I am back for the final Blue-White Roundtable of PSU’s 2007 regular season. Mike from BSD brings us this week's questions. My answers are below but I implore you to check out RUTS, TNL, WWN, and TNN for their responses.
1. Why did Temple make our defense look like another MAC team in the first half?
Well, I didn’t get to watch the game, however, it doesn’t seem like they did looking at the stats. The score was 17-0 at half. Also, Temple had the ball six times in the first half; this resulted in zero points, a missed field goal, a fumble, two turnovers on downs, and two punts. I can’t say this made PSU’s defense look anything but dominant.
2. Should Penn State burn Stephfon Green's redshirt if Evan Royster is inactive for this week?
No. There are reports floating around that Royster has been practicing on a limited basis. This leads me to believe that he would be available to play if necessary on Saturday.
We have all heard the tantalizing reports of Green’s excellence in practice so it would be great to see him actually play. However, I would much rather see him keep four years of eligibility intact at PSU. Think about this. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see PSU run a spread-option offense next year with Green and Royster in the backfield?
3. Right now it's looking like Penn State will end up in either the Outback Bowl against an SEC opponent or the Alamo Bowl against a Big XII team. Which possible match up looks the most intriguing to you?
Right now PSU is tied for fourth in the Big Ten with Wisconsin. This week, Wisconsin takes on the terrible Golden Gophers and they will finish the season at 5-3 in conference. Assuming PSU defeats MSU and Illinois isn’t too hung-over against Northwestern than the Lions will tie Wisconsin at 5-3 in conference. PSU, however, owns the initial tie-breaker having already defeated the Badgers in head-to-head competition which means that PSU would earn fourth place in the Big Ten and be going to the Alamo bowl.
The Big XII teams who are right around 4-5 are Texas and Okl. St. I think everybody would rather see PSU take on Texas.
4. Was Ohio State's loss to Illinois a good thing or bad thing for the Big Ten?
I think it was a good thing. LSU or Oregon would’ve rocked Tosu and handed the Big Ten its second straight embarrassing loss in a National Championship game. It is clear that the Big Ten is down this year and as such shouldn’t be fielding a team in the National Championship game. It is better to slink off and lick our conference wounds than have the conferences best team look terrible against a clearly superior opponent.
Lightning Round
What was up with the bizarre quarterback rotation at the end of the Temple game?
I have no idea.
It's Michigan State, and technically rivalry week. How bad do you want to beat the Spartans? Make me feel the hate.
This is definitely and invented rivalry but the implications of this game alone are enough to get even the most stoic of fans fired up! The analysis above is assuming that PSU beats Sparty. However, if PSU loses we would en up in a tie with Iowa for fifth in the Big Ten. FIFTH! This would probably keep PSU in the Alamo Bowl but it makes the Insight Bowl a definite possibility.
GO STATE! BEAT SPARTY!
1 comment:
"which means that PSU would earn fourth place in the Big Ten and be going to the Alamo bowl"
That's not the way it works. The only bowl bid which is earned is the Rose/BCS; the others get to pick (and they don't have to respect tiebreakers, which really only apply for the conference champ anyways; everybody else just gets a T-4 or whatever).
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