Big Game this weekend Penn State vs. Idiana. Both ball clubs are doing better then expected this should a battle. Both teams love throwing the ball so it should be a high scoring game with Penn State winning because of our great defense.

Movie About JoePa

       

A movie based on the life of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno is already in the early stages of production. The movie will be based on Sports Illustrated author Joe Posnanski's book Paterno. Al Pachino is slated to play Joepa in the movie. As with most PSU fans I am excited to see this movie especially to see in what light they paint our former beloved coach.

Zach Zwinak Last in the Alphabet first in our Hearts

Before the season when sanctions were dropped and Silas Redd got on a plane for the west coast many thought we might struggle for rushing yards this season. When starting day backs Derek Day and Bill Belton went down with injury things looked really bleak. Enter Zach Zwinak. A crafty runner who hits holes and follows his blocks. He's also quicker than people think. He has been carrying the load for Penn State recording 686 rushing yards and 4 TDs this season.

Kyle Carter's Season Ended

Bad new for one of Penn State's most promising prospect's when we heard that Tight End Kyle Carter will miss the rest of the season with an injury to his right wrist. Carter ranks second on the team in receptions and receiving yards.Most importantly he served as a safety blanket for Quarter Back Matt McGloin.

Game Versus Indiana

This weekends game versus Indiana will feature two very similar squads. Both Penn State and Indiana rely heavily on their passing games and both use their no huddles often. I think it will be a close game but the real separator will be the Nittany Lion's defense. Indiana's defense is nowhere near the quality of Penn State's and in the end I think Mauti and the front seven will be too much for the Hoosiers. Penn State 34 Indiana 24

-OneTeam

New Uniforms

With the new addition of names on the back of player's jerseys this year it can only lead one to wonder when will the Lions get New Uniforms. Some concepts have been seen on the internet. Here is one that I liked.

Please Don't Go

I read in the CDT, State College's local newspaper, this morning that there are rumors that Bill O'Brien may be Heading to the NFL. This to me is devistating news. If you have been reading earlier posts you know I am a huge O'Brien fan and don't know what I would do if he bolted after one year. The way he has kept this team together and competitive in such hard times has been a real tribute to his ability as a coach and his success with recruiting has given Penn State fans hope for the future. All I have to say is Bill PLEASE DON'T GO.

-OneTeam

In a better place?

Recently Penn State President Rodney Erickson was quoted as saying "Are we a better university? Yes, I think we are in terms of everything that we've accomplished and put into place," now for the average fan you might be thinking he's crazy but I'm here to tell you he is right. Let me say this first, I love JoePa and everything he did for this university. But in his advanced years his offense had become old and stagnant. He didn't have the energy to hit the recruiting trail as hard as other top-flight coaches. Not to mention we had to deal with his son ruining every decent QB prospect that committed. With the arrival of Bill O'Brien came a new way of doing things. So far he has blown away everyone's expectation on what he would be able to do with recruiting(especially with sanctions.) He has transformed an offense that never failed to frustrate everyone watching to an offense that is one of the more entertaining in the big ten. Most importantly he brought hope of coming back to dominance. So if all your going to look at is how we cant play bowl games or how we lost scholarships then obviously we are in a bad place. What you have to focus on is how we are making moves for the future and maybe in 5 or 6 years a shot at a National Title??

See what Bleacher report thinks: Penn State President is Right
 

COY

There are a lot of candidates this year for Coach of the Year. Nick Saban has his Alabama team back at number one like he seems to every year. Bill Snyder might be the leader in the clubhouse by taking Kansas State from obscurity to number two and controlling their own fate for the national title. Throw in the Kelley's (Brian of Notre Dame and Chip of Oregon) and you've got a crowd. Although their records might be unblemished and they look like the best teams that doesn't necessarily mean their coach is doing the best job. Saban has the most talent in the country hands down, Snyder has the leading Heisman candidate in Collin Klein, Chip Kelly keeps getting jumped in the polls, and if I had to put money on it Notre Dame will stumble down the stretch. For me the coach that has done the best job this year is Bill O'Brien. Now I know most people reading this are going to say I'm a homer but it's true. No other coach in NCAA history has had to deal with what O'Brien has handled. Not to mention the way he has handled it. He took a team decimated by transfers and swirling in bad publicity and actually made them competitive. If Penn State didn't have their sanctions (and Ohio State still did) the Nittany Lions would be in the driver's seat in the Leader's division. He's taken Matt McGloin, a walk-on who couldn't hold the starting job, and made him a legit late round NFL prospect. He's taken an offense that made this fan pull his hair out every week to something that is exciting and fun to watch. Most importantly he has given an otherwise distraught town and given them hope. Most said Penn State wouldn't be back for 10 years if ever. With the leadership of O'Brien we didn't even skip a beat.

-OneTeam

Linebacker U

Penn State is affectionately known by its fans as Linebacker U, and for good reason. The NFL is full of PSU linebackers. Navarro Bowman, Paul Puzluzny, and Sean Lee are all star contributors on their perspective defenses. They're just the recent history Penn State linebackers have been making plays on the next level for decades. Good news is that doesn't look like it's going to change under coach O'Brien. Even though he didn't recruit Mike Mauti and Gerald Hodges, he has fostered them to be one of the most ferocious LB duos in the country. Both have been making plays all year and were on the shortlist for multiple awards. Both seem to project well to the NFL. The greatest thing about these two is that they have continued a tradition of the linebackers being the leaders of the defense. Mauti has been very vocal during this whole ordeal. I'm just glad to see that not everything is going to change.

-OneTeam

Round 6 Pick 26... Matt McGloin

Yes i said it, Matt McGloin is going to get drafted. To anyone that hasn't seen any football this season thinks I'm crazy. Last year Matt McGloin wasn't good enough to think about the CFL let alone the NFL. The transformation he has undergone with the tutelage of coach O'Brien has been almost unbelievable.  Last year he could barely beat out the deadbeat that I like to call Rob Boldin. He was a gunslinger without the gun, trying to make plays that his arm and his receivers had no chance to make. Always trying to make a play when he should've taken a sack. This year he's a completely different player. His decision making is great, his accuracy is drastically improved, and his swagger is just what this team needs. He is a leader on a team desperate for one. Not to mention he has had a lot more responsibility and he has responded.  Being asked to throw 30 to 40 times a game and orchestrating an NFL offense have become every week things for the Nittany Lions QB. He has faced every challenge put to him and exceeded even the highest expectations. The scary thing is he's getting better every week. If he can continue this rapid improvement for the rest of the year expect to start seeing his name on later rounds of people draft boards.

-OneTeam

Hello Recruiting

As a life long PSU fan my only problem with the last regime is that towards the end they didn't hit the recruiting trail as hard as they could've. The best Pennsylvania prospects were going to other schools and the good recruits we did get never seemed to pan out. The last star recruiting class I can think of was '04. Top flight prospect like Derron Williams and Justin King brought promise onto campus with them. Now even though that class was extremely successful it was because of the lower ranked prospects that developed into stars (ex. Deon Butler, Paul Puzluzny) We haven't been able to string together top recruiting classes so are talent base hasn't been the level that it once was. Out of all the great things O'Brien has done at Penn State, recruiting to me has been the most impressive. Being able to keep top flight recruits like Christan Hackenberg(QB) and Adam Breneman(TE) has been a real win for the new coach. In times like these where scholarships are at a premium these are the kind of recruits we need to keep us relevant. It amazes me that after all the turmoil surrounding the program Bill O'Brien still has the Nittany Lions lined up for a top 25 recruiting class. Now we just have to hope they don't change their mind.

-OneTeam

Comin Back Strong

All I heard leading up to this year was doom & gloom for Penn State Football. Analysts said that the sanctions levied against us would keep our program in the Big Ten's basement for the next ten years. I even heard some go as far to say it was worse than the "Death Penalty" that SMU had received which completely shut down football operation. Many suggested it was going to be a long hard road back to prominence, and even questioned whether we would ever get back to that level again. I'm am here to say HAHA you were wrong. Not only have the lions not missed a beat after their 4 year bowl ban and mass transfer of players... they've gotten better. This year's Nittany Lions team came out on a mission. They play a more exciting brand of football. Their offense is no longer excruciatingly painful to watch and the defense looks like the same quality we have grown to accept. Bill O'Brien has infused this community with hope and excitement after a long dark year in Happy Valley. That along with how well he has been able to continue recruiting gives every Penn State fan the optimism they have been desperately looking for.

-OneTeam