Welcome to the fold. Last week, Tim Hyland officially introduced himself to the Black Shoe Diaries family with a long form takedown of college football's latest critics. Tim is almost definitely the most accomplished writer to grace the front page of our corner of the internet - in addition to being a published writer, Tim is the founder and editor of The College Football Athenaeum, the home of the intelligent college football fan.

For those of you who have not seen much of his work, Tim penned the most thoughtful and in-depth piece relating to the complexities surrounding Joe Paterno's passing in January:

I am not, in other words, the dispassionate arbiter mentioned above. I cannot pass judgment on Joe Paterno without bias. I cannot offer you a full accounting of this man, nor give you a comprehensive and mathematical measure of his true legacy.

But you know what? I don't think anyone else can, either. Because Joe Paterno, now dead after 85 years on this earth, was far too complicated. His importance and influence was far too massive. His place in the world was far too blurred between myth and reality. This is not a man, you see, who can be fully understood days after his death, nor is he a man who will be fully understood five or 10 or 20 years after his death. I tell you this much: The task of judging this man now, in the immediate wake of his passing, is an impossible task indeed.

What I offer you here, then, is nothing more than what I can provide: A personal and honest view of a man I met only briefly, a man I spoke to either only in passing or in the strictly professional context, and a man that, despite his distance from me in most every way, somehow and someway shaped the way I, and many thousands of others, view the world we live in.

It may only be the world of the Inside, and so it may not be a world that you can ever understand, but it is my world nonetheless, and it is real, and I apologize not in the least for being here.

Welcome to the family, Tim. We're all incredibly lucky to have you here.

Watch out! Senior center Matt Stankiewitch was named to the watch list for the Rimington Trophy this week. The Rimington Trophy is given annually to the nation's best center. Former Nittany Lion center AQ Shipley won the award as a senior in 2008.

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Where are we? The last major flurry of activity occurred in early-December, just a month after the grand jury presentment was leaked and Jerry Sandusky was first arrested and charged with forty-plus counts of child sexual abuse between 1994 and 2009. As we discussed here, Sandusky was once again arrested and charged with twelve other counts based on new grand jury testimony from two additional victims.

Sandusky's preliminary hearing was scheduled to take place on December 13^th. Faced with the prospect of eight of the alleged victims testifying in open court, Sandusky, through his attorney, Joe Amendola, waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Days later, the preliminary hearing for perjury charges against Tim Curley and Gary Schultz took place in Dauphin County. After three hours of testimony, including the first extensive public appearance by former Penn State quarterback receivers coach Mike McQueary, District Judge William Wenner ruled that the evidence against the embattled Penn State administrators was sufficient to allow the case to proceed the trial.

It's called disclosure. For several months, it probably appeared to the general public that the cases against Sandusky, Curley and Schultz had stalled. Aside from the Penn State Board of Trustees' stubborn insistence on issuing inane statements that only serve to keep perhaps the biggest scandal in the modern history of American higher education on the front page, all remained generally quiet. Internally, the parties engaged in discovery (or disclosure, as it's known in some states); Amendola served more than forty subpoenas "to various agencies, institutions, entities and individuals to produce records and information relating to the defendant's cases." He also served a Bill of Particulars and filed several motions to compel discovery, requesting certain facts and documentation from the prosecution. The prosecutors responded as directed by court order.

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[Hello, Cincy Jungle readers. Congratulations on your selection of Devon Still, who is awesome and will totally eat Ben Roethlisberger. Enjoy this profile, and check this post for more information. Thanks for stopping by. - Chris G.]

Devon Still, 4-3 DT/3-4 DE

Height/Weight: 6'5, 303 pounds

Senior Statistics: 55 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 17 TFL, 1 FF, 1 pass break up

Honors: Consensus First-Team All-American (AP, Sporting News, Walter Camp, FWAA, ESPN.com, CBSSports.com, SI.com, FoxSportsNext.com/Scout.com, Pro Football Weekly, Yahoo! Sports), 2011 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, 2011 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, Outland Trophy finalist, Bednarik Award finalist, Nagurski Trophy finalist

Workouts: Still, alongside several of his fellow seniors, was invited to workout at the NFL Combine, bench pressed 225 pounds 26 times, and impressed scouts with his 40-yard dash time (5.08 seconds) and his lateral quickness during agility drills. Even so, Still, hampered by a lingering turf toe injury, thought he had more to offer. He was right. He worked out at Penn State's Pro Day in March, dropped 0.08 off his 40-yard dash time, and showed off his superior agility again in the 20-yard shuttle run (4.65 seconds) and the 3-cone drill (7.70 seconds).

Everything Else: All you really need to know about Devon Still is in the following story. Still tore the ACL in his left knee during his redshirt season in 2007. Though he recovered and looked poised to earn playing time on Larry Johnson's stacked defensive line as a redshirt freshman, he broke his ankle in August. Most players would have looked to rehab their ankles and hope they could convince the NCAA to grant a sixth year of eligibility. Not Devon Still. Instead, he came back on the field the very same season and saw 10 snaps against Michigan State in the final game of the 2008 Big Ten Championship season.

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It's About Time. In the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal, Penn Staters were looking for answers. How could this happen in this sleepy town? On this idyllic campus? Under the supervision of people that we all knew? In January, those questions were replaced with one for new University President Rodney Erickson - "What are we doing to make sure this doesn't happen again?"

Now, we have at least a partial answer. Last week, Penn State announced a new training program designed for employees to recognize and report possible abuse:

Sue Cromwell, director of Workplace Learning and Performance in the Office of Human Resources, sits at the helm of Penn State’s new training program.

"Things were very hectic in the fall, and we had to really look at what was needed to build this team," Cromwell says. "We wanted to focus on the movement from awareness to action, and what that means for employees."

Cromwell says the training sets a clear chain of command for employees who see, or think they might see, sexual abuse on campus. Policies for handling an employee who doesn't follow the law are in the works.

"We looked at probably ten programs and institutions," Cromwell says. "We’re not going to reinvent the wheel. We’re looking at what works immediately with summer programs coming up, and then the long-term, sustainable training."

Starting Wednesday, summer camp leaders are getting trained to look for signs of abuse and get clear directions on how to report it. For example, counselors will be watching for campers who experience sudden changes in mood or seem withdrawn out of nowhere, though of course there can be many reasons behind extreme shifts in mood. If a counselor witnessed or was told about a sexual abuse violation, he or she would need to tell the program director. Any mandated reporter is required to not only inform the director, but university police, the university general counsel and the risk management department. The director is required to call Pennsylvania's ChildLine and provide a written statement to the Department of Public Welfare.

There's even a special training for the trainers, and online training to be used throughout the year. All employees will be encouraged to participate in the online program, which should be finished in time for the fall semester

The University's new policy also requires background checks for any employee or volunteer dealing with minors. The Penn State administration has taken necessary criticism since November for a variety of serious issues. It's time to recognize when they've done the right thing. Well done, everyone. Let's hope our university takes this opportunity to be a leader in child abuse prevention.

Lots of good things happen here! Penn State student Emily Passauer was awarded the Big Ten Network's LiveBIG $1000 scholarship for her leadership on the Student Trips Planning Team . . . Penn State's director of career services reports that employer recruitment is up across the board:

"Career Services has received questions regarding the effects of the recent difficult, troubling and challenging events at our University on employment recruitment activity," he said. "Penn State Career Services is recognized as among the leaders at national and international levels for quality-comprehensive services and strong on-campus recruitment programs. Now more than ever, employers will find Penn State students and graduates hold the professional qualities, academic knowledge and skills to excel in the workplace."

"We can confidently convey to students and parents the word that recruiters are every bit as interested in Penn State students as they ever were," Garis said.

#HireOurGrads . . . Researchers from Penn State and IBM have developed a Trojan application to highlight security flaws in Android . . . and I know there's been all sorts of construction on campus recently, but OH MY GOD have you seen this monstrously awesome new building?

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Here we go.

After Nittany Lion legend, fan favorite, and all-around good guy Daryll Clark graduated, leaving nearly every record shattered, Penn State quarterbacking looked to be in reasonably solid hands for the foreseeable future. Although Pat Devlin traded in his blue and white jersey for a blue and gold winged helmet (FCS version), Joe Paterno had recruited two elite level high school signal callers in the class of 2010 - Rob Bolden, a supposed "dual threat" prospect from Orchard Lake, Michigan, and Paul Jones, a more traditional pocket passer from McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. The year before, Paterno had recruited Kevin Newsome, a four-star dual threat quarterback from Chesapeake, Virginia, who served as Clark's backup during the 2009 season. It was assumed that Clark would tutor Newsome and hand him the keys to the offense as a sophomore. While Newsome ran the highly touted Spread HD playbook, Matt McGloin, a walk-on from Scranton, Pennsylvania, would provide sufficient depth for a season while one or both freshman redshirted, learned the offense, and prepared for the next several years.

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

Despite being the most likeable.person.ever, the Kevin Newsome experiment ended in a transfer to Temple. For the first two years of his Penn State career, Paul Jones struggled to stay academically eligible. That left Rob Bolden and Matt McGloin to battle to the death over the starting quarterback job.

That battle wasn't just waged by the two players on the practice field. The Bolden-McGloin debate has raged on for the past two years. In fact, the comments section of this very blog has often had one side or the other sounding like this . . .

Meanwhile, the ineptitude of the offense had every Nittany Lion fan doing this . . .

And though Bill O'Brien's hire may bring new optimism to the offense, the options for the Nittany Lions remain virtually the same. Welcome back, Penn Staters, to Season Three of the Great Quarterback Controversy.

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Jonathan Warner, WR, Camas High School (WA)

Suhey. Wisniewski. Mauti. Collins. Pittman. Shuler. Zordich. Joe Paterno's football program was literally a family; a team stocked with legacy players year-in and year-out. In his first year at the helm, Bill O'Brien showed that he intends to keep the tradition alive.

Everyone, meet Jonathan Warner.

You might remember his dad...

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Da'Quan Davis, DB, Calvert Hall College (MD)

In early months of 2011, as National Signing Day approached, Joe Paterno's staff looked at their roster and saw a dearth of depth and talent in the defensive backfield. At that time, the Penn State coaches looked to Baltimore's Calvert Hall College High School. What they found was a young, versatile defensive back prospect named Adrian Amos, whose original commitment to the University of Connecticut had become shaky when Coach Randy Edsall left to take over the Maryland job.

Just one year later, Amos is not only a Nittany Lion, but also a likely starter at cornerback. A player who saw plenty of action during his true freshman season and impressed every Nittany Lion fan with his potential.

We can only hope that lightning strikes twice.

In the early months of 2012, with Penn State reeling from the Jerry Sandusky scandal and Joe Paterno's failing health, Bill O'Brien's staff looked at their roster and saw a dearth of depth and talent of defensive backfield. Just like the previous year, this new staff looked to Baltimore's Calvert Hall College High School. What they found was a young defensive back prospect who looked like an excellent fit for Ted Roof's coverage schemes.

What they found was Da'Quan Davis.

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Jordan Lucas, DB, Worcester Academy (MA)/ New Rochelle (NY)

Jordan Lucas is already famous to Penn Staters everywhere. He's the answer to a future trivia question.

In early-January, the coaching search had taken too long, the new coach looked like a plan D selection, the university looked incompetent, and Joe Paterno was seriously ill. With the recruiting class of 2012 on the precipice, we all wondered who Bill O'Brien's first verbal commitment would be.

Jordan Lucas, that's who.

Lucas spent the first four years of his career at New Rochelle High School in New York as a corner and tailback. A consensus three star recruit with offers from Akron, UMass, Old Dominion and Temple, Lucas headed to Worcester Academy in Massachusetts in order to improve his grades. The extra year paid off.

Lucas was hearing from both Rutgers and Virginia, but had committed to Temple with intentions of enrolling early. Then the Lions entered the picture. Lucas was scheduled to begin classes in Philadelphia on Monday, January 15^th, before receiving a call from the Penn State and the new O'Brien regime. After confirming his elevated grades at Worcester, an in-home meeting was scheduled with three Nittany Lion coaches - defensive coordinator Ted Roof, defensive backs coach John Butler, and linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden. The three coaches extended an offer and Lucas accepted.

Lucas, 6'1, 185 pounds, will spend his career at safety or corner. If Penn State has any position of need, it's in the defensive backfield. Lucas will be expected to play early and often.

Though the Nittany Lions were plagued by the reach of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, Lucas and his family were not swayed by the bad press.

"Penn State still has a great tradition, a great graduation rate and of the largest and most involved alumni," Jordan's father, Vincent Lucas said. "If anything, there will be more press next year. You don't turn down a Penn State. Some people shy away from it. We don't.

"Jordan gets to go to a great school and get a great education for free. You can't beat that."

Black Shoe Diaries welcomes the Lucas family to Penn State.

Be sure to become a fan of BSD on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter!

It's certainly unusual for a Conference USA team to feature the most widely known player on the field when they play a squad with a rich and storied tradition like Penn State. With all due respect to All-American defensive tackle Devon Still, that is exactly what will happen when the Nittany Lions battle the Houston Cougars on Monday afternoon in the TicketCity Bowl.

Andre Ware. David Klingler. Kevin Kolb. The Houston Cougars are no strangers to the Run and Shoot offense and explosive, stat-compiling quarterbacks. Their best one might just be on the field for his final collegiate game on Monday when Case Keenum leads the 17^th ranked Houston Cougars against a top-10 Penn State defense.

Keenum is a talented and accurate passer who plays in a system well suited to his strengths. He's also one of those players that seems to always be in a Houston uniform. During his six-year tenure as a University of Houston student, Keenum became the first college quarterback to throw for 5,000 yards in three different seasons, and set FBS records for total offense, passing yards, and touchdown passes.

Lightly recruited out of Abilene's Wylie High School (where he held a 31-11 record as a starter, passed for 48 touchdowns, ran for 41, and led the school to its first Texas state championship), Keenum selected Houston, the only university in major college football to make a scholarship offer. Keenum redshirted during the 2006 season while senior quarterback Kevin Kolb held down the starting job.

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Just when you thought you had all the answers, they change the questions. In the early hours of Sunday morning, Sara Ganim, the Harrisburg Patriot-News reporter who has provided the most in-depth investigative coverage of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, reported that former Penn State assistant Mike McQueary's initial account of an alleged March 2002 sexual assault may have differed dramatically from both his grand jury testimony from earlier this year and a written statement he made to police last month.

In Sunday's article, Ganim recounts the grand jury testimony of Dr. Jonathan Dranov, identified as "a family friend and colleague of McQueary's father." Dranov was reportedly with the elder McQueary when the then-graduate assistant gave his first description of the events that transpired.

According to the source with knowledge of Dranov's testimony before the grand jury, it went like this:

McQueary heard "sex sounds" and the shower running, and a young boy stuck his head around the corner of the shower stall, peering at McQueary as an adult arm reached around his waist and pulled him back out of view.

Seconds later, Sandusky left the shower in a towel.

* * *

However, Dranov told grand jurors that he asked McQueary three times if he saw anything sexual, and three times McQueary said no, according to the source.

Because of that response, the source says, Dranov told McQueary that he should talk to his boss, head football coach Joe Paterno, rather than police.

As Ganim notes, Dranov's account is markedly different from the story told by the grand jury presentment, drafted by prosecutors in the Sandusky case. The 23-page presentment notes that McQueary "saw a naked boy . . . with his hands up against the wall, being subjected to anal intercourse by a naked Sandusky." The story in the presentment matches the written statement that McQueary gave to police in mid-November, where he stated that "he witnessed a boy, about 10, being sodomized in a shower."

What does this all mean? Tim Curley and Gary Schultz were apparently adamant in the grand jury that McQueary only reported conduct that he felt was "inappropriate," and that they were never told of the graphic details of the grand jury presentment. Before his lawyer-recommended silence, Paterno maintained that he had never heard those explicit details either. Dranov's testimony lends real credence those versions of the story, and certainly should give pause to those condemning those three men.

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The Black Shoe Diaries community has been lucky to be involved in the #ProudPSUforRAINN campaign since its inception. Proud to Be a Penn Stater has raised a remarkable $489,848 for the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network since going live on November 10th. Now, with the initial $500,000 goal in sight, several college football legends have stepped in to help out the cause.

With the help of HuskerMax.com and the Johnny Rodgers Youth Foundation, RAINN is auctioning a full-size helmet signed by Penn State's Heisman Trophy winner, John Cappelletti, and Nebraska's Heisman trio of Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier, and Eric Crouch! All of the proceeds of this auction will be donated directly to RAINN's prevention and education initiatives and will provide support for victims of sexual violence and their loved ones through the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline. This is a fantastic opportunity to bid on an impressive piece of college football memorabilia and help out a worthy cause. So with that in mind . . .

Be sure to become a fan of BSD on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter!

Blog Mob . . . ASSEMBLE!

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving, everyone!  Filled with turkey and dreams, the Blue/White Roundtable flies out to Madison (alongside Milwaukee native and Wisconsin alumnus Steve Miller) to see the Nittany Lions take on the Badgers in a contest to decide the Leaders Division Champion.

Welcome back this week's participants - all of the D-O-double-G's from JoePa's Doghouse and William World News' William F. Yurasko!

The Penn State offense has struggled week in and week out throughout the course of the season. The implementation of the wildcat formation by interim Head Coach Tom Bradley appeared to signal a shift in offensive philosophy from the rest of the year. What did you think?

The Underdogs: Early in the year, perhaps even in these roundtables I've been suggesting (and only half jokingly) that Curtis Drake at QB should be given legitimate thought. Sure, his throwing is limited, but then again so are our other quarterback options. We finally got somewhere closer to a 75-25 run-pass ratio which is where we need to be. Theoretically, it should open up the passing game more as the defenses cheat forward. However (and bizarrely), OSU seemed unprepared. The wildcat, ie the zone-read with a non-QB playing as QB, is intended to isolate one defender against the two players in the exchange. In the first half, it didn't seem like (whichever wildcat was in) ever made the right read (technically). But nor did they have to. Ohio State was standing around watching as Penn State players ran past them in all directions.

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Blog mob . . . ASSEMBLE!

(via sandrapalmer69)

We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.  So open up, I'm climbin' in.  Take it easy.

With heavy hearts, the Blue/White Roundtable returns.  Ohio State is a worthy opponent and we still have a shot at the Big Ten Championship, so I encourage everyone to take a break from reality and enjoy some football talk.

Also, #ProudPSUforRAINN has raised over $422,000.  We're just $78,000 away from the goal, so here's your friendly reminder.  DONATE NOW.

Say hello to this week's panelists - All of the D-O-double-G's from JoePa's Doghouse and Michael Canzoneri, Bill Engel, and Ali Soheilian from Penn Live's 50-Yard Lion Blog!

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How high is the RAINN, mama?  $300,000 and rising.

In unquestionably the most difficult week in the 156-year history of the university, it often felt like the water was five feet high and rising.  It has been said that Penn State alumni have a special connection to the university, one that exists at few (if any) other institutions in the world.

The side effect of that connection is that our emotions are inextricably (and perhaps irrationally) linked to the university.  When the institution triumphs, we all do.  When the institution falters, our hearts break.

The tragedy that is the Jerry Sandusky saga has forced the alumni who so proudly call themselves Penn Staters to run the gamut of emotions - disbelief, disgust, fear, anger, resentment.  Perhaps above all else, a seemingly infinite sadness.  Yet from that sadness has emerged a community determined not to be bound by the shackles of these events.

The Penn State family has raised $315,001 for child abuse victims since we first publicized the Proud to Be a Penn Stater initiative (#ProudPSUforRAINN) on Thursday afternoon.  The BSD community has been a leader in spreading the word through Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking.  Yesterday's game was a special moment for all of us, but let's stay vigilant.  There is still more work to do.  We are less than $200,000 away from our goal - it's time to push us past the finish line.  Give.  Seriously.  Give now.  Buy the shirt.  Then give again.

I spoke with Jerry Needel, the leader of Proud to Be a Penn Stater, this morning.  He is tremendously grateful for all of the support from the BSD family.  The fundraiser has been a remarkable (and virtually unexpected) success.  The Penn State Alumni Association and its local chapters have publicized it to their respective membership.  Jerry will be promoting the campaign on both Anderson Cooper and Dr. Drew this week.  Other universities and fan bases are getting involved as well - the University of Minnesota is on board, and HuskerMax.com has gotten three Heisman Trophy winners from the University of Nebraska to sign a helmet that will be auctioned off on eBay.  All proceeds will go to #ProudPSUforRAINN.

Through all of these efforts, the Penn State family has shown that it will not merely be identified with the scandal of the past eight days.  Thank you for your support.  Thank you for your generosity.  And once again, thank you for showing that WE (still) ARE . . .

A phoenix is rising from the ashes. 

Yesterday, we asked the Penn State family to join with us and a group of grassroots alumni in raising money for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) through the Proud to be a Penn Stater (#ProudPSUforRAINN) initiative.  We asked you to remember the actual victims in these tragedies.  We asked you to remember that Penn State is NOT a failed university administration, but the thousands of students, alumni, and faculty who have lived their lives by upholding the values of Success With Honor.

Yesterday, you answered our call by raising (as of press time) $60,810 $69,814.

#ProudPSUforRAINN was publicized only through this blog post, Twitter, and Facebook.  We managed to raise so much money that the man who put this all together, Jerry Needel, made an appearance on New York's ABC affiliate yesterday afternoon.

Despite the early success, we're nowhere near our goal of $500,000.  Keep sharing this with everyone you know on Facebook and Twitter.  Keep telling your friends and making phone calls.  Keep everything moving.

Thank you for your generosity.  Thank you for you kindness.  Thank you for showing the world who WE (still) ARE . . .

The allegations against Jerry Sandusky are unconscionable.  The official response from the Board of Trustees and members of the administration has been, at best, entirely inadequate and at worst, disgraceful to everyone associated with the university's now tarnished name.

And yet, We (still) Are Penn State - the thousands of students, alumni, and faculty that are left to pick up the pieces of a broken legacy and a tattered reputation by upholding the values that we have proudly lived by for decades.

It starts here.  It starts today.

The entire staff of Black Shoe Diaries is blessed to be able to communicate with a broad swath of the Penn State family.  Last night, a member of that family, Jerry Needel (Class of 1998) contacted several of us with the urge to channel this mess into something positive.  As a result, Jerry and his wife, Jaime, turned to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) to begin to mobilize the Penn State family in order to be sure that the kind of incident that happened here never happens again.

Proud to be a Penn Stater (#ProudPSUforRAINN) is the result.

The #ProudPSUforRAINN campaign has a stated goal of raising over $500,000, one dollar for each of the 557,000 Penn State alumni.  Don't take my word for it.  Hear from Jerry Needel himself:

"After having so closely identified with all things Penn State over the past 15 years, the recent events have shaken my beliefs - and those of other alumni - to the core. Simply put, Penn State is way bigger than the alleged actions of a few people. Will you join me in showing the world what being a proud supporter of Penn State really means by making a donation to RAINN and by adding your name to mine below?" 

- Jerry Needel, Penn State '98

We are Penn State.  Not the Board of Trustees, not the administration, not Jerry Sandusky, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, or Graham Spanier.  Black Shoe Diaries is proud to partner with and support this initiative.  If you can, please join us by donating here and helping get the word out on Twitter, Facebook, and any other social networking site you can think of.

*Please note that #ProudPSUforRAINN is not currently affiliated with the Pennsylvania State University or any official alumni organization.

Blog mob . . . ASSEMBLE!

(via megasuggs)

Even though the Nittany Lions are on a well-deserved bye week, the Blue/White Roundtable never takes a week off.

Say hello once again to our panelists - Kevin McGuire from the Nittany Lions Den, William F. Yurasko from William World News, all of the D-O-double-G's from JoePa's Doghouse, and Timothy Johnson, Bill Engel, Bob Smith, Michael Canzoneri, and Ali Soheilian from PennLive's 50-Yard Lion Blog!

The Nittany Lions now sit at #15 in the polls, having won 7 straight. Think back to the morning of September 3rd. What were your expectations for this team? Are they were you thought they would be today?

The Underdogs: I didn't really have expectations going into the season. I had no idea what we had as a team. I thought there might be a good defense in there, but didn't know that Hill/Still would become the wrecking force they have. I think we all knew the schedule, save Alabama, was pretty easy over the course of the first two months and that the fate of the entire season would swing one way or another in November. And I find myself in the exact same place as 9.3.11, I have no idea where these final three games will take us. The fulcrum of our season wasn't the beginning of September but the beginning of November.

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Blog mob . . . ASSEMBLE!

Earth, Wind & Fire - September (Video clip) (via gferdinandus3)

This week, the Amateur Blog Mob returns to the friendly confines of Beaver Stadium as the Fighting Illini (accompanied by Illinois natives Earth, Wind and Fire) try to rekindle their magical September run!

Say hello once again to our panelists - Kevin McGuire from the Nittany Lions Den, William F. Yurasko from William World News, and all of the D-O-double-G's from JoePa's Doghouse!

Northwestern's offensive output against the Penn State defense was rivaled only by Alabama. What made the Wildcats so effective? What adjustments did Penn State make in the second half?

J Schnauzer: For once a prediction of mine was correct: Persa would get his 300 yards but Penn State would do just enough on defense to keep the Lions in the game. The Wildcats were effective in the first half because they exploited the weaknesses that occur in the Cover Two and Penn State couldn't make the initial tackle. Credit where credit is due: I don't know if there is a more underrated corps in college football than Northwestern's wide receivers. Nine different Wildcats caught passes of eight yards or more. Jeremy Ebert stole the show with some acrobatic catches and MRob-in-purple Kain Colter will give Penn State fits in the future. Penn State must have adjusted the secondary coverage at the half because Persa often had time to throw but ended up taking a loss.

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Blog mob . . . ASSEMBLE!

Kanye West - All Of The Lights ft. Rihanna, Kid Cudi (via KanyeWestVEVO)

This week, the Amateur Blog Mob heads to the site of one of Penn State's greatest triumphs (re-live it here), as the Nittany Lions fly to the Chicago suburbs to take on the Wildcats of Northwestern in a game under all of the lights on the Big Ten Network.

Say hello once again to our panelists - Kevin McGuire from the Nittany Lions Den, William F. Yurasko from William World News, all of the D-O-double-G's from JoePa's Doghouse, and Bill Engel, Ali Soheilian, and Timothy Johnson from PennLive's 50-Yard Lion!

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Blog mob . . . ASSEMBLE!

John Mellencamp - Authority Song (via JohnMellencampVEVO)

This week, the Purdue Boilermakers (and Indiana native son John Mellencamp) roll into Beaver Stadium to fight the authority of Penn State football.

Say hello once again to our panelists - our own Ben Jones, Kevin McGuire from the Nittany Lions Den, William F. Yurasko from William World News, all of the D-O-double-G's from JoePa's Doghouse, and Bill Engel, Michael Canzoneri, Ali Soheilian, Bob Smith, and Timothy Johnson from PennLive's 50-Yard Lion!

How satisfying was that win against the Hawkeyes?

Rowlff Dogg: After some crushing defeats, it was great to get the Iowa monkey off our backs. Our struggles with the Hawkeyes epitomize the dissatisfaction with Penn State's middling status since joining the Big Ten. Back in 1993, who would have thought that Iowa, IOWA?!?!, would give us fits for an entire decade?

While beating Iowa was fantastic, the 4th quarter in particular was a thing of beauty. Pounding the rock down their throats. Defenders with their hands on their hips. Their white quarterback getting picked off twice. Pinning our ears back and knocking Iowa backwards on their last gasp drive. Awesome. Simply awesome!

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On Friday, we took a look at Penn State's offensive rankings since 2004 and found that it had finished 72^nd or worse in the nation 4 times, including this year's statistics.  Upon review, I wrote this:

"This is about putting your players in position to be successful, which is something Penn State does once every several years.  In 2002, 2005, and 2008, the offense was overhauled and the result was obvious.  In 2002, we saw Zack Mills slinging the ball out of the shotgun to Bryant Johnson in the first half against #7 Nebraska. In 2005, we saw the beta version of 2008's aptly named Spread HD.  In 2008, Daryll Clark was a legitimate threat to run and pass.  Each time, Penn State's offense was dramatically different - it was diverse, unpredictable, and took advantage of its talented skill players by putting them in a position to be successful.

"Where is that this year?  Where was it last year?

"Where are the plays that get Silas Redd out on the edge?  Where are the counters, cutbacks, and pitches?  Where are the drag routes across the middle of the field to utilize the blinding speed of Devon Smith?  Where is the play calling that doesn't require Penn State to run on second down?  Where is the moment when Penn State stops screwing around with the rhythm and timing of its offense and plays one quarterback consistently?"

In response, Penn State went out on Saturday against the Iowa Hawkeyes and scored 13 points.

13.

Even so, I'm not here to critique Saturday's offensive performance.  In fact, I'm coming in praise of it.  Life's funny, isn't it?

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Q: He seems to have an innate sense for the ball . . . do you give him a little bit more rope to freelance just because his instincts are that good?

A: I don't know that . . . I think what we do is that we put him in a position where the plays come to him and then it's time for him to make his plays.

- Les Miles on the Scott Van Pelt Show, October 5, 2011

It's often said that it's not the X's and the O's, it's the Jimmy's and the Joe's.  That is, basically any system can be run effectively assuming a program recruits the right players to make that happen.

On Wednesday, Scott Van Pelt asked Les Miles, the head coach of the LSU Tigers, about sophomore cornerback Tyrann Mathieu.  Mathieu is a sensation - 18 games into his tenure, he's already set the Bayou Bengal record for forced fumbles.[1]  Van Pelt essentially asked Miles what made Mathieu so special.  Miles was deferential to his player's ability, but the message is clear.  Mathieu is a terrific athlete and a fantastic player, but none of that matters if LSU's defensive scheme doesn't put Mathieu in position to take advantage of his skill and aggressiveness.

Penn State's base Cover 3 defense has been the subject of great scrutiny and often the target of unwarranted criticism.  This is not a surprise in many respects.  It's frustrating to watch a 3^rd-and-4 converted on a short pass because our talented cornerbacks are playing ten yards off the receiver.  Still, most of this criticism is flawed.  The goal of a defense is to prevent the opposition from scoring points.  Historically, Tom Bradley's defense has been quite exceptional:

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Blog mob . . . ASSEMBLE!

The Fabulous Fryers - Bringing Home The Roses (via BLP1261)

This week, the Amateur Blog Mob heads back to Beaver Stadium where Penn State and Iowa continue to...ahem...run for the roses.

Say hello once again to our panelists - our own Ben Jones, Kevin McGuire from the Nittany Lions Den, William F. Yurasko from William World News, all of the D-O-double-G's from JoePa's Doghouse, and Michael Sedor, Bill Engel, Michael Canzoneri, Ali Soheilian, and Thomas Knauer from PennLive's 50-Yard Lion!

Are we about to see the second coming of the 6-4 spectacular?

WFY: I anticipate more scoring by both sides - that 6-4 game was something else. An amazing defensive effort by Penn State wasted by a simply incompetent offense. That being said, I'd take either 2004 Zack Mills or Michael Robinson over the current options.

I expect Penn State to get in the end zone once or twice on Saturday and the same for Iowa.

The Underdogs: Nothing can be that bad can it? Oh wait... SEC SEC SEC.

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 Blog mob . . . ASSEMBLE!

Brice Fox & Daniel Weber - This is Indiana (Official Music Video) (via IURemix)

What is Indiana?  A basketball school.

This week, the Amateur Blog Mob opens the Big Ten schedule with a trip to Bloomington as Penn State faces off against the Indiana Hoosiers.

Say hello once again to our panelists - our own Ben Jones, Kevin McGuire from the Nittany Lions Den, William F. Yurasko from William World News, and all of the D-O-double-G's from JoePa's Doghouse.  And joining us now for conference play, the 50-Yard Lion blog's Michael Sedor, Bill Engel, Michael Canzoneri, and Ali Soheilian!

Is it worth starting Matt McGloin this week at QB?  Will we settle the QB competition this week, or are we destined to see this last throughout the Big Ten schedule?

Sedor: Yes, Matt McGloin should start against Indiana. He's the only Penn State quarterback that's put in a watchable performance in 2011. And, yes, it was against Eastern Michigan. OK, sure, the 1-10 for 0 yards stinker the Man with Moxie put up against Alabama didn't do much to dispel the "he can't do it against good teams" chorus. But what exactly did Rob Bolden do in September to deserve playing time? Call him what you will -- McPickSix, McGroin, McLovin -- but the Scranton Gunslinger should also be called PSU's starter.

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Blog mob . . . ASSEMBLE!

(via FoodNetworkClips)

This week, the Amateur Blog Mob finishes the non-conference schedule as Penn State heads into battle against the Eastern Michigan Cupcakes!

Say hello once again to our panelists - Kevin McGuire from the Nittany Lions Den,  William F. Yurasko from William World News, and all of the D-O-double-G's from JoePa's Doghouse.

Penn State was 6-17 on third down against Temple on Saturday.  What can the team do to fix that?  Is it a quarterback derby issue?

Rowlff Dogg: Have more plays in the playbook. If it's 3rd and short, it's going to be a fullback dive. If it's 3rd and 5+, it's going to be a curl route that might make a 1st down. Of course, the QB derby doesn't help the matter. But I'm going to try a different approach this week. Since the stubborn old man in the booth always does the opposite of what I want, I'll offer this- I love the haphazard QB rotation! Please pare down the playbook a little more! Please stay as long as you want!!!!

WFY: I am just going to say that the quarterback derby is the issue for everything on the offense until proven otherwise. Neither Rob Bolden nor Matt McGloin is ideal and playing both means neither gets in a rhythm or can stop looking over his shoulder. The playing calling seems equally indecisive as well. The solution may be picking one quarterback for a half or more and seeing how things go. That might fix it, it might not, but at least we'd have more reliable data to base an opinion on.

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Blog mob . . . ASSEMBLE!

G. Love & Special Sauce - I-76 (via GLoveSSVEVO)

This week, the Amateur Blog Mob cruises east with G. Love and the Special Sauce on I-76 toward Lincoln Financial Field and the Temple Owls for this week's Blue/White Roundtable.

Say hello once again to our panelists - our own Ben Jones from Black Shoe Diaries, Kevin McGuire from the Nittany Lions Den,  William F. Yurasko from William World News, and all of the D-O-double-G's from JoePa's Doghouse.

The game was out of reach, but Rob Bolden played through the final whistle.  Was that drive his "coming of age moment?"  Do you expect that to pay some dividends this week?

WFY: Rob Bolden impressed me on the final scoring drive and at the time I thought, okay, maybe had made a statement. If it pays dividends this week, I think we can point back to that drive and say, yes, it was a coming of age moment. Upon further thought though, I remember thinking the 2007 Outback Bowl was Anthony Morelli's coming of age moment. How did that turn out? I remember Bolden's game-winning drive against Temple last year and thinking that was his coming of age moment. Also, will Bolden be given the opportunity to make it pay dividends? If he and Matt McGloing are still alternating quarters, I doubt it.

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This post is built neither on facts and figures, nor statistics and spreadsheets.  It's not scientific or mathematical.  No, this post is built on pure, sweet emotion.

Basically, it's the quintessential post on Matt McGloin.

The days following the Alabama loss have provoked an exceptionally emotional response.  We've seen that here; in the past three days, we've seen threads of 600, 250, and 350 comments respectively.  A large percentage of these comments are centered on the quarterback battle between McGloin and true sophomore Rob Bolden.  More specifically, many comments have sounded a lot like this:

At one level, Bolden seems like the obvious answer, but his confidence is clearly shaken. McGloin is less flappable, but no one seems sure if he's got enough talent to be a consistent Division I quarterback. It's a mess now, fodder for all sorts of sound and fury; by the fourth quarter, the Penn State crowd was so perplexed that it didn't even know which quarterback it was supposed to be booing.

You can quibble with the language, but Weinreb's view is consensus - Bolden is imperfectly talented but probably the best option, McGloin has moxie, and Penn State is paralyzed by indecision and confusion.  A recipe for success.

It's difficult to argue with the view that Mike Pettigano articulated yesterday.  In fact, I won't.  Over the past two games, Rob Bolden has been a better quarterback than Matt McGloin and deserves to start and play a full game against Temple, Eastern Michigan, and the rest of this year's schedule.  He's tall, strong, and athletic with a pro-level arm and a presence in the pocket.  He's the future of Penn State football.

I've watched Bolden step up in the pocket and rifle a throw to a receiver while taking a vicious hit just after the ball has been released.  I've seen him risk his body for the team while running for a first down.  I've seen him effortlessly flick his wrist and throw the ball thirty plus yards down the field. I've seen all of this with my own eyes.  I've discussed this with people repeatedly.  Even still, I, just like Joe Paterno, continue to struggle with choosing one of the two permanently.

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Blog mob . . . ASSEMBLE!

Cult Of Personality (via superfighter727)

Welcome back to this week's edition of Blue/White Roundtable!  This week, we once again feature the opinions of the best in the world, the voices of the voiceless, the Cult of Personality - the Amateur Blog Mob.

Meet our panelists - Kevin McGuire and the Nittany Lions Den, Devon from Nittany White Out, William F. Yurasko from William World News, and all of the D-O-double-G's from JoePa's Doghouse. 

Did either QB show you enough to make you confident in our offense for the year?  Who's your guy for this week?

McGuire: Nope.

I honestly felt that both quarterbacks played pretty evenly when you compare the two. Matt McGloin had the better numbers but if Derek Moye and Justin Brown can hang on to a couple decent passes then Rob Bolden's numbers look a little different. While I feel Bolden played well enough to get another start (even if splitting time), there was no question that the offense was more consistent with McGloin under center. It helped that his receivers were more open than when Bolden was playing. Were receivers making adjustments as the game progressed, which would have benefited McGloin?

Perhaps.

I would put the offense in Bolden's hands, and see what he does against a tougher defense. He says he has grown a lot since last year's game, and I tend to believe it. We just need to see it on the field.

As I said yesterday, it would not shock me to see this quarterback competition go on for another week or two, and it will be settled before Big Ten conference play opens up in October against Indiana.

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Amateur Blog Mob . . . ASSEMBLE!

(via thespaff)

Black Shoe Diaries is proud to host the return of the venerable Blue/White Roundtable.  Despite BSD merging approximately 60,000 blogs in the past year, we've gotten the band back together with some of the finest members of the Penn State blogosphere. 

Here's how this works - each week, our panelists will discuss a series of thought-provoking questions brought to you by yours truly, your host and moderator.  Their full responses will be featured on each respective blog.  Each Wednesday during the season, we'll assemble the best of the best right here on BSD.  Every now and then, I'll throw in my two cents as well.

Meet our panelists - our own Ben Jones, Kevin McGuire and the Nittany Lions Den, Devon from Nittany White Out, William F. Yurasko from William World News, and all of the D-O-double-G's from JoePa's Doghouse.

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Bill Simmons apparently knows what he's doing.  As the Executive Producer of 30 for 30, Simmons did the smartest thing he could possibly do - find a tremendous amount of talent and get out of the way.

This is the greatest collection of filmmakers ever assembled under the same umbrella. There has never been anything on television like "30 For 30" before-a network handing over thirty stories to gifted talents and trusting they will deliver.  Which they will.

The result was a critically acclaimed documentary series that produced remarkably compelling television.  With one major project under his belt, Simmons set out on another - Grantland.com.

The site, named for sportswriting icon Grantland Rice, features long-form pieces on sports, pop culture, and the ways in which the two intersect.  Once again, Simmons and his team recruited a murderer's row of talent.  One of those writers is Michael Weinreb.

Weinreb is one of the finest voices in modern media.  He has previously contributed to ESPN.com, SI.com, GQ, and the New York Times.  In 2007, he won the Quill Award for The Kings of New York and his latest book, Bigger Than the Game, just recently came out in paperback.  On Grantland, in addition to his feature writing, Michael writes the weekly Grantland Top Five. 

Most importantly, Weinreb is a Penn State alum and a State College native who peppers his writings with Nittany Lion anecdotes.  He was excited for the opportunity to speak to his fellow alums about all things Penn State sports-related, and we're excited to bring our conversation to you.

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