Blue and White Roundtable: the Michigan Edition

Just in time for Halloween, a banged up Penn State defense gets to take on the Big Ten's best rushing offense and second best scoring.
A big ataboy to Nittany Whiteout who fielded the questions today because the rest of us were too lazy busy. As always, check out the other B&W Roundtable blogs.

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Linebacker U
2 the Lion
Penn State Clips


1. Was Penn State's win over Minnesota a step in the right direction, or are any feelings of goodwill overshadowed by the fact that, well, Minnesota is just really, really bad?

At the very least it has subdued the Penn State bipolars; the bitching has gone from screaming to a muffled grumbling. What was a step in the right direction was the play of Rob Bolden… and then he got hurt. *sigh* After a predictable Jay Paterno start of mashing the ball at the center of the line Penn State opened it up a bit and started throwing the ball and Bolden was sharp. Amazingly when he went down that didn't stop the aerial attack as McGloin's first completion was a long touchdown. Hopefully we'll see more of that Saturday night, but I'm not holding my breath.

2. From all indications, it appears that Rob Bolden is out. If you were Joe Paterno, which QB would be the starter, and what would the offensive gameplan look like?

Well, it's really a moot point because Newsome is still slightly injured so there's no choice for Paterno, McGloin is the man. I really don't think you change anything you just have to keep in mind that McGloin isn't as fast as Bolden, he's more of a pocket passer. Penn State should give McGloin some short safe throws off the bat to get his confidence up and then sprinkle in the run to keep Michigan guessing. McGloin enjoys going deep so I'd give him a couple deep posts early on and see what he can do.

3. Penn State's defense has had trouble wrapping up, and Denard Robinson is the kind of player who can make one guy miss and wind up in the end zone. How can Penn State try and contain the Wolverines' star quarterback?

I don't think they can. The good news is one of Penn State's biggest problems on defense may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. The defensive line has been horrible this season getting very little pressure and that may actually help. If the line stays in their lanes and makes Robinson throw it could be a plus for PSU. Of the two modalities that Robinson possesses, his throwing ability lags far behind his running ability. Penn State needs to force him to throw if they want to win.

4. On a scale of Indiana to Pitt, how much do you hate Michigan? Use examples to support your argument.

Indiana. Actually Indiana and Pitt, I don't hate either. Pitt's record against Paterno is abysmal and that rivalry is only alive in the minds of older fans. The Penn State – Michigan series just hasn't been that great for me; they don't view us as a rival and they beat us 9 times in a row. Sure there have been some close games but for the most part there just isn't much rivalry, Michigan saves all their hate for Ohio State.

5. The mystique of the White Out is sometimes overstated, but what impact do you think the night game and the crowd will have on Saturday's game?

Well the white out can still be intimidating but the late start will be more of a factor. Drinking all day + Michigan = thunderous crowd. Sure the White Out may amp that up a notch but the late start is the catalyst. Maybe even the student section can be filled up before the start of the game. Ok that was wishful thinking on my part.

Quick Hits:

1. Combined yardage for Denard Robinson?

350+

2. Who runs for more yards, Evan Royster or Silas Redd?

Redd, once Joe stubbornly puts him in.

3. At kickoff, what percentage of the student section is full?

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say 80%

4. What's your prediction for the final score?

High scoring, Michigan by a touchdown. Check back in for our Staff predictions.