News from around the B1G

Submitted by GoWings2008 on

I’ve run across a few items from across the conference relating to teams we’re playing, and rather than make a separate post for each, I am collecting them here for general consumption. 

First off, from East Lansing:  Mark Dantonio claims that MSU will not be running up the score vs opponents (using their first stringers anyway) in an attempt to gain ‘style points’ with the Playoff committee.  On the surface, I applaud this statement but with everything else Sparty, I have to imagine there’s another motive afoot.  Link:  http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11540114/mark-dantonio-michigan-state-spartans-says-run-score

Secondly, Penn State fans (NOT the university) are planning a “Joe-out” (as opposed to their famed ‘white out’) honoring JoePa this Saturday vs UMass.  They want to honor their past and claim that Paterno represents that past better than anyone.  I can see they want to move forward, especially after having their post-season ban lifted, but I think maybe they’re a couple years ahead of themselves.  Link:  http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/penn-state-fans-honor-joe-paterno-umass-game-091614.

Finally, in a related story, Rutgers AD Julie Hermann made a public apology on behalf of the school in response to some “classless display” of some fans this past weekend against Penn State.  Seems as though some social media pics and t-shirts/banners were displayed, with sayings such as “Beat Ped State” and the like.  Bravo to Ms Hermann for this response as well as calling the PSU AD directly to offer personal apologies.  Link:  http://espn.go.com/new-york/college-football/story/_/id/11531822/rutgers-scarlet-knights-ad-julie-hermann-apologizes-classless-display-fans-vs-penn-state-nittany-lions

 

Blerg

September 17th, 2014 at 1:29 PM ^

There is some merit to this.  A friend of mine was an equipment manager for UM's football team from 2007-2010.  One of his duties was to hold a ball for Michigan on the opponents sideline (or whatever that deal is).  Anyway, against Penn State he was often rather close to JoePa.  Paterno routinely didn't know what down it was, who the opponent was, what personel they had on what plays, etc.  Guy should have stepped down a long time ago.

mGrowOld

September 17th, 2014 at 10:20 AM ^

You're obviously not a PSU fan.  From their perspective St Joe was trying (oh so hard was he trying) to do the right thing.  Deeply troubled to his very soul, Joe was baffled by the outlandish claims made by his assistant - I mean who has ever heard of such a thing?  Joe - and Joe alone stood tall, told his supervisor and felt just TERRIBLE that the people he trusted to act didn't do it.  

How can you possibly blame such a saintly man?

#putthestatuebackupnow

 

readyourguard

September 17th, 2014 at 11:19 AM ^

Every time I hear JAY Paterno talk, I want to jump through the tv/radio and smack him.  He insists that Joe did everything "he was allowed to do, by law."  There are plenty of lawyers on MGB that can shed a legal light on Jay's statement, but it doesn't excuse Joe's passive actions for years following McCreary's eyewitness account.  It's unbelievable that PSU fans don't understand this.

gwkrlghl

September 17th, 2014 at 12:16 PM ^

They all defend Joe because they're acting like the other side is claiming he actively helped Sandusky (which no one is saying) and he isn't responsible because he told his superiors.

I say Paterno's weakness enabled Sandusky. He had a suspicion and didn't follow up on it. Take some ownership of your program and do something about it. As we say it where I work, he just "cya'd" and hoped it would go away

MI Expat NY

September 17th, 2014 at 11:27 AM ^

It probably also has something to do with MSU just not being built to throw a 66-0 beatdown on an FBS opponent.  Not their offensive style.  It is absolutely in his interest to point out that Baylor hanging 70 on someone doesn't show a better victory than MSU winning by 40.  

IndyBlue

September 17th, 2014 at 11:56 AM ^

I don't see why it matters how much MSU wins by.  They have a loss.  I don't see any way a one-loss B1G team makes it into the playoff, even with that loss being to a top team.  I mean, I guess it's possible if other top teams lose, but I just don't see it happening with how weak the B1G is.

DenverBuckeye

September 18th, 2014 at 11:13 AM ^

OSU was in no way trying to score. It was 4th down and rather than punt with 6 seconds left on the clock, Urban told Cardale to kill time with his legs and then heave it out of bounds. Cardale has a cannon and by the time the ball came down, the clock had run out. The announcers discussed this strategy before the play and the cameras even caught Urban talking to Jones about it before the snap. The ball landed 5 yards out of bounds, so it was not exactly an attempt for a score.

OSU could have scored 100 easily in this game if they wanted to, but they spent the entire second half running up the middle on almost every down. They also started putting back ups in during the third series.

turd ferguson

September 17th, 2014 at 9:56 AM ^

If Rutgers students start caring about football, I think we're going to get really sick of them really quickly.  I'm already there with PSU students.

And that's the only answer to that question that makes sense for Dantonio to give.  Now, if he runs up the score he can say that it wasn't his intention and they're just that good, but if a game is tighter than expected he can just say that he doesn't run up the score.  On the other hand, if he said that he's going to do it, (1) he'd look like even more of a jerk and (2) he'd look terrible if he then had a close game against EMU on Saturday.

Steve in PA

September 17th, 2014 at 10:25 AM ^

And then they go right back to honoring their chief enabler.  

JoePa worship is one of the primary reasons I never cared for PSU even though I'm an alum and only live about 1-1/2 hours away.  Visiting my uncle when he attended Michigan in the 70's is what made me a Michigan fan.  Money is what kept me from being an alum but my heart stayed there since I was a child.

 

UMass may not have a stronger supporter than me this weekend.  C'mon PSU, it's time to move on already!  

befuggled

September 17th, 2014 at 12:08 PM ^

Penn State had a few undefeated years in the late sixties and early seventies when they had creampuff schedules (toughest team the undefeated 1973 team played: North Carolina State), but starting in about 1975 they started scheduling tougher teams like Ohio State. In the nineties before joining the Big Ten, they played regular season games against Texas, USC, Notre Dame, Alabama, BYU and Miami (Yes That Miami and this was when they were good).

Joining the Big Ten actually hurt their title chances in 1994, in part because the Big Ten was a little down and in part because they were locked into the Rose Bowl against a mediocre Oregon team.

NittanyFan

September 17th, 2014 at 7:06 PM ^

PSU had the toughest schedule in the country in 1982, when they won their first (of two) National Championships.

 

Glancing it the Lions schedule that year, it looks legit: Big Eight Champion Nebraska (12-1), Alabama (8-4), Pittsburgh (9-3), West Virginia (9-3), Notre Dame (7-3-1), Boston College (8-3-1) were all on the schedule.  All before SEC Champion Georgia (12-1) in the Sugar Bowl.

 

1982 was one of those years where nobody ran the table, so PSU was National Champs at 12-1 (the loss being by 3 TDs at Alabama).

 

I do think the "PSU never played anybody tough before joining the B1G" claims that many make are a bunch of hog-wash.  That said, it IS true that teams like Rutgers, Temple and Maryland (regular teams on the PSU schedule in the 70s and 80s) had ABSOLUTELY NO chance of defeating Penn State in that era. 

 

But to a degree, that was true of college football in that era: every conference had teams that were absurdly mismatched.  Today, the bottom-feeders like Indiana, Vanderbilt, Duke, et cetera have realistic chances to get decent and beat the top-tier teams.  A generation ago, the K-State (Big Eight), Northwestern (Big Ten), California (Pac-10), and Rice (SWC) type teams were absolutely hopeless --- just like Rutgers and Temple.

xxxxNateDaGreat

September 17th, 2014 at 10:23 AM ^

I hate Penn State so god damn much. At this point, the fans and the students are just publicly spitting on the victims and their families and daring anyone to call them out for it. Well fuck them and fuck Penn State. I hope none of those people live to see Penn State win anything, since they just care so damn much about winning.

Monocle Smile

September 17th, 2014 at 10:42 AM ^

Opinions of mine:

-Dantonio is full of shit. He knows full well that the media cares more about what he says than what he actually does (e.g. "Dean of Discipline"). He'll drop 70 on some high school team and the broadcasters will slob on his knob for not dropping 80.

-There are no words to describe the feelings towards Penn State fans.

-Julie Hermann is clearly better at apologizing for other people than apologizing for herself.

CRISPed in the DIAG

September 17th, 2014 at 10:38 AM ^

Dantonio not running up the score in order to impress the playoff committee is kind of like removing yourself from consideration for a job you didn't have a chance of landing. 

And why not run up the score?  Too classy? This is a program that has no problem telling its defense to grab WR's until it's called, bitch when it is, and play "60 minutes of necessary roughness."

LSAClassOf2000

September 17th, 2014 at 10:59 AM ^

The "Joe-out" is not sponsored or associated with Penn State University, and Stannell said there's no veiled message being sent by the fans.

Other than the message that they either cannot or do not care to understand why this is not a good choice (not to mention an insensitive and thoughtless one) under any circumstances and that the cult of personality surrounding Paterno still persists despite its focus being deceased, right? "We are..." indeed. *facepalm*

Alton

September 17th, 2014 at 11:16 AM ^

The reason we got to this point in the first place is that Mr. Paterno was unable to distinguish between his own reputation and the reputation of his University.  And hundreds of thousands of otherwise rational human beings bought into that exact idea, and still do.

It would be fascinating, if it weren't so repugnant.

markusr2007

September 17th, 2014 at 11:55 AM ^

with all vulnerabilities and reactionary behavior that come with it.

Somehow despite the interwebs and reams of damning evidence, they are still unable to understand matters from the more complex and sensitive vantage point. How can one repeatedly dismisses out of hand the victims and their families?

It's as if they really are in a Nittany valley, with it's own cultural micro-climate and all the ignorance that comes with not understanding your place in the larger picture. With any other stupid beliefs and fanatic partiality, this kind ignorance is probably not a problem, as it hurts no one.  But in the context of Joe Paterno, Penn State and the sociopathic exploits of Jerry Sandusky over decades with dozens of *known* children victims, these decisions are obscene. 

 

TESOE

September 17th, 2014 at 11:51 AM ^

I don't understand how you lift sanctions there to get this.

Beat Ped State... seems about right.

I'm glad Dantonio is healthy and in the B1G.  I like the troll on Meyer.  Like it or not - MSU is looking like the quality in the B1G poop pile.

Best Board post of the week if not season (which is  a comment on the season not the Board.)

You Only Live Twice

September 17th, 2014 at 11:52 AM ^

Why should there have been an apology for that - Ped State is exactly what happened there.

I will never buy that the crimes "had nothing to do with the football program." The football program is why Sandusky was able to get away with it for years and with countless young victims.  The football program is why Paterno willingly covered it up. 

As for the innocent students and players, well, that's the thing about crimes, they often hurt more than the intended victim.  A strong message should have been sent and instead, everyone now knows that Tatgate was dealt with more severely.  In what world does that make sense... and a T shirt that says "Ped State" needs to be apologized for?  Someone should look around any stadium on game day...

If the sanctions had made sense, and if the fanbase stopped worshipping a child molester, then maybe they'd have been able to live down being called "Ped State"

markusr2007

September 17th, 2014 at 12:01 PM ^

I never thought about using the words "Ped State" before, but in the context of these ongoing pro-Paterno rallies and blatant excuse-making,  I can see that, in the parlance of our times, this phrase becoming quite useful and description.

On one level I also think what's happening is dangerous. Excuse-making is indicative of future outcomes. It is simply a promise to not to change, correct or improve.

alum96

September 17th, 2014 at 1:17 PM ^

To add to the OP's stories, TCU's Patterson also made a comment that poked at the Big 10 when he was asked about his offense and said: 

"I have no idea [if the offense has progressed]," answered Patterson. "We played Samford and then played a Big Ten team."

After seeing the fuss it raised and with Jerry Kill being one of his best friends he came out quickly after the fact to apologize and say it was a statement about his team not the Big 10.  Yep.

NittanyFan

September 17th, 2014 at 7:27 PM ^

I've been to every PSU game not played in State College post-Paterno except one (Iowa in 2012).  I point this out just to say I have "other data points" to compare against.  This is 13 games in total, including 3 neutral site games and 2 in Columbus, Ohio.

At only three games have I heard anything negative (re: Penn State in general or towards me). One was an obviously drunk older woman at Purdue.  The second was at Wisconsin, someone shouted "child rapist" and "pedophile lover" multiple times after I cheered PSU's opening TD.  The Badger fans around him strongly advised him to shut the hell up, and that was that.

Game number three was Rutgers: the majority (as is the case everywhere) were good fans but there were at least 20 fans I saw personally who were either wearing clothing and/or chanting things which were "anti-Penn State."

These guys didn't represent the entirety of the RU fan-base, and I have a thick skin so that sort of stuff doesn't bother me personally in the least.  But it certainly was a different experience from the usual, that's just a fact (and I think the RU AD recognized this).

Anyway, Michigan's our (Penn State's) next road game --- I'm confident it will be an enjoyable experience like all my prior visits to Ann Arbor.  I hope the U-M fanbase proves me correct.