played for the national championship, winning one. Best of all in this Buckeye company town: It has eviscerated Michigan lately, stuffed the remains in a 55-gallon drum and hidden what's left out in the woods. Along the way, it arguably has lapped Penn State as Linebacker U. in the last decade, produced a Heisman winner while fervently following the precepts of a bookish man who believes that the punt may be the game's best weapon.Let's be clear on this. Ohio State could not have even arguably lapped Penn State as Linebacker U. That is because there is no argument to be had. I'll make this short and sweet. No matter how hard Dennis Dodd, or anyone else, tries to change college football history and culture, Penn State will always be Linebacker U. This is not like Miami as Quarterback U, or USC as Tailback U, as those programs have only a modest working relationship with those monikers. No, the Linebacker U nickname to the Penn State culture is on the level of Bear Bryant to Alabama, the "Blackshirts" to Nebraska, or the "Script Ohio" to the Buckeyes--it's ours. Dodd can say otherwise all he wants. But nothing will change it: Penn State is Linebacker U, end of story.
"In the early 1970s I sat in the open end zone bleachers. After the 1978 expansion I sat in SK -- the “Kids’ Section,” where kids sat at the price of (I hope you’re sitting down for this) $4 a game. The price jumped to $6 a game. Adjusting for the rate of inflation, that 1978 ticket would cost just over $20 today.As always, JayPa gives us a good read.
I sat in the end zone all the way until the 1983 season, when I started working in the press box for Sports Information.
Working at the stadium was something a lot of my friends did. Whether it was selling Cokes (Coca-Cola was the official PSU drink then) or programs, parking cars or scalping tickets, there were a lot of jobs that State College kids worked on game days."
"Jared Odrick's deal has $7.133 million guaranteed and max package of $13 million over 5 years, according to league source."This kid deserves everything he gets, because he's sure earned it. Congrats, Jared!
"I've been told that division alignment and scheduling are the top two priorities and should be resolved before Sept. 1. The Big Ten will present data and proposals to the athletic directors, who expect to reach a consensus, like they have on other major topics in the past. Although divisions and a championship game are very likely, nothing is guaranteed. Don't expect any resolution on a championship game next week, although the league certainly has no shortage of options. The Big Ten could go with a rotation or a permanent site, as Roy Kramer advocates. Venues like Detroit's Ford Field, Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium, Chicago's Soldier Field, Cleveland Browns Stadium and Green Bay's Lambeau Field all have expressed interest in hosting the event."And so much more! Can't wait.
Nick
At the top of the Big Ten I'm going to have to go somewhat against the grain and name Iowa my favorite to win the conference. Why Iowa, when the popular opinion is Ohio State?It's as simple as I've got more confidence in Stanzi leading a team than I do in Pryor at the helm. Both defenses should be stout and while Ohio State should have the more potent running game, Ricky Stanzi is the chip that puts Iowa over Ohio State.
After that, I'd have to say Wisconsin probably takes the third spot, but if a lot of unknowns fall into place Penn State certainly could be in the mix. The Badgers didn't take the losses at so many key positions from last year, however several teams could realistically be in play here. It's always dodgy looking at things this early when a down has yet to be played and injuries and breakout players have yet to emerge, that being said, the top two seem to be a level up on the rest of the conference.
Mike
1. Iowa
2. Ohio State
3. Wisconsin
I was so incredibly concerned putting Iowa on top, but as much talent as the Buckeyes have going into the season, I'm just staring at Ohio State's trip to Kinnick Stadium on November 20. If Iowa wins that game, does it mean overall for the season the Hawks are the best team in the conference? Not really. But Iowa is returning eight starters on a defense that just got better last year. As a Penn State fan, I'm actually more concerned about Iowa's defense than Ohio State's defense, considering both those games are away.
So Iowa and Ohio State are a draw for me, but that's kind of a cop-out; I pulled the trigger on Iowa, and I'm sticking with it.
As for Wisconsin, I was going to try another cop-out here, putting Wisconsin and Penn State as "tied" for third place. But again, that's stupid. Wisconsin is returning 10 offensive starters, including all five starting offensive linemen. The defense isn't better than Penn State's but the offensive line alone will win the Badgers a few games this season.
Ryan
Top Three Big Ten Teams:
1. Ohio State -- As much as it may pain me to say it...this is the year we really regret not signing Terrelle Pryor. His third season as a starter, this is the year he lives up to the hype and delivers for "The University of Ohio State." They bring back the overwhelming majority of their starters on both sides of the ball, and are the clear favorites to win the conference.
2. Iowa -- We saw how good the Iowa running game could be last year, and Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher were only freshmen. Now sophomores, the ground game should be even better this year. Combine that with a senior quarterback and beastly Adrian Clayborn, and this team should be a BCS contender yet again.
3. Wisconsin -- Third one is a tough one. Penn State could be in the mix, but I'm counting them out. John Clay is back for his third season in Camp Randall, and if last year is any indication this is the year he can push Wisconsin over the proverbial hump. But like here in Happy Valley, strong quarterback play is a concern in Wisconsin as well. Scott Tolzien returns as a second year starter, but he's going to have to improve on his 16/11 touchdown to interception ratio to give the Badgers a chance at the title.
Tim
1. Ohio State
2. Iowa
3. Penn State
I believe I deserve props for thinking outside of the box on this one…Terrelle Pryor turned a corner towards the end of last season and his solid performance in the Rose Bowl only helped to solidify my beliefs. The Buckeyes also return defensive end Cam Heyward, who made life a living hell for Daryll Clark and the Penn State offense in last year's embarassment at Beaver Stadium. The Buckeyes are loaded at just about every key position and until somebody can prove otherwise on the field, I see no reason why they should be ranked anywhere but #1 in the Big Ten.
Sure, Iowa returns most its key players including punter swallower Adrian Clayborn, safety Tyler Sash, all of their tailbacks including newly healthy Jewel Hampton, and yes dare I say it - Ricky Stanzi. With that being said, if Iowa plays as many tight games as they did last year, especially due to numerous 'Stanziballs''being thrown, they will not be as fortunate as they were last year and will likely suffer a couple more losses than many of us expect.
I'm just not sold on Wisconsin being in the top three at season's end. I admittedly haven't been reading my Phil Steele magazine as of late so this is coming off a total hunch and can't back it up based on which starters are returning, but I feel very hesitant to put them in the top three. To be fair, Penn State is a shaky top three prospect as well, especially given the brutal schedule plus the quarterback situation which has been documeneted more than Tiger Woods and LeBron James combined.
I know I predicted an 8-4 season for PSU in an earlier TQ segment but I feel when push comes to shove, they will emerge in a distant third. The senior-laden offensive line will gel together rather quickly which means everything depends on that QB situation getting settled. If in fact, a decent QB emerges from the pile, a nine or perhaps even a ten-win season is possible. Plus, who else besides PSU or Wisconsin is worthy or a top three preseason ranking? Michigan State will be improved but they just don't have the horses to win 9 or 10 games, especially with one of the worst secondaries in college football, and the rest of the Big Ten teams that I haven't mentioned all have fatal flaws of their own that will prevent them from being anything more than a middle of the pack team this year.
Senior center Doug Klopacz (68) will finally get his chance to shine this fall, after an unfortunately injury-plagued career. "It’s nice (to be starting)," says Klopacz, who still wears a brace on the knee in practice and games. "I got setback with my knee two years ago, but that’s the way things go, that’s life. You got to keep going and hope for the best and hopefully things work out, and that’s kind of what it’s looking like for me right now. So, I got to keep pushing and doing what I got to do."Talk about a "Penn State" kind of kid. It's fantastic to see this kind of story unfold. Let's hope there's a happy ending in store.
Listing the top two quarterbacks alphabetically, with an ‘OR’ between them, signifies little. Newsome (right) closed spring practice as the starter, though the competition will continue into August. Jones is the wild card, having thrown two TD passes in the Blue-White Game. Fellow freshman Robert Bolden, who arrived in June, could earn a spot here if he isn’t redshirted. Receiver Derek Moye said Bolden “seems like the best athlete” among the quarterbacks.It'll be an interesting September.
Inside Lacrosse reported in May that Mackrides had received a temporary release from the Nittany Lions lacrosse team to explore possible transfer options. That decision followed former Penn State coach Glenn Thiel's retirement after 33 years in Happy Valley.And you thought football and basketball were the only drama playing in town.
Since Mackrides' decision to ask for a transfer, Penn State hired former Cornell head coach Jeff Tambroni to take over the program, just a month after making a second consecutive appearance at Championship Weekend. Mackrides is said to be comfortable in the current place.
"We can still keep the bowl games and have the best of both worlds. There's a ton of bowl games out there, and some teams will be in the mix for that. Others won't and you can take it for what's worth," he continued.Say it with me... YES!
So when will we see this happen? In our lifetimes?
"I would say in the next 5-10 years we'll see it leaning in that direction a little more so," Warner stated.
There is a big price increase for Beaver Stadium parking this coming Penn State Nittany Lions football season. Parking passes bought day of game will go up in price from $20 to $40. Wow, I thought $20 was steep. Parking passes bought in advance will be $12 which is a lot more reasonable.I'll just park in a free lot in town, thanks.
"I really do like Penn State. At the beginning of this, they were like at the top. Hopefully for them they can change my mind, but if not, it will be Georgia Tech."That's not the kind of thing you want to hear, but you have to imagine that GT is going hard after a guy one state over from them. Noble said he wants to basically be catered to up and down, which doesn't seem to fit right with Penn State's (read:JoePa's) image. Still, Penn State shouldn't drop the ball here, and better swallow its pride and schmooze this kid.
"We have some guys that can step up and do the return game and stuff like that," Royster said. "I doubt I'll be too involved with that, but definitely catching the ball out of the backfield and trying to split out. I think we'll try and get into that."
"Brian: Again, we've been competitive. We just haven't had the wins to show for it. We won the league tournament in '94, and have a handful of upsets over Missouri and Kansas when they were ranked in the top 2 or 3. Case in point, we led Kansas in the second half during both games last year, but couldn't pull them out in the end.
Nebraska will be more competitive in the Big 10. We've had a few rough seasons, but our youth is very talented and after last season...experienced. Keep in mind, Nebraska led the Big 12 in scoring defense for the majority of the year in 2009-10. We fit the Big 10's style of play a bit better than the Big 12. I'd say that Nebraska will compare to an Iowa or Minnesota in terms of what they are capable of."
“We’re probably going to have a lot of conversations like we had a few years ago (about Finley) where we have a young guy who’s got a long way to go,” McAdoo said of Quarless. “Really there’s not a lot to talk about right now. He’s a young man that has to learn how to practice the right way, he’s got to learn how to keep his pads down, he’s got to learn the offense.”
Quarterback Kevin Newsome (12) should have plenty of protection this season from the strong right side of the offensive line, anchored by right guard Stefen Wizniewski (61) and right tackle Lou Eliades (77).Senior center Doug Klopacz (68) will finally get his chance to shine this fall, after an unfortunately injury-plagued career. .jpg)
Since spending the 2009 season at safety, Gerald Hodges (6) has shot up the depth chart at his new "Sam" outside linebacker position.
"Anyone who forgets that forgets at their peril," Delany told The Post in a telephone interview. "It's the center, it has been the center of media activity for a hundred years. It's the center of financial activity and it has been that way for 150 years. To me it's sort of where a lot of things start in the county."A New Jersian myself, I would love to see the Big Ten expand east and admit Rutgers into the conference. Their stadium is expanding and they are in the process of developing a legitimate football program that is already on par with many of those in the Big Ten.
“I can control a game. And I think the team rallies around me because of this,” McGloin said. “I can be a leader in and out of the huddle. I believe I can get the job done and a lot of the guys on the team think that way as well.”
"Starters–Maybe the most glaring issue the Tide have to deal with is the loss of 8 defensive starters to graduation/NFL as well as the loss of Marcel Dareus (Who was by the way the MVP of the National Championship Game) due to an NCAA investigation. That leaves Alabama 2 defensive starters as well as Dont’a Hightower who will be coming back from injury.While Nick Saben is known for his defensive mindedness, coaching a new core of players to a high level only a game into the season is no small task. Alabama fans will point to their 5th ranked recruiting class, one which is chalk full of talented, speedy defensive players, but to assume that all of these players will A) Replace the leadership, and B) Dominate out of the gate, is a little too much. It is possible, but generally talent will get you far, but talent coupled with experience will win you games."
About the University
Everyone knows that the University of Michigan is located in Ann Arbor (if you don't well, now you do), but few know that the city of Ann Arbor was once hoping to become the capital of Michigan. In 1817 the university was established, then called the University of Michigania, not in Ann Arbor but in Detroit. At the time Michigan wasn't even a state in the union and Ann Arbor was hoping to become the state capital when it joined. Unfortunately, Lansing was selected over Ann Arbor.
Its ok Ann Arbor, I'm not a capital either
When Lansing was chosen as the capital, Ann Arbor offered the original 40 acres set aside for the capital to Michigania (I like that I think I'll use that name for the rest of this post). In 1837 the university moved to Ann Arbor and it's been a beautiful marriage ever since.
In the 1920's and 30's UM gained the nickname "Harvard of the West," when Ivy League schools applied a quota to the number of Jews to be admitted. As a result Jewish students from New York that were turned away because of the admission limits, flocked to Michigania. In a speech on the UM campus John F. Kennedy referred to himself as "a graduate of the Michigan of the East, Harvard University," which resulted in many parodies of the "Harvard of the West" moniker.
Mascot
Of course the athletic teams of the University of Michigania are called 'Wolverines' but there is not one single story behind the nickname. At one time it was believed that the state of Michigan was home to an abundance of the ferocious skunk-bears but there has never been a verified trapping of a wolverine inside the state's borders, nor have the skeletal remains of a wolverine been found. Former Michigania coaching great Fielding Yost suggested that the nickname came from the trading of wolverine pelts which occurred at Sault Ste. Marie for many years. Another theory involves the French who first settled in Michigan. The Frechies had a gluttonous or "wolverine-like" appetite and were given the moniker but that just sounds silly.
As far as the mascot goes, it's been widely accepted that the Wolverines have none, you won't see any plush Wolverine-like character roaming the sidelines on Saturdays, but we don't buy it. In fact, we at Linebacker-U have done some extensive research and found that the University of Michigania once had a mascot and it had nothing to do with Wolverines. No the long lost and forgotten mascot of Michigan was Stickman.
But things didn't work out well for Stickman, he got himself into a lot of trouble. Stickman had a very serious drinking problem. He would drink way too much and do unspeakable things.
He would get sick at the most inopportune times.
As bad as his relationship with family members was Stickman's relationship with animals was even worse.
In his drunken stupor he would often taunt them:
Causing attack from alligators:
And giant mosquitoes:
It got so bad that the Michigan board of regents unanimously voted to remove Stickman as mascot and go without one:
So the next time you run across a Michigan fan and they try to tell you that Michigan has no mascot don't fall for it, we know better.
Football related data
Last Season: 5-7
The Wolverines started competing in football in 1879 and have won or shared 42 league titles, more than any other football program in any conference. Michigan claims 11 national titles although only one (1997) occurred after 1950. The aforementioned Fielding Yost collected 6 national titles including 4 in a row from 1901-1904. Michigan played in 39 bowl games compiling a record of 19–20. Michigan has had 3 Heisman Trophy award winners and 25 Heisman candidates total. Since 1898, there have been 126 Michigan players that earned first-team All-American honors. Michigan has 35 members selected to the College Football Hall of fame and 8 members selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Famous Alumni
There are currently 70 Michigan Alumni on NFL rosters. There were 26 Rhodes Scholars, 7 Nobel Prize winners and 116 Olympic medalists that attended the University of Michigania. 8 former Wolverines were astronauts including several that landed on the moon.
Michael Phelps attended the University Michigan and swam competitively for Club Wolverine, a swimming club associated with the university.
U.S. president Gerald Ford was a Wolverine. Conservative pundit Ann Coulter, attended law school at UM and so did former House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt. Dr. Death himself Jack Kevorkian attended Michigan and so did "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski.
Some famous Michigan Alumni in Hollywood include actors James Earl Jones, David Alan Grier and actress Lucy Liu.
Darth Vader: Luke, Obi-wan never told you I was a Wolverine
Luke: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Like I'm gonna mention Lucy Liu without a pic
Madonna, Derek Jeter, and rock legend Iggy Pop attended Michigan but did not graduate.
"Lets get back to the original point. Joe. As of late, critics of Paterno have pointed out that while Nick Saben and Co are out visiting players, Joe hasn’t made a in house visit since Terrelle Pryor (although he came close this past year). Disptite this statistic the program has still pulled together a Top 10 recruiting class for 2010 and as well as many strong classes in the past decade. All of which occured without Paterno’s direct intervention in the household.
While there is something to be said for the All-time winningest coach visiting your house, recruits are really looking for three things. Winning, Playingtime, and a chance to go pro. Penn State has gone 51-13 since 2004, and none of that winning has been related to Joe Paterno eating cookies and telling odd stories to recruits."
Q: You've always had great respect for Bobby Bowden. His situation and your situation appear to be so unique. Do you think we'll ever see any more coaches staying at one university for 20, 25 years?Joe Pa's Best
A: It doesn't look that way. With the kind of money they're paying some guys they have two good years and they're up to 2 or 3 million bucks (a year). They're moving around because people are offering them more money.
Take a guy like (Michigan State basketball coach) Tom Izzo, a guy who I admire and respect. I think he's a great coach. I never thought he would even talk to the pros. I understand even he's talking to some people (Izzo turned down the Cleveland Cavaliers in June).
It's the money and maybe the challenge. I don't know why they're moving around.
I keep telling guys: "If you have a good job stick around and make it happen. Make your institution better."
You see people getting fired who have done a good job. You have a couple good years and all of a sudden someone else comes around with a little better deal and you start thinking, "If I stick around here, they're going to fire me in two years, anyway; I might as well move."
Ah, my freshman year of college: It's a time that I fondly look back upon as it invokes memories such as meeting people that I still call 'friends' to this very day, discovering the joys of beer, and 'Wal-Mart runs' which consisted of a few friends and I getting dropped off at a local Wal-Mart that was several miles away from campus, buying a whole bunch of cheap DVD's, and then walking back to campus in the dark through these creepy backwoods while debating about which one of us would die first if we were in a horror film.
Look, Paterno is not without character flaws. He can be more than a bit of a hothead, as stubborn as an old lawn mower and has an impulse to control things and people that just can’t be controlled that can drive him and those around him crazy.I bet you all those JoePa detractors are fired up after reading that, huh? I mean, seriously, that old kook is past his prime, and ruining Penn State football!
Paterno has always kept his program behind lock and key, but the machine that helped build Woods and James has also turned college football into a three-ring circus. He tolerates it to an extent because of the money it brings his program and, in turn, the university, but he’s an old-school coach, with the emphasis on school. He believes as much as anyone in the concept of the student-athlete but knows that grade-point averages aren’t what draws ESPN to college campuses.Now if that isn't one of the most commonsensical string of words to come off a mainstream sportswriter's fingers this entire off-season, you show me otherwise.
If Paterno is being a little selfish and refusing to step aside and give someone else a crack at leading one of the nation’s top programs, so what? That selfishness might mean a few more stud athletes get their degree, or a kid who grew up in Pennsylvania dreaming of playing for Joe Paterno will get to do just that.
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Penn State would be wise to put Kevin Newsome in position to succeed this fall, ala Michael Robinson 2005.
I have confidence that if Newsome starts, PSU will find ways to use him effectively...unlike say Jim Tressel, who let Pryor wilt in a confusing Shotgun Spread for way too long before simplifying his gameplan ("Oh damn, you're telling me that's not Troy Smith back there? Whoops..."). Newsome can run like TP, but it remains to be seen whether he can make the 8 yard throws that keep secondaries honest and make the (I presume) run-focused Spread HD that much more effective.I'll take it! Seriously, though. Read the whole post. Don't get frustrated by the negatives, because they're all true. But get excited because they/we only had the Blue White Game (*see below) and a few snaps last season to go off of. If Jay Paterno and Galen Hall whip out the old Michael Robinson playbook, this offense will be rockin' in 2010.
Overall: C-
"Alabama athletic director Mal Moore told me that Bowden has accepted an invitation to the Crimson Tide’s game on Sept. 11 against Penn State. Bowden will see his childhood team play against the team of his old friend and competitor, Joe Paterno. Very cool."Very cool, indeed.
Along with Barrett, the complaint named Marriott International Inc.; West End Hotel Partners LLC and Nashville Marriott At Vanderbilt University; Windsor Capital Group Inc.; Radisson Hotels International Inc.; Ashtel Inc. and Radisson Hotel Milwaukee Airport; Ohio State University and The Blackwell Inn; and Preferred Hotel Group Inc. and Summit Hotels & Resorts.That sure sounds like it.
Marriott, Windsor, Preferred and Ohio State and the Nasville Marriott declined to comment. Ashtel and Radisson could not be reached.
Mike Mauti... the next Poz?
"Michael Mauti's brown hair crept out from beneath the cap turned backward on his head, and his arms were crossed in front of his heavily muscled chest. A bystander remarked that Mauti looked a lot like one of Linebacker U's most famous graduates, the stoic Paul Posluszny."I highly recommend the full article. No, not just because it's all about this site's namesake. But Armas is good at what he does.
"I think Indianapolis and the brand new Lucas Oil Stadium is the best site choice. I’m all for bringing people and business to downtown Cleveland, but playing it inside in Indianapolis (or Detroit, or even St. Louis) is a much better plan. First and foremost, there’s too much at stake in this BCS system to potentially play that game in eight inches of snow if there’s an alternative. Secondly, the Big Ten’s goal is to fill every seat – easy to do in Cleveland if Ohio State is playing, but is it feasible in snowy Cleveland if not? Ohio State fans will travel regardless (Indy is only an hour-max drive more from Columbus than Cleveland is), but I’m not sure Penn State-Iowa would sell out if it’s played outside in Cleveland on six days notice."No harm, no BCS foul... Adam Rittenberg at ESPN talked to a BCS big-wig about how a potential Big Ten championship game would impact the Big Ten's regularly-earned second BCS bowl bid:
"I’ve looked back at it and I don’t think you can quantify that [a championship game] has made a whole lot of difference," BCS executive director Bill Hancock said this week. "The jury’s still out on the effect of championship games of how many teams you get in the BCS. We’ll know more when Big Ten and Pac-10 go to championship games, but I don’t see a tremendous advantage or disadvantage."Rutgers is still respectable, according to Dave Curtis at TSN.
Penn State is lagging behind this year in... states where they are normally very strong," said national recruiting expert Tom Lemming of CBS... and Maxpreps.com. "I don't expect Penn State to have a real good year in recruiting, unless they go outside of their normal states... If things don't turn around soon, Penn State could find itself in sort of a panic mode."I would find it very difficult to imagine Mike McQueary and Larry Johnson, Sr. in anything remotely close to panic mode, particularly after pulling in, as Musselman himself points out in a so very by-the-way manner, "a strong 2010 football recruiting class that many experts ranked among the top 10 in the country."
"When Paterno is gone, I think Penn State's recruiting will improve tremendously. They will have a younger, more energetic person in charge who will go on the road and compete with all the top coaches for the best players in the country."... between those, Musselman basically blew up the entire argument:
"With good coaching, he will be a No. 1 draft pick."So much for not being able to recruit talent this year.
"Penn State's 2011 class is expected to range between 14 and 18 players. The fact that no WPIAL players appear on Lemming's list of the top 100 players in the country does not help the Lions."But why should it matter that the entire state of Pennsylvania sucks for recruiting this year?
"I still think Penn State is going to be OK. I still think they will get some good football players and finish among the top three teams in the Big Ten. But their class won't be anywhere near as good as it was last year."So which is it? Is Joe Paterno causing the destruction of Penn State football? Or is Penn State going to be OK? Because I swear finishing with a top-3 Big Ten recruiting class, is a supposedly terrible year for recruiting, was pretty fucking good.
"Joe Paterno is an icon, he's the biggest name in a college football," Lemming said. "If he's not out there on the road matching up against the Urban Meyers and Lane Kiffins of the world, it is not going to help your program; it is only going to hurt it... Paterno is the biggest weapon Penn State has. Kids want to see him and say he came to their house or school."Wow, isn't that just a sucker punch to the collective gut of everyone associated with the Penn State football program? What Lemming really said was that without Paterno, Penn State has no remarkable attributes.
