Photos & quick thoughts from the Pitt game

It's been almost a week, yet my heart rate is still a little elevated. The Penn State win over Pitt was one of the most exciting noon kickoff games I've experienced in a very long time, if not the most exciting ever. It was frustrating, for sure, but a tough win that Penn State probably needed more than it wanted. Games like that teach a team to take nothing for granted. Let's hope the young Nittany Lions learned from it and use this off-week to get themselves mentally ready for Maryland. 

Since this was the first game in a while that I've shot and have been able to process a few photos quick enough to be relevant, here are some shots of the day. The brightness could've been boosted in most of them, but honestly, I didn't have enough time to finely tune the final photographs. My favorite shot of the day is the one at the top of this post. But the rest are below, including the amazing-catch-that-wasn't by Dan Chisena. Oh man, did I want that catch to be ruled complete. It could've been, but we know the refs weren't giving anything to Penn State that day. 

One final update is that the stadium PA system music is still too loud, too annoying, and kills the atmosphere of the stadium more often than it helps. It even drowned out Dean's voice announcing relevant information about the plays. Not sure who isn't paying attention enough to stop this, but it's getting ridiculous. 

Leaving at halftime

Similar seats to last week. WGU is a good section.

God, what idiot wrote this?

I'm thinking Penn State shows up again looking sharp

That guy needs to find another hobby.

We left at halftime. Not because Penn State looked like garbage, but that was all the four-year-old could handle. He was tired. We can tell because he gets all snuggly. But a soft pretzel got him through the second quarter. The seven-year-old had a blast again. He's now completely engaged with all the cheers and songs. It was only his third game in Beaver Stadium.

He wasn't too upset when I told him we couldn't afford to go as a family to other games, since now the lowest tickets will be 60+ the rest of the season. But he's already looking forward to next year's non-conference games.

But the piped-in music sucked ass, again. It's far too loud coming from the south video board. And I guess because I'm more tuned into how annoying it is already, I'm now starting to notice how stupid the mashup stuff is, too. I'm sick of hearing something blaring over the PA every time anything happens. Even during pregame, when The Lion points to each quarter of the stadium to get them to cheer loud, now the Lion Roar plays over the PA. Why? Why are we not allowing the crowd noise to carry the atmosphere? But that's just one stupid thing I heard.

The "Make some noise!" that's also mashed with the "laughing" bit needs to stop. We're Penn State fans. We know when to make noise, and we dont' need other stupid sound effects played with it. I think the piped in music and effects are hurting crowd noise, because there's no need for the crowd to participate at the level we saw in past years or during the mega games. Let the atmosphere build from the crowd, not artificial bullshit that sounds like a bad FM radio show.

A quick look at the box score left me even more confused that I was during the game. Outside of Sean Clifford, the offense looked incapable of controlling the game. That's not to take anything away from Buffalo, which played a hell of a game. The Bulls' ability to run the ball and control the clock kept them in this one far longer than anyone expected, and they deserve a huge deal of respect for that.

But Penn State needs to get the ground game going like yesterday. If Pitt can get a few stops, especially a three-and-out early on, Penn State will have to fight for a win Saturday. That's not good enough for this team. They're better than that, and better than Pitt. It's up to them to show it and the coaches to put them in positions to succeed.

The one touchdown by Buffalo came directly from KJ Hamler's drop on third down when he was looking where he was going instead of at the ball. Had he completed the catch, the Bulls wouldn't have scored to take the lead before halftime. The coaches should play video of that drop before every practice. It's the perfect example of just how important the little things are, because nothing is little.

The defense was okay, but couldn't get the push I would've expected up front, and definitely wasn't good enough in the pass game. There were more than a few passes that would've been touchdowns had it not been for an errant throw by just a few feet. The backs looked young. They are. But still.

Special teams haven't been tested really in these two games, but already things look better. I'm hoping it can become a weapon not just in field position, but in adding points to the board for Penn State.

I'm going to the game, unless it rains. I'll be taking photos, and it could be my last one of the season. Money is getting really tight now that the four-year-old is in preschool.

The hope this week is that Penn State wanted to keep things close to the vest these first two games. But if the Nittany Lions are going to be one of those "second half teams" again, we'll all be in for a ride this year. Just blow out everyone and things will be much more pleasant. Easy, right?

Update... I guess a score pick would be good. Penn State 40, Pitt 17.

Don’t Pitt on Me: The Argument Against Renewing the “Rivalry”

Incoming Pitt head coach Todd Graham recently commented during a meeting with the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association that he "would actually love to play that game [Pitt-Penn state] in the future." Of course this gets debated almost every year to the point that it's like kicking a dead horse. So…. let's roll the old mare over and start kicking some more. In part one or our riveting point-counterpoint series, I take on Jeff on the topic of renewing the Pittsburgh – Penn State "rivalry."

Last year I SOUNDLY¹ defeated Tim in the start/bench Newsome debate and I started off with a SNL reference so this year I'm going with Even Stevphen. Hey if there's one thing ESPN has taught² me it's the guy that yells the loudest wins the argument; and I like to yell.

Linkbacker U. is Measuring for Drapes

For the past few days, mostly on Twitter, you've been seeing some not-so-cryptic Tweets from me about blogging platforms. The topic of WordPress has come up. And as you might imagine, there is going to be a change around here in the very near future. I would say keep your eyes peeled this weekend, but that would be giving away too much.

Oops! Darn, now the cat's out of the bag.

Anyway, there won't be any more details about what will happen. Not yet, at least. But I can promise you that LBU is movin' on up.

This man has little use for folks like us.
We don't blame him.

And now, the linkage...

Genaro Armas reported for the AP how Joe Paterno has little use for... um... anything nowadays. But especially when anything includes interacting with the media.

Matt Fortuna wrote this weekend that Pitt head coach Todd Graham would like to see the Penn State vs Pitt rivalry restored. You will hear more on this from LBU, I assure you.

The Patriot News's Sara Granim reported on Austin Scott's claim that the dismissed rape charges brought against him were part of a conspiracy. While the word "conspiracy" automatically makes anything sound like it came from someone wearing a tin-foil hat, read this article. There's nothing crazy about what's in it.

Kevin McGuire noted that 71% of Big Ten football fans prefer a 9-game playoff.

50-Yard Lion blogger Mike Justus offered up a little optimism (I like to call it 'sanity') about Penn State's "Under the Radar" label bestowed by the media already this year.

Wrestling Wreport: Penn State new #1

Cameron Wade beats Pitt's Ryan Tomei

With Penn State's 30-7 domination of Pitt and the subsequent 36-8 dismantling of Indiana the Lions remain undefeated at 13-0. More importantly though, last week then No. 17 Lehigh came up with this season's biggest upset defeating then No. 1 Cornell 17-15.

In a season where these Penn State Nittany Lions have exceeded even the craziest of lofty expectations, this young team lead by 3 freshmen all ranked in the top 5, is now sitting on top of the rankings in first place. Granted, rankings mean even less in wrestling then they do in football but still, the blue and white Kool-Aid sippers out there weren't even predicting a season like this. It's truly remarkable how far this team has come in just two short seasons.

Let's take a quick look back at last weekend's action after the break.

Wrestling Wreport: weekend preview

Welcome to Penn State, Pitt your stay will not be a pleasant one

Penn State will travel to Indiana for a road dual at 2PM Sunday, but before that they get to host old-time rival Pitt for a nationally televised dual tonight at 6PM on the Big Ten Network. Since it's big enough to broadcast live on the BTN we might as well take a look at what is in store for our 2nd-ranked Lions.

Hoke to Michigan, Graham to Pitt, Whipple to UConn

Tom Bradley may not be going anywhere.
(Photo: LBU/Mike)

All that mass hysteria racing through the Penn State media, message boards and--ahem--blogs lately about Tom Bradley leaving for a head coaching job may turn out to be nothing more than a stressful lesson in patience.

You know those open coaching positions--especially those at Pitt and UConn--that were supposed to signal a massive shift for Penn State, Michigan, the SEC, the Big East, and THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE?

Yeah, all those schools have their new head coaches, but nothing has really changed. Scrap is most likely staying at Penn State for now. And, believe it or not, the universe is still in tact.

Hurry Up and Wait: The Tom Bradley Reports

You may have noticed how quiet we've been here about the Tom Bradley story. There is a reason for it. There is only so many "reports" that can be taken seriously for the first hour, until they're debunked and we're back at square one. Sure Tom Bradley will probably interview and accept a job somewhere else. We wish him all the best. But until then, we're going to sit tight and wait it out. That is, by the way, the complete opposite of what every media outlet in the Keystone State has been doing for the last 24 hours...

Coaching moves Penn State fans should care about

If you haven't been keeping up with news outside of Happy Valley, here's a quick rundown of three big coaching moves in the northeast region, and how each of them could affect Penn State next year and beyond.

Ben Kline flips verbal from Pitt to Penn State

(Photo: 247sports.com)

With Dave Wannstedt abruptly getting the boot this week, Dallastown(PA) linebacker recruit Ben Kline has decided his career would best play out in Happy Valley instead of Pittsburgh. Kline had been verbally committed to the Panthers since June, but reopened his recruitment with the news of Wannstedt's firing earlier this week.

Sean Fitz had the report today, with this from Kline:

"I was weighing my options and everything and trying to figure out everything that I wanted to do. Obviously with Coach Wannstedt being let go, I love those guys out there and everything and I really feel for them, but once that all happened it just kind of solidified that Penn State was the place for me."

Pitt fires Dave Wannstedt... mostly

Honestly, didn't see this one coming. Pittsburgh apparently fired head coach Dave Wannstedt today, though the official Pitt site has it as a "resignation." But will he actually leave the university? Uh, believe it or not, no...

He will remain at Pitt in the capacity of special assistant to the athletic director.

"The past six years have been among the most gratifying of my entire career," said Wannstedt, a 1974 graduate of Pitt and former standout offensive tackle for the Panthers. "To be the head coach at my university was the realization of a lifelong dream. It has been an honor and privilege to serve Pitt and its football program.

Sounds like they just pulled a new position out of thin air. At least Penn State gave Fran Ganter a real job after he was pushed out of the coaching staff.

This story is far from over, just like the supposedly dead rivalry.

While we're on coaching changes...

Linkbacker U has no room for a Pitt Stop

Cross-State Clash Not in the Fold

Wow I can't wait for rivalry week. I am so excited for Penn State to battle Michigan State for the prestigious Land Grant Trophy! There can't be a bigger rivalry in all of sports than Penn State and Michigan State football.

Obviously, beyond the tally in the win column, I could give two you know whats about this "rivalry" nor can anyone else really. The current generation of Penn Staters hardly even know that the Land Grant Trophy exists. Every Penn Stater and their grandma, especially the Pennsylvania natives, are foaming at the mouth to see Pittsburgh on the schedule.

Sorry to break it to you, but the likely nine game conference schedule means it is not going to happen, says Jerry Depaula of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.

"That is one of the challenges I am struggling with as we contemplate going to nine conference games," Curley said. "That reduces your ability to move around the country to make these games happen."

Now I understand the desire by most Penn Staters to stick it to Pitt, but as Jersey native, its the Rutgers series in 2013/2014 that I'm really looking forward to....if it's not a conference game by then.

Prom or Practice? Is Enrolling Early Worth It?

Thinking back to my fondest memories of high school, my second semester of senior easily tops the list. I was already accepted into Penn State and had no responsibilities besides enjoying my final days of high school as much as possible before I left for the valley.

But we've been seeing more and more that players are sacrificing that final semester to enroll in college in the spring. Paul Jones and Dakota Royer enrolled early, and it hasn't quite worked out for them

But was enrolling early really worth it? Surely it was a tough decision for all of the early enrollees who just want to see playing time, but many of the Lions are finding out that their teammates who didn't enroll early are having just as much preseason success.

Though Joe Paterno has been adamant about not particularly liking the early enrollment trend all across college football, only time will tell if the rest of this year's early enrollees will feel the same way.

Great job by the Collegian's Footblog. Obviously enrolling early works much better for some players than others, but it seems that the freshman Bolden, who starts his first non-summer class today, may end up getting the nod to start.

Tate Forced to Not be a Cocky Tool Anymore

I think Tate Forcier missed the memo last year that he actually didn't end up winning the Heisman Trophy. That was Sam Bradford. And he doesn't make Chuck Norris or Jack Bauer poop his pants, that's Tim Tebow.

Now, he may have to accept that he's not even going to be the starting quarterback at Michigan. And that, has finally scared him humble.

Forcier did his best to stay quiet Sunday during media day, until he asked for and received permission from Rodriguez to talk to reporters. After posing for pictures with Robinson and Gardner, the returning starter said he didn't know what his chances were to keep his job when he was peppered with the first of many questions.

"It's way too soon to tell," Forcier said. "Coach Rod keeps it as open as possible and I don't think he's close to a decision."

The three QBs each had a chance to impress the coaches Saturday during a scrimmage at the Big House, but Rodriguez wasn't saying much about the competition less than 24 hours later.

"It's a race that is not going to be settled in the next couple of days," Rodriguez said.

You'd think playing for Michigan would have been enough to make him lose his ego...

A Freshman QB? I'm not the Only Skeptic

Robert Bolden has been the sexy pick to start at quarterback in recent weeks. Is this warranted? Who knows. Hardly anyone has actually seen these practices, so no one knows for sure. But I've been saying for a while that if there was ever a year to start a young quarterback Pat Devlin was the guy. I tend to think it will go with Newsome or McGloin, and Neil Rudel of the Altoona Mirror agrees.

As a starter, the development of Bolden could be severely impeded by a whipping at Alabama, which could then set the quarterback position back even further. If Bolden is viewed as the best player down the road, it's doubly important for him to be standing by mid-October.

One thing possibly working in favor of a freshman starting could be the fact that JoePa has deferred more decisions to his assistants the last few years, and especially lately, and he's given particular leeway to his son Jay, the team's quarterbacks coach and or "co-offensive coordinator" as the BTN called him.

JayPa might be more eager to roll the dice than his dad.

Except that they're still his dad's dice.

Personally, I expect the staff to ultimately go with whichever one has the best chance of making it as an NFL fullback/ special teamer. I'm still banking on Newsome.

Adam Highberger Puts off Dental School, Transfers to DII School to Ball

He was one of the four players to leave the program last year, and was easily the least talked about. The walk-on Adam Higbherger said he wasn't going to use his last year of eligibility in order to attend dental school. He will, but not so fast my friend. Highberger announced that he is instead transferring to the Division II Quincy to use his last year of eligibility.

``I will never look back in my life when I'm 40, when I'm 45 and say, `Man, I wish I would've used that extra year of eligibility.' ... I know I'm going to leave it all on the floor.''

He was obviously not the most talented player on last year's team, but his effort was never questioned. Let's hope he's able to stay healthy for his new school and make a positive impact.

Tuesday Recruitin': Defensive 'Back' in Focus?

Defensive backs weren't supposed to be the focus of this year's recruiting class, but all of a sudden this week, the secondary is coming into play. With one highly-touted cornerback ready to choose between the Nittany Lions and one of their old arch rivals, and other defensive backs looking hard towards Happy Valley, this is an unexpected flash-point in Penn State recruiting 2011.

Suddenly Secondary...

East Stroudsburg cornerback Kyshoen Jarrett is expected to announce his decision tomorrow at 3 p.m. It's come down to Pittsburgh and Penn State. My money is on the Nittany Lions, but other, much more prominent recruitniks are calling it a toss up, some even calling Pitt the winner. I'll have a post on his decision when it happens tomorrow afternoon.

Connecticut defensive back Christon Gill (Rivals/Scout/ESPN) has reportedly been verbally offered a scholarship. Gill was originally a Class of 2010 prospect, but didn't land a D-IA scholarship offer last year due to academics. He will attend prep school this year (remember, Daryll Clark took this same path) to get his test scores up and graduate early, hopefully for him to enroll in January. This isn't set in stone yet, because of the academic issues. Kermit Buggs has been recruiting him as a safety, with help from Connecticut products Khairi Fortt and Silas Redd. Gill figures to be a mid-range recruit, what other people would call a "three-star" recruit. God, I hate using star ratings.

North Carolina cornerback Dominique Noble is down to two schools officially--Georgia Tech and Penn State. Most will say GT has the definite edge here, but there is a sliver of hope for this one. Noble never got to Atlanta for his visit. He didn't get to Happy Valley, either, but the fact that both schools missed out keeps things a bit more open-ended than I had expected. If Noble waits, and comes to Penn State for an official visit and sees a game, I really do expect things to tighten significantly. One of the best things going for PSU is the gameday atmosphere.

In other news...

Maryland defensive lineman Darian Cooper has narrowed his list to eight or nine schools, including Penn State. His plans are to take five official visits this fall, but isn't yet sure which schools will get those visits, except... Penn State, Georgia Tech, and UCLA are the three schools Cooper will definitely visit for games this year. Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina State and Maryland are the other schools vying for the two other visits.

Maryland linebacker Conner Crowell recently listed Penn State in his top three college choices, but he's not going to commit any time soon. The finalists include Ohio State and Stanford, with the Buckeyes the only ones with a definite visit date set for the Miami game on Sept. 11. Crowell plans to get to Penn State this season.

Maryland offensive lineman Donovan Smith cut his list to 12 teams, including Penn State this week: Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan State, North Carolina, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, UCLA, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Smith would be a huge pickup for this class, as he's already in most recruiting services' top-200 prospects nationally. Smith plans to visit Penn State for the Michigan night game.

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Tuesday Recruitin': Reviewing the 2011 Offers... all of them

Can Mike McQueary turn Penn State's 2011 recruiting class into something more than mediocre?

It's summertime, and you have better things to do than sit at your computer trying to figure out what's going on in Penn State recruiting. That's where I come in. In today's update, we'll walk through all of the 2011 scholarship offers, in a big one-stop recruiting shop.

Let's get to it.

ATH/RB Remound Wright, Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger
Wright verbally committed on June 18 to play for the Stanford Cardinal

ATH/DB Terrell Chestnut, Pottstown, PA/Pottsgrove
Chestnutt is still open. He took a visit to Pitt on June 23, and a second visit to Rutgers earlier in the month. Penn State is still high on his list, but with all the grumbling about Pitt's recruiting pitches lately, you can't be so sure the Panthers aren't either leading now, or at least ahead of Penn State. The Lions want Chestnut, badly.

ATH/WR Darius Jennings, Baltimore, MD/Gilman School
Even though Penn State isn't looking for as many skill players as years past, a loss here with Jennings would be a significant blow to Larry Johnson, Sr. It was only four years ago that LJS single-handedly tore apart the Maryland/DC recruiting circuit for Penn State. But this year isn't looking so sharp. Landing Jennings would be a major spark for the 2011 class.

ATH/WR Bill Belton, Atco, NJ/Winslow Township
Belton verbally committed on June 11 to play for the Pittsburgh Panthers

ATH/WR Miles Shuler, Long Branch, NJ/Long Branch
The battle for Shuler might take on bigger meaning, but more on that later. Shuler cut down his list to 10 schools: Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Florida, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Northwestern, California, Stanford and Cincinnati. Making that list is big for Penn State, as Shuler is one of the fastest players in 2011, and right in the Nittany Lions' back yard. Rutgers has hosted Shuler more times than any other campus, but that's expected being his home-state university.

QB Cardale Jones, Cleveland, OH/Glenville Academic Campus
Jones' recruitment has been quiet lately, even though he is regarded as one of the better still-uncommitted quarterbacks in the midwest region. Penn State is in Jones' top schools, from what everyone can tell right now.

RB Savon Huggins, Jersey City, NJ/St. Peter's Prep
We already covered Huggins this week, as he picked Penn State in his top-10 schools. Huggins is probably the biggest name recruit next to Cyrus Kouandjio on Penn State's offers board, but there could be a catch here. Huggins has been talking closely with Miles Shuler, which means Huggins might actually turn into a two-fer deal with Shuler.

WR Tobais Singleton, Madison, MS/Madison Central
UCLA is the big leader right now, but Singleton still hasn't made up his mind. Penn State would seem like a real long shot here, but there's always a chance as long as Singleton remains open. Plus, how great would it be to pull a highly rated prospect out of SEC country?

WR Quinta Funderburk, Chesapeake, VA/Oscar Smith
Funderburk is kind of off the radar for most Penn State recruitniks, but his recruitment is very much open. He comes from the same school as 2010 Penn State recruit Evan Hailes, so the Nittany Lions have at least somewhat of an "in" with Funderburk, even if it is only indirectly.

WR Ja'Juan Story, Brooksville, FL/Nature Coast Technical
Story verbally committed on June 28 to play for the Florida Gators.

WR Brandon Reddish, Brooklyn, NY/Fort Hamilton
A quiet addition to the 2011 offers board, Reddish has gained some momentum in terms of higher profile offers--Virginia, Syracuse, Maryland, West Virginia--but doesn't plan on picking a school until signing day. As a junior last fall Reddish caught 30 passes for 760 yards and 12 touchdowns. He recorded 47 tackles and two interceptions on defense.

WR Damiere Byrd, Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek
Byrd is being very heavily recruited by Florida, Rutgers and South Carolina. But the Penn State offer is still out there, and he's still uncommitted. Byrd attended the State College NIKE Camp last month, coming away with a positive impression. Penn State will have to step it up to jump ahead of his leading schools.

Visit the Linebacker-U.com recruiting board for the latest tally of recruits claiming offers from Penn State for 2011.

TE Brian Miller, Andover, MA/Andover
Miller verbally committed on April 25 to play for the Boston College Eagles.

TE Ben Koyack, Oil City, PA/Oil City
Koyack verbally committed on April 27 to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

TE Eric MacLain, Fayetteville, NC/Jack Britt
MacLain verbally committed on April 17 to play for the Clemson Tigers.

TE Marco Jones, Baltimore, MD/The Boys’ Latin School
Jones verbally committed on June 6 to play for the Virginia Cavaliers.

TE Nick Vannett, Westerville, OH/Central
Vannett verbally committed on June 6 to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

This leaves Penn State 0-for-5 on tight end prospects so far!

OL Cyrus Kouandjio, Hyattsville, MD/DeMatha
For such a highly touted recruit (most recruiting services have him the No. 1 offensive lineman), Kouandjio bucks the trend by not eliminating any schools from contention. This could be a very interesting race through the end of the year, as dozens of powerhouse programs are vying for his signature. Penn State would absolutely die for Kouandjio to come to Happy Valley.

OL Spencer Region, Cullman, AL/Cullman
Region pulled the trigger on Auburn right after signing day this year, but then began to have second thoughts. His recruitment has since opened up, and Penn State is surprisingly in the thick of things. Wisconsin and Penn State are the only two northern schools to offer Region, and he told Scout.com that he “like to play someday in Happy Valley," but wouldn't say if that meant for the home team or not.

OL Anthony Zettel, West Branch, MI/Ogemaw Heights
Zettel has narrowed his recruitment somewhat, with most recruiting services listing Michigan and Michigan State as the top two leaders right now. Still, Zettel technically remains open. But it doesn't look like Penn State, or any other non-Michigan school, has much of a chance here.

OL Aundrey Walker, Cleveland, OH/Glenville Academic Campus
The Buckeyes have led from the start, but Walker has not made a verbal. This one looks more like an inevitability than anything else, as Ohio State has been on a tear with recruiting lately. Walker won't pick a school until after he makes five visits this summer. Penn State hasn't been mentioned, but that could change.

OL Kiaro Holts, Indianapolis, IN/Warren Central
Holts verbally committed on June 25 to play for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

OL Zach West, Lexington, KY/Lexington Christian
Penn State offered West some months ago, taking a few folks by surprise. The Nittany Lions don't usually head to Kentucky for recruits, but they must have seen something in West to make the offer. Besides Penn State, his leaders are Kentucky, Tennessee, Cincinnati, Louisville and Auburn. All of his favorites have offered, except Auburn.

OL Angelo Mangiro, Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury
Penn State has lost a few NJ recruits to Pitt lately, so Mangiro is quickly becoming the next flash point in the recruiting war. A few weeks ago, Mangiro listed Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers and Ohio State as his finalists. The scary thing about Mangiro's timetable is that he wants to commit to a school before the football season starts. Penn State would be much more comfortable going into the fall with Mangiro on the Nittany Lions' commits board.

OL Jay Whitmire, Alexandria, VA/T.C. Williams
Penn State would not be mentioned nearly half as much when discussing Whitmire, if not for Larry Johnson Sr. recruiting the VA standout as a defensive lineman, rather than his projected offensive position. Penn State is the only school doing that, but Whitmire swears it hasn't hurt PSU's chances. Pitt is in the mix here, too, so do what you want with that.

OL Donovan Smith, Owings Mills, MD/Owings Mills
Smith is gaining interest from schools to play both sides of the ball, including from Penn State. This is another Larry Johnson Sr. assignment, as you might tell from the location (MD). Smith wants to cut his list down sometime in August, but doesn't know when he will commit to one school.

DT Darian Cooper, Hyattsville, MD/DeMatha
DeMatha high school has been kind to Penn State the past few years. But can LJS make it happen again this year? Cooper is good friends with teammate Cyrus Kouandjio, so this could be the first (more in a minute) of a few package deals in this year's recruiting class. Cooper wants to visit Penn State this week, and has the Nittany Lions near the top of his list. He wants to cut that list down soon, so the visit to State College will be crucial.

DT Shaun Underwood, Fuquay-Varina, NC/Fuquay-Varina
Penn State has sent LJS down on a special assignment this year to land Underwood for the Nittany Lions. This is a big deal. Unfortunately, Underwood has North Carolina as the clear No. 1 of his top three schools. However, the good part is that Penn State is still in that top three. Underwood won't make any decision until after he gets in a few more visits. Expect Penn State to be one of his destinations.

DT Marquise Wright, Paramus, NJ/Paramus Catholic
Wright (shockingly) verbally committed on June 28 to play for the Pittsburgh Panthers.

DT Al Page, Bronx, NY/Christopher Columbus
Page verbally committed on April 14 to play for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

DT Joel Hale, Greenwood, IN/Center Grove
Hale verbally committed on June 7 to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

DE Deion Barnes, Philadelphia, PA/Northeast
Barnes is a regional star in the 2011 class, but that region is the entire eastern half of the U.S. His offers list is growing to include most of the powers east of the Mississippi. Penn State is high on that list, but no higher than many of the other suitors. The offers are still coming in for Barnes, which is slowing down his own timetable for a decision. After losing Marquise Wright to Pitt last week, Ron Vanderlinden could use a nice pickup like Barnes.

DE Deon Green, Orlando, FL/Olympia
Green verbally committed on June 29 to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks [snicker].

DE Rob Burns, Ashburn, VA/Stone Bridge
Burns verbally committed on July 1 to play for the Virginia Cavaliers.

DE Shawn Oakman, Lansdowne, PA/Penn Wood
Oakman verbally committed on July 2 to play for the Penn State Nittany Lions.

DE Ishaq Williams, Brooklyn, NY/Abraham Lincoln
Williams is another New York City prospect that's gained plenty of recognition as the 2011 class has developed. Penn State was one of his earliest offers, and remains in strong contention. Williams wants to make a return trip to Penn State this summer, but only after he's seen places he hasn't been to yet.

DE Marco Jones, Baltimore, MD/Boys Latin School
Jones verbally committed on June 6 to play for the Virginia Cavaliers.

DE Jordan Kerner, Fairview, PA/Fairview
Penn State offered Kerner only last week, but it is widely assumed the Nittany Lions are going to be his pick. His offers include Iowa, Maryland, West Virginia, Rutgers, and Minnesota. Iowa is right up there with Penn State on Kerner's list, so it could come down to just these two schools.

LB Lawrence Thomas, Detroit, MI/Renaissance
Thomas verbally committed on March 5 to play for the Michigan State Spartans.

LB Travis Hughes, Virginia Beach, VA/Kempsville
Hughes has leaned away from Penn State in recent weeks, mostly due to the ascension of North Carolina to the top of his list. This one doesn't seem to be as much a knock on Penn State, as just another recruit buying into what Butch Davis is cooking down there in Chapel Hill.

LB Maika Polamalu, Pottsgrove, PA/Pottsgrove
Polamalu has been quiet the last few weeks, but even quieter in the Penn State world. Since he had kind of a falling out with himself about how he "fit" into Penn State's defensive scheme, the Lions have either pulled their offer, or just left it as a verbal offer. Either way, I'm not sure Polamalu will end up in Happy Valley.

LB Curtis Grant, Richmond, VA/Hermitage
After it was reported that Penn State verbally offered Grant earlier this spring, things kind of dissolved. There has been no further development, or official offer. But I include Grant on the list anyway because at one point during this recruiting season, Penn State seemed poised to pull the trigger.

LB Andre Sturdivant, Cleveland, OH/Glenville
Sturdivant is one of the best inside linebacker prospects for 2011, and Penn State is very much alive in the race for his commitment. He only got his official offer last week, even though a verbal offer was on the table for weeks. His teammate is Cardale Jones, with whom he visited Happy Valley last week. This is yet another (told you we'd come back to this) possible package deal for 2011, with Sturdivant and Jones.

LB Conner Crowell, Waldorf, MD/North Point
Penn State sent its two big guns, LJS and Vanderlinden, to formally offer Crowell a scholarship. He just wrapped up a big round of visits, including a stop by Happy Valley last week. Penn State is very high on his list. Crowell plans to make his decision on senior night during his team’s final high school game Nov. 7, though it is possible he could commit before that.

CB Brandon Phelps, Damascus, MD/Damascus
Phelps verbally committed on June 25 to play for the Virginia Cavaliers.

CB Doran Grant, Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary
Penn State's chances with Grant took a big hit when he didn't exactly sound enthusiastic talking about the Nittany Lions during the State College NIKE Camp. Grant's recruitment remains open, but he has displayed little interest in Penn State, while others have moved ahead.

CB Demetrious Nicholson, Virginia Beach, VA/Bayside
Since his offer came on June 6, Nicholson's interest in Penn State has remained decent. The problem is, North Carolina is light years ahead of everyone in this race. Penn State, along with every other school outside of Chapel Hill, is a very outside shot to land Nicholson.

CB Dominique Noble, Mount Ulla, NC/West Rowan
Noble was gaining mostly regional interest from the Carolinas, but that's blossomed into a full-blown recruiting war over another Tar Heel State prospect. Penn State is in the mix with Noble, and should host him on a visit this month. With cornerback as another so-so need for 2011, it would be very nice to land a kid like Noble.

CB Albert Louis-Jean, Brockton, MA/Brockton
Louis-Jean verbally committed on March 24 to play for the Miami Hurricanes.

S/LB Mike Caputo, Imperial, PA/West Allegheny
About a week ago, Caputo named his top four schools: Pitt, Penn State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. He is the only safety prospect Penn State has offered in this class, which means it's not a need position in 2011. Still, I'm sure Penn State would love to grab Caputo, if for no other reason than to stick it to Pitt in an in-state battle.

CHECK OUT OUR UPDATED RECRUITING BOARD!

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Linkbacker U has Pitt on its shoe, and can't get it off

Here's what Joe thinks of your Pitt rivalry!

Pitt vs Penn State... The cries grow louder. This has been hashed out too many times to do it again here, but considering it's not completely out of nowhere, we'll give it some air time. Bob Smizik quotes an article from About.com's Tim Hyland (a PSU grad):

"My question is simple, folks: Instead of goofing around with short, meaningless series against average-at-best opponents (see: Virginia, Rutgers, Syracuse), shouldn't Penn State finally get around to scheduling the one series that every true college football fan actually wants to see? Shouldn't Curley stop making playdates with the Orange in New Jersey, pick up his phone, touch base with that major university out there in Western Pennsylvania and finally--finally!--find a way to renew the Penn State-Pitt rivalry?"

Let me rephrase that question... Instead of goofing around with short, meaningless series against average-at-best opponents, shouldn't Penn State finally get around to scheduling a long-term, less lucrative series against one average-at-best opponent? I'll let you out there decide.

Speaking of Pitt... As if we needed yet another hair-on-fire column about how Joe Paterno's tummy ache is ruining Penn State recruiting, we get just that from the Altoona Mirror.

The Lions have only two verbal commitments so far, and there's no denying it's a problem.

"When you look at Penn State, the fans will measure it by what Pitt does and Ohio State and Michigan," Scout.com recruiting analyst Bob Lichtenfels said. "You know what? Those schools have a lot of verbals right now, and [PSU is] getting beat on some kids that they normally don't get beat on."

Sure, Cory Giger has a few lines about how it really isn't the end of the world for this year's class. But the remainder of the 738 words are spend on the impending doom to be wrought down on Penn State football as long as Joe Paterno remains head coach.

Because, you know, 51 wins over five seasons is just terrrrrible!

In other action...

BSD vs MGoBlog 2010. Who doesn't love a good ol' blog fight?

Nebraska's Phallic-esque Hot Dog Cannon. Oh, I know you're just itching to click on that link, huh?

Because Bama's really afraid of Georgia State. Hey, why shouldn't the SEC rework its schedule to accommodate the Crimson Tide? I mean, c'mon. They're like sooo awesome!

About the whole 'rivalry' thing. West Virginia just couldn't beat Penn State. So much so, that even losses to the Nittany Lions are honored in their "best games" countdown.

Now, go get another cup of coffee. That hangover ain't goin' away by itself, ya know!

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Jersey RB Savon Huggins narrows list to 10

As if Penn State needed yet another challenge in this recruiting year, it looks like the Nittany Lions will be in a tough fight for one of the most prized 2011 prospects east of the Mississippi.

NJ RB Savon Huggins announced today through Scout.com that he has whittled his list of suitors down to 10. On the list: Rutgers, Pitt, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Florida, Penn State, Stanford, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Miami.

That list comes from about 60 offers from the most powerful college football programs in the nation. One school on that list that sticks out right away is Stanford. Jim Harbaugh's Cardinal are on a recruiting tear this year. If the boys from The Farm can snag Huggins from the east, it would easily dominate the recruiting headlines for a week, or more.

Then there's the Pitt factor. The Panthers have been a hot topic among Penn Staters on the blogs and message boards--even in a few mainstream quarters--after the once sure-thing pickup Marquise Wright out of Paramus, NJ verbally committed to Pitt this week. In early April, Huggins returned from Pitt with nothing but good things to say about the program. Dave Wannstedt even stuck New Jersey natives Dion Lewis and Ray Graham, both running backs, on Huggins the entire time he was in Pittsburgh. This week, Huggins just returned from another visit to Pitt, where he was apparently pampered like a baby's butt. Oh, how I would have loved to been a fly on the wall in those recruiting pitches.

Penn State has been burned too many times in this young recruiting year for me to say Penn State has even a good chance to pick up Huggins. But the chance is still very real. At least the Nittany Lions made the top-10 cut. If PSU was left out, though, would it have really shocked anyone, given how the recruiting news has been lately?

Dick Anderson has been on Huggins from the start, having gained some traction early in the recruiting process. Huggins said he really appreciated how Anderson (who was Rutgers' head coach in the 1980s, and beat Penn State in 1988) took the time to get to know him and his family. But Anderson has been coming under heat on the message boards and in the media, as the New York City metro region is his wheel house; and Pitt just stole Wright from 15 miles west of the city.

As of early May, running back Stephfon Green and one other current Penn State player had been talking to Huggins, in addition to Anderson.

Huggins will announce his decision next January, during the ESPN Under Armour All-American Game.

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[Updated] Tuesday Recruitin': Cause for Concern; but don't freak out

Updated 2 p.m.

Penn State rarely loses a recruit from the DC Metro area, but UVA head coach Mike London was able to snag Brandon Phelps (pictured) from the Nittany Lions. (Photo: Washington Post)

No intro today. I'm going to just jump right in and give a big old "I told you so!"

University of Virginia's first-year head coach Mike London has been one of my harping points for months now. From my April 6 Tuesday Recruitin':

"But with the arrival of head coach Mike London from Richmond, where he led the Spiders to the 2008 FCS (I-AA) National Championship, things could get tricky in the mid-Atlantic region. I'm not saying at all that London's arrival in Charlottesville will be a seismic shift, but don't be surprised if you hear his Cavaliers come up big once or twice this recruiting season."

Well last week that came to bittersweet fruition, as London picked off very highly touted receiver/cornerback Brandon Phelps, out of Damascus (MD). Phelps had more than 20 scholarship offers, including from Penn State, Alabama, Notre Dame, LSU, and a host of other major programs.

This isn't the end of the world for Penn State; not by any stretch of the imagination. But in a year where the Nittany Lions have been painfully slow to get any recruiting momentum, this isn't the kind of news you want to hear, from an area where prospects usually flock to the Blue and White. I see a lot of potential for London and UVA to make a real impact in the mid-Atlantic recruiting scene over the next few years, if not longer.

The Wright Fit... for Pitt

This one genuinely shocks the hell out of me. It shouldn't, but it does. It's also caused the message boards to absolutely explode. NJ DL Marquise Wright reportedly committed to Pitt yesterday. Granted the Panthers have done much better lately in New Jersey, but I'm wondering if there was something deeper going on with Wright's recruitment. Last year, the Pitt coaching staff took Joe-Must-Go style heat for losing Miles Dieffenbach and a few others to Penn State last season. That would have put a ton of pressure on the Panthers to steal at least one or two right from under Penn State's nose in the 2011 class. The Panthers don't just pick up a guy like Wright, without a little shenanigans going on behind the scenes. Wright looks like he could be that ill-gotten booty.

Then there is the fact that I totally struck swinging out on Wright. It wasn't more than two months ago that I projected Wright would surely stay a Penn State lean until he commits in late summer:

"When it comes to Penn State... Even though Wright has Penn State as his leader, he appears to want to wait until the end of the summer before pulling the trigger. But that doesn't take away from his interest in the Penn State, which Wright previously referred to as his "dream school." Wright has been to University Park twice since opening up his recruitment. One of those trips was to the Blue-White Game. Wright could be the headliner in a fantastic crop of defensive linemen for Penn State's 2011 class."

How'd that work out for me?

Two More Say See Ya Later

Devon Cajuste, TE out of Flushing (NY), verbaled to Stanford last week. Like Brandon Phelps, Cajuste is from another supposedly strong recruiting region for Penn State. But this one doesn't look to be as serious, because Penn State only offered Cajuste a few weeks ago. Yes, the Lions should have been getting higher interest from a New Yorker like this one, but I wouldn't read into it so deeply.

Kiaro Holts, Indianapolis OT, and top recruit in the state of Indiana, verbaled to North Carolina last week. He told CarolinaBlue.com that UNC just came out on top of his list, after he broke down each school. When I last touched on Holts, I said it was too early to tell on him. At the time, it was too early. But now pushing two months later, it's not surprising to see him go somewhere besides Penn State. We haven't heard a single bit of good news since the offer went out.

[updated...] Here are a few more recruits over the last month that decided to go elsewhere, despite supposedly heavy interest in or by Penn State...

During all the Big Ten expansion drama, NJ ATH Bill Belton gave his soft verbal to Pitt. This just adds to the Wanstache's push for recruits out of the Garden State.

Not exactly a Penn State lean at any point, the loss of IN DT Joel Hale to the Buckeyes wasn't a surprise. But this still was a player Penn State should have been much more competitive with.

And finally, Baltimore DE Marco Jones, who I actually thought would stay open for Penn State, was picked up by someone I already mentioned in the first edition of this post: Mike London's Virginia Cavaliers. Can I say 'I told you so' more than once in a single post? For this one, yes I can.

Going forward...

It's been a bad week for recruiting. I won't sugar coat anything here. The loss of Wright really stings, with the whole Pitt factor and all. But don't fall into the echo chamber of the message boards, especially those on Rivals and Scout. More than a handful of those folks are recruiting nuts who believe that recruiting is the only thing that matters. Well, they only care about recruiting when there's nothing else to complain about. You know, like winning 51 games in five years, two Big Ten titles, and beating SEC teams on New Years Day. These were the same people who were chanting "Joe Must Go!" during the dark years. Now they're bringing back that mantra because one recruiting class might not be very good.

I don't disagree that this year's class will suck. It happens. But what I do disagree with is that this will destroy the entire Penn State football program for decades to come. That's how it would seem if you camp out on the boards for hours on end, every single day. So, do yourself a favor. Don't freak out about this year's recruiting class. It's not worth the stress.

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Poll: Who should get the Big Ten expansion invite?

With a newly "accelerated" timetable for expanding the Big Ten, let's dip back into the waters of prognostication. Tell us who you think should get an invitation to join the Big Ten? (note: if you choose "other" be sure to give us your thoughts in the comments)

When the Big Ten sends out expansion invitations, which schools would you most like to see on the list?

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Officials say Pitt to Big Ten rumor false

Well this was quick. You know that whole rumor about how Pitt was all set to announce its move to the Big Ten? (obviously, you do) It is completely not true. ZagBlog.com, an SNY.tv network blog, reported earlier today:

Pitt to the Big Ten a done deal?

There usually isn't enough specificity in an average internet rumor to give it much credibility. But this is just kind of weird. At some point between yesterday and today, a rumor was started that the Pitt Panthers will join the Big Ten. It's been speculated for months that Pitt should be the natural choice for the Big Ten's announced expansion, which adds an element of probability to the truthiness of this rumor.