SB Nation User Blog: speedomike

All hail Phil Steele

speedomike — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:46:04 -0000

All hail Phil Steele

I don't really have much to offer, but Colin Cowherd got his copy of Phil Steele's magazine and revealed the top 10. It comes out June 9th for the rest of us, and I will definitely be getting it.

Um....that's really all I have to say about that.

Phil Steele is awesome. His magazine is too.

Oh yeah and Penn State is ranked....I won't give it away.

Power Rankings

speedomike — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:09:18 -0000

Rivals has their post-spring power rankings by position and coaches. We're represented pretty well. I'd like to see Wiz on the OL list and I can't agree with Beamer being ranked ahead of JoePa, but overall not too bad.

Ohio State/Pryor Assessment from Dr. Saturday

speedomike — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:09:47 -0000

Ohio State/Pryor Assessment from Dr. Saturday

Waaaaaaay too early bowl predictions

speedomike — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:05:21 -0000

So, the website on the internet that is entitled college football news dot come clearly needs a story to write. The result? Some way too early BCS predictions. You may be asking yourself-where do our beloved Penn State Nittany Lions fall in this zany fortune-telling exercise? Well.....you might just need to use your mouse to move your cursor over the link I have provided in order to find out this "information".

Now that's how you get to 75 words. I am not normal!

Women's Swimming-3rd at Big Tens

speedomike — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:09:27 -0000

The women's swim team finished third at Big Tens this weekend. Not a bad showing, but they were quite a bit behind Minnesota, who was quite a bit behind Indiana (detailed results if you're interested). We didn't have anyone qualify automatically for NCAAs, but a number of girls swam 'B' cut times. Basically the way NCAAs works is that there are a certain number of slots for each event (I'm not sure the number and I think it's different for every event) and everyone who swam at the A cut level gets to go. Then they will invite some of the B cut swimmers if there are open slots (which there usually are). So, not bad but not great either. Both the men's and women's programs are in a period of transition and aren't what they were a few years ago. There is a whole new coaching staff and there is some reason to be excited, but the reality is until we get a new pool we're not going to get past a certain level. The new pool has been put on hold a number of times and it's really about time this happens. With basically every other sport getting new facilities, it's the swim teams' turn. And I realize that swimming doesn't bring in money to the athletic department. But, having a top notch pool would also allow us to host Big Tens and other big college and club meets, which brings in revenue, people, etc. In case you can't tell by my screen name, I have some interest in the swim teams at PSU. So it irritates me that this hasn't happened yet, especially since they've been talking about doing it since my freshman year in 1998. Men's Big Tens is this coming weekend.

2009-2011

speedomike — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:26:27 -0000

Let's take the strugglebus back to 2004. The pitchforks were out. But, I personally didn't want Joe to go out like that. Thankfully, he's turned things around and I've generally been happy with the last 4 years. If we assume that JoePa is going to finish out his shiny new contract, he'll be around through the 2011. In 2004, I wanted him to go out on a high note and have a foundation laid for the next coach, and still feel that way. Had he left after this year, that would have been the case. But, he didn't, and that's fine. Just so long as we don't drop back into the abyss that was 2000-2004, and the next coach can come in and not have to rebuild anything. So, I thought I'd take a look at what the team will look like over the next three years. I'm using the roster PSU's offical site for eligibility (although as I'm looking at it that may not be totally accurate. They have Bowman as a freshman, but so far that's the only mistake I've noticed). I'm also including our 2009 commits, which most likely will stick, especially now that LJ is staying, and will hopefully include names like Jenkins and Brown come LOI day. Those are the names in italic. And I'm not including every single player, and some of the positions along both lines could switch.

2009

QB: Clark, Newsome, McGloin

RB: Royster, Green, Beachum, Carter, Dukes

WR: Brackett, THE ZUG, Moye, Powell, Price, Cousins, McDonald, Ditto,Smith, Drake, Felder, Kuntz,

OT: Pannell, Landolt, Farrell, Radakovich (I think he's a tackle) Shrive, Arcidiacono, Gress, Cadogen

G: Wiz (or C), Eliades, Troutman,Walton, Figueroa

C: Wiz (or G), Stankiewich, Barham, Howle

TE: Quarless, Shuler, Szczerba, Wedderburn

LB: Lee, Bowman, Hull, Mauti, Stupar, Yancich, Zordich, Gbadyu, Colasanti, Carson

DT: Odrick, Koroma, Still, Ware, Ogbu, Okoli, Massaro, Terry, McEowen, Hill

DE: Crawford, Latimore, Hayes, Lathom, Stanley

CB: Wallace, Lynn, Alfreno, Morris, Thomas (maybe WR), Givens,

S: Astorino, Timmons, Sukay, Jeffries, Hodges,Obeng-Agyapong, Willis

2010

QB: Newsome, McGloin

RB: Royster, Green, Beachum, Carter, Dukes

WR: Brackett, THE ZUG, Ditto, Moye, Powell, Price, Smith, Drake, Felder, Kuntz,

OT: Pannell, Farrell, Radakovich (I think he's a tackle) Shrive, Arcidiacono, Gress, Cadogen

G: Wiz (or C), Eliades, Troutman,Walton, Figueroa

C: Wiz (or G), Stankiewich, Barham, Howle

TE: Szczerba, Wedderburn

LB: Bowman (maybe-could see him leaving), Mauti, Stupar, Yancich, Zordich, Gbadyu, Colasanti, Carson

DT: Koroma, Still, Ware, Ogbu, Okoli, Massaro, Terry, McEowen, Hill

DE: Crawford, Latimore, Lathom, Stanley

CB: Lynn, Alfreno, Morris, Thomas (maybe WR), Givens,

S: Astorino, Sukay, Jeffries, Hodges,Obeng-Agyapong, Willis

More coming back than I thought for this year. Tough schedule going to Bama and Ohio State. Clearly a lot depends on Newsome's development. We also don't know what impact the 2009 class will have or what freshman will being coming in this year. Getting Jenkins looks like it could be big. Same with Paul Jones to back up Newsome. I could see this as a 8-4 type rebuilding year.

2011

QB: Newsome, McGloin

RB: Green, Beachum, Dukes

WR: Moye, Ditto, Powell, Price, Smith, Drake, Felder, Kuntz,

OT: Pannell, Farrell, Radakovich (I think he's a tackle) Shrive, Arcidiacono, Gress, Cadogen

G: Troutman, Walton, Figueroa

C: Stankiewich, Barham, Howle

TE: Szczerba, Wedderburn

LB: Mauti, Stupar, Yancich, Zordich, Gbadyu, Colasanti, Carson

DT: Still, Ware, Okoli, Massaro, Terry, McEowen, Hill

DE: Crawford, Latimore, Lathom, Stanley

CB: Lynn, Alfreno, Morris, Thomas (maybe WR), Givens,

S: Astorino, Sukay, Hodges,Obeng-Agyapong, Willis

Again, not enough know about the next three recruiting classes to project. Even still, seems like a good deal of talent on this roster. At least enough to produce one of those 8-4 seasons.

Conclusions? Hard to say. But, I don't think we're looking at a 2000-2004 type swoon, which is quality. A couple of thoughts...

-LJ coming back is huge. Seems that we'll have the staff together during this period. Pros and cons to this, but I think mostly pros.

-2010 could be a big recruiting year. I follow recruiting relatively closely, but don't know all the players. I do know that there seems to be some excitement about the class we could bring in next year. Looking at the core players on these squads, some big time recruits could take/keep us to/at at a high level.

-Whether or not Joe finishes out this contract, the next coach will have plenty to work with.

Thoughts?

What athletes should say about respect

speedomike — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:18:11 -0000

What athletes should say about respect

I don't if any of you read Joe Posnanski. If not, you should. But, this is pretty funny.

#14 and #33

speedomike — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:11:24 -0000

You know how people say things like "if you looked up (insert term) in the dictionary, there'd be a picture of (person who exemplifies that term)". Well, after googling the term "possession receiver" to see what the origin of the term was (that's just one of those things that I know what it is, and can give an example of it, but probably couldn't give a definition), I came across this wikipedia page. Scroll down and take a look at the one picture provided. This is a page of American football positions, and someone decided that Anthony Morelli and Austin Scott are the quentiessental American football players. I love it.

Important Question

speedomike — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 16:54:07 -0000

Hello hello Trojans. I'm a Penn State fan and am heading out the Rose Bowl. I'm looking for an answer to perhaps the most crucial question about the game itself, especially for us drunkard Penn Staters. That is, do they sell beer at the Rose Bowl? I can't seem to find an official answer and I figured, since you guys have been to the last eleventy billion Rose Bowls. you'd probably know.

Anyway, looking forward to the game. I think it should be a good one.

CFN's early preview-did Pete Fiutak's editor take the day off?

speedomike — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:38:32 -0000

CFN's early preview-did Pete Fiutak's editor take the day off?

CFN has an early preview of their expected BCS matchups.

I count at least 3 factual errors-when we last played USC, when we last played them in a bowl, and the score of the Ohio State game. Plus at least 2 blatant grammatcical errors (
"while the Big Ten won the bowl since a 2000 Wisconsin victory over Stanford"
"Penn State led the Big Ten in defense big a long shot").

It took me 5 minutes to check those facts and see those errors. They really get paid for this?