September 3, 2010

LBU Staff Predictions: Youngstown State, PSU's 2010 Overall Record

What, you thought we weren't going to do this? Shame on you. We have far too much smuggy blogger pride to forego laying it all on the line with some score predictions for the game tomorrow.

Huddle
Say it with us... "backups"

Full Game Preview: YSU @ PSU

Galen

Youngstown State:
The last time Penn State played YSU they walked away with a decisive 37-3 victory and I don’t expect anything different this time around. This isn’t the Youngstown State team that was winning FCS championships like the one directed by Sweatervest, this team was 6-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference last season. They do have a very good freshman running back (Adaris Bellamy) who was a four star recruit who originally was heading to South Florida, but one guy isn’t going to make the difference here. Green quarterback worries aside, Penn State should have their way with them. This game will be over by halftime.

Penn State 45, Youngstown St 10

2010 Overall: My season prediction is simple, Penn State will beat the cupcakes and win the games they ‘should’ win. I think PSU puts a good game together against one of the big three and sneaks out a win but I also think they get tripped up in a game they should win. I still think Northwestern is scary between Michigan and Ohio State and Minnesota proved last night that they are better than most thought (ok not better than I thought but that’s a different story). I’ll say Penn State goes 9-3 gets a decent bowl game and wins it to get to 10 wins.

Mike

Youngstown State: Penn State could either come out flat, embarrassingly winning an ugly season opener against a far inferior opponent, forcing the voters to drop them out of the top 25 just to spite the Nittany Lions. Or, this team can play up to its talent level, and destroy the Penguins. The eternal optimist, I will go with the latter. Robert Bolden will come out hot, yet cool-headed, completing easy passes on screens, swings and slants. No matter how much of a "pretty good football team" YSU is this year, Penn State is a damn good football team. If the coaching staff has prepared its team well, as I fully expect it has, this game will allow everyone to work out those first-game jitters, while sharpening the offense. I'm not worried about the defense, particularly since the linebackers--what many pundits say will be a weak spot--are just as good, though less experienced, as the 2009 group.

Penn State 59, Youngstown St 5

2010 Overall: Penn State will have to work for any sort of Big Ten title or at-large BCS bowl bit, but it's possible. It's all up to the offensive line and Robert Bolden. Gee, nice to be able to say difinitively which guy is the starting quarterback, huh? Well, that's why I'm more confident now that I was even before the season. This team has the talent to win 11 games. But the experience factor will hurt the Nittany Lions in at least one or two others. I'll call for 9-3 with a January bowl berth.

Nick

Youngstown State: My prediction for YSU is... everybody plays! Are you the parents of a senior buried 7th on the depth chart? Hope you got tickets for the game, he'll see three snaps from on the field not the sideline in the 4th quarter. Hell, Mike might throw a jersey on for a kneel down at the end. The score will be closer than most want, but the coaches are focused on execution and seeing guys in game action. Maybe you'll see a twist or two for Bama to ponder but don't expect to see much of the playbook.

C'mon, seriously, it's Youngstown State

2010 Overall: For the season I'm was looking at 9-3(losses to the big three on the road), but things get interesting with a true freshman at the helm. My hope for the season is that he, and the fans, don't expect to do everything perfect and take what comes in stride.

Tim

Youngstown State: I'm way more excited about this imminent beatdown of a fat paycheck-collecting FCS school than I should be, thanks to Robert Bolden being named the starter. It'll be hard to truly gauge this team going up against inferior talent, but I want to see just how stable the O-line situation is, along with seeing Justin Brown and Shawney Kersey in action as we've heard a lot of hype on them as receivers. Not to mention, Brown should be our answer to the lack of a punt returner that we had last season.

Look for the starters to be sitting on the bench by halftime, as they should have little trouble moving the ball and stopping YSU's offense from doing the same. By the 3rd quarter, everyone with a smart phone will be surfing ESPN's ScoreCenter app to follow scores from other games and everyone else will be thinking about watching some of the more intriguing 3:30 matchups (Michigan-UConn, anyone?). YSU will get a garbage time TD which will cause the visitor's section to go wild.

Penn State 41, Youngstown St 7

2010 Overall: Before Bolden won the starting job, I was thinking 8-4 with losses to the 'big three' of Bama, Iowa, and OSU plus a slip-up against somebody else we have no business losing to. I'm a tad more confident in the offense now that it seems JoePa's willing to play the most talented guy out there. If the O-line can hold its own, I could see us potentially shocking one of the 'big three.' At the same time, I still could see us losing a game we shouldn't. I'll go with 9-3 and a victory in the Gator Bowl.

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