2011 Penn State Football preview

Welcome to my third annual Penn State football preview. As always, I hope everyone enjoys it. Like previous years, I’m not going to post the roster, coaching bio’s, etc. The only piece of “general” info that I will post in my preview is the schedule. If anyone is looking for a roster or any other general info on PSU football, their website is www.gopsusports.com.

Now, onto the preview…..I hope everyone enjoys it. Feel free to ask any questions or give any feedback comments.

2011 Schedule:

9/3 Indiana State
9/10 Alabama
9/17 @ Temple
9/24 Eastern Michigan
10/1 @ Indiana
10/8 Iowa
10/15 Purdue
10/22 @ Northwestern
10/29 Illinois
11/12 Nebraska
11/19 @ Ohio State
11/26 @ Wisconsin

Overview:

After a disappointing 2010 campaign that saw the team lose six games for the first time since 2004, Penn State enters the 2011 campaign with many questions, a quarterback controversy and possibly the most talented roster they have put on the field since 2008. The Nittany Lions enter the 2011 season ranked 25th in the USA Today Coaches poll and not ranked in the AP poll for the first time in five years (note: for the record, the AP poll is completely meaningless at this point as it has zero impact on the BCS).

The 2010 season was a disspointment in about every way imaginable for the program with the lone exception being Joe Paterno picking up his 400th career win against Northwestern in Beaver Stadium. Other than that milestone, the team did not compete and was blown out against every good team it faced last year including big losses to Alabama, Iowa, Illinois and Ohio State. Further complicating the issues last fall was head coach Joe Paterno battling a stomach illness for most of the season, and starting the season with a true freshman quarterback who was displaced by a former walk on halfway through the season.

Penn State heads into the 2011 season with 14 returning starters (7 on offense, 7 on defense). The good news is, in most cases, the new starters on both sides of the ball are probably better than the departing seniors they are replacing from day one. The approach on offense should be similar to last year no matter whether Rob Bolden or Matt McGloin starts at quarterback. Expect to see a balanced attack featuring a combination of Silas Redd and Brandon Beachum carrying the ball and a passing game centered around standout wide receivers Derek Moye and Justin Brown.

The ultimate success of the offense will clearly depend on quarterback play as well as how long it takes a the offensive line to gel and play well as a unit. Defensively, this should be the best unit we have had in years. The only concern I see here is the defensive end position where Penn State will desperately need production out of Eric Lattimore and the underachieving (thus far) Jack Crawford. The DT rotation is very solid, the linebackers are one of the best groups we’ve had in a while and the secondary is veteran laden and should be a strength. Clearly, the defense is the strong point of the team heading into 2011.

Then of course you have to talk about the coaching staff. Joe Paterno went into the 2010 season with many questions and rumors swirling about his health. He appeared incoherent during many press conferences and admitted after the season he and the staff did a poor job last year. Around December, Paterno’s health took a turn for the better with most observers saying they hadn’t seem him as healthy as he appeared since 2005.

He stopped driving in the offseason and walked religiously through the streets of State College and appeared to all around him to be in great shape. Unfortunately, as most of you are aware, he was run over in practice by WR Devon Smith and suffered hairline fractures in his shoulder and pelvis confining him to a golf cart. In the interim, he has missed most of spring practice, and his status for Saturday’s opener (whether he will be on the sidelines on in the press box) is uncertain.

Also of note is long-time defensive coordinator Tom Bradley trying unsuccessfully to land both the Pitt and Temple jobs in the offseason. It’s unfortunate for Bradley that he did not land one of the jobs and they were both good fits for him as a potential head coach. In fact, in my opinion, Bradley would have been a much better hire than either Steve Adazzio or Todd Graham.

- Chief32

The Offense:

It all starts with the quarterback position. As we sit here 4 days before the opener, a starter has still not been named and probably will not be named until Joe Paterno’s press conference tomorrow at the earliest. It’s a two horse race between true sophomore Rob Bolden and redshirt junior Matt McGloin. Bolden started the year last as a true freshman with mediocre results and was replaced by McGloin during the Minnesota game when he (Bolden) left with a concussion. McGloin went on to win that game and the next 2 putting up big numbers against some of the worst defenses in the country. When the competition level stepped up though, McGloin turned into a turnover machine throwing multiple pick-6′s at Ohio State, and throwing 5 interceptions in the Outback Bowl only because Florida defenders dropped 4 other interceptions right in their hands. After the season, Bolden threatened to transfer, Paterno blocked his request, and here we are with both QB’s back for 2011.

Most observers say that Bolden has been the better and more consistent QB in both the spring and camp…….but by a very little margin. Neither has distinguished themselves as the starter which is disappointing. All signs are pointing to a two quarterback system being used versus Indiana State and just going from there in terms of who gets the majority of the playing time. The fact that Bolden, a young player with a ton of raw talent, cannot seperate himself from McGloin is troublesome in my view and leads me to believe that Paterno will end up going with McGloin for the majority of the year. We shall see, but it’s really going to up to Bolden to play well when he gets the opportunity and take the job for the next 3 years. Here’s hoping that happens.

The third string QB will be walkon Shane McGregor. Highly recruited sophomore Paul Jones is academically ineligible and Kevin Newsome has left the team.

Running back should be a strength for the Nittany Lions with Silas Redd, Brandon Beachum, Joe Suhey and Michael Zordich all back. Redd will get the bulk of the carries and in my opinion is a superstar waiting to explode. He showed tons of flashes as a true freshman last year and probably should have carried the ball more. He has battled a minor groin strain in the preseason, so don’t be alarmed if he doesn’t get 20+ carries in week 1. The sky is the limit with Redd. Brandon Beachum will be the primary backup and is back after tearing his ACL in 2009. I am very high on Beachum as a big, powerful runner who seems to always be moving forward. He is a perfect complement for Redd. Curtis Dukes, another huge power back, is #3 on the depth chart. It will be interesting to see how many carries he gets this year as he has reportedly had a very good preseason. Stephon Green, a senior who was Evan Royster’s primary backup for 3 years, is back after being kicked off the team in the offseason. He is deep in Paterno’s doghouse and is running on the scout team right now. If Redd would go down, Green is going to have to play a key role. The fullbacks are very solid with Joe Suhey and Michael Zordich back. Suhey is very versatile and a good receiver out of the backfield while Zordich is a bull running the ball.

Wide receiver is absolutely loaded. Top receivers Derek Moye and Justin Brown are the two starters and both excellent receivers. Moye is the team’s deep threat. Also featured will be speedsters Shawney Kersey and Devon Smith who both have major big play potential. Kersey has been a kid who has been in Joe’s doghouse a lot, but seems to have finally put it all together. He is a blazer who can make plays with the ball in his hands. Smith is the fastest kid on the team but struggles to control his speed and balance. Three names to keep an eye on here as the season develops……….sophomore Curtis Drake, true freshman Bill Belton and true freshman Allen Robinson. Drake is coming back from breaking his leg twice and best case will be ready for the Alabama game. Worst case seems to be the Big Ten schedule. Belton and Robinson (Rob Bolden’s high school teammate) are two freshman who are said not to be redshirting. Overall this is a very deep group.

Andrew Szczerba returns from a back injury that has limited his career at Penn State and should be the starting tight end in 2011. Szczerba is an outstanding blocker who can catch the ball a bit as well. True sophomore Kevin Haplea will also see a ton of time here as well. Haplea was forced into action last year as a true freshman and held his own, all things considered. Nate Cadogan, and converted tackle, will play as the third tight end in short yardage situations.

Next to the QB position, the biggest question mark comes again with the offensive line. Gone is All-American and first round pick Stefan Wisniewski who had a terrific career as a three year starter at PSU. Also departed is center Doug Kolpacz, a first year starter last year. Taking Klopacz’s spot at center will be junior Matt Stankiewitch. Stankiewitch seems to have drawn mixed reviews in camp, and will need to step up and take the job as there are other combinations in play that could send him to the bench. One of them is starting right guard John Urshel moving to center, and Dontae Panell stepping in a right guard. Left guard seems to be a battle between Johnny Troutman, Dontae Pannell and Khamrone Kolb. In a sentence I can cut and paste from last year, Troutman is one of the most talented linemen on the squad but has batted weight issues and been in and out of Coach Paterno’s doghouse. I would still look for him to get the majority of snaps this season. Pannell started the 2009 season at tackle, but was moved inside after being abused at times. He should be used as a swing reserve at both guard spots and see a lot of time. As previously mentioned, John Urshel appears to be the starter at right guard, and the backup at center. The tackles are both returning starters from last year in Quinn Barham and Chima Okoli. Other linemen who could see playing time this year are Mike Farrell and true freshman Donovan Smith. Smith is thought to be a big time prospect at LT, so they could bring him along slowly. Having said that, any injury to Barham probably shoots him onto the 2-deep.

- Chief32

The Defense:

As I’ve said year after year, Larry Johnson is one of the best position coaches in the country and always finds guys who play at an extremely high level to just step in and step up. This year should be no different. I would look for an eight man rotation on the defensive line with four DT’s and four DE’s all seing significant playing time. Defensive tackle should be a strength as Jordan Hill and Devon Still will start. Both guys can be impact players at times and are athletic, powerful linemen. I am really looking for big things out of Still this year as he has shown flashes in the past but never been the dominate player I think he can be. I look for a big year from him. I am also very high on Jordan Hill who lost 15 lbs in the offseason and is playing at 290. He is a very athletic tackle and finally will be in a role with the chance to shine this year. The other two members of the DT rotation will be James Terry and Dequan Jones. Jones is the player to watch here as he has the potential to develop into a monster. This is an excellent, 4-deep rotation though. Defensive end is more of a question mark. Pete Massaro, who showed flashes at times last year, is lost for the year with an ACL injury. The rotation here will include Eric Lattimore, Jack Crawford, CJ Olaniyan and Sean Stanley. Crawford has all the physical tools in the world but has underachieved for most of his career. He has battled injuries and never been able to put it together. 2011 will be his last chance. Lattimore is another player who has battled injuries but has the potential to be productive. Olanyian is a speed pass rusher who is a bit undersized, and Stanley may be the best of the group when it’s all said and done. The good news here is Larry Johnson is the position coach and should get the best out of what he’s got to work with.

The linebacking corps are absolutely loaded. Gone (mercifully) are starters Chris Colasanti and Bani Gbadyu. Both will be replaced with better players who should have been playing over them last season. This linebacking corp is six players deep and I would feel comfortable with any of them starting and playing at any point in the season. The starting trio appears to be set with Michael Mauti at SAM, Gerald Hodges at WILL and Glenn Carson starting in the middle. Mauti was the team’s best linebacker last year and is primed for a big season in 2011. He may end up being the best overall player on the team. Hodges is a kid with a ton of talent who got hurt on the opening kickoff at the Alabama game last year. He is back now and has a chance to be a big time playmaker. Carson is the unknown but played so well in the spring they bumped Mauti to the outside. He was a big time recruit and an extremely physical player on the inside. The backups may all be just as good and would start for most programs across the country. Nate Stupar, a special teams standout, and freshman Mike Hull will back up Mauti and Hodges, while true sophomore Khari Fortt will back up Carson. Fortt should get a lot of time in passing situations as he is ultra-athletic. Overall this is a group that may be as good as the Posluszny, Connor and Shaw trio.

The secondary also should be a strength. Penn State will have four very good corners this year in Chaz Powell, Stephon Morris, D’Anton Lynn and Derrick Thomas. Of those four, I think Morris and Lynn are the best, although Morris will probably be the nickle back. Both starting safties are back from last season in Drew Astorino (SS) and Nick Sukay (FS). Sukay tore his pectoral muscle and missed most of the season last year, while Astorino seems to be getting worse as his career goes on. Malcolm Willis has to factor in here as he played last year when Sukay went down and held his own. As stated earlier, this is a pretty solid and experienced group that should not be prone to breakdowns or mistakes. The safties are going to have to step up and play to their potential though. Two others to watch here could be Alex Kenney at corner and Stephen Obeng-Agyapong at safety.

Special Teams:

Possible big trouble here. Anthony Fera had a couple of issues with the law this offseason and will be out for what looks to be at least a couple of games (although that could change I guess). At this point, it appears Alex Butterworth will be the punter until Fera is back, and true freshman Sam Ficken will handle the kicking duties. To be completely candid and honest, I know very little about either. To say the kicking game is a concern would be an understatement. The return game should be fine with all the primary returners from last year coming back.

Outlook:

Well, do I go with my head or my heart? My heart tells me this is a very talent laden roster and a team with an excellent defense and excellent skilled position players. It’s still a very young team, but the players are there from a talent perspective to win 9 or 10 games going through what has the possibility to be a brutal schedule. My head however tells me that there are major issues at QB, major issues in the kicking game and possible issues on the offensive line. This team also has a coaching staff with a head coach once again missing in action for large parts of the preseason, and a coaching staff that seems to have a habit of underperforming in big games lately. This season really could go either way, and if Penn State is competitive in the Alabama game, they may be able to make a run at the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis.

Final prediction……..I have to go with my head here. 8-5 with losses to Alabama, @ Northwestern, Nebraska, @ Ohio State and @ Wisconsin plus a win in a lesser bowl game. I just think that QB play and more specifically turning the ball over is going to haunt the team all year and override the success of what should be an excellent defense. With question marks surrounding special teams and the offensive line, I don’t see Penn State beating any teams they are equal to or not as good as.

- Chief32

Now, onto the preview…..I hope everyone enjoys it. Feel free to ask any questions or give any feedback comments.

2010 Schedule:

9/4 Youngstown State
9/11 @ Alabama
9/18 Kent State
9/25 Temple
10/2 @ Iowa
10/9 Illinois
10/23 @ Minnesota
10/30 Michigan
11/6 Northwestern
11/13 @ Ohio State
11/20 @ Indiana (Fedex Field in Washington DC)
11/27 Michigan State

Overview:

Personally speaking, I find 2010 to be one of the most fascinating and interesting seasons in recent memory as we get ready to kick off the campaign on Saturday. Penn State enters the 2010 season ranked 14th in the USA Today Coaches poll and 19th in the AP poll while coming off a successful 2009 campaign that saw them finish 11-2 with a win over perenial national power LSU in the Capital One Bowl. Despite the solid record and bowl victory, 2009 was considered a bit of a disappointment in some circles as the team dropped two winnable home games to eventual year end top 5 teams Iowa and Ohio State. Had the Lions been able to hold serve at home and win both games, they would have been right in the mix of the national title picture.

While many key players from last season are gone, Penn State heads into the 2010 season with 11 returning starters (6 on offense, 5 on defense). 2010 will feature an infusion of new, young talent who will be trying to make their marks on the program. The approach on offense is a mystery at this point, and we probably won’t have a full idea of their base attack until after September 11th in Tuscaloosa. Some rumblings out of both spring and fall practice have been they will be going back to a more run oriented, read-trap style offense that was featured heavily in 2005 with Michael Robinson at quarterback. Others have been adament their base offense will continue to be more of a spread style balanced attack we’ve seen them run with Daryl Clark the past two seasons. One thing is for sure, with an inexperienced QB at the helm, and Evan Royster back for his senior season, Penn State should be more of a run-first offense in 2010. More on that later. Defensively, there are some holes to fill. Gone is first round pick Jared Odrick and standout linebackers Sean Lee and Navarro Bowman. Coming in to make an impact are names like Devon Still, Michael Mauti, Gerald Hodges and Nathan Stupar. Can these players duplicate or exceed the production of their predecessors now in the NFL?

Despite all those questions, the upcoming season will feature two major storylines that will define the season.

1. Joe Paterno’s health

2. Who will be the starting QB

- Chief32

The talk of the spring and fall has been the quarterback position and who will get the nod to replace Daryl Clark. Four candidates have been vying for the job and all four offer a bit different type of skill set. Coming into the spring, the favorite for the job was thought to be true sophomore Kevin Newsome who served as Daryl Clark’s backup last season. Newsome is a tremendous athlete and runner, but has struggled in developing consistency throwing the football. The other returnee at the QB spot from last year is third year sophomore Matt McGloin. McGloin, a former walk-on, is known more as a game manager type of quarterback with his intelligence making up for his limited skillset.

Despite this label, he struggled mightily in the spring game throwing two interceptions, and having two other passes that easily could have been picked off as well. Paul Jones is a true freshman and a very highly rated QB out of the Pittsburgh area who has unbelievably impressive physical tools. He graduated from high school early and enrolled at PSU in January so he could participate in spring practice. Jones has been said to be exactly what you would expect from a freshman QB…….inconsistent. He looks great at times and then will turn around and make bad decisions and mistakes.

He’s also more of a pro-style QB who can run the ball a little bit rather than a true duel-threat quarterback. The coaching staff has made the decision to redshirt Jones in 2010, although Paterno said that is just as of right now and not set in stone. The wild card in the QB race has been his fellow true freshman Robert Bolden. Bolden is a true duel-threat QB from Michigan who chose PSU over offers from his in-state schools, Nebraska and Iowa. Bolden has been the talk of the program since arriving on campus and has been described by observers as “dynamic” and “special.” While it’s almost inconceivable that a true freshman QB starts for a Joe Paterno coached team, he was listed with both McGloin and Newsome as the #1 QB (depth chart listed McGloin OR Newsome OR Bolden).

In a bit of breaking news, I have been told in the past 24 hours that the starting quarterback for game one will be (drum roll)……………….Robert Bolden. Now, Paterno could easily (and has in the past) change his mind in the next 2 days, but I’ve heard despite what is being said publicly, Bolden has received the brunt of the first team reps this week and has won the competition. Expect Newsome to also play in more of a “Wildcat” type role and in certain situations where the staff will want the QB to run the football. I would not take this news as a fact or set in stone, it’s simply what I’ve heard is happening in the past 24 hours.

Running back is an absolutely loaded position for the Nittany Lions with Evan Royster, Stephon Green and Joe Suhey all back. Royster, barring injury, will probably break the school record for rushing yards in a career in 2010 which is a tremendous accomplishment. On the negative side, unbelievably he reported to camp out of shape and overweight which is mind boggling considering the importance of his senior season in terms of an NFL career. Stephon Green will be back for his third season in the program and offers more speed and a change of pace from the hard running Royster.

Two newcomers are also ready to burst onto the seen in Curtis Dukes and Silas Redd. Dukes is a huge speciman going 6’1, 240 pounds and will fill the “power back” role. Redd is a true freshman who can flat fly and has been very impressive in the preseason. He did suffer a slight setback with a sprained MCL a week and a half ago, but should be ready to go for the season. At fullback, Joe Suhey is a solid, versatile player who can catch the ball out of the backfield, and he is backed up by sophomore Michael Zordich who has played extremely well since being moved from linebacker. Both players have been a bit dinged up with injuries though. Brandon Beachum, a TB who played well last year but tore his ACL, will redshirt.

Wide receiver is also loaded. Top receivers Derek Moye (who had a breakout 2009) and Graham Zug are the familiar faces back from last year. Justin Brown is a true sophomore who some observers have actually said could be the best receiver on the team. Also featured will be speedsters Shawney Kersey and Devon Smith who both have major big play potential. Brett Brackett is also back, but could be used more as a tight end with the team having some injuries at that position. One major injury blow here was the loss of true sophomore Curtis Drake for 6-8 weeks with a broken leg.

Drake should be back by Big Ten play (if he is not redshirted) and adds a dynamic element to the offense. In a bit of a suprised, Paterno announced in his press conference on Tuesday that Chaz Powell has been moved back to receiver. Powell who is currently listed as one of the two #1 CB’s on the depth chart, struggled somewhat at receiver the past two seasons, and my guess is he didn’t set himself apart from guys like Stephon Morris or Derek Thomas at CB. Whether he will make any type of an impact at WR this year is a question mark.

The tight end position is thin due to Andrew Szczerba’s back injury. Szczerba projected to be the starter at TE and is an outstanding blocker who can catch the ball a bit as well. He has a chronic back issue and coulld miss a lot of time which will open the door for athletic redshirt freshman Gary Gilliam, and possibly true freshman Kevin Haplea. Expect senior Brett Brackett to get reps here as well although he is more of a hybrid TE / receiver. This position is definitely a question mark and thin heading into the season.

The biggest question mark heading into 2010 is the offensive line. Some familiar faces are back but will be playing in different spots this year. Stefan Wisniewski is clearly their best lineman and will move back to guard after spending 2009 as the team’s starting center. Wisniewski is a terrific technician and an All American candidate from the right guard spot. Taking Wisniewski’s spot at center will be senior Doug Klopacz. Klopacz has been in line to start before but unfortunately had some major injuries derail his career.

He has received solid reviews this fall, and I personally thought he played pretty well last year when he was in the game. Left guard seems to be a battle between junior DeOn’tae Pannell and the emerging Johnny Troutman. Troutman is one of the most talented linemen on the squad but has batted weight issues and been in and out of Coach Paterno’s doghouse. He seems to have really come on the last week or so and could see the majority of the time at left guard. Pannell started the 2009 season at tackle, but was moved inside after being abused during the Iowa game last year.

Matt Stankiewitch will also see time as he is the primary backup at both center and guard, along with redshirt freshman John Urshel who has received some nice praise from observers both in the spring and the fall. The tackles are a concern. Lou Eliades will start at right tackle after starting at right guard last season. Eliades has been solid in his career at PSU, and will be backed up by converted defensive lineman Chima Okoli and freshman Adam Gress. The starting left tackle appears to be junior Quinn Barham backed up by Mike Farrell. Barham has not played a ton, and when he has, it has been at the guard spot. Coach Paterno recently praised the progress of this group and said depth is starting to be developed.

- Chief32

When evaluating a Penn State football team, the one spot I never worry about is defensive line. Larry Johnson is one of the best position coaches in the country and always finds guys who play at an extremely high level to just step in and step up. This year should be no different. While Jared Odrick and Jerome Hayes are gone, there is a ton of young talent ready to thrive on the DL. Jack Crawford is back at DE looking for a breakout season after a solid 2009 campaign. Opposite him at right end will be Eric Lattimore who is emerging into a very solid DE.

Both Kevion Latham and Sean Stanley will see a lot of time as backups in a rotation, and both should be significant contributors. Stanley has been banged up a bit in the preseason. The guy for me to watch at DT is junior Devon Still. Still is a beast and I look for him to have a huge year in 2010. After battling injury issues early in his career, he emerged as the third DT last season and played very well. Now bumped into a starting roll, I think he will thrive. Also back is three year starter Ollie Ogbu who has been a very good player in his PSU career. James Terry, Brandon Ware and Jordan Hill will all play in Larry Johnson’s rotation. This entire defensive line unit is probably nine to ten players deep.

The linebacking corps are also loaded. Gone are starters Sean Lee, Navarro Bowman and the much maligned Josh Hull; and replacing them will be a trio of young studs probably yet to be determined. Basically you have six solid to really good players competing for three open spots. The week one depth chart lists the starters as Nate Stupar, Chris Colasanti and Bani Gbadyu. Some observers will argue that the three second team players (Mike Mauti, Mike Yancich and Gerald Hodges) are all superior in ability to the starters.

Stupar was PSU’s best special teams player last year and saw a lot of action at OLB. While he is a good player, I don’t know if either he or Gbadyu are good enough to keep either Mauti or Hodges off the field. Mauti was scheduled to start as a true sophomore last year over Josh Hull until he tore his ACL in the spring. He is said to be back at 100% and will be starting in the very short term. Hodges is a physical beast who started his career at safety and moved to OLB. He has drawn rave reviews for his athleticism, speed, intensity and physicality. Again, he will be tough to keep off the field. I would guess this group will be settled in short order before the trip to Tuscaloosa…………..but again, there is a ton of talent here as usual.

The secondary also should be a strength. Penn State will have three very good corners this year in Stephon Morris, D’Anton Lynn and Derrick Thomas. I am paticularly high on Morris who I think can be a great player here. The move of Chaz Powell from CB to WR tells me the staff feels really good about their CB’s and how they have performed in the preseason. Both starting safties are back from last season in Drew Astorino (SS) and Nick Sukay (FS).

Both had decent 2009 seasons, with Sukay coming on and getting better as the year went on and Astorino battling a shoulder injury. Andrew Daily will see time as well in dime packages as he did last year. As stated earlier, this is a pretty solid and experienced group that should not be prone to breakdowns or mistakes. A couple of other kids who could see time here are Shelton McCullough at corner and either Malcolm Willis or Stephon Obeng-Agyapong at safety.

Special Teams:

Colin Wagner is back at placekicker. While he had a bit of an up and down 2009, he performed really well in the Capital One Bowl against LSU going 4 for 4 in field goal attempts. Highly recruited Anthony Fera (redshirt freshman) is the backup and will probably be used on long field goal attempts and kickoffs. Punter is a major issue. After losing all-Big Ten punter Jeremy Boone to graduation, Fera will assume the duties out of necessity. Although he is more of a placekicker than punter, with the loss of Justin Breen, Fera is basically the only capable punter on the roster.

It will be interesting to see how he performs. The return game (especially punt returns) has been putrid in recent years, mainly due to the use of Drew Astorino as a return man. Astorino, while being a servicable safety, simply is not a dynamic returner and looks to fair catch most balls. Guys like Devon Smith and Justin Brown are available here, but it’s one of those “I’ll believe it when I see it” type of deals as to whether or not the staff will put them back there.

Coach Paterno:

As previously mentioned, Coach Paterno’s health has been a major issue this year. He skipped the Big Ten media events and more importantly, major Nittany Lion Club events this year as he could not attend due to health reasons. At the Big Ten Media Day in early August, he both looked and sounded awful. In appearances after that he has looked better, and his answers to questions have been sharp, but he is still having issues hearing questions and getting around.

I think there is legitimate concern here as to whether or not he has the stamina to make it through the whole season on the sidelines. My guess is yes, but it’s not going to be easy for him. I have always thought Joe would coach this team until he literally dies…………..now I am not so sure. One thing is for certain, barring a major catastrophe, he will reach the 400 win milestone which is an absolutely unbelievable accomplishment.

Outlook:

Very tough call to make here. I actually think this team is being underrated by a lot of “experts,” but the schedule is very difficult. Road games at Alabama, at Iowa and at the Horseshoe in Columbus will be very tough to win. I am really looking forward to week 2 at Alabama (no Mark Ingram?) to see how they compete and stack up. I don’t expect a win, but I will be very happy if this young team goes in and plays the National Champs tough.

Hopefully this is a team that gets better and better by the week. The quarterback position will be unbelievably intriguing to watch. The development of the last 3 recruiting classes should be very fun to watch. All and all I am really looking forward to this season to see if this is in fact a team that contend for the national title in 2011.

Final prediction……..9-4 with a Bowl Win in either the Capital One or Outback Bowl. Losses to Alabama, Iowa, Ohio State and one game they will slip up in. I wouldn’t be shocked with a 3 loss or even 2 loss regular season either. Pulling any upset on the road would be just huge for this team given the recent road woes.

- Chief32