Penn State

Big Ten Coach Ranking: Tom Terrific

Jeff Fox — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:44:24 -0500

It doesn't appear that too many Big Ten teams are going to light the college hoops world on fire this season. However, more than likely this will only be a temporary slump. With the level of coaching talent roaming the sidelines in the league, its teams are sure to be competing for national championships again sooner rather than later.

1) Tom Izzo - Michigan State

Tom Izzo is untouchable at the top of this list. Why? A national championship, four trips to the Final Four, four regular-season Big Ten titles, four National Coach of the Year awards. That's why.

2) Thad Matta - Ohio State

The trip to the 2007 title game was nice, but Thad Matta has built the Buckeyes program into more than just a one-year powerhouse. A serious bidder for all the top recruits in the country every year, Matta has also led the squad to 37 conference wins over the past three years, second best over this period behind Wisconsin.

3) Bo Ryan - Wisconsin

Speaking of the Badgers, Bo Ryan has led Wisconsin to a conference best 38 wins over the past three seasons. Despite always being overlooked and underrated, Ryan's squads get the job down year in, year out.

4) Tubby Smith - Minnesota

The much-maligned Tubby Smith has done nothing but win at every stop he has made in his coaching career. Minnesota shouldn't be any different.

5) Bruce Weber - Illinois

A few years back Bruce Weber probably could have given Izzo a tough run for his money for top spot on this list. However, his program has been in a steady decline since its 2005 peak.

6) Tom Crean - Indiana

It's going to take awhile to fix the mess Tom Crean inherited, but if he could recruit and win big time at Marquette, doing the same at Indiana shouldn't be a problem.

7) Matt Painter - Purdue

Matt Painter definitely has the Boilermakers back at the level the program was used to under his mentor Gene Keady. They should be at or near the top of the Big Ten at season's end and are poised to make some noise in the NCAA tournament.

8) John Beilein - Michigan

John Beilein is another coach who inherited a mess of a program. It'll probably take a few more years before he gets the Blue up to the level of success he enjoyed at West Virginia.

9) Todd Lickliter - Iowa

Todd Lickliter proved he could win big at a small-time school (Butler). Can he win in the Big Bad Big Ten though?

10) Ed DeChellis - Penn State

After posting seven conference wins last season, maybe Ed DeChellis has Penn State headed in the right direction.

11) Bill Carmody - Northwestern

The Wildcats won one conference game last season and two the year before. Enough said.

College Football: Saturday Touchdowns

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:34:55 -0500

Heading into this Saturday it seemed like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were well on their way to a seventh victory and a berth in either the Gator or Sun Bowl. All they had to do was beat Syracuse, playing for a recently dismissed head coach in Greg Robinson and dead last in the Big East. But while the Orange haven't played particularly well this season, you can't accuse this team of quitting. What ensued was one of the more stunning results of the day, with Syracuse stunning the Irish 24-23 on a late touchdown pass. Where do the Irish go from here? USC is the finale next week, and a loss there puts them at 6-6 and in a very tough situation. A 6-6 team can't be taken ahead of a team with a 7-5 record or better, so they could be in a very undesirable locale...if they accept a bid in that case. Beat USC and it doesn't matter, but they'll have a tough task in front of they in the Coliseum.

Here are the seven key points for this Saturday. And congrats to Florida State safety Myron Rolle for being named a Rhodes Scholar today. It's much better to hear this news when it comes to Florida State than hearing about receivers being suspended for getting into a lunchroom brawl.

1. Boy was I wrong about that Texas Tech/Oklahoma game.

Going into this one, it surprised me how quickly people were jumping off the Texas Tech bandwagon for their showdown in Norman with the Sooners, so much so that I actually picked the Red Raiders to win. Let's say it all together: fool. What ensued was one of the worst beatings of the season when you take into consideration the quality of the two teams, with the Sooners running away 65-21 in a game that was essentially over when Tech failed to convert a 4th-and-6 just past midfield with about twelve minutes left...in the second quarter. The Sooner offense did what it pleased, putting up more than 600 yards of offense in a brutally effiecient fashion (326 passing, 299 rushing). But that defense needs some credit as well, limiting the nation's best passing offense to 406 yards of total offense (45 on the ground) and 1-for-13 on third downs. That's not going to get it done if your on the road in a game of this magnitude.

Now the question is this: do the Sooners move ahead of Texas in the BCS standings when they're unveiled tomorrow afternoon? That depends on what pollsters and the computers value: the head-to-head meeting (which Texas won) or who's playing better football right now (Oklahoma would win that argument given what they did tonight). To push OU ahead of Texas would be, in some way, blaming the Longhorns for playing that game in early October and that wouldn't be fair at all. We shall see what happens, and what makes it all the more important is that in the case of a three-way tie the team ranked highest in the BCS is the one that goes to the Big 12 Championship Game.

2. Utah completes their undefeated season. Now they have to wait for two weeks.

The Utes got the job done against bitter rival BYU, picking off Max Hall five times in the 48-24 beating. Now 12-0, Kyle Whittingham's team is pretty much assured of a BCS at-large slot and they've earned it. QB Brian Johnson had an outstanding game in his final appearance in Rice-Eccles Stadium, going 30-36 for 303 yards and four touchdowns along with twenty-eight yards on the ground. But it was the Utah defense that made the difference in this one, forcing six turnovers and holding the Cougars to 4-12 on third down. The two-week wait should be little more than a coronation of what they've accomplished, but you never know with this system.

3. Cincinnati holds on to put a virtual chokehold on the Big East race.

Pittsburgh made this game close in the fourth quarter, scoring fourteen unanswered points to reach the 28-21 final. But this was the product of a dominant defensive showing by the Bearcats (264 total yards allowed and seven sacks) and QB Tony Pike's play in leading the Bearcat offense (26-32, 309 yards and three touchdowns). Now Brian Kelly's team is one win, over Syracuse next weekend, from clinching the Big East and heading most likely to the FedEx Orange Bowl (hence fans showering the field with oranges). But Syracuse won't be thought of as a pushover in that locker room, especially with what the Orange accomplished in South Bend. To think about where this program was in their final seasons in Conference USA (the New Orleans Bowl to the BCS? Almost like the Notorious B.I.G.'s quote about going from "ashy to classy") makes their rise all the more spectacular.

But there an unfortunate consequence of Cincinnati's success: Coach Kelly's name could be thrown around in regards to high-profile job openings in the month between the end of the regular season and their bowl game. But that's all for another day for Cincinnati, who should celebrate their recent success (their first-ever win over Pitt).

4. The dream lives in Corvallis, Oregon.

There were two plays that could have led Oregon State fans to believe that their first trip to Pasadena in more than forty years wasn't meant to be: James Rodgers dropping a deep ball that would have been the game-tying touchdown, then kicker Justin Kahut hooking a potentially game-tying extra point to leave the Beavers down 17-16 with four minutes remaining. But a pair of unlikely heroes stepped up in the 19-17 comeback victory: backup quarterback Sean Canfield and wide receiver Sammie Stroughter. With both players possessing a wealth of experience the word "unlikely" is a stretch, but given the amount of attention heaped upon the Rodgers brothers (Jacquizz was lost to injury and wasn't available) they've been forgotten by some.

It was this combination that picked up the slack for James Rodgers on that touchdown drive, and once again on the gamewinning charge with a deep ball to put Kahut in position to keep their Rose Bowl hopes alive. Kahut did just that, hitting the kick as time expired. Every week people look for the wheels to fall off and the dream to die. But the Beavers continue to win games, with guys stepping up on a weekly basis. Maybe they are a team of destiny. Oregon will look to change that in the "Civil War" next weekend.

5. We finally have some frontrunners in the ACC. I think.

It's all cut and dry for these two teams: Boston College (Atlantic) and Virginia Tech (Coastal) win next week and they'll meet in Tampa on December 6th. The only other teams with a shot are Florida State and Georgia Tech, who need those two to lose in order to get in. Boston College, who lost starting QB Chris Crane to a broken collarbone in their come-from-behind 24-21 win at Wake Forest. The Eagles did a good job in keeping both teams in the game, with miscues setting up all 21 Demon Deacon points before winning the game in the end. Dominique Davis led the gamewinning drive for BC, but the credit for this win should go to their defense for holding Wake to under 200 yards of total offense. Other than taking advantage of the Eagle mistakes, Wake Forest did nothing on offense.

As for the Hokies, they didn't look pretty against Duke but they won the game and that's what's most important. Nine combined turnovers made this game an eyesore, but Virginia Tech did manage to rush for 187 yards on the night. Duke's longest passing play: a 23-yard pick-six by Virginia Tech's Macho Harris. The Blue Devils finished the game with twenty yards in the air and 136 yards total offense. Next weekend, the Eagles host Maryland (37-3 loser to FSU tonight) while the Hokies host rival Virginia (13-3 loser to Clemson).

6. Washington State picks up their first Pac-10 win of the season while rival Washington remains winless.

Missed field goals are what did in the Huskies in this one, with a missed 40-yarder keeping the Cougars within three in the fourth quarter and a missed chip shot in the second overtime setting the stage for Wazzu's victory. For as hard as they've played this season, Washington has found ways to lose football games and this one has to hurt considering how dominant they'd been in the trenches on both sides of the football. But give credit to Washington State, which hung around and found a way to win the Apple Cup in the end. The Huskies have one more shot at getting that elusive victory with a trip to Cal next week, but how much do they really have left in the tank? They'll be decided underdogs in Berkeley, but this much is known: they will compete. There are other teams in similar situations (tough year, coaching change, etc.) who have mailed it in but neither UDub or Wazzu has done that, And you have to give those kids and their coaches some credit (instead of pointing and laughing at their misfortune) for that even though it hasn't panned out in the form of wins.

7. Penn State headed back to the Rose Bowl. And Michigan has a lot of work to do this offseason.

The Nittany Lions were dominant from start to finish in their 49-18 victory over Michgan State, picking up the 800th win in school history at the same time. Darryl Clark, who has been criticized by some for his uneven play of late, threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover in the beating, and that defense held Javon Ringer to 42 yards on the ground. The Spartans needed QB Brian Hoyer to attempt around twenty-five passes or so to have a shot in this one, meaning that Ringer was having a productive day running the football. Hoyer threw forty passes, and he was even replaced by backup Kirk Cousins late. Penn State is a talented football team on both sides of the football, but also an example of what one bad quarter (4th quarter at Iowa) can do to your national title dreams if you're not careful.

As for the Wolverines, there really isn't much to analyze in their 42-7 pasting at the hands of Ohio State, They hung in there for a half, going into the locker room down just 14-7. But things got out of hand quickly, with Dan Herron breaking a 49-yard touchdown run less than four minutes into the second half. From there Michigan had to try their luck through the air, and Nick Sheridan isn't ready to make plays in the passing game. It got ugly, and with nine losses and an embarassing defeat to the hated Buckeyes this is an extremely important offseason for Rich Rodriguez and his staff. Regardless of the system used, that was not Michigan Football, and their fanbase will not accept anything less than marked improvement next year.

Offensive Performance of the Day: West Virginia QB Pat White. White ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns on twenty-one carrier along with 6-11 for 122 yards and two touchdowns through the air in the Mountaineers' 35-21 win at Louisville. White is now the all-time NCAA leader in rushing yards by a quarterback, passing Missouri's Brad Smith. And he also is the Big East's all-time leader in total touchdowns, passing Syracuse's Donovan McNabb.

College Football: Three Games, Two Views

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:11:53 -0500

Well Billy and I are back with three more big games to preview on "Rivalry Week", and the three games in this piece all have conference title implications. One of those game will have a direct impact on the national title hunt, while another is a rivalry marked by its hatred spiced up by a possible BCS berth on the line. The third game features the nation's largest rivalry trophy that can be carried (the Fremont Cannon between UNLV and Nevada has them beat) along with the stakes of a Rose Bowl berth. And in case you were wondering, we won't be talking about the Apple Cup (Washington/Washington St.) in this article either. Enjoy.

#15 Michigan State @ #8 Penn State 3:30 PM on ABC (regional)

Billy Palmer: This game is huge! It may not have a lot of national title implications but it still has the prize of the Big 10 title possibly at stake. If Michigan were to somehow shock Ohio State then the winner of this game would be the Big 10 champ. If Penn State wins they are the conference champions no matter what the outcome of the Ohio State v Michigan game is. Michigan State wants to upset Penn State and hope their in-state rivals will upset Ohio State. Look, I'm not going to play around here. Penn State is definitely the better team right? Not necessarily! Throw out the Ohio State clunker and they haven't played a bad game all year. I don't think this is necessarily a walk in the park for the Nittany Lions.

Michigan State needs to copy exactly what Iowa did against Penn State. They need to use Ringer a lot (which they have no problem doing), protect the ball, and good consistent quarterback play from Hoyer. Penn State is a blue collared team and their own kryptonite is doing the blue collared thing to them. You know, a little of the "give them a dose of their own medicine" thing. Penn State's defense is pretty salty so that will be a very hard task to accomplish for the Spartans. So you could just say the key to the game is the Spartans ability to just play solid and mistake free football.

Raphielle Johnson: Billy, how about we clear one thing up right now: Michigan will not beat Ohio State. As for this one, Penn State hasn't looked the same since that Ohio State win. Darryl Clark, who was spectacular early on, has not played as well since that concussion that sent him to the bench in that game. Completing just eight passes in the loss to Iowa and a mediocre effort against a bad Indiana team last week would have me worried if I were a Nittany Lion fan. But that's where running back Evan Royster comes into play. Royster has run for 1,123 yards and twelve touchdowns this season and will be key in keeping Javon Ringer off the field. Receivers Derrick Williams, Deon Butler and Jordan Norwood can do some serious damage through the air, but that Spartan secondary is nothing to scoff at.

Another player to watch is Michigan State QB Brian Hoyer. Given his uneven play this season, along with the absence of a big-play receiver, what's stopping Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley from sticking eight in the box and forcing Hoyer to beat them through the air? Hoyer will have to play the best game of his season in this one, making the Lions pay for such a strategy. Ringer's one game in which he was subdued was against Ohio State, where the Buckeyes held him to sixty-seven yards and no touchdowns in a 45-7 drubbing in East Lansing.

Key to the Game

BP: Michigan State's ability to play mistake-free football

RJ: Brian Hoyer vs. Penn State secondary

Prediction

BP: Well, it's Senior Day in Happy Valley so don't expect the upset. Michigan State will keep this a tight game well into the 3rd quarter when Evan Royster hits a long run. Penn State D will then get momentum and cash in a couple of Hoyer turnovers. Penn State wins 27-17.

RJ: I have to agree with your pick here. Hoyer hasn't shown enough throughout the year to lead me to believe that he can take advantage should Penn State load the box. Nittany Lions win 21-10 and send Joe Paterno to Pasadena for the second time.

#14 BYU @ #7 Utah 6 PM EST on The Mtn.

BP: Utah has survived up to this point. They've remained undefeated for 11 games so far. One team stands between Utah and a likely BCS game, and that is the BYU Cougars. Both of these teams have played pretty good football all season. However, both have shown that they have a tendency to sometimes play like they are bored. Both teams have played close games against teams that shouldn't even compete with them. Well, throw that all out the window.

This is a big profile game and the game has serious meaning. I think the key to the game is if Utah will be to wound up and too tight. They are playing for a perfect season and sometimes for teams that haven't been there that often they tend to press a little when the spotlight is on them. If Utah stays calm and plays their type of game they will be headed to a BCS game. If not, BYU could keep it close with Max Hall and pull off a huge dream-crushing win.

RJ: In a lot of rivalry games, the word "hate" is thrown around more as lip service than as fact. That doesn't apply here, with a history of brawls, comments about which school's grads will be pumping the other's gas, and usually a conference title on the line. Utah may be the undefeated team with a shot at the BCS should they win, but are they really that much better than the Cougars? Of course Utah beat TCU while the Cougars were whipped on national television, but I think BYU is finally snapping out of that post-TCU hangover that stuck with them for so long. The offense is still prolific, led by QB Max Hall, WR Austin Collie and RB Harvey Unga. And tight end Dennis Pitta is one of a few contributors who could be back for this one after missing time due to injury.

Utah, on the other hand, has encountered little adversity besides having to come back and beat TCU at home. QB Brian Johnson is well on his way to being named Mountain West Player of the Year, and if this one comes down to a kick late there's no one you'd rather send out there than the Utes' Louie Sakoda. The question for the Cougars is what they can do to slow down the Mountain West's third-ranked offense, given the fact that they rank 6th in the conference (54th overall) in total defense. But with the stakes as high as they are, BYU will show up on that side of the football.

Key to the Game

BP: Utah's state of mind

RJ: BYU's defensive execution

Prediction

BP: Utah will take control of this game from the beginning. BYU is loaded with offensive talent but Utah has just as much defense. Max Hall will struggle all day and Utah plays a perfect game with the result of a perfect season. Utah wins going away 30-13.

RJ: I see this one being tight for four quarters; the last time Utah was playing this game for a BCS berth was 2004 when they blew out the Cougars 52-21. But this Utah team isn't that dominant, and BYU isn't playing for a lame duck coach like the 2004 team was. Utah wins 34-31 with a touchdown late. Too bad this game isn't on a network that the majority of the nation has easy access to.

#2 Texas Tech @ #5 Oklahoma 8 PM EST on ABC

BP: This has been the year of the Big 12. Loaded with dominating teams, offenses and quarterbacks. This week is Texas Tech visiting Oklahoma. This is unfamiliar water for Texas Tech; ranked #2 this late in the season with their destiny in their own hands isn't something they have ever had to deal with. Oklahoma, on the other hand has had to deal with big games like this nearly 2 or 3 times a year and has only lost 2 times at home in the career of Bob Stoops. I love the Tech passing game but I think their running attack is definitely underrated. They are loaded at WR but nobody talks about the running backs. Shannon Woods and Baron Batch have combined for over 1200 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground. In fact, the Red Raiders are very close to having more rushing yards than they've ever had under Leach.

I think both teams are going to score points but I think the ability of Texas Tech to run the ball will be the key to this game. Historically, Texas Tech has had a tough time running the ball well on Oklahoma (and in Norman especially). I think the young Oklahoma linebacker corps needs to be on there game and make the right reads on draw plays that Tech loves to use. If OU shuts down the run and forces Texas Tech to pass and be completely one dimensional they will win the game. If Texas Tech can establish the run and keep the Sooner D off balance then I believe the Red Raiders have a chance to pull off an upset.

RJ: Yes the Red Raiders have had trouble running against the Sooners in recent meetings, but a key component in those games is out with a knee injury (MLB Ryan Reynolds). Austin Box performed well in his stead against Kansas State, but the Wildcats have nowhere near the talent on offense that rolls into Norman on Saturday night. Graham Harrell is racking up big numbers as usual, thanks to an outstanding receiving corps and an offensive line that people started talking about early in the season for their idiosyncrasies, only to come to the realization that they're very good blockers as well.

But the vastly-improved Red Raider defense will go up against its stiffest test of the season, given how balanced that Oklahoma attack is. Sam Bradford seems to rarely make mistakes in reading defenses, picking foes apart with pinpoint throws to the likes of Manuel Johnson and Juaquin Iglesias among others (Jermaine Gresham is one of the best tight ends in the country as well). And the backfield has a number of options from which to choose, from DeMarco Murray to Chris Brown and even Mossis Madu. Texas was quite the test for Ruffin McNeill's defense the day after Halloween, but their running backs (Colt McCoy doesn't count) aren't as productive as Oklahoma's.

Key to the Game

BP: Texas Tech's rushing offense

BP: Texas Tech's defense

Prediction

BP: I think that Oklahoma will shut down the Texas Tech run game. This game will get out of hand in favor of the Sooners early but I think Texas Tech makes a late rally to make the game look closer than it really was. OU wins 52-40.

RJ: Wow. That's a lot of points right there. Both offenses will have their share of success, but I don't see the wheels falling off the Tech bandwagon like many are expecting. For those who think the touchdown pass to Crabtree against Texas was his defining moment, watch Harrell do it again in a 45-41 win and just about seal the Red Raiders' first-ever Heisman Trophy.

Cheerleader of the Day: Purdue

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:07:20 -0500

Cheerleader of the Day

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, CHN has access to thousands of great college & NBA basketball photos. Each day, along with our daily Big Picture, we'll be featuring a Cheerleader (or Dancer) of the Day. In September & October, we'll be rolling out some girls of the gridiron.

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