Next up on the Triple Option Attack is #14 Penn State
Music to listen to: End of the Road by Boyz 2 Men
The group is from Philadelphia which is in Pennsylvania. Greatest R&B male group in the last forty years. There I said it, wanna fight about it.
The Story: In the early part of the 2000’s, it looked like Penn State would regress to a level of being a college football power that would continually under-achieve and accept seven-win seasons as successful.
However, with a change in philosophy from the legendary head coach Joe Paterno all the way down through his staff, particularly embracing the Spread offense, the Nittany Lions are coming off two consecutive 11-win seasons.
However, with major graduations to key players and a tough schedule, especially on the road, what expectations should we have for Penn State.
Last Season: Finished the season 11-2 including a win over LSU in the Capital One Bowl. The two losses however came in the Big Ten to Iowa and Ohio State.
The past season however did give a glimpse of the increasing health concerns of Joe Paterno. The legendary head coach had to coach several games from the press box because of leg ailments and has looked considerably slower in physical capabilities this past offseason.
Offense: One of the best and underrated moves of a major college football program of the past decade was Joe Paterno embracing a modern offense and giving control of it to offensive coordinator Galen Hall and quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno. This move has allowed Penn State to compete on a national level.
The offense did lose quarterback Daryll Clark to graduation and while incumbent Kevin Newsome has been named the starter, his lack of experience running the intricate “Spread HD” may hurt the Nittney Lions during the first part of the season.
If all else fails, any quarterback can hand the ball off to senior running back Evan Royster, an All-Conference performer that can help carry the offense during the initial stages of the quarterback transition.
The receiving corps has some talent led by Derek Moye and the offensive line should be solid.
Defense: Any defense run by arguably the best defensive coordinator in college football, Tom Bradley, will also give maximum effort and make minimal mistakes.
The defensive line should be stout with end Jack Crawford. The secondary should also be a strong point for the defense led by safties Drew Astorino and Nick Sukay.
The questions lie with the linebackers as Penn State must replace all three starters from last year. Bradley will have another set of linebackers to continue the tradition of “Linebacker U” but three starters isn’t something that can be ignored easily.
The Schedule
Sept. 4 Youngstown State
Sept. 11 at Alabama
Sept. 18 Kent State
Sept. 25 Temple
Oct. 2 at Iowa
Oct. 9 Illinois
Oct. 23 at Minnesota
Oct. 30 Michigan
Nov. 6 Northwestern
Nov. 13 at Ohio State
Nov. 20 vs. Indiana (in Landover, Md.)
Nov. 27 Michigan State
The three toughest games on the entire schedule are on the road, but one of them is winnable. Penn State isn’t going to win at Alabama or Ohio State but the Iowa contest is a possibility. The Nittney Lions should be a favorite in every other game in the season.
Most Famous Sports Alum: It has to be Joe Paterno himself. I know he graduated from Brown as an undergrad but even if I threw you Jack Ham, Matt Millen, Franco Harris, Kerry Collins, LaVar Arrington and any other famous alum, it all comes back to Paterno.
I’m the first to make a Paterno joke and I thought he should have retired five years ago but if the man wants to keep coaching and produces like he has been, who’s to tell him that he can’t continue to pursue the dream that he has had for his entire life.
When Penn State was struggling in the early 2000’s, I told everyone that he was too old, the game has passed him by and every other cliché you can imagine.
However, he did something that a lot of his contemporaries didn’t, especially in his age range. He adjusted to the times and modernized his schemes, especially on offense.
You can debate how much “coaching” Paterno is doing these days but you can’t deny the fact that he is the most famous current coach in college football and his legacy may only be surpassed by a handful of guys in his industry. I have Bear Bryant and maybe Bobby Bowden.
Celebrity Alum “Crush:” This school hasn’t produced many people that qualify in this category but I will show some love to Lara Spencer, host of The Insider TV show.
Prediction: 10-2
I think that they win one of those three road games I mentioned earlier. The offense may not be as dynamic as it has been in the past but it will still be effective. The defense will be on point as well. Joe Paterno is now 83 years old and will probably be around for another five years if he can keep the program at this level.
Sports Inquirer Top-25 Preseason College Football Poll:
The Sports Inquirer 
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