Penn State's Biggest Trouble Spots for 2011, Part 2

Silas Redd

It's that time of the year when college football offers NOTHING of substance to talk about. That's why God invented bloggers like us. This may be the ump-teenth time you've read a breakdown of what Penn State will or won't do, where it could fail or succeed. But it's still fun. Why? Because no one seems to have the same take on where the chips may fall this, umm, fall.

As mentioned last week, there are four big sections in the off-season: post-bowl (Jan-Feb), pre-spring (Feb-Mar), pre-summer (May-June), and pre-season (Aug). Usually during these inter periods it's a good time to gauge the depth chart situation. 

Today, we'll wrap up this two-parter by looking at the backup running back spot, quarterbacks (ugh!), and as one of our followers on Twitter suggested (which I'll modify a bit), the weather and schedule. I'm absolutely sure we'll have a schedule-related post in the coming weeks. But just one quick glance as the murderers row Penn State must face in 2011 will tell you that schedule could end up being the deciding factor in whether or not Penn State is playing in a top-tier bowl game.

Enjoy.

Trib Report: PSU Had a QB Starter Before Spring Game

Will PSU elect to stay the course at QB?

Jay Paterno and the coaching staff could have picked a starting quarterback before the Blue-White Game, according to a report by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Penn State quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno said the staff could have identified a starter between Matt McGloin and Rob Bolden at the end of spring drills.

"We had an idea of who would start if there was a game this month," he said earlier this week, "but don`t ask me who it is, because I`m not going to tell you."

Is JayPa just messin' with the media, as his father had done with great fun for the last 50 years? Possibly, but not likely. It's tough to avoid making an even bigger deal out of this than I am right now, giving it its own post and all. But Jay did come out and stay something that he knew very well would inflame the quarterback debate for at least the rest of the summer. Ignoring this or burying it would be almost as dumb as being sensationalist about it.

Jay did offer up another intersting assessment of this spring practice:

"We were more accurate than we were in the spring of `08, and we threw the ball well that season," he said.

If the quarterbacks, AS A WHOLE, are more accurate than Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin were at this stage in 2008, that's damn impressive.

Oh, this summer is going to be fun.

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Blue-White Game Preview '11: Offensive Backfield

This post is part 1 of 5 this week previewing all the offensive and defensive units heading into the Blue-White scrimmage this Saturday in Beaver Stadium.

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Part 1: The Offensive Backfield

Penn State has more talent at the skill positions this spring than I can remember. That doesn't necessarily mean that talent is experienced, developed or realized at this point. A dominating theme last season was that of underachievement by a football team that had arguably more raw talent than at least two of the teams that defeated it (Illinois & Michigan State) and probably another (Iowa).

In the first parts of our preview series heading into the Blue-White Game, we'll start with the offensive backfield--quarterbacks and running backs. Then tomorrow it's on to the receivers and tight ends.

While the quarterback position remains a hot mess this spring, the running backs are surprisingly strong with the loss of Penn State's all-time leading rusher. Even the fullbacks are something to get excited about for 2011 and possibly on the field this weekend.

More on each in the following sections below the break.

Linkbacker U is Pumping Quarters Into The Beaver Stadium Jukebox

Because What Beaver Stadium Sorely Lacks Are Drunken Sing-Along Songs

The official Penn State Football Facebook page is looking for music suggestions for this upcoming season. We here at LBU would love to hear Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man" so long as they don't have a buffoon pushing the buttons up there in the sound booth who pushes G8 instead of G7...

Linkbacker U. is Representin' McWestside

What do you expect? I don't have
my computer with Photoshop
right now, so MS Paint
is all we get today.

Who knew Scranton turf wars were this intense? Matt McGloin, that's who.

"Whenever he says where he's from, he says West Scranton, not Scranton," Mr. Meyers said of Mr. McGloin.

For Mr. McGloin's father, Paul, there's a pretty simple explanation for that.

"He loves West Scranton," Mr. McGloin said of his son. "It's a part of town where people care about each other and take care of each other."

Can't you just picture the amber waves of grain and purple mountains' majesty in the background?

This yellow journalism is not worth a link. Mark Madden wrote Madden: Sandusky a State secret for the Beaver County Times last night. The whole thing is just rancid garbage, but this particular passage caught my eye as truly unethical:

Did Penn State oversign for 2011? Kinda.

Math. While it's a tough concept for those in SEC country, up here in the north it doesn't seem like all that much work to, you know, count. And that's all it took to figure out that Penn State appeared to have oversigned for the class of 2011 by two scholarships. But as I'll explain in this post, the Nittany Lions coaching staff did not, in fact, do anything outside of the Big Ten's oversigning regulations.

Rob Bolden talks, future still not certain beyond spring practice

Penn State's spring quarterback battle
is already getting fired up. (Photo: LBU/Mike)

Sounds like Rob Bolden is still a bit sour (wouldn't you be?) on Penn State's handling of the quarterback situation last season. While more of the juicy stuff is behind paywalls this afternoon, some quotes have been reported free by guys like Ron Musselman:

"Nothing is official," he said today. "I'm just here for the spring. I decided to come back. I'm just here. I'm going to work hard and we'll see what happens from there." [snip] "Hopefully, it will be an open competition," Bolden said.

Not sure if this was a planned move by Bolden to rekindle the fire that raged after the Outback Bowl, or just the media figuring they would egg him on to get spring started with a pop. Regardless, we officially have pop, and it doesn't look like things will go flat any time soon.

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Time to stop mistaking 'swagger' and 'moxie' for 'being a dickbag' (updated)

Matt McGloin needs to grow up and get a sense of humor.

Or, better yet... how about simply shut up?

You can judge for yourselves by reading the string of Tweets from SBN's Jeff Junstrom (formerly of BSD). They are in ascending chronological order, so read them starting with the very bottom tweet. It starts out like any boring Wednesday night on Twitter. Evan Royster asks if anyone saw a movie he was watching. McGloin tweets back the ending of the movie, and in the process, issues a spoiler. So Junstrom tweeted in response: "Dick." What ensued is something I just can't wrap my head around...

Outback Bowl '11: Florida 37, Penn State 24

(Photo: Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel)

The Gators slammed the door shut on what could have been a very nice season finale. It's time to move forward, on to signing day, spring practice, summer camp, and the 2011 season. But first, let's do a quick review of the game.

What to like. What to hate. What to not freak out about.

Right now...

Rob Bolden is Seeking a Transfer: This Story Lacks Moxie



Bye-bye Bolden. Oh, what should have been... (Photo: LBU/Mike)

Just when Penn State fans couldn't imagine a shittier start to 2011, this bombshell arrives in timely fashion (via Lions247.com):

A day after Penn State's loss to Florida in the Outback Bowl, the father of true freshman Rob Bolden told Lions247.com that his son will seek a transfer from the school.

It's true, he's looking to leave Penn State,"said Robert Bolden, Sr. on Sunday afternoon. "He's notified the coaches, that's as far as it's gone so far. We're waiting on the next step now...."

"They're not looking for him to leave, they don't want him to leave, but he no longer wants to play at Penn State. He's not happy at Penn State currently. If it was up to me, he definitely [would leave], without a doubt. He's definitely made it known that he does not want to be there anymore."

I sure hope Joe Paterno is satisfied with that extra-long leash he gave Matt McGloin, because his unwillingness to bench the struggling quarterback and try something different has once again bit him in the ass. With Kevin Newsome already seeking a transfer himself, PSU is now down to two scholarship QBs once again, much like two years ago. This presumably sets the stage now for redshirt-freshman Paul Jones and his five-star talent to take over the reins next Fall.

Your move, Shane McGregor.

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McGloin Leads Penn State to Outback Bowl Loss

(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

There is a reason Matt McGloin didn't win the starting quarterback job in late August 2010.

For all the talk of "moxie," and "swagger," none of it could match poor throws into coverage, five interceptions, one pick-6 that sealed the defeat, and about three other passes that should have been intercepted by Florida in the Gators' 37-24 win over the Nittany Lions today.

Things started off well enough, as after an initial 3-and-out, Penn State marched down the field with McGloin connecting on 6 of 7 passes for a touchdown to Derek Moye. Florida struggled much of the day on offense, which was compounded by a stellar effort by the Penn State defense. But mistake after mistake led to the Gators being allowed to stay in, and win, the 2011 Outback Bowl.

Outback Bowl '11: Inside Penn State

Penn State had some low expectations coming into the 2010 season. And the Nittany Lions managed to meet every one of them, and some. The quarterback situation was scary, the offensive line even scarier. The defense had to replace three NFL linebackers and the defensive player of the year at tackle. The schedule wasn't kind, either, with the defending national champs, Rose Bowl champs, Orange Bowl champs, and some other teams that turned out to be much better than many predicted.

But with all the downs, came the many ups this season. Finding one too many very good quarterbacks. An improving offensive line. Some damn good receivers. Silas Redd. Michael Mauti. And a team capable of beating almost any opponent, if not for the gross inexperience on the side of blue and white.

Now Penn State returns to another post-season exhibition against the SEC. The last two times out between the Nittany Lions and the most powerful conference in college football resulted in victories for the slow-pokes from snowy Pennsylvania. We'll see if they can do it once again.

In this post, we'll take a quick look at the team overall, then have a game-by-game rundown.

Outback Bowl '11: Matt McGloin will start at QB

F- it, let's go deep! Right?
(Photo: Mike/LBU)

Joe Paterno confirmed today what many had expected, that Matt McGloin will be Penn State's starting quarterback in the 2011 Outback Bowl.

"I think that Matt is the quarterback. Now the other kid has a lot of ability but he is a true freshman in the truest sense of the word- he wasn't even here for spring practice. He came in and unfortunately we had to start him a few games early until the other kid (Rob Bolden) started to show some promise. I think we are all right at quarterback. We are not great. We have had some problems with our offensive line early but we are getting a little bit better. I think that Matt has done a good job for us."

This isn't surprising, but it's definitely good to get it out of the way now. For all the pushing I've done for Rob Bolden to be the starter, I'd rather just see a deliberate confirmation like this that McGloin is the guy.

I'll have a meatier post tomorrow on Paterno's teleconference. It was pretty brief, but there were some neat things said.

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Review: Michigan State 28, Penn State 22

Penn State managed to end the 2010 regular season with a thud, which happens to be exactly how the season as a whole will be viewed by most fans and media.

Penn State's senior class will be remembered for helping lead the team
 to a 47-17 record over their five seasons in Happy Valley. (Photo: Mike/LBU)

It was the first senior day loss since 1999. It also completed the first winning regular season since 1992 in which Penn State failed to reach eight victories. But all that aside, Penn State did manage to prevent the blowout, actually putting quite the scare into the overly-comfortable Spartans late in the game. It was the kind of never-die attitude that could bode very well for the future of this team. But that's all next season. Let's talk about this season, and this depressing loss, in particular.

What to like. What to hate. What to not freak out about. Right now...

Preview: Michigan State at Penn State

The Nittany Lions, once again this season, are back on track after a loss. Last week's win over Indiana wasn't the most impressive showing under Joe Paterno, but it was absolutely necessary to set up a fine finish to an obvious reloading season.

This week the No. 11 Michigan State Spartans roll into Happy Valley, with every intention of sending this rivalry out with their first win in Beaver Stadium.

Here's your weekly preview and breakdown.

Numbers Don't Lie: Rob Bolden Getting a Raw Deal

Matt McGloin

Since coming in to relieve a concussed Rob Bolden at Minnesota five weeks ago, Matt McGloin has been the hottest of hot topics around Penn State football fan and media circles. He's done well; excellent, some say. He should be the entrenched starter, because he's earned it, many others point out.

They call people like me "bitter" or "hating" towards McGloin. They think we're blind to what he's accomplished, while even more blind as to Bolden's struggles when the job was his only a few games ago.

Let me tell you exactly who is the blind party in this equation. For the purposes of this post, I will highlight a column by the excellent columnist Donnie Collins up in Scranton. Please keep in mind that I am not solely picking on Collins, but simply pointing to his column as an example. From Sunday's column on McGloin:

(Ed.- Collins points out just before this passage how Jay Paterno won't commit to one quarterback, saying that it remains an open competition week to week. The column continues with...)

"Bull.

That talk is getting tired, and quite frankly, it's an insult to the intelligence of anyone who has actually watched the games these past few weeks. Penn State has scored 143 points offensively in the 19 quarters Matt McGloin has played. The Lions didn't score more than 24 points against any Football Bowl Subdivision opponent Bolden started against. Outside of the Ohio State game, the Lions haven't scored less than 33 with McGloin under center."

No sir, the insult to intelligence everywhere is that the large contingent of McGloinists will never even hint at the fact that Bolden has been given a raw deal, and McGloin has been set up perfectly for success. How is this possible? McGloin has done exactly what Collins wrote about--he's sparked the offense to 143 points in 19 quarters, while the same unit struggled under Bolden's leadership. That's all true... but it's not accurate; not accurate of what's happened since McGloin has taken over.

Preview: Penn State 'at' Indiana

Penn State and Indiana will face off at the Washington Redskins' home stadium, FedEx Field in Landover, MD. The obvious benefit to Penn State is that this game will surely turn into a virtual home game for the Nittany Lions. The Northeast corridor, stretching from the Washington, DC metro area through to Boston, is home to the highest concentration of Penn State alumni in the nation. If FedEx Field isn't 80 percent Penn State fans, it would be a disappointment.

The Hoosiers come into this game with a potent passing game, but with little ground support. The injury last week to QB Ben Chappell could make things interesting, but he's likely to play, and is good enough to play well while hurt. The Indiana defense is, well... pretty damn bad.

For Penn State, it's a chance to get back on track. The loss last week to Ohio State was crushing in every respect. This game against Indiana should offer some kind of outlet for the pent-up rage the Nittany Lions should be harboring after returning from Columbus.

Here's your weekly preview and breakdown.

Jay, Matt, and Derek discuss the loss to Ohio State

Penn State was up 14-3 at halftime, dominating the Buckeyes in every phase of football. But Ohio State won the game 38-14. It was brutal.

Although flights home after such a bad loss tend to be very quiet. It still got me thinking. You know Jay Paterno was thinking about it. You know Matt McGloin was thinking about it. The other players were thinking about it. How would such a post-game conversation transpire?

I'm envisioning it went something like this...

Joe Paterno Press Conference Recap: 400/Northwestern Week

It's a big week for Joe Paterno,
and Penn State football. (Photo: Mike/LBU)

Here's the rundown from today's press conference, JoePa-style.

• The quarterback position is wide open again. Though, this time it sounds (from what JoePa said) like it's only between Matt McGloin and Rob Bolden. A two-quarterback system is being considered, but nothing is set in stone.
• Chaz Powell played well, but still needs work. Stephon Morris is still a good corner, and will play again, but he will have to compete with Powell for the starting roll this week. They'll both play, regardless of what happens. 
• The defensive line is getting better. But the injuries have been tough on the young unit. Jack Crawford hasn't practiced yet, but he may have done something this afternoon (after the press conference). Crawford and Eric Latimore haven't done anything since the Illinois game or (Jack) before. 
• Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa is from Pennsylvania, but Joe Paterno and his staff decided not to recruit him. He's a good quarterback, good student, and has been the difference for Northwestern this season.
• Matt McGloin did play with a lot of enthusiasm. Joe likes that. They had a good practice as a team last week, and were feeling pretty good all week. Joe likes the way the team overall is improving.

LBU Staff Reactions: Penn State 41, Michigan 31

Penn State had more than a few reasons
to celebrate Saturday night. (Photo: Mike/LBU)

How sweet was Penn State's ass-whoopin' of Michigan? We'll tell you...

Galen

We knew going in the Denard was going to get his scores and we knew we had to outscore Michigan because we weren’t going to stop him. Considering Penn State was basically starting a 3rd string walk-on at Quarterback (the first to ever do so for Joe Paterno) you really can’t complain about Saturday’s result. I’m always very critical of the play calling, especially on offense, so I have to give credit where credit is due, the coaches called a fantastic game. They threw on first down, mixed in pass & run, and basically had Michigan’s defense on their heels. Penn State needed to get out to a fast start and they did, Michigan was playing catch-up the entire game. Instead of going into a conservative shell the coaches came out punching and it worked. Throw in the perfectly timed fake field goal and all I can do is tip my hat to Jay & Galen. Kudos gentlemen.

Mike