Another season of Penn State football is approaching. Walking out to my car this morning, it almost felt like “the day” — you know, that first day in August that gives you a tease of autumn. Today was not quite that day, but it reminded me of it, so this was a tease of the tease that lets us know that football is on the horizon to help us get over the loss of summer.

Anyhow, yesterday it was announced that the third game of the season, against Central Michigan, has a 3:30 p.m. kickoff (CDT) and ESPN Plus telecast. Here is the TV schedule so far:

09/03/05 SOUTH FLORIDA 3:30 ESPNU/ESPN Plus

09/10/05 CINCINATTI 12:00 ESPN Plus

09/17/05 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 3:30 ESPNU/ESPN Plus

10/08/05 OHIO STATE 7:00 or 7:45 ESPN or ESPN2

10/22/05 at Illinois 7:00 ESPN

No other game times have been announced, but with all non-conference games being broadcast, we now know that all Penn State games will be televised this season, since every Big11Ten game goes on at least ESPN Plus.

Many Penn State fans already know about the 2003 accident that nearly killed CB Alan Zemaitis. In a Q & A with Jerry Kellar of The (Wilkes-Barre) Times-Leader, Zemaitis goes into detail about the accident (it is pretty graphic) and his attitude since then. Some people have a chip on their shoulder, but Zemaitis seems to have a block.

In other news, a round-robin schedule is not likely to happen (CDT)anytime soon in the Big11Ten. That is fine with me, I would rather have three or four non-conference games than know I could see Penn State play Indiana, Illinois, and Minnesota every year.

Also, another one of Joe Paterno’s friends and mentors, former assistant coach Jim O’Hora (CDT), has died.

On Sunday, Ron Bracken, CDT sports editor, reviewed two of the latest Penn State football books.

The Maryland Bureau Chief will be shocked, shocked that Dave Jones of the Patriot-News had a self-congratulatory column last week. It was about the Erasmus James hit that put QB Michael Robinson on a stretcher last season.