Practice has begun in Happy Valley (AP/CDT). Kickoff is 4.5 weeks away.

CDT already hyping Penn State vs. Notre Dame

State College’s paper of record is already hyping the 18th meeting between the two schools with a special online section. There is a countdown clock and remembrances of games past.

Rating the opposition

Todd Sponsler at pennlive.com’s 50-Yard Lion has spent the last two weeks breaking down the difficulties of each of the Lions opponents this year. The #1 most difficult opponent is no surprise, but the #2 might be. dl004d and Tortcaesar will be probably be pleased.

Buck the…

For my job I have to work on an Ohio State Web section every season. The trash-talking has already begun. I had to listen to a Blue Band CD this morning just to purge my system of the toxins. It got me really, really excited for this upcoming season. I am going to have to hold off on listening to it anymore for a while.

Paul Posluszny in ESPN The Magazine

The most recent issue has the All-American LB featured. I do not recall there being anything in the story that had not already been reported.

Hey, we were ranked that in football too

By Washington Monthly‘s measure, Penn State ranks No. 3 on the list of top universities in the nation, behind Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of California at Berkeley, respectively.

The periodical ranked schools based on three indicators: its performance as a social mobility engine, its effort to foster scientific and humanistic research and its promotion of an ethic of service to country.

The full Patriot-News article & the CDT article.

Higher Ed

Men’s basketball coach Ed DeChellis had his contract extended for another two years.