We are are about 72 long hours from kickoff of the 2007 Penn State season. Please try to keep yourself busy and productive during this agonizing wait. This week Run Up The Score! asked the questions. Black Shoe Diaries, The Nittany Line, and There Is No Name On My Jersey have the answers too.
1. Our long national nightmare is over — football season has returned! The Nittany Lions take on the Golden Panthers of Florida International University this Saturday. FIU was 0-12 last season, with losses to such powerhouse programs as Middle Tennessee State, Arkansas State, and Florida Atlantic. There’s no question that Penn State will win, but what are you hoping to see PSU accomplish against FIU? Aside from not getting injured, what can the Nittany Lions do that will make you say, “Okay, that’s something we can build on for next week against Notre Dame”?
I want to see Anthony Morelli and the wideouts establish good timing. Once that is accomplished (hopefully in the second quarter) I want to see Penn State pound the ball up the gut about 45 times. I want the line to get cohesive and keep the defensive off the field. I am concerned about how thin the defensive line is right now.
What I don’t want to see are a lot of any reverses or gimmick plays. Those tend to work against non-cons, but don’t against the top half of the Big11Ten, so what’s the point of running them?
2. Not every Big Ten team has a functional bye week. Take a look at this week’s schedule. Who is most likely to suffer an upset?
Probably Iowa because I don’t think any D-IA team beating Indiana is an upset. Northwestern wouldn’t get beaten by Northeastern would it? I guess Toledo over Purdue isn’t far fetched either. The funniest would be UAB over Michigan State because of what that sports radio host who had the Teddy Ruxpin meltdown might say.
3. How are you affected by the squabbles between the Big Ten Network and Comcast? Who is The Bad Guy in this battle? If you’re stuck in a situation where you won’t be at the game and can’t get the broadcast at your house, what are your plans for Saturday at noon?
The Big11Ten is the villain here, they have a good deal with ESPN/ABC that the fans were happy with despite Pam Ward broadcasting games. When sports teams/conferences start their own networks, the fans lose for a while. Comcast really blundered with the astroturf lobbying though, but that is what Comcast does, even when they are right, they screw up.
Here in greater D.C. we will never get Big11Ten Network on basic cable because it is a Midwestern sports conference. Sure Big11Ten alums are well-represented here, but there simply aren’t enough to warrant any kind of groundswell for the channel. Specificallly, I think this impasse will result in more people, including me, going to the Penn State DC chapter viewing parties. I’ll probably have to do that for the Buffalo game and most of the road games. At least Notre Dame is a national telecast. By the way, anybody have an extra pair of tickets for Saturday? My email address is at the bottom of the post.
Lightning Round
If things go as planned, everyone on the PSU could see significant playing time on Saturday. Who will be the leading rusher, receiver, and passer for Penn State?
Austin Scott, Jordan Norwood, Anthony Morelli.
Predict the score of the PSU vs. FIU game.
41-16 — Late score by FIU on tired PSU D-line.
What non-PSU game are you most looking forward to this weekend?
I have too much myopia to care about other games, but Cal beating Tennessee would be pretty cool. I’m on a distribution list that includes a rabid Tennessee fan who is really paranoid and whiny. Let’s just say the Kirk Herbstreit mancrush on Penn State and the Big11Ten didn’t go over well with Rocky Top boy, who is still smarting from the Outback Bowl. He doesn’t deserve a winning team.