SB Nation User Blog: anshey

21. 9/3 - Oregon @ Boise State

Poll

Oklahoma or Okie State?

#10, Georgia Bulldogs vs. Florida Gators.

anshey — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:05:07 -0000

The Most Anticipated College Football Games of 2009: #10, Georgia Bulldogs vs. Florida Gators

Location:
Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
October 31st, 2009
Kickoff: TBA

Why to watch:
With a schedule like Georgia has, it's about time they cracked our top 25. "The World's Largest Outdoor Adult Beverage Party" kicks off our top 10 most anticipated games of the 2009 season, and what a way to kick it off. This rivalry has really heated up in recent years, and with the Gators returned pretty much everyone except Percy Harvin, and the Bulldogs returning barely anyone, this might be dubbed as a game that Florida should have in hand easily. But with the way this rivalry has gone the past few years, anything can happen - and I'm banking on the fact that it will.

History:
This is definitely one of the long standing traditions and rivalries in college football. The game has been held every year since 1926 (except 1943 - I'm assuming it was skipped because of the war). In 1989, Georgia held a 43-22-2 advantage in the series, but now the series is very close at 46-38-2. Florida has dominated since 1990, losing only 3 games since then. However, Georgia has won twice in the last 5 years, with 2 of the losses by a touchdown or less. It has certainly been a series of streaks and swings, and right now Florida has been dominant more recently.

The matchup:
The Gators barely lose anyone off of a 2008 squad that won the national championship. They should be loaded and, barring injury, in contention to play in the BSC national title game @ the Rose Bowl in January 2010. The D returns 11 starters (yes, all 11), including stud backer Brandon Spikes. Carlos Dunlap is back on DL and should be dominant again (9.5 sacks in '08). Safety Ahmad Black is back as well; he led the team with 7 ints last season.

On offense, the chompers do lose all around WR Percy Harvin, as well as Louis Murphy, who was a solid possession type WR. They also lose both tackles. Even though Tim Tebow is back and elusive as ever, the loss of both starting tackles will hurt a bit. If teams (Georgia, in particular), can force Superman into some bad throws and get consistent pressure on him, they've got a chance. Otherwise, fuhghettaboutit!

Super Tebow is back and leading the Gators on another national title quest in '09.

As for Goooaaaawwwgia, their offense is going to be hurting big time after losing the leaping Knowshon Moreno and #1 overall draft pick, QB Matt Stafford. Looking to take over for Stafford is Joe Cox, an upperclassmen who is a solid choice to take over. Pushing him is Logan Gray, who is younger but with more upside. If they go with Gray, look for Georgia to suffer through some growing pains early on in '09. That's just at QB. Caleb King looks to take over the starting running back position, after he backed up Moreno last season. He should be a solid back, but Moreno was spectacular.

The D will be the key for the Bulldogs in '09, and will be the key in this game as well. They need to keep the Gators in the 20-24 point range for the game, and to do that they need to slow Tebow down. Rennie Curran, the stud Bulldog backer, will have to get in the backfield early and often, fill his gaps and fly around the field. Fellow LB Akeem Dent will have to do the same. With a strong back 7, and a solid DL that should hit their stride by the time they get to this game, the defense will have to keep Georgia in the game and not let things get out of hand early.

Stud LB Rennie Curran leads the vaunted Bulldog D in '09

The Gators, on the other hand, need to attack early and often, on defense and offense both. Go full throttle right from the get go and get Georgia down early. If the Gators can get the Dogs down early, its going to be difficult for them to come back. Once Florida's offense gets going, its going to be very, very difficult to stop.

Fun Facts / Stats:

The infamous "Gator Stomp" happened in 2007, when the entire Georgia team came onto the field after scoring a TD and starting jumping around in the Gators end zone. The Bulldogs won the game.

In 2008, Florida exacted revenge and demolished the Dogs, 49-10. Head man Urban Meyer said after the game:

"Was it motivation for our players? Yeah, it was. Losing doesn't sit well with our players, and it was the only rivalry game we lost last year."

Prediction:
You know, there's something about rivalry games late in the season that causes surprises and sends shock waves around the college football world. This will be one of those games where thing break just right for the underdog, the team comes together and takes down a highly ranked team. The Bulldogs have the talent, even if they lack the experience, to beat the Gators. They've got the motivation after last years shellacking. It's Bulldog time. It's Richt time. It's upset time.
Georgia 27, Florida 23

Past games:

12. 9/19 - Nebraska @ Virginia Tech

12. 11/21 - Oklahoma @ Texas Tech

21. 9/3 - Oregon @ Boise State

Poll

Flo-rida or Gooaawwgia?

#11, Nebraska @ Virginia Tech. The Most Anticipated College Football Games of 2009!

anshey — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:13:54 -0000

The Most Anticipated College Football Games of 2009: #11, Nebraska @ Virginia Tech

Location:
Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
Saturday, September 19th, 2009
Kickoff: 3:30 PM EST

Why to watch:
The 2nd of a home and home with these 2 college football dynamos, Nebraska will be out for revenge after getting taken down in Lincoln last year. Bo Pelini is looking to rebuild the Cornhusker tradition and pride, and winning in Blacksburg would be a huge step in the right direction. As for VT, will they be hung over after the opening match up versus the Crimson Tide (win or lose)? Another reason to watch is an easy one: Enter Sandman at Lane Stadium. You kidding me? Easily one of the best intros in college football; I get chills just thinking about it. Just wish that this one was a night kickoff.

Virginia Tech Hokies Entrance (via Sportscaster17)

History:
Not much to report here. The '96 Orange Bowl was won by Nebraska in convincing fashion, 41-21. VT returned the favor last year, winning 35-30 in Lincoln. All everything QB Tyrod Taylor had the game winning TD with 2:28 left, putting the Hokies up by 12. Nebraska battled back to get it within 5 on a Joe Ganz strike with 1:32 remaining, but couldn't get the winning TD after fumbling the ball away with 20 seconds left in the ball game. An exciting game, to say the least.

The matchup:
The Hokies are coming off of an Orange Bowl victory, defeating Big East champ Cincinaaaaasty in a not-so-entertaining 13 point victory. Bud Fosters defense once again leads the way for the Hokies. Even though they lose outstanding corner Victor "Macho" Harris, the Hokies return corner Stephan Virgil, who finished the year with 6 ints and was a perfect compliment to Harris. The Hokies are looking to Virgil to anchor the secondary in 09. The secondary should be strong regardless, as seniors Kam Chancellor and Dorian Porch return as well. At linebacker, Purnell Sturdivant and Brett Warren are both gone, but Cam Martin will solidify the LB crew. A backup last year, Cody Grimm will step in nicely and provide the Hokies with another dynamic duo at the linebacker position. On the defensive front, Orion Martin is gone, leaving a hole at DE that Jason Worilds will look to fill. Worilds finished with 8 sacks last year and was a terror. He'll have to do more of the same this year.

As the Tech faithful know, the D will keep them in every game - it's the offense that needs to improve drastically if the dreams of a national title are to be realized. #5 Tyrod Taylor leads the way for the Hokies yet again, and he won't have to worry about Sean Glennon this year at all. Taylor is officially the head man on offense, and that kind of stability (and hopefully leadership) should translate on the field for the VT O. Darren Evans rushed for 1,200 yards as a freshman, and the Hokies also return 3/5th of their oline and their 2 starting wideouts. The team ranked near the cellar in the ACC in almost every major statistical category. If the offense can be productive (middle of the pack in the ACC statistically), the Hokies will be in for a great season.

Tyrod sporting the throwback uni.

In Lincoln, Bo Pelini is giving Husker fans something to be excited about again. While there is still much work to be done for the blackshirts, a 9-4 overall record (including a bowl win vs '08 preseason favorite Clemson) has the Nebraska faithful believing that Nebraska football can be great again. A true Husker, Pelini left LSU after winning the national title there as their defensive coordinator to become the head man at Nebraska. The defense played much better than they did under the ousted Bill Callahan, and Nebraska was overall much more competitive in '08 than they were in '07. That's the good news. The bad news is, well, Nebraska doesn't really return anyone on offense in '09, and playing against a dominant defense and an intimidating crowd in week 3 doesn't bode well for the Huskers. They lose QB Joe Ganz, RB Marlon Lucky, and wideouts Todd Peterson and Nate Swift. Add in the loss of big tackle Lydon Murtha, and the Huskers have a lot to rebuild on the offensive side of the ball quickly. Hopefully RB Roy Helu, who gobbled up a lot of carries by the end of the season, provides stability and gives the new cornhusker QB a safe option to go to.

Bo knows D.

The defense is another (better) story. DT Ndamukong Suh will be a force this season. He led the team in tackles and sacks. Now, if anyone could pronounce his name, he might make some major headlines around the Big 12. The Huskers were the 55th best team on D in '08, which compared to the Callahan years is a god send. But, Nebraska must continue to improve if it wants to climb back into the discussions of conference championships along with Texas, OU and Mizzou.

This is going to be a good old fashioned line em up and knock em down type game. The VT O should be able to move the chains a bit better than the Nebraska O will, and both D's will be stout all game long. This will be a great match up for those that love defense and hate the razzle dazzle of most Big 12 teams who don't play any defense.

Fun Facts / Stats:
Frank Beamer spoke of redshirting Tyrod Taylor in 2008. He ended up ditching that effort after a week 1 loss, and TT rewarded him by scoring the winning TD against Nebraska.
These 2 teams battled it out for a spot in the 99 BSC title game vs FSU all season long. VT won out, but the Vick-led Hokies couldn't pull out the victory vs the Criminoles at the Sugar Bowl.

Prediction:
If you like grind it out, defensive football, this is the game for you. On paper, this game, independently, reads as an easy win for the Hokies. But, adding in the factor of playing Alabama in week 1, and this game (2 weeks later) becomes infinitely more intriguing. The Hokies might be a little mentally drained; after all, they only hear about Alabama all off season long, and before you know it they'll be playing another tough OOC opponent in Nebraska. I think Tech starts slow (like they usually do), but maintains a steady pace throughout the game. Tyrod leads the Hokies down the field more than a few times, but the Cornhusker D stiffens when it counts, keeping the Hokies to 3 field goals and a TD. The Lane Stadium noise and the lunchpail defense are just a hair better on this day, holding the Huskers to 2 fields goals and a TD.
Virginia Tech 16, Nebraska 13

SPECIAL LINK: 50% off sale going on at HokieJerseys.com until Sunday. Check it out, Tech fans! Get your VT jersey for this fall at a heavy discount while you can.

Past games:

12. 11/21 - Oklahoma @ Texas Tech

21. 9/3 - Oregon @ Boise State

Poll

Hokies or Huskers?

50% OFF RU JERSEYS. 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND ONLY.

anshey — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:27:40 -0000

50% OFF RU JERSEYS. 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND ONLY.

Get Rutgers jerseys at 50% off, 4th of july weekend only!

#12, Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Most Anticipated College Football Games of 2009

anshey — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:54:25 -0000

The Most Anticipated College Football Games of 2009: #12, Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Tech Red Raiders

Location:
Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TX
Saturday, November 21st, 2009
Kickoff: TBD (Hopefully a night game!)

Tech fans stormed the field after (and before) beating Texas. Twice. Actually, 3 times.

Why to watch:
If you watched Texas Tech's triumph over the Longhorns in Lubbock last year (and how could you miss it - Harrell to Crabtree has been replayed all off season), you know that a big game means everything to the Tech fans. From Raiderville to Mike Leach's ridiculous comments to the media to the Red Raider jokers in the first row to the rushing the field (twice) before the end of the game, that was one of those special college football games that happens only ever so often for a program. Their version of Rutgers-Louisville '06, if you will. The Sooners will come in with all of the hype (as usual), especially if they're undefeated, and we'll see if the Red Raiders can hang with them, especially in the early going. A big game in Lubbock means the world to them, and in the last 2 years the Techies have knocked off both of the big boys in Lubbock (Texas and Oklahoma both).

Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma 2007 (via bigtextech)

History:
Oklahoma has dominated this matchup overall, winning 12 of 16 matchups and dominating many of those games. In the last 4 matchups, however, the series is split 2-2. That means that Tech is due up for a victory this fall, if the pattern repeats. Last year, the Sooners pulled a Sooner smash and absolutely destroyed any hope of Tech getting into the title game, while at the same time catapulting themselves into the national title race, eventually getting into the BSC Championship Game.

The matchup:
Oklahoma and TT crack our top 25 list for the first (and last?) time in 2009, and for good reason. Both teams had extremely successful campaigns in '08, but both are headed in different directions going into '09.

Oklahoma returns pretty much everyone from a team that played in the title game. Mr. all everything QB Sam Bradford returns for his senior season, along with 3 other would-have-been 1st round picks (DT Gerald McCoy, OT Trent Williams and big time TE Jermaine Gresham). I'm sure that these 4 guys returning means the world to the underclassman at OU, giving the team leadership and stability at some pivotal positions. They've got to replace their top receiver in Juaquin Iglesias, but with the softness of Big 12 Defenses coupled w/ Sam Bradford at QB, I'm sure that the Sooners will have a run and gun offense yet again. Combine that with Chris "Run it run it" Brown and DeMarco Murray carrying the rock, and you've got the makings of another balanced, diverse attack for the Sooners.

Sam Bradford grabbing the Heisman.

On D, the Sooners return 9 of 11 starters, only losing their 2 safeties (Harris & Holmes). That could pose a problem since the Big 12 (and Texas Tech in particular) is so pass happy, but they do return their two starting CB's in Dom Franks and Brian Jackson. With the senior DT McCoy stuffing the run, and LB Travis Lewis flying all around the field, this should be yet another solid D, one of the best in the Big 12, and one capable of making another run to the BSC Title game. It should also be stout enough to shut down a Texas Tech offense that loses their heralded stars at QB and WR, Harrell and Crabtree.

Speaking of the guns up offense over in Raiderville, the Tech O must step up and replace those 2 legends. Looking to fill the void is Taylor Potts at QB and a trio of returning wide outs (D. Lewis, E. Britton and T. Swindall). All 3 WR's got at least 500 receiving yards last year, and Potts (a former 3 star QB with big size - 6'5, 210 lbs) should do just fine in Leach's pass happy offense. Tech also returns a slew of offensive lineman, which should bode well. They also play the OL using wide splits (Tackles play further away from the guards), which caused problems for a lot of D-Lines last season.

Taylor Potts, the lumberjack, is ready to take on the Sooners and the rest of the Big 12

On D, it's not looking pretty, at least not on paper. They only bring back one DB (CB Jamar Wall), but he can't hold the fort alone. If Tech is to have a successful year in '09, and more specific to this post, beat the Sooners in Lubbock, the secondary will have to gel, and fast. The Raiders play a more vanilla D, not really blitzing from the secondary too much, and relying on pressure from the front 4. DE Brandon Williams is a huge loss for the Red Raiders, who need to find a way to sustain pressure on Bradford if they're going to have a fighting chance in this one. Stay in it early and get pressure on Bradford, the way they did on Colt McCoy last year, and they've got a shot. Allow Bradford to pick them apart, and it'll be another pasting at the hands of the Sooners.

Fun Facts / Stats:
The Sooners and Red Raiders met in the 1993 Sun Bowl, the only time the two teams have met in a Bowl game.
The Sooners and Red Raiders first met in 1992, and have met every year since.
The Red Raiders have only beaten OU in Normal once, back in 1996.

Prediction:
Although this game is in Lubbock, and the Red Raiders beat the Sooners last time they played there, I think that the Sooners will bring too much to the table. I'm sure Tech will bring the offense, like they always do, scoring 3-4 touchdowns. But against Sam Bradford and co, that won't be close to good enough. Another video game-like performance by the defenses in the Big 12 leads to a Sooners victory in Lubbock in '09.
Oklahoma 42, Texas Tech 28.

Past matchups:

21. 9/3 - Oregon @ Boise State

Poll

Who'll win?

#15: UCLA Bruins @ USC Trojans. The Most Anticipated Games of 2009

anshey — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:11:44 -0000

The Most Anticipated College Football Games of 2009: #15, UCLA @ USC

Location:
The Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
Saturday, November 28th, 2009
Kickoff: 10 PM EST

Slick Rick

Why to watch:
Rick Neuheisel took over the UCLA program last year, vowing that the reign of USC football in LA was over. Well, that hasn't happened quite yet. USC has dominated UCLA the last 2 years, but in 2006 UCLA ended USC's chance at the national title game. USC also went 11-1 last year, and then outmuscled another Big Ten team in the Rose Bowl, 38-24. Besides the fact that this is a bitter rivalry, this year marks a great opportunity for Mr. Neuheisel to make good on his statement, as he's been getting solid recruits for 2 years now, and SC loses a ton of players across the board. Then again, they always reload and are in contention for the national title, so we'll see just how "down" SC really is.

History:
USC leads the battle for the Victory Bell, 42-28-7. Last year, for the first time in many years, SC and LA both donned their home uni's, kickin' it old school. Since the game was at UCLA's home stadium (the Rose Bowl), SC had to forfeit a timeout for wearing their home uni's. UCLA called a time out to even things out, and the teams are looking to keep that tradition going for years to come.

The matchup:
My co-blogger at PRT, Bobby, highlighted SC in one of our earlier posts:

Year after year the Trojans lose most of their team to the NFL and everyone writes them off for dead. Then all they do is roll through and win the Pac-10 and challenge for the national championship. Things should be no different this season as 11 USC players were taken in the NFL draft, but the cupboard remains stocked with blue-chip talent. The loss of underclassman Mark Sanchez hit especially hard to USC fans this off-season but the Trojans will look to rebuild around sophomore QB Aaron Corp who looks to have a hold on the starting job entering summer camps. The USC offense works on all cylinders in big-time games (see: OSU, PSU last year) but tends to become stagnant in games that they should win easily (see: Oregon State, Arizona, Cal last season). Carroll needs to keep the pedal to the metal and not let this team fall into another loss to an inferior team that will end their title hopes. USC brings back all of last year's offensive linemen and should survive on the defensive side of the ball with the recruits stepping in to fill the shoes of the departed starts. The big question mark could be the kicker situation since last year's K David Buehrle was drafted in the 5th round by the Cowboys. Junior Jordan Congdon and sophomore Joe Houston will battle for place-kicking duties next year.

Tweet Pete

Meanwhile, UCLA brought in Neuheisel, who brought in offensive guru Norm Chow, and the Bruins went... 4-8 in '08? Yeah, not a typo. Kevin Craft returns to start at QB; he amassed 2,341 yards last year. Overall, the Bruins return 9 starters on offense and 7 on D, which should hopefully amount to better performances overall. UCLA was dominated by a lot of teams last season, but again, they're trying to turn around the program. I believe that they have a great chance to do so, and that they'll match up much better against SC than they did last year, or even in 06 (when they beat the vaunted Trojans).

Running back Derrick Colemen will have to step up and replace stud RB Kahlil Bell, and there are a few other losses from the '08 squad, but with younger, better (3-5*) players stepping in and pushing the older guys, and a full year under Rick's belt, he should have this team at 8-9 wins. A trip to Tennessee looms large; a win there on September 12th, and you could be looking at a team w/ 8-9 wins heading into the SC game.

Fun Facts / Stats:
At UCLA, the week before the game is known as "Beat 'SC Week" (officially dubbed "Blue and Gold Week"). At SC, UCLA game week is known as "Troy Week" or "Conquest".
USC's ban plays their fight song over and over because the song girls continue to distract SC fans so much so that they don't even care what the band is playing. I kid, I kid. Kind of.

The victory bell will be painted UCLA blue once again in '09...

Prediction:
I believe in Rick. This is the year UCLA turns it around. They play at Tennessee, and then get Kansas State at home in their OOC. The Pac-10 isn't the strongest conference of them all, but it is a solid conference. I think UCLA will drop a home game against Oregon, a road game at Oregon State, and head to SC for the season finale at 9-2. They'll come out fired up and shut down SC, in SC. The SC dynasty will slow down just a bit this year, with a new QB and a ton of holes to fill. This one will be a nail biter, and one of the best in series history.
UCLA 27, USC 24 (OT)

Past games:

21. 9/3 - Oregon @ Boise State

Poll

What color will the Victory Bell be in '09?

#16 - Iowa @ PSU. Top 25 Most Anticipated games of 2009

anshey — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:49:26 -0000

#16 - Iowa @ PSU. Top 25 Most Anticipated games of 2009

Check it out. #16 features the revenge match at Beaver Stadium vs Iowa.

#16: Iowa Hawkeyes @ Penn State Nittany Lions. The Most Anticipated College Football Games of 2009.

anshey — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:08:16 -0000

Grudge match? You betya. JoePa takes on Ferentz in the Big Ten opener for both squads in a raucous White Out atmosphere in Beaver Stadium.

The Most Anticipated College Football Games of 2009: #16, Iowa Hawkeyes @ Penn State Nittany Lions

Location:
Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
September 26th, 2009
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ABC/ESPN/ESPN2

Beaver Stadium. Under the lights. The top ranked Student Section in the country according to ESPN. Against a team PSU has trouble beating. Yeah, I think this might be a fun one to watch.

Why to watch:
Can you say grudge match? Penn State was riding high at 9-0 last season, and then they went to Iowa and suffered a national championship crushing defeat. To say that Penn State is looking forward to this matchup, under the Beaver Stadium lights in the Big Ten's best night game atmosphere (and maybe college football's best night time atmosphere) would be an understatement. The crowd will be pumped, the infamous white out will be in effect, and it's the first big time game of the Big Ten season. It's going to be an electric atmosphere for sure.

History:
This series dates back to 1930, and the Lions lead the series 11-10 overall. PSU is 4-6 at home and 7-4 on the road in it. Iowa has dominated as of late, winning 6 of the last 7 and completely crushing JoePa's title hopes a year ago. The worst game of the last 7 was probably the most dreadful college football game played since Rutgers beat Princeton 6-4 in 1869 in the first ever college football game. Incidentally, that game ended 6-4 as well. Take a look at the video, if you dare:

The matchup:
I highlighted Penn State a few entries ago. Here's some of what I had to say:

Coming into '09, the Nittany Lions have a lot of personnel to develop. They've got the talented recruits in place but lose a lot of senior leadership from last years squad. 3/5ths of the o-line, 3/4ths of the Dline, the entire WR corps and the entire starting secondary are all gone from last years squad. They lose a lot, but have some good players looking to step up and step in for the departed. SO CB D'anton Lynn and FR S Gerald Hodges could make a big impact in the secondary. RS SR Sean Lee returns from injury to solidify the LB corps. Derek Moye, Graham Zug and Brett Brackett offer size and stability at the WR position, but will they have the explosiveness to exploit the MSU secondary the same way they did in '08? The good news is PSU returns a 5th year senior at QB in Darryl Clark. Clark has gone through a lot to become the Penn State starter, and his fire and emotion was evident all year last year. If he's healthy up until the MSU game, look for PSU to be at 9-2 or 10-1 headed into this game with their horrible non-con schedule and home games vs Iowa and OSU.

This game is early on, and Ricky Stanzi should be better in '09. He picked apart the secondary of Penn State in the 4th quarter, specifically on the game winning drive, albeit with the benefit of an iffy pass interference call against safety Anthony Scirrotto. The secondary for the Nits should be very untested at this point, with their first 3 at home vs super teams Akron, Syracuse and Temple. While all 3 are OK teams, none of them are on par with anyone in the top half of the Big Ten. I see the Hawkeyes trying to test the PSU secondary first, while mixing in the run. I know, I know - Iowa loves to run the ball. But, they're going to be going up against one of the best front 7's in the Big Ten, and maybe one of the top 3 LB crews in the country (Sean Lee and Navarro Bowman will make a nasty combo at the LB spot).

Iowa, on defense, loses the heart and soul of their D in DT's Mitch King and Matt Kroul. These 2 were an absolute force last year, causing Darryl Clark to force throws, rush throws, etc etc. They will be sorely missed on the defensive side of the ball, and with Penn State breaking in 3 new starters on the OL, pressure up front will be key in forcing the Lions O to make mistakes. Without that pressure up front, the Hawkeyes will be running around all day trying to catch Clark, Royster, and co. DE Brod Binns, DT Karl Klug and DE Christian Ballard all need to step up big time to fortify the holes left by King and Kroul.

On O, Jewel Hampton takes over for the departed Shonn Green, who ran all over the Lions last year. Hampton is a solid back, and with Iowa's maulers on the OL coupled with Iowa's offensive scheme, he'll probably have a big season this year. Stanzi needs to play solidly and not turn the ball over, especially in this matchup. Many QB's in recent years have called Penn State the toughest atmosphere to play in, in terms of crowd noise, especially at night. For the Hawkeyes to have a chance, Stanzi needs to stay calm, not turn the ball over and move the chains steadily to take the crowd out of the game. If he can't, things can quick get out of hand, a la the PSU-Michigan game last year, where Penn State stuck it to the Wolverines in the 2nd half, aided by a defense which feeds off of their crowd.

Fun Facts / Stats:
Penn State has last 2 games at Beaver Stadium in the last 4 years. Michigan in '06 and Ohio State in '07.
Iowa has dominated the series since Penn State joined the big ten, especially in the 2000's. Iowa leads the series 6-1 in the 2000's, including 2 OT victories in Beaver Stadium.

Prediction:
So, here's the thing. Penn State played its absolute worst game of the year last year in Iowa City. Iowa, on the other hand, played their best game of the '09 campaign. And they ended up winning by a point on the last second of the game. Think Penn State's angry about that game? You're right. Couple PSU anger and an absolutely hostile crowd, and you've got the recipe for a great payback game. All signs point to a Penn State win in my book, even with the green secondary of the Nittany Lions. Iowa doesn't have the playmakers on offense to keep up with the spread HD, and the PSU D will do enough to keep Stanzi and Hampton contained.
Penn State 27, Iowa 17

Previous games:

21. 9/3 - Oregon @ Boise State