In retrospect Penn State’s season might have begun to wobble as early as week three, when Buffalo scored three TDs in the fourth-quarter dregs of a blowout, badly victimizing the Lions’ secondary and pre-season All-American CB Justin King in particular.
The Penn State coaches had apparently figured they could leave wideout coverage to their corners, man-to-man, freeing stud linebackers Dan Connor and Sean Lee, and even to an extent strong safety (or “hero”) Anthony Scirrotto, to run around and make plays.
Buffalo took advantage, and by midseason it became clear this wasn’t working. The defensive braintrust never quite figured out how to pass-cover after that.
(I tried to ask Joe a question about this during the teleconference between Temple and Michigan State, but there was a technical snafu and Joe couldn’t hear me. “We must be boring Mike,” he said.)
Against Ohio State and even Temple the Lions played soft, allowing underneath routes that allowed Ohio State to convert third down after third down, and even allowed Temple to move the ball and the chains, especially early in that game.
Against Michigan State Penn State mixed it up more and the Spartans threw less, just 22 times. But they completed 17 of those for 280 yards, a massive 12 yards per pass play, and four TDs.
That’s right: Despite trailing 24-7 midway through the third quarter, the Spartans only had to throw it 22 times to get the job done.
In fairness, injuries and other personnel issues cost the Penn State defense DLs Jared Odrick, Jerome Hayes and Chris Baker, safety Tony Davis and LB Navaro Bowman. Those losses largely cost Penn State a pass rush - precocious soph DE Maurice Evans was doubled a lot by Michigan State and wasn’t a factor - and it’s pretty tough to defend the pass without a rush.
In other news: Several media outlets including the Harrisburg Patriot-News are reporting that Penn State is close to scheduling a non-conference game with Oregon State for Sept. 6 of next season. This would bump 1-AA Arkansas State off the schedule and make the non-con slate considerably less of an embarrassment.
The revised schedule: Coastal Carolina Aug. 30; Oregon State Sept. 6; Syracuse Sept. 13; and Temple Sept. 20. OK, maybe not considerably less of an embarrassment.
Seriously, though, Penn State must have been a little embarrassed, because it’s going to cost some money to bring the Beavers to the Beav for a one-shot deal, with no return trip to Corvalis by the Lions.
Someone who would know told me last weekend that the rumors during the summer of an attempt to bring TCU here next fall. It fell through in the summer because TCU wanted too much money.
It was a mild surprise that that five Lions made the first all-Big Ten team, announced Tuesday.
LB Dan Connor wasa no-brainer, but junior LB Sean Lee, essentially Connor’s equal, made the second team. Somewhat understandable since the league has two All-American caliber LBs, at least by reputation, in Ohio State’s James Laurentis and J. Leman of Illinois.
Junior C A.Q. Shipley, soph DE Maurice Evans and soph punter Jeremy Boone were mild surprises but probably good calls. CB Justin King was not; corner was not a strong position in the league, but still, King made it strictly on reputation.
Penn State’s best offensive lineman, G Rich Ohrnberger, made the second team.
