Pennsylvania College Football Woes - What to expect for Pitt and Penn State

Pittsburgh and Penn State are making their Keystone State fans uneasy. Both teams started the year 0-2, with Pitt losing at home to FCS Youngstown State 31-17 and on the road to conference rival Cincinnati 34-10, Penn State losing to Ohio at home 24-14 and at Virginia 17-16.

Is there any relief in sight for either team? Can a season be salvaged in either Happy Valley or along the Three Rivers?

We asked the 3SN experts. Panther Chronicler Dellav and Nittany Narrator Dot give their insight and opinions as to the future of their respective 2012 seasons.


PITTSBURGH

No Pitt fan should be surprised that they are 0-2.

I mean that.

If ANY team was going to lose to YSU, it would be Pitt. This is the kind of mess this program is in right now. I honestly believe if Pitt would have kept Wanny (or at least had a better successor) they wouldn't be in this mess. Paul Chryst is still a good coach and I think he can turn Pitt around, it's just that Pitt took a few steps back after the whole Wanny fiasco.

Rushel Shell is going to be GREAT when he takes over for Ray Graham. Honestly, I could see Rushel Shell taking the load of the carries by midseason. Tino Sunseri is not a good quarterback. He really isn't. I want you all to think about what I'm about to say...DAVE WANNSTEDT WENT 8-5 WITH TINO AT QB! You tell me who was the genius coach all along... Pitt's wide outs can't do anything and the defense is softer than a marshmellow.

This whole team is in a very bad situation right now. I kind of anticipated them having it rough at first only because it's their 1000th coach in 3 years but I was thinking 7-5. I can see this Pitt team now finishing 3-9 or 1-11 (I swear if they lose to Grambling I'm dropping out of school). It's just scary because Pitt is heading to the ACC next year and while that conference isn't that great, it still has WAY better athletes than any school in the Big East. If Pitt can't beat YSU I mean...

The point is the state of Pitt football is terrible and while Pitt is known for being a basketball school, football is the biggest money maker, and the decisions by Steve Pederson during his second tenure, make believe that he needs to be let go as Pitt athletic director. Immediately.


PENN STATE

We are…

…in need of a kicker.

Penn State Sam Ficken made a lot of Penn State football fans…well, as many would put it on Twitter, “Ficken Furious”…after his 1-5 kicking performance on Saturday at Virginia. He also had an extra point blocked, which really wasn’t his fault, but proved to be the literally difference in the 17-16 in the defeat.

For now, it sounds like Ficken is still kickin’. Bill O’Brien says that Ficken is in a weekly battle for the kicking duties with Matt Marcincin and Kevin DiSanto, neither of which has attempted a kick in their careers. I recommended one student go try to walk on and kick…I think he considered it. No matter who ends up booting the pigskin the rest of the year, they have to be better. Otherwise it will end up like a high school game, going for it on fourth down everywhere on the field. But hey, O’Brien might not mind that.

As for the rest of the Penn State team, things are looking pretty good.

The defense forced four Cavalier turnovers last week, including a sweet interception by defensive lineman Jordan Hill. They held Virginia to just 32 yards rushing. They improved big time from the Ohio game (175 rush yards allowed) and I think the team will keep improving on defense as the year goes on, especially against the triple option attack of Navy this week.

And let me say real quick…Ohio is a darn good team. I was worried about this game BEFORE the sanctions and transfers. I think many members of Nittany Nation realize this. Heck, if the Bobcats beat Marshall this week, I don’t see anybody stopping Ohio from going undefeated. The Lions struggled down the stretch, mainly due to coaching troubles (which O’Brien admitted first and foremost).

And did I mention Ohio’s pretty good?

Okay, back to the team. The offense…I like the balance. 43 passes, 42 rushes. Sophomore WRs Allen Robinson and Alex Kenney will be the next Derrick Williams/Deon Butler combo at the rate they’re playing so far. Matt McGloin looks solid on most snaps, but still scares from time to time. A pretty standard QB, and I don’t expect too much more from the senior who has struggled so far in his career.

Expect some changes though. Bill O’Brien has made it very clear that this team has nothing to lose and will go for it on fourth down, kicker issues or not. O’Brien said, “Once we get really close to the 50, I'm pretty much not going to punt it. I'm just going to tell you that, like, we're going to go for it. Unless it's fourth and forever.''  The Nittany Lions are 5 for 7 so far on 4th down this year.

Also, look for increased depth at a position which already had the most depth in the country. When you think of the New England Patriots offense, where Bill O’Brien last coached, what do you think of? …Okay, now that you’re done thinking about Tom Brady (whether in admiration or hatred or in terms of his sexiness…no homo), what do you think of now? The tight ends. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez have dominated the Pats offense. O’Brien brought that mindset to Happy Valley, sporting six tight ends on the current depth chart.

Make that seven. Redshirt sophomore Paul Jones, most fans’ favorite to win the starting QB job this year, has been moved to the F tight end position. Bill O’Brien says it won’t be long before the 6’3” 258-pounder will be seen on the field.  How much of an impact will it make? Who knows, but a potential wildcat position can result as well from getting Jones on the field at a skill position.

For the rest of the year, well let’s just look and see. The solid and well-disciplined rush defense of Penn State will dominate up front against Navy. Next is Temple, who lost most of their squad from last year that went 9-4, also is run-dominant (they rank 120th in pass yards, averaging 119.5 yards per game), so another favorable matchup for Penn State.

So by my count, the Nittany Lions will enter the conference season at .500. After that, it’s a crapshoot.  Some say PSU will go 0-8 in conference…I doubt it. Indiana at home and a hapless Iowa team on the road will be definite victories in my mind. The conference opener at Illinois is intriguing, again due to a terrible-looking offense in Champaigne. The following week hosting Northwestern is interesting, too, because we never know what Wildcats team will show up.  Hosting Wisconsin and Ohio State, traveling to Nebraska and Purdue will certainly show PSU being underdogs.  Break it down even more though…Wisconsin barely beat Northern Iowa and lost to Oregon State 10-7…Nebraska is giving up points and just lost to UCLA…Purdue only put up 17 points against a less-than-stellar Notre Dame defense…and Ohio State, oh Ohio State, ohhhhh H-I-O.  Obviously they are the best team on Penn State’s schedule. However, the Buckeyes must travel to Happy Valley for a primetime White House. I don’t care if Ohio State is 8-0 and Penn State is 0-7 for the “Sanction Bowl” on October 27th. PSU with 110,000+ fans in white against a big rival, the records and the sanctions and the transfers will mean absolutely nothing.

I can easily see a 6-6 record, and honestly could see them turn this season completely around and win eight or nine of their last ten. We just have to wait and see, one week at a time. Keep your heads up, Nittany Nation, because this season is looooooooooooong from over.