On Tuesday the Rose Bowl brought both teams, in their entirety, to the media hotel for interviews. The players filed into a large ballroom, in their jerseys, and sat at round tables in groups of 6-8.
Penn State came first. The Lions mostly sat quietly unless being interviewed. USC followed and looked hopelessly bored, talking on cell phones, lost in music on headphones. A couple actually fell asleep.
The session was strictly timed, 30 minutes exactly, on a large digital clock. As the clock wound down, a number of players chanted, “3….2….1….Happy New Year!”
The point is that if you believe in body language and amateur psychology, Penn State is happier to be here. And it is generally true that bowl games favor the team that’s happier about being there.
That, plus Joe Paterno and staff’s record in bowls and with extra time to prepare, is the argument for Penn State, and it’s not a bad argument.
The argument for USC can be found in the Trojans’ media guide, in the entries for each player, under High School:
“Parade All-American… USA Today All-USA first team…EA Sports All-American first team… Super Prep Elite 50… Prep Star Dream Team… Old Spice Red Zone Player of the Year….
On and on and on, for player after player after player. Talent is the argument for USC. Penn State has a number of blue-chippers. USC, at least among guys making sizable contributing, has almost nothing but.
USC will be coming off a 26-day layoff. Penn State’s is 40. Both teams come from so-so leagues, and the argument has been made that given its schedule, we don’t know how good USC is. Maybe, but the Pac-10 is 4-0 this bowl season.
Penn State played two games this year against truly athletic, fast, aggressive, attacking defenses, Iowa and Ohio State. The Lions struggled against both, and almost never successfully threw the ball down the field. And Iowa’s and Ohio State’s defenses are pale copies of USC.
Finally, a few of the Lions have admitted they enjoy watching USC on TV, and one, Lydell Sargeant, acknowledged being a USC fan. This is dipping into amateur psychology again, but Penn State doesn’t seem fiesty enough. You’d like to see them even a little mad and defiant, and I’ve been out here since Sunday, and I don’t see any of that.
USC 21, Penn State 10.
