NittanyWhiteOut.com: November 2007
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Remember the Alamo
BallHype: hype it up! Friday, November 30, 2007
"Nittany Nation, pack your backs, lock up the children, and get your tickets cause we're headed west to San Antonio!"

Its official, the Alamo Bowl has offered its invitation to Penn State marking the second time ever the Nittany Lions will be headed to the Alamodome for a showdown against a Big 12 opponent (either Texas Tech or Texas A&M). The last time Penn State went to the Alamo Bowl, it was against Texas A&M shutting them out 24-0 in front of the second largest crowd (65,380) in the bowl's history. Theres no wonder why they didn't hesitate to invite the Lions back.

So tickets sales will begin Saturday, December 9th at 9:00 am with 7 possible ticket prices available:


Club level $87.00 *1

Lower level - Big Ten (best available) $67.00 *1

Lower level - Big 12 (best available) $67.00 *1

Upper level sideline-Big Ten (rows 1-20) $52.00 *1

Upper level sideline-Big 12 (rows 1-20) $52.00 *1

Upper level endzone (rows 1-20) $52.00 *1

Upper level endzone (rows 21-28) $32.00 *1

Just hours before the announcement I was going through possible scenarios on how we would make a January 1st bid. Seeing as how thats out of the question now, something more interesting resulted. The Big Ten has multiple bowl tie-ins but there is no rule that requires the selection of teams in order of their standings in the Big Ten. After the BCS and the national championship game has selected its share of Big Ten teams, the bowls then get to pick whoever they want in the following order:
  • #1 - Capital One Bowl - Illinois (Big Ten #2) or Michigan (Big Ten #3)
  • #2 - Outback Bowl - Wisconsin ( Big Ten #4)*
  • #3 - Alamo Bowl - Penn State (Big Ten #5)*
  • #4 - Champs Bowl - Illinois (Big Ten #2) or Michigan (Big Ten #3)
*Team already invited

Well this is why with the selection of Penn State, things have gotten interesting. With Ohio State locked in a BCS bowl, that leaves Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Penn State as the prime candidates for the top 4 non-BCS bowls. In the event that Illinois does not make the BCS (they could still very will sneak into the Rose Bowl. 9 out of the 14 teams above the Illini play this weekend, they have to end up in the top 12 to qualify for a BCS at-large), that would mean with Wisconsin locked up in the Outback and Penn State now headed to the Alamo bowl, Illinois and Michigan would be vying for the Capital One Bowl or end up relegated behind 2 teams that are lower in the Big Ten standings than both of them.

Interesting how that works out. If the Capital One selects the Illini (the most likely scenario for a non-BCS Illini to pit a matchup against Ron Zook's former school Florida), then Michigan will drop all the way to the Champs Sports Bowl behind Penn State who they beat, and Wisconsin who has one more loss than the Wolverines. Talk about a snub.
posted by Nittany White Out @ 2:03 PM   0 comments
Pick Us!
BallHype: hype it up!
We've got this hilarious post by fellow Iowa Big Ten blogger "Black Hearts Gold Pants" demanding a boycott of the Tampa area and the Outback chain of restaurants. They might be onto something here. Seems like Penn State is most likely going to end up in the Champs Sports Bowl, but the Capital One Bowl (which has first pick of Big Ten teams after the BCS selections) still has Penn State in the running with Illinois and Michigan. Penn State fans should hope for a Missouri or West Virginia loss so Ohio State will end up in the National Championship. This will open the door for the Rose Bowl to select Illinois leaving the Capital One Bowl with the choice between Michigan or Penn State seeing as the Outback simply salivated at the thought of inviting the badgers which got routed in Happy Valley.

Penn State
Michigan
Year: Bowl (# Rank)
Opponent
Attendance
Year: Bowl (# Rank)
Opponent
Attendance
06: Outback Bowl (NR) Tennessee # 17 65,601 / 65,657 99.9 06: Rose Bowl (# 3) USC # 8 93,952 (13.9) / 92,542 101.5
05: Orange Bowl (# 3) Florida State # 22 77,773 (12.3) / 72,230 118.8 05: Alamo Bowl (# 20) Nebraska (NR) 62,016 (5.41) / 65,000 95.4
02: Capital One Bowl (#10) Auburn # 19 66,334 (5.9) / 65,438 102.0 04: Rose Bowl (# 13) Texas # 6 93,468 (12.4) / 92,542 101.0
99: Alamo Bowl (#13) Texas A&M # 18 65,380 (5.2) / 65,000 100.6 03: Rose Bowl (# 4) USC # 1 93,849 (14.4) / 92,542 101.4
98: Outback Bowl (# 22) Kentucky (NR) 66,005 (4.8) / 65,567 100.7 02: Outback Bowl (# 12) Florida # 22 59,693 (4.2) / 65,657 90.9

It seems over the last 5 bowl games, Penn State and Michigan's fan base has traveled well. But overall, it may seem Nittany Nation just seems to flock to their bowl games more so than Wolverine fans. Granted, Michigan has sold out 3 of its last 5 bowl games (compared to 4 of 5 by Penn State), but notice how all 3 sold out games were the Rose Bowl? When the Wolverines don't end up in a BCS bowl, their fans just don't seem to have enough motivation to follow their team to lower-tier bowls.

So it would be wise for the Capital One bowl to select Penn State over Michigan this year. Who knows, we here at Nittany White Out could also declare our own boycott of Orlando in retaliation.
posted by Nittany White Out @ 10:07 AM   0 comments
Underpaid and overachieving
BallHype: hype it up! Thursday, November 29, 2007
Theres no wonder why Penn State will never get rid of Joe (not that we want him to go, he deserves to retire when he wants to), but losing no matter means anything to the university for the bargain they are getting with this hall of fame coach.


"Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno is being paid about a half-million dollars a year, state officials said Thursday, ending one of the most closely guarded secrets of college sports in Pennsylvania." - Centre Daily Times

That is absolutely stunning. For a man who has 371 victories in Div-I (Bobby Bowden can kiss my left ass cheek for the 20+ wins he compiled coaching Samford in a lower division, hell Joe Paterno should be able to count the victories he has compiled on the xbox against his online competition while we're at it then), half a million is not only a bargain, but its a freaking steal for a football program of this nature. Iowa pays their underachieving coach $2.8 million to lose to rival Iowa State 3 times out of the last 4 games they've played. That is a 560% increase from Joe Paterno's salary.

Say what you want about the man, but greed is definitely not a word you can use to describe him. How many coaches with just 1 national championship have earned an annual salary increase into the millions let alone a man with 2 national championships and the most bowl appearances and victories barely demanding time off. Just because he comes cheap, does not mean he shouldn't still be winning. Since the 2005 11-1 Orange Bowl season where his team ended #3, he has churned out two 9-win seasons. There are plenty of programs who would die to stay in that position, just ask Nebraska or Miami. But this is an image of a man with class no matter what the critics say.
posted by Nittany White Out @ 2:13 PM   0 comments
So Long Morelli
BallHype: hype it up! Sunday, November 18, 2007
Congratulations to Indiana and Michigan State for becoming bowl eligible for the first time in a long while. We know how it feels to be successful coming off horrible stretches of seasons (2005 was memorable). And also to Ohio State for dominating the team up north for the fourth time in a row. I know Penn State has an 8 game losing streak and all to that team up north, but they aren't really our rivals, we just find them more annoying and a guaranteed loss in seasons we play them, but couldn't feel any worse about it at this point. But it must really suck to be dominated for 4 straight years by a real rival. I'm not putting jabs, but I'm just imagining losing to Pittsburgh for 4 straight seasons, man there would be riots.

But only more angry venting Before we analyze the Michigan State game, which in retrospect they thoroughly outplayed us in the second half because we once again went conservative and did the infamous soft prevent-like bend but don't break defense. Common, even I can break the zone defense on the Xbox, don't you think an accurate passer like Hoyer could rip us apart? But aside from that heres my take on Morelli.

THANK GOD HE IS GONE. I know theres a good chance I'll regret saying that if for some reason our quarterback next year which seems to be Clark at this point, turns out to be even more inaccurate and inept than Morelli and we end up with Zack Mills 4-7 era seasons again, but at least I'll know early on in the season that we'll be consistently bad. Morelli has the swagger of a Heisman quarterback yet makes decisions like a drunk chick at a fraternity party. Why would you throw 4 straight passes into the end zone when you are on the 20 where you can pick up another first down and get 4 more shots at it with just less than 2 minutes to go in the game? Why would you, knowning you only have 1 play to run, throw a short-of-the-first-down-line pass (down the middle no less) with 80 yards ahead of you to the end zone? Even if you did complete it, you have no timeouts and the clock runs.

Its decisions like this that has defined this player's (I can barely even call him a quarterback) career at Penn State. He is the only quarterback to ever silence a raucous night crowd at Beaver Stadium. If the game was on the line and you had to drive down the field for even a field goal to win or tie the game, you know deep down inside, Morelli is not the guy to do it. You pray, you hope and you rub on your rabbit's foot until you wear it out, but you know already even before he takes the field on offense, that it will either be a 3 and out, overthrown pass, interception, sack or a combinations thereof. Oh and of course, a fumble if he decides to use his 6.2 speed running 10 yards for a first down. You know as well as I do, if we are holding onto a 3 point lead and we have the ball with 2 minutes to go, there is little to no chance we are able to move the sticks enough with him to keep the other team's offense off the field. And after 2 seasons, all these have been true. Many have called Michael Robinson a playmaker, but I believe to Penn State he was more important as a leader. You see him on the sideline animated and talking to players, his supporting cast and keeping them hungry. Morelli goes three and out and struts back to his sideline and slumps onto the bench. No communication, and basically no leadership. I might not be down on the sideline within the midst of things, but it is clear that the receivers and Morelli do not have the chemistry Robinson and his receivers had. Yeah, I know Morelli broke the record for most pass completions and yards and what not. But when the majority of those completions are flats and screens (even he can't do those right overthrowing or underthrowing them), its nothing to cheer about. Even Zack Mills holds the record for the only player to throw, catch and run for a touchdown, but he will be remembered as a blemish in Penn State's lore.


I am glad this team has reached a bowl no matter which bowl it will be. It will give them 20 more practices to prepare for next year. But I beg you Joe Paterno, please let our starting quarterback the chance to start and play the entire bowl game. Morelli is done, his NFL stock is as popular as Enron, the only chance he might get drafted is if a team is desperate enough to want a powerful but inaccurate arm (wait the Dolphins might be looking). Because despite what the media says, Morelli can't be coached to throw better or use better mechanics. He just isn't smart enough. There I've said it, his tribal tattoo with his name on it is probably to remind himself what his name is when he gets drilled into the ground on a sack. Morelli is done and over with and I am glad I never have to see him again or have him ruin my Saturdays. We might end up with worse seasons in the years to come, but at least I'll see effort from other quarterbacks, more pride, more passion and hungry for a win. Goodbye Morelli and I'll see you at the nearest car dealership.
posted by Nittany White Out @ 7:01 AM   2 comments
Jay Pa Must Go!
BallHype: hype it up! Saturday, November 17, 2007
The Michigan State game was horrendous. How do you let a team come back from a 17 point deficit? How!? And with less than 10 seconds to go and you're on the 20 yard line with 80 yards to the end zone, WHY in hesus' name would you throw to short of the first down expecting it to go 80 yards to the end zone? There is just so many questions I can't answer simply because I've become brain dead watching this Penn State team led by (I honestly can say Morelli might be a more accurate version of Zack Mills with better receivers) and an obviously inept offensive coaching staff. Jay Pa Must go! Yes, I've said it, and I probably will keep saying it until it happens. Jay Pa must go.

But right now I need to watch some other team get their rear ends kicked in and focus my thoughts. I am SO glad the Morelli dynasty is over. I couldn't care less which bowl we may get into. Which by the way, we would have most likely ended up in the Alamo Bowl because Ohio State had beaten Michigan to grab the Rose. And with Illinois win, they have locked in the Capitol One bowl and that means the Outback Bowl (2nd in line to pick) would have to pick between a Michigan team that travels as well as Penn State or Penn State which already played there last year and their fans were outnumbered by Tennessee fans. So honestly, we would have been relegated to the Alamo Bowl even if we had beaten the Spartans and ended on a 9-3 record simply because we were unfortunate enough to be just as mediocre last year with Morelli. So it was a nice practice tune-up for the Alamo bowl, but this game would not have affected our bowl picture in any way despite what the television personalities kept repeating during the broadcast. With a 9-3 record, Nittany fans would have been louder in screaming for a New Years Day bowl but still wouldn't have gotten it. Now the fans will just be a little more quiet and plan their vacations in Texas this December (thats if you still want to see this Morelli team one more time before we bury it and throw away the key).

More analysis on the stunner to come, but I need an advil.
posted by Nittany White Out @ 1:28 PM   0 comments
Here we go BCS, Here we go!
BallHype: hype it up! Wednesday, November 14, 2007
There is still a month before the first bowls kick off and there are already screams around the country against the BCS.

ARE YOU NUTS?! There are about a million reasons people cite for instituting some sort of plus 1 or a playoff system in college football. That is all nice and well, but no one seems to realize long term ramifications this would have to the sport that has peaked in national interest in the last decade. Not only will a plus-one or a playoff be the start of a slow death for the intense passion that is college football, it will in effect be eliminating one of the greatest traditions in college football, the bowl games. Yes, I know we can rotate the big BCS bowls and have them host different seeded matchups in a playoff system thereby we are still honoring the bowl tradition right? If you asked that, you are definitely not a traditionalist and see nothing pure in college football and should begin looking for season tickets to the NFL immediately.

The bowl games are not only a tradition, they defined college football. Back in the good ol days when we didn't have 20 useless bowl match ups like the 'International Bowl', which isn't even held in this country for gods' sakes, there was the college football season, and then there was the bowl. National champions were declared as a result of the outcome of the bowls (Again, I must breath because Nixon declared Texas national champions over Penn State who were much superior before even watching Penn State play their bowl game the next day. I hope he doesn't do anything else as stupid in his time in office... oh wait). And what we have today is a bunch of commercialized bowls that basically rewards mediocre teams with a reason to drag the rest of their families to cities and states that otherwise would be quite empty during bowl season. Is there really a reason to have the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco? Most of you young'ins would not know, but back in the day, the Cotton Bowl was a big deal. Today its just the remnants of what once was BBCS (Before the BCS). Imagine what would happen to the significance of the Rose, Orange, Fiesta and Sugar bowl if we went to a playoff. Sure we could use them to rotate hosting the different seeded match ups, but that basically makes them all stepping stones to something else. What would be the difference between using the Rose bowl in hosting a playoff semifinal and using the International Bowl (in Toronto by the way) instead? Other than the location of course, there would be absolutely no difference, thereby forcing the major traditional bowls into insignificance. How does that benefit college football? It is a privilege to play at the Rose Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl garners memories of #1 Miami and #2 Penn State. What nostalgia can you conjure up thinking about the Motor City Bowl?

It should be hard to get to the title game. If college basketball did not have a playoff, do you think there would be empty seats when your team plays St. Lucia's handicapped institution during the regular season? You should have to go all out every single game, hold nothing back and let the fans roar their passions onto the gridiron every Saturday. Sometimes a fumble or interception goes your way, other times it doesn't. College football is just about skill and coaching as it is about luck. The last second fumble return for a touchdown or the blocked field goal to save the undefeated record is the thin line between collegiate and NFL football.

But my point being, it is because of the new BCS however that college football has the dedicated and passionate legions of fans that bleed their school colors. People can argue that the BCS is the reason why teams such as Hawaii and a few one loss teams (like Ohio State) does not have a shot at a title simply by losing a game or because they are a mid-major program. But ask yourself, isn't that exactly the way it should be? If we had a playoff and if Michigan didn't lose to Wisconsin last weekend, then they would have almost assured themselves of a playoff spot if they win out the rest of the season despite suffering the biggest upset in Div-I college football history and losing to Oregon only to pull out consecutive wins afterwards. Doesn't this basically make the regular season pointless? Every game won't matter. Lose to Appalachian state? Oh well, at least we can win the rest of the games and go on a hot streak to win the title. That is absurd. The reason why Michigan only has a Rose Bowl title to fight for since the third week of the season is what makes college football right. If you lose, you sit and wait behind the line vying for a title spot like everyone else that loses.

Oh, here comes the screaming from SEC country about going through a tough conference and schedule and how they invented college football and why they must be declared best fans in the land, oh wait thats just the fire alarm going off next door. But honestly SEC fans, enjoy these few years of dominance while you can, there will be years when your conference will be considered weaker than R Kelly's will power at a high school prom (just ask Auburn fans), and yet even then, you will want a national title game spot. Isn't this exactly why we as college football fans pounce on ever BCS bowl the moment it is released and actually care if another team on the opposite side of this country loses or does badly? Its because we don't have a playoff and their fortunes affect our fortunes. Hawaii is not even located on this landmass and people want them to lose just to free up a BCS spot. If you play a weak schedule, you'll be sitting in the back of those that play a stronger schedule (talk to Kansas and Hawaii). Voters and computer polls actually consider schedule strength so lets let that argument die. Undefeated Ohio State would have been ahead of 1 loss of LSU even if they played everyone in the top 10 before ending the season with 1 loss. Its just how the system works, LSU knows it, its not some big secret. If you want a good shot at the title game and forge your own destiny, make sure you don't lose. Its not that hard. Great teams have lost their shot at a championship because of it, but thats why we keep coming back like an abused spouse. The more you keep harassing us fans, the more we want.

So guys, take a long hard breath before you demand a playoff that is obviously not going to happen and I am glad it won't. The BCS keeps you attending games because even games against St. Mary's school of the blind affects your title hopes. A playoff will catalyze a slow death for the passion we have for this sport that makes it so much different from the pro game which has a meaningless regular season other than to win the required amount of games to give it their real shot in the playoffs.
posted by Nittany White Out @ 4:25 PM   0 comments
Philly Excursion
BallHype: hype it up! Monday, November 12, 2007
I am back from my first ever trip to Philly and boy was it an experience. There is nothing quite like taking the subway to get to a college game and seeing the subway filled with fans in blue and white and the home team scarce to be found. But after this weekend, I am certain Temple, for as bad as they are, is definitely a growing program. They have the facilities (Linc) and the fan base (Philly fans) to grow with.

First off, the Linc is an impressive venue. I have been to several collegiate stadiums and seen a few NFL venues, and the Linc is nicely designed to allow for maximum foot traffic to flow around the facility in as little time as possible. The worst designed stadium so far in my experience is Michigan where the concourse packs fans in like cows and even then foot traffic comes to a standstill where you almost have to leave early just to beat the crowd. The Linc however allows you to stay till the end of the game and still move relatively with ease out of the stadium with little pushing and shoving unless you are trying to crowd into the express escalators.

The game itself was predictable, Temple would put up a fight for a while and simmer away because of the lack of depth. This is why I am always amazed when overmatched foes actually pull off upsets in college football because to do so, they have to fight through their lack of depth which is amazingly hard to do. Try running down the field on routes for 4 quarters with almost no one to relieve you for a few plays to catch a breather. So Penn State eventually broke through and once again shut out the owls for the second consecutive time. Also as I predicted, the Linc because Beaver Stadium East and the roars of 'We Are... Penn State' rang through the stadium like Temple's never heard before. What was depressing however was Morelli's interception and fumble but other than that, it was a typically coached away game for Penn State. And to those who keep complaining of the Lion's roar that is piped into Beaver stadium, then I'm glad you are not around to hear the Owl screech that is blasted into the Linc at a ear piercing decibel.

The game was fun, chilly, but fun and the city of Philly was interesting to say the least. DO NOT miss Jim's Steaks if you are ever in Philly. Its located on South Street and there was a line around the block in the chilly temperature just to grab a piece of those amazing cheese steak sandwiches. I am salivating just thinking about the steak and mushroom sandwich I was lucky enough to try on my way down. And also a shout out to the great people of Temple who put up with the Penn State crew this weekend. Most were gracious and I'm glad we got a chance to shack up for a weekend. Hopefully Temple will grow and we can begin a new instate rivalry since our last one with Pittsburgh has been suffocated to death.

Go State! Beat the Spartans!
posted by Nittany White Out @ 9:34 AM   0 comments
Baptism by Fire
BallHype: hype it up! Friday, November 9, 2007
Remember this?



Oh sweet joy. Point in my posting that amateur video is the amount of white in the Orange Bowl against a team actually FROM Florida being cornered into one crimson block of the entire stadium. This is going to be another opportunity to invade someone else's back yard Penn State. As of yesterday, the 70,000 seater Linc (where the Eagles, Temple, and Army play-- only the Eagle games has ever sold out) is sold out.
This is the first sell out in the history of Temple (who was once in the Big East just a few years ago, guess Pittsburgh fans don't like to travel to Philly).

I'm getting ready to head East to Philly in a few hours. It'll be my first trip to the city of brotherly love and I am pumped. Temple should put up a half of fight, knowing Joe Paterno's conservative play calling, it'll be close for a while, then the Lions will break open the flood gates. Last year the owls were shut out at Beaver stadium, I'm hoping for it again tomorrow. Their starting quarterback is injured and while their backup has already played one game prior to this, the Lions are an actual opponent that won't lay dead, and their own home crowd will be packed (unless it rains which is being predicted as of right now) and hostile . But nonetheless, the Lions are no opponent to baptize a backup quarterback.

WhiteOut Prediction: 42-10 Lions take it.

Go State! Bring your ponchos, and wear white! See you at the Linc!
posted by Nittany White Out @ 11:20 AM   0 comments
Owl Hunting Season
BallHype: hype it up! Thursday, November 8, 2007
Wow, talk about a difference in perspective:

From the Collegian:

'This weekend's game between Penn State and Temple is slated to be the biggest home game in the history of the Owls' football program, said the school's director of ticket operations, Owen Godfrey.'

I am just excited to actually get the chance to visit Philadelphia for the first time in my life and see the Linc (Lincoln Financial Center) for the first time after seeing it on television for Eagles games (Sorry Owls).
This did crack me up though:
'Every day this week, Cherry Crusaders will be stationed at various places on campus, selling buttons that say, "We aren't Penn State."'
Yeah, its obvious you aren't, the biggest game in the HISTORY of your football program is against a Penn State team who's not ranked in 2 out of 4 polls and who's fans will definitely white out the Linc like we did to the Orange Bowl in 2005. The Miami Herald the next day plastered a front page image of the stadium in White and called it a "Northern Invasion". So I'm glad you are excited Owl fans, but so are we, Nittany Nation is poised to invade your city for a weekend. Just make sure to chant your name real loud, the television audience might wonder why Beaver Stadium looks different. It shall be fun.
posted by Nittany White Out @ 9:50 AM   0 comments
Purdue controversy
BallHype: hype it up! Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Ok so there's suddenly a bit of controversy surrounding last week's Purdue game and the officiating that went on. According to some of our fellow good Big Ten bloggers at Michigan Against the World, Purdue was not given a chance to tie the game and possibly beat Penn State. I concur that officiating was horrendous at that game. I was at the 50 yard line and on numerous occasions could not figure out why a flag was thrown or how a blatant hold or out of bounds situation was ignored.
Apparently Purdue filed a grievance to the Big Ten complaining of some missed calls (the one they are mainly concerned with was that the clock kept running and Purdue was forced to burn a time out on their second last drive). Granted that is a blatant mistake and one the referee in charge should be held accountable for, but what happened to Joe Tiller complaining that Kinlaw on the ensuing Penn State drive had actually stepped out of bounds (clearly shown on replay inside the stadium as well) before he fumbled 8 yards later despite a no whistle from the ref when he stepped out of bounds earlier. Then the play was reviewed and because the ruling on the field did not indicate he had stepped out of bounds, the ruling was upheld. Unfair? Yes. Did Penn State gripe about it? Well of course not since they ended up winning the game.

But I was there, there were several holding calls on both teams that were uncalled and numerous pass interference calls that were called which could have been up for debate. Did the lost seconds possibly cost Purdue the game? Well that is a possibility but then Penn State was well within field goal range during the controversial Kinlaw fumble on Penn State's last drive. If the whistle had blown ending the run when he stepped out and Penn State was forced to a fourth down, they could have kicked a field goal extending the lead to 10 points making it a 2 possession lead with less than a minute to go even if Purdue didn't lose their 12 seconds they were griping about. So you gotta take things into perspective. I know the strong Penn State bias here, but things like this happen, Michigan in 2005, Minnesota in 2006, sometimes whistles go your way, other times it doesn't. Don't you think Kinlaw would like the whistle to go his way thereby eliminating the 1 fumble that will be tacked onto his stats?

The final score did not indicate the actual flow of the game in the second half much like Ohio State's score against Wisconsin did not reflect that Wisconsin was actually in the game until the final quarter. After the first kickoff to Purdue was returned for a touchdown, Penn State's defense held the Boilermaker's high flying offense to field goals after field goals. It wasn't until late into the third that Penn State began to back into their infamous bend but don't break schemes. Even the last Purdue drive that ended with a hail mary attempt was indicative of that as Purdue gained 30 quick yards with Penn States secondary all past the Purdue's 40 yard line in a prevent defense. Common now, if Purdue couldn't break through easily the entire game, what makes them think they can do it at the end. The game wasn't really in doubt, though it would have been fun to go into over time.
posted by Nittany White Out @ 12:21 PM   1 comments
White this Out!
BallHype: hype it up! Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Is anyone else tired of hearing this debate about Penn State 'stealing' the term 'White Out' in promoting Penn State's student section to wear white? I know, I know that they actually trademarked the term and all that jazz:
  • But what about Miami's White Hot promotion during ALL of their 2006 playoff home games.
  • And Michigan University's Maize Out which they not only use for football games, but every single athletic sportincluding basketball and softball.

  • Louisville's Blackout campaign which they have been using for years longer than Penn State's White Out but received national television exposure during the Louisville-West Virginia game in 2006.

  • University of Pittsburgh's Code-Blue attempt against West Virginia in 2006 at Heinz Field. Luckily for the Coyotes, Pittsburgh isn't good and isn't on television all that much thereby hence it doesn't bother them as much as when Penn State attempts to change their campaign to 'Penn State White House' where the only word that will be similar is white and last I checked its not trade markable. Please notify me if I am wrong about that because I have one foot out the door to trademark the word 'coyote'.

  • Solid Orange at Clemson

  • Paint it Black at Wake Forest

  • Paint the Hall Orange at Illinois
  • The list is endless, names are given and they can easily be changed. White House is not White Out, so I see no point in the Coyotes being angry, hows is White House more similar to the Coyote's White Out than Michigan's Maize Out, Louisville's Black Out... See what I mean? Get over it Phoenix!
Louisville's BlackOutNumerous other universities, schools and pro organizations have color coordinated their fans and their names are all similar to if not a direct reference to the Coyote's trademark 'White Out'. So WHAT's THE BIG DEAL? Leave Penn State alone unless you want to catch everyone who infringes on your trademark, or don't do it at all. Selective punishment does not work and proves no point. I used White out several times in this blog, am I infringing on the trademark? Who knows, White Night sounds pretty good to me, someone pass it along to Penn State?
posted by Nittany White Out @ 10:40 AM   3 comments
What was I thinking?!
BallHype: hype it up! Monday, November 5, 2007
First off there is no denying that Ohio State deserves to be number 1 and LSU number 2 at this point despite all the rantings and raving from SEC fans about how amazing their conference is and a 1 loss LSU team surely must be crowned immediate national champions. While the conference is definitely tough, Ohio State has yet to succumb to the upset bug and trust me, there has been plenty of trap games they have avoided falling into this season. Against Michigan State, at one of the toughest venues around in Penn State, against a Badger team that doesn't seem to waver whether they're playing at home or in a war zone, and they're about to face the up and coming Illinois team that no one can deny is now talented enough to compete against even some of the mid major SEC teams. So as of this week, Ohio State stays on top and LSU watches from the number 2 spot. SEC fans should be happy that no one is paying much attention to actually how good the undefeated Kansas and 1 loss Oregon team really is.

Say good bye to South Florida's dream rise to the number 2 spot as they fall right out of the top 25 with yet another loss. The win at auburn early in the season was great, but so was Notre Dame's win at UCLA this year, but that doesn't make them a championship caliber team let alone a number 2 spot. This year's poll seems harder and harder to fill out as teams just seem to be falling to inferior opponents like flies. My theory is the Appalachian state win at Michigan extended far beyond the Wolverine nation and became a catalyst validating the rally cries of underdog coaches when they tell their teams they can actually win.

Whats more believable, a coach (Stanford for example) who continues to claim they can beat Goliath (USC) despite losing all the time? Or a coach (Stanford) who has Appalachian state to refer to when claiming to beat Goliath (USC)? Its true there has been numerous momentous upsets in the past, but the Appalachian state victory in the opening weekend of this season coupled with the dispersal of athletes among teams created a domino effect as the top 25 resembled a merry go round of BCS teams this year.

Well check out the official site of the blog at www.nittanywhiteout.com and let me know what you think of this week's whiteout top 25.
posted by Nittany White Out @ 11:23 AM   0 comments
Nittany White Out.com Top 25 Poll
BallHype: hype it up!
Nittanywhiteout.com Top 25 Poll
1. Ohio State 10-0 W: Wisconsin
2. LSU 8-1 W: 17 Alabama
3. Oregon 8-1 W: Arizona St.
4. Oklahoma 8-1 W: Texas A&M
5. Kansas 9-0 W: Nebraska
6. VA Tech 7-2 W: GA Tech
7. Missouri 8-1 W: Colorado
8. W. Virginia 7-1 Idle
9. Boston Coll 8-1 L: Florida St.
10. USC 7-2 W: Oregon St.
11. Michigan 8-2 W: Michigan St
12. Georgia 7-2 W: Troy
13. Texas 8-2 W: Okla St.
14. Arizona St. 8-1 L: 4 Oregon
15. Florida 6-3 W: Vanderbilt
16. Hawaii 8-0 Idle
17. Auburn 7-3 W: Tenn Tech
18. California 6-3 W: Washington St.
19. Virginia 8-2 W: 21 Wake Forest
20. Cinncinati 7-2 W: 20 S. Florida
21. Arkansas 6-3 W: 21 S. Carolina
22. Boise St. 8-1 W: San Jose St.
23. Penn St. 7-3 W: Purdue
24. Clemson 7-2 W: Duke
25. Illinois 7-3 W: Minnesota
Dropped Out: Alabama, South Florida, S. Carolina, Wisconsin,
posted by Nittany White Out @ 10:55 AM   0 comments
Spotlighting the Big Ten: Week 10
BallHype: hype it up!


Oh what an upset it could have been. With the noose tightening for almost four quarters, Chad Henne seems to just have the magic touch leading his Wolverines back from a two possession deficit and defeating the Spartans 28-24. What is it with this Spartan program that just seems to fall apart at any sign of adversity. This was supposed to change with the sacking of John L Smith. Dantonio doesn't seem to be able to change this Spartan mystique.

Wisconsin held on for as long as it could but Ohio State could not be contained for four quarters. Ohio State exploded after a 17-17 tie to rout the Badgers in anticipation of the Michigan game coming just after the Illini roadbump next week. Wisconsin however gets to enjoy the number 2 team in the Big Ten after losing to the number 1 team. Fortunately they get to play this in Madison which will make the slow walk of defeat easier for the Badger players after the game next week.

Congratulations to Indiana for becoming bowl eligible! Its been quite a while for a program struggling for years in the Big Ten. Coach Hep would have been proud, God rest his soul. The players seem to have picked up the mentality of 'defending the rock'.

More woes for Minnesota and Northwestern where nothing seems to go right. Iowa seems to be picking up speed however so watch out for them as they get to host a woeful last place Golden Gopher team next week.

posted by Nittany White Out @ 10:48 AM   0 comments
Boilers Grind to a Halt
BallHype: hype it up!
On a clear and warmer than usual November day, the Nittany Lions added yet another statistic to Joe Paterno's impressive resume. They notched a win against a Purdue team that was ranked in the top 20 at one point in the season and the only team they have not played that is above them in the Big Ten standings. The win places the Nittany Lions third in the Big Ten currently only below Big Ten powerhouses Ohio State and Michigan who theylost to this season.

The game did not start off well for the Lions however. After winning the coin toss and deferring, Purdue returned the very first kickoff of the game 98 yards for a touchdown putting the Lions in an early 7 point deficit. Joe Paterno's squad however marched right back down the field and because of a false start penalty, responded with a field goal before scoring once again on a five-yard Derrick Williams touchdown catch from Morelli.

The momentum swinging play of the game however didn't come on offense but on a defensive series of plays at the goal line in the north end zone away from the student section. The alumni seated in the north end zone stepped up and roared to life amplified by a sun bathed student section 90 yards away as the defense held the Boilermakers to a 3 down series stopping short of the end zone each time. The last series resulted in a fumble when Sean Lee stripped the ball from Jaycen Taylor short of the goal line.

Once again however strange officiating ruled the day as a Rodney Kinlaw fumble was confirmed even when replay showed that he had stepped out of bounds yards prior to fumbling the ball. A few holding and pass interference calls were also ignored by the officiating crew which led to a riled up Paterno making his signature on the field rant at the officials sending the crowd into a frenzy. Both teams managed to earn 22 penalties in the game.

Did you Notice?

  • Record setting day for Dan Connor as he broke Penn State's all time career tackle record last held by Paul Posluszny at 372 with at least 3 more games to go in his Penn State career.
  • The Lion actually surfing through the senior section despite the administrations attempts to halt surfing through the senior section because the Lion would end up climbing into the suites and that is a 'hazard'. I say the rich alumni shelling out bundles of cash for those suites can suck it up and enjoy the Lion climbing into their window.
  • The alumni side of the stadium starting up 'We Are' chants more often today than they've done all season combined. Well done alumni. I believe we are beginning to evolveinto a more proactive crowd here at Penn State.
posted by Nittany White Out @ 10:46 AM   0 comments
Lions Hopes White'd Out
BallHype: hype it up!
Hype and excitement, check. A defense which in theory could keep any team possibly under wraps, check. An experienced coaches immune to the irrelevant hoopla of playing the number 1 team in the nation, check. A team that showed signs of progress by winning on the road prior to the game, check.

The pieces were there, all Penn State had to do was show to a national audience it was ready to show up and it fell flat on its face. Much credit is due to the Ohio State Buckeyes for playing like they deserved first place votes, but also to a Nittany Lion defense that almost never got into the backfield to pressure Boeckman or an offense that was so predictable, you could swear you were watching an 70s coached Paterno team.

The Penn State student section arrived early and displayed their influence on the field early as it held the Buckeyes to a 50 yard field goal on its first drive. The crowd erupted shortly afterwards on Penn State's ensuing drive that resulted in a touchdown putting the Lions up for the first and final time.

However, a healthy dose of Beanie Wells and Boeckman accuracy on third downs was all it took to silence the frenzied crowd. The Buckeyes entered the half leading 17 to 7 after Joe Paterno decided to punt on 4th and 2 on their own side of their field following an interception by Dan Connor.

The Buckeyes never stepped off the pedal as it continued to score 20 more points in the second half with strong doses of Chris Wells runs giving Ohio State favorable third and short situations. The Ohio State win keeps them in the national title race with a what will be highly anticipated Ohio State-Michigan matchup at the end of the season.

Penn State having lost its third game in Big Ten play is effectively eliminated from any BCS talk but may still find itself in a New Years Bowl if it can win its last three against Purdue, at Temple, and at Michigan State.

original post on www.nittanywhiteout.com
Feel free to post comments and suggestions on www.nittanywhiteout.com for it is in the introductory phase.
posted by Nittany White Out @ 10:45 AM   0 comments
Beaten Bulls!
BallHype: hype it up!
www.nitanywhiteout.com RutgersWell done Rutgers!
South Florida, way overrated at #2 to begin with finally stumbled in New Jersey earlier tonight just as Lousiville did last year. At least one thing you can expect from the Big East other than a few teams scaring the rest of the nation by threatening to go undefeated, is that they always choke and end up in a BCS bowl instead.

7 sacks by the Rutgers defense is a feat. The Bulls defense has held its opponents to under 100 yards all season and tonight Ray Rice racked up 181 yards on 39 carries. If you thought Penn State's drop in the polls after the Michigan loss was horrendous, watch South Florida's descend this week. Pollsters have been looking for every excuse in the book to drop this unconventional team from the polls. Pac-10, Big 10 and especially SEC traditionalists have been pulling hair ever since they realized that a team that didn't exist more than a decade ago is now perched on the #2 spot. They should send Greg Schiano a few dozen roses for providing the perfect excuse to drop the upstart Bulls like a bad habit.

Final Score:
Rutgers 30 - (#2)South Florida 27

Way to go Knights!
posted by Nittany White Out @ 10:43 AM   0 comments
Bucky Warpath
BallHype: hype it up!

Bucky Warpath

With #19 Wisconsin (5-1) marching into town, the temperature has dropped dramatically. Will we finally experience a true fall football game at the Beav? Oddsmakers in Vegas has placed Penn State (4-2) as a 6.5 point favorite coming into this game (higher than the Illini favored against Wisconsin a week ago). But it doesn't truely feel like we are the favorites entering the game. Granted we are still undefeated save the Michigan game last year for the past three years here at home, with Morelli under center it just doesn't really feel like we have a bigger shot at knocking off Bucky than the Illini.

Defense should definately keep us close in this game. With Swan out for the Badgers, they should be more dependant on a strong running game behind PJ Hill but Beaver Stadium has always been a deathbed for Heisman contenders with:
  • Kyle Orton (#9 Purdue) in 2004 throwing his first interceptions in Beaver Stadium.
  • Lawrence Maroony (#18 Minnesota) a considerable Heisman running back contender was held to a season low 48 yards behind Bradley's vaulted defense.
  • Remember Brian Calhoun? Wisconsin's (# 14) very own Heisman candidate was also bottled up for 38 yards on 20 carries after averaging 135 yards a game prior to walking into the Beav.
  • Troy Smith (#6) the golden boy at Ohio State suffered his only away loss of his collegiate career (minus the fiasco in the National Championship in 2007) here at our very own Beaver stadium.
posted by Nittany White Out @ 10:17 AM   0 comments
Wisconsin Watch
BallHype: hype it up!
The Badgers leads the all-time series 8-4, including 6-4 in Big Ten play. This has always been a low scoring series with the teams averaging a combined 36 points per game. Watch for the defenses to battle this one out and a turnover or two being the deciding factor in this game.

PJ Hill has rushed for 750 yards on 160 carries, thats 4.7 yards per attempt. Thats good! Very good in fact, stacking the box would allow Tyler Donovan to throw to his receivers with 1 on 1 matchups. This could potentially be bad for Penn State. Justin King is simply not playing up to his potential. He has already been burned numerous times by receivers far less talented and continues to talk about how he wants teams to throw to him. Penn State fans should hope he is not caught up 1 on 1 against some of Wisconsin's receivers because odds are he will not be able to hold for an entire game. But defensively, we have shown we can slow down, if not stop the run unless PJ Hill and Wisconsin decides to run out of the multiple option sets Illinois has perfected.

Watch for Beaver stadium to start off rocking and hostile to a young coach who has decided to mock Penn State last year by using a rules loophole to render Penn State helpless prior to the end of the first half last year in Madison as Bret decided to run offsides not once, but twice on kickoff allowing the clock to wind down against Penn State. Anthony Morelli must take advantage of the rancous crowd to put Penn State up early and I mean touchdowns, none of those field goals we are so prone to kick. Common Joe! 2 field goals still leaves us down 1 point to a touchdown and thats 2 good field possessions versus 1. Morelli better have his head on straight or the crowd will turn vicious on him real fast for he has not earned himself any respect following a dismal second half performance against Iowa after bombing on both previous road games. Joe will not demote Morelli, but the crowd will sure let him know if they are dissatisfied real quick.

High of 59'F and low of 44'F forcasted for Saturday. A partly cloudy day should keep temperatures chilly so bring those white sweatshirts and jackets and wave those white towels. Bring a towel! Scare a Badger!

posted by Nittany White Out @ 9:57 AM   0 comments

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