An Early Look at Penn State

Q: Quarterback Daryll Clark got off to a fast start and many considered him a darkhorse for the Heisman Trophy. However, he seemed to cool down towards the end of the season, particularly in the game against Iowa. What was the reason for that? Injuries? Tougher Schedule?

I think part of it had to do with the game planning of Penn State and another part was the fact that Clark was banged up. Clark did get a concussion in the Ohio State game which led the Lions to be a bit conservative with him in the next few games. He wasn’t given the green light to run as much, and they were not as agreesive with the patterns that the WR ran.

Q: Evan Royster was one of the breakout players in the Big Ten, rushing for 1,202 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. How does he compare to the conference’s other running backs?

Without a doubt, the best running back in the conference this year was Shonn Greene. For the better part of this year, Iowa did not have a consistant quarterback, so Greene had to do everything on his own, and he still got 100 yards plus per game.

I think Royster could be the second best back in the Big Ten. He has a very low center of gravity and a motor that does not stop. One run against Michigan, he was bottled up by 3 defenders, kept his legs moving and ended up scoring on a long run. He has the speed to breakaway, but he isn’t as fast as Stephfon Green, who can really break the game open with his speed.

Q: The Big Ten receives a lot of trash talk from fans who claim that the conference is overrated and its players lack great speed. It seems as if Penn State has some pretty good team speed, especially with Royster and Derrick Williams. Will the Nittany Lions be greatly outmatched in the speed department against USC?

I will not deny that the Big Ten deserves some of the trash talk it gets, but it comes mostly because of Ohio State. In their last 5 games against BCS opponents, they have lost them all. Plus the Illinois team that USC thrashed last year did not deserve a BCS bid.

I think USC will be a bit surprised with the team speed of Penn State. You mention Derrick Williams, but I actually think Deon Butler is faster than Williams. Butler was a walk-on when he came to Penn State 4 years ago (only offer is from was from William & Mary), and he will leave this year the all time leading receiver in Penn State history. Williams is a bit more elusive than Butler, but Butler has better straight ahead speed in my opinion.

On defense, they have some speed in the secondary, but if I were USC I would worry about the speed of LB Navorro Bowman and of Aaron Maybin, a defensive end. Bowman has been compared to Lavar Arrington with his speed and athleticism, and he is much more disipline than Lavar ever was. Maybin can cause fits for offensive tackles with his speed rush.

Q: USC’s offense has struggled when facing tough secondaries such as California’s. How good is Penn State’s and could they give Mark Sanchez fits?

I would say that Penn State’s secondary is above average. It might not be the best secondary that the Trojans have played all year, but combine with the pressure that the Lions hope to put on Sanchez, it could make him make some poor decisions that PSU has taken advantage of with other teams this season.

Lydell Sargeant and Tony Davis are both quality DB’s and although not fast, Anthony Scirrotto is a smart free saftey who is always positioned well. I would have to say the hero (strong safety) Mark Rubin is a bit of a weak link. He is a good run stopper but lacks in coverage.

What could play to USC’s advantage is that Penn State likes to play a lot of zone. Very rarely will you see them in man coverage, therefore is Sanchez can get some time, he can pick apart the zone.

Q: What matchups do you see tilting towards Penn State’s favor?

I think Penn State’s defensive line could cause USC some fits. They have a good rotation which doesn’t drop off too much in talent when their starters need a rest.

Q: At the age of 82, many USC fans are wondering whether Joe Paterno is Penn State’s real coach or merely the program’s figure head. Is he the real reason behind the team’s resurgence this season?

Honestly, I would answer this question as a little bit of both. In the early part of this decade, in my opinion, part of the problem was that Joe was too much in control. He did not allow his assistants to do their job.

Now he is allowing his assistants to have more input in the game plan and for them to take some risks that the team would not have taken years ago. I would be lying if I said he was as involved in practice and everything as he was 5, 10, or even 15 years ago. But he still yells at practices…gets in players faces. Heck the reason he needed a hip replacement was because he got mad at the kicker for the way he was kicking onside kicks. Joe tried to show the kicker himself, and hurt his hip.

Q: I must ask, who do you think wins the 95th edition of the Rose Bowl?

I might be drinking the blue and white kool aid, but I think this game is going to be a lot closer than the so called experts are predicting. In my opinion, this will be the best offense & defense that USC has faced…and vice versa for Penn State. I like how no one is giving Penn State a chance, in the past it has worked to the Nittany Lions’ favor.

I am not trying to knock USC, but of the games I watched them I only thought they were impressive on both sides of the ball against Ohio State and that was when Ohio State was without Beanie Wells and a very green Pryor. I think if Penn State can have a balanced attack, they can beat USC.

But I have also seen Penn State come out with some horrible game planning, see the Iowa and Purdue games. If they do that against USC, the Trojans will wipe them off the field.

So after all that my predicition. I see a close game which will be very low scoring. I think USC’s defense is a bit better than Penn State’s, causes a late turnover that lead to the winning score. USC 17-14.