Showing posts with label Preseason Rankings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Preseason Rankings. Show all posts

August 25, 2010

Linkbacker U is wondering what is an ambassador coach

3 comments
Bowden Shown the Door...can the same Happen to Joe?

Retired? Don't think so. Bowden was not ready to go, and he tells us exactly how it went down.
“First thing he says is, ‘This ain’t gonna be pretty.’ It went downhill from there,” Bowden said. “Those were his first words; I couldn’t believe it. He said, ‘You have two options: One is to stay on as an ambassador coach for one more year. You can still be the coach, but we don’t want you to go on the field.’ I’d get paid for doing nothing. That’s stealing from FSU. I said, ‘That’s out, forget it. What’s the other option?’ He said, ‘We don’t renew your contract.’ ”
Hmm a figure head coach with limited responsibility? Doesn't sound familiar to me. In all seriousness, it's terrible the way they showed Bowden the door at Florida State. Especially given PSU's recent success, it seems Paterno will be able to live on his own terms.

All is Golden at Temple

Five years ago, Temple and football were rarely mentioned in the same sentence if it wasnt the butt at the end of a joke. Let's just say, they've come a long way.
There were more pressing matters to deal with. The team’s academic study lounge contained a pool table, on which a crafty janitor used to hustle players out of money before practice. The practice field had two different types of turf and a 3-foot drop-off at the back of one end zone that repeatedly caused injuries. Players had to dodge eggs aimed at them from a nearby high-rise public housing building.

On top of all that, syringes, crack vials and broken 40-ounce beer bottles littered the area around the football facility, which often reverberated with an orchestra of passing trains, sirens and gunshots.

“It was indescribable, to be honest with you,” Golden said. “It was that bad. This place was dead. We had to take the paddles out.”
Now Golden has Temple competing for MAC Championships. The team has been improving every year and who knows, maybe this is the year they upset the Nittany Lions.

Sacrificing Pageantry for Padded Wallets?

Stop the press! Stop the press! Michigan and Ohio State are potentially going to be in different divisions and won't play at the same time as they usually do. They may play twice! This is an outrage!

“One of the best things that could happen, in my opinion in a given season, would be the opportunity to play Ohio State twice,” Brandon told Ann Arbor radio station WTKA.

No, it wouldn’t be the best thing that could happen. It might be fun the first time. It might be unique. It might be new. And then soon enough, it wouldn’t be.
"Everything else about it diminishes an event built and maintained for five generations. When you control a 100-plus-year-old tradition, you don’t make decisions based on a four-year television contract. To do so is symbolic of the NCAA run by MBAs, where a projected spreadsheet means more than a history book. It is about selling out a century plus for an overnight rating and then trying to explain it away with specious and short-sited reasoning."
That's one argument. To me, what's wrong with playing twice. The Yankees and Red Sox play EIGHTEEN times each year and that's just the regular season. Those games still usually have just as much hatred, build up, and excitement. I know it's been a while since kindergarten, but I think I learned two is greater than one.

Former "Bachelor" Not in Love with Penn State

Add Jesse Palmer to the long list of pessimistic Penn State "experts" and small list of ESPN employees who actually knows something about this year's squad besides who the coach is.

Palmer predicted the Lions to lose five games, and said that the team is ranked entirely too high. Can't say I can really argue on either of those two points.
"You look at that schedule: at Alabama early, they go at Iowa, they go at Ohio State. In my opinion it's a team that will lose five games this year," Palmer said. "I don't think Penn State should even be in the top 25."


"Youre ranking them at 19 based on how they finished last season and I get that," Palmer said. "After losing Daryll Clark at quarterback, it's a very unsettled quarterback situation right now. Potentially it looks like the sophomore walk-on Matt McGloin could be the starter against Youngstown State in week one."
New Women's Lacrosse Coach Recruits Top Ten Class


It didn't take new women's lacrosse coach Missy Doherty to make a splash in Happy Valley. She's been here for already a matter of months and already has one of the nation's top recruiting classes under her belt.
"I am extremely excited about that incoming class here at Penn State," said Doherty. "They are a talented group of athletes and I am looking forward to having them contribute quickly. This will be an exciting year for our program, and it is great to start my career here with such a talented group of athletes."
Follow LBU on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to Linebacker-U.com by Email

August 23, 2010

BlogPoll 2010: Preseason Ballot

7 comments
Welcome to the cusp of another college football season and the inevitable preseason poll that accompany its return. I'll be honest with you, you won't see a more worthless post this year than a preseason poll. But what you will find with the BlogPoll is that at least it doesn't handicap teams as the season progresses. In most polls if you're not in the Top 10 to begin the season, you are essentially eliminated from MNC contention before you play a down. The BlogPoll is more fluid, not relying so much on preseason preconceptions, as the product on the field. I'll break down things in a very similar style to how I had handled each week back at The Nittany Line, where I'll give you a look at who each team played and give you a little summary of the movers or trends. In the meantime, here's our preseason offering, mostly generic with weight given to conference favorites (thus Temple's inclusion). Questions, corrections, suggestions and objections are always welcome.




August 2, 2010

Big Ten Media preseason picks tab Buckeyes, Pryor, and Jones

0 comments
The 2010 Big Ten Media Days begin this morning with a bang--well, in terms of shock-value, a thud more accurately describes this news:
"Park Ridge, Ill. - For the second straight year, Michigan State's Greg Jones and Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor were selected as the Big Ten's Preseason Defensive and Offensive Players of the Year, respectively, the conference announced on Monday. Ohio State was tabbed first in the conference preseason poll, followed by Iowa and Wisconsin. The Preseason Players of the Year and poll were voted on by media members attending the conference's football media days."
That was about as unexpected as the sun rising in the east. We picked that same order for the top-three, while you all picked the same top two, with the exception of Penn State at No. 3--you homers!

All-Day Coverage

If you'll be hanging around the internets today, find me/us on Twitter and stuff. I'll be watching the Big Ten Network and offering unsolicited commentary on every word that spews forth, @LBU_Tweet
and @ZombieNationPSU

Following the coaches press conferences, I'll have a post here. So check in later.

Follow LBU on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to Linebacker-U.com by Email

July 29, 2010

Thursday Question: 2010 Preseason Big Ten Rankings

4 comments
Be sure to vote in the polls at the end of this post, where you tell us your No. 1, 2 and 3 teams!
Next week begins the annual Big Ten Kickoff festivities. Each year, the Big Ten media votes on its preseason top-three teams in the conference, which always draws a ruckus from the message boards and (ehem) blogs. So, naturally we thought here at Linebacker-U.com to give our own preseason top-three teams. That's the topic for this week's Thursday Question, and should be a fun one.

But first, here is the consensus vote from all five of your favorite LBU writers. It was very close for first, as the Hawkeyes got one more vote than the Buckeyes.

Linebacker-U.com 2010 Preseason Big Ten Rankings

1. Iowa
2. Ohio State
3. Wisconsin


Our individual picks...

Galen

I know this is probably going to rub some of the avid readers of Linebacker-U the wrong way but my top three does NOT include Penn State. When the dust settles I see the Big Ten race finishing like this:

1. Iowa
2. Ohio State
3. Wisconsin

Iowa – last season was a great season for the Hawkeyes and I don’t know why they would slip. The offensive line is supposed to be a weakness but when was the last time Iowa couldn’t plug in a couple of their corn-fed road graders and be at least an above average line? The defense will be outstanding with one of the best defensive lines and defensive backfields in the Big Ten. Adrian Clayborn will destroy people and Tyler Sash is always in the right place at the right time. They get their toughest opponents (Penn State, Wisconsin, and Ohio State) all at home.

Ohio State – I would have put THEosu at the top but they have a few more weaknesses than Iowa including the schedule; they have to travel to Wisconsin and Iowa. A lot of Ohio State’s success will be determined by the passing of Terrelle Pryor, if he can continue to improve they may run the table. Unfortunately that’s a big “if” and I think he’ll slip up once or twice, especially against good defenses like Iowa’s. The secondary is a concern and while the offensive line has experience and talent they haven’t lived up to Big Ten champion status. The Buckeyes will win a lot of games, I just think Iowa will edge them out.

Wisconsin – I know expectations were high for the Badgers last season and they really didn’t meet them but they still had a great season. They return 18 starters and, once again, a smash-mouth offensive line and a deep backfield. If QB Scott Tolzien can continue to improve they will have an offense that will wear opponents down. The defensive line is a tad suspect and the linebackers aren’t fantastic, although they are experienced, but they should be rested with their ball controlling offense. Just like Penn State the Badgers are suspect on special teams but they don’t play PSU and they get OSU at home for a night game. A trip to Iowa and a late season jaunt to Michigan could be the difference between a top 3 finish and a middle of the pack season.

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.

2010 Preseason No. 1 Big Ten:


2010 Preseason No. 2 Big Ten:


2010 Preseason No. 3 Big Ten:



Follow LBU on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to Linebacker-U.com by Email

May 26, 2010

Penn State Ranked 18th In Phil Steele's Top 25: Commence Bitch-Fest

0 comments
Special thanks go out to ESPN.com's senior college football writer Pat Forde. As an officially credentialed member of the media, Forde received an advanced copy of Phil Steele's magazine (officially due on bookshelves June 8th) and was kind enough to leak Phil's Top 25 list via his own twitter page
Phil's Top 10: 1. Oklahoma; 2. Ohio State; 3. Alabama; 4. TCU; 5. Nebraska; 6. Boise State; 7. Florida; 8. USC; 9. Miami; 10. Oregon.

Rest of Top 25: 11. Texas 12. UNC 13. VT 14. Iowa 15. Aub 16. ND 17. Ark 18. Penn St. 19. UGA 20. FSU 21. S. Car. 22. WVU 23. Wisc 24. Hou. 25. Arizona

Have to say, Oklahoma holding the top spot as opposed to OSU or Alabama is rather shocking given all the key players the Sooners have lost (including stud QB Sam Bradford, and tight end Jermaine Gresham). It's also shocking to see Boise State out of the Top 5 when every other preseason poll I've seen has the Broncos ranked as such. Unfortunately, none of us here at LBU are with the 'in' crowd, so we'll have to wait for another week and a half like everybody else to get a copy and learn about Phil's rationale behind such picks.

Then of course, you have the total snubbing of PSU at 18th...Actually, I don't think it's a snubbing at all, but you can make yourself instant money by having someone you know bet against such idiotic sentiments being posted in Message Board Land.

Follow LBU on Facebook and Twitter
Subscribe to Linebacker-U.com by Email

Be sure to visit our new LBU Forums