Blue White Roundtable makes a early summer appearance with questions from The Big Eleventh.
Of the PSU players who went undrafted but were picked up by NFL teams, which one has the best chance of actually seeing playing time in The League?
Austin Scott (Cleveland) I guess, I doubt Anthony Morelli (Arizona) can even be a holder. Has Rodney Kinlaw signed anywhere yet?
My office recently installed those vending machines that keep the coil spinning when your selection gets snagged by the oversized potato chips in the next slot over, usually resulting in two treats for the price of one. This has improved my occasional afternoon snacking 250%.
What football technological improvement has most increased your afternoon football enjoyment the most in, say, the last five years?
Improvements to highways on the way to Happy Valley have most increased your afternoon football. As for the actual game, technology — if you can call the Big11Ten Network and Guido D’Elia’s sound system that — have lessened my football enjoyment. The first down line on TV is helpful, but that is about ten years old.
List the top 5 Penn State games, in order of intrigue, that you would like to attend. For bonus points, include an away game.
1) Oregon State — A potentially competitive intersectional game with an opponent from a name conference rarely happens anymore, so this would be a good one.
2) Syracuse — old rival not too hard to get to with a likely layover with family/friends somewhere in Pennsylvania. This would be #1 if they actually played outside, on grass.
3) Michigan — I love Homecoming and was disappointed I missed it last year. I’m skeptical of the game though.
4) Wisconsin — I have understand Madison is a great town, particularly in October. I am disappointed I could not take advantage of someone’s hospitality there the last two times Penn State played there; that friend finished law school this month and is moving back east.
5) Coastal Carolina — I love the first game of the season and have never missed it.
Penn State hasn’t played a team from the Pac 10 in eight years (USC in the 2000 Kick-off Classic). Oregon State adds a little flavor to an otherwise very standard schedule. How do you think this season’s matchups compare to prior years?
Oregon State replacing Arkansas State improves the schedule dramatically, putting two name teams from BCS conference on it. Syracuse is down, though they doing fine when the schedule was signed, while Oregon State is respectable. I don’t have a problem with Temple, since Penn State is doing them a favor by playing them. I am not thrilled about Coastal Carolina though.
Night games appear to be a growing trend in the Big Ten. While the 2005 Ohio State game was as good as it gets, the following year’s Michigan game seemed overhyped and we all know about last season’s Ohio State outcome.
This year’s Penn State night schedule includes Illinois at home and tough ones in the dark at Wisconsin and at Ohio State. (I’m not sure what to make of the 4:30 kick-off against Michigan)
Here is the three-parter: (1)Does this mean that all of our big games will be played at night from here on out? (2)Do you enjoy the 8:00 or still prefer 3:30? and (3)Do you think a night kickoff actually increases home field advantage or does it simply look cooler on TV?
1) If ESPN/ABC gets good ratings, yes.
2) I prefer 3:30. Night games are not worth it unless I can walk to where I am sleeping. Getting out of the parking lot after 1 is no fun, even if only driving to Bellefonte.
3) It gave a home field advantage exactly once, 2005 vs. Ohio State. Since everybody in the Big11Ten plays at night now, it doesn’t matter.
Lighting Round:
How would Penn State finish with Iowa’s 2008 schedule (substitute Iowa in place of the obvious difficult situation of playing yourself)?
11-1
Which RB gets the most carries this year? The most TDs?
Evan Royster. Stephfon Green.
How much would you pay for this fall’s Michigan ticket? What is the most you’ve ever paid to attend a PSU game?
Face value — the days of paying a premium for tickets are over for me. I paid $155 for Nebraska tickets because they were part of a tour, but I conveniently “found a place to stay” and I skipped the bus.
The ever-growing roundtable:
Black Shoe Diaries
The Nittany Line
There Is No Name On My Jersey
Tangled Up In White and Blue
The Nittany Notebook
Run Up The Score
Nittany Whiteout