What are your thoughts on Penn State this year?

...rated.

From all the buzz it's sounding like Robert Bolden is going to be the QB, which is making me feel really good about this one.

100% agreed, I think they're getting ranked by name mostly. Losing those stars at LB and breaking in a new QB will be tough. I think we take that game and the Iowa game.

I think they'll get suited up in white jerseys for some games, and blue jerseys in other games. Their helmets, though, will always be white with a blue stripe down the middle.

JoePa will do a commercial for Newman's Own Organic Prunes, ("Eat these prunes!").

That Lion's roar when they make first downs will be played in Happy Valley, but not often enough for the team to have a good year. This will lead many Penn State faithful to say, "We had lots of talent! We are Penn State! This is unacceptable!" And MGoBlog members will laugh with knowing glee.

Michael Rosenberg will write an investigative piece on SI.com on Sept. 3 that Penn State's coaching staff has been participating in off-track betting in the Himalayas. An NCAA investigation will reveal "major violations" of the coaching staff exchanging emails about the Vegas line for each week's game.

That'll about sum it up.

Their quarterback situation isn't good. The PSU fans are really hoping that McGloin doesn't get the starting job. I could be wrong, but despite the push that Bolden is giving him, McGloin i think is going to get the start.

I think they lost all their talent on D. They may have a solid secondary and a couple good DLs. Who knows if the LBers will fill in the way they always seem to.

 

The offense has a good C, good RB, no one of note at WR or TE, IIRC. The OL should be solid, but their QB situation will demand more than solid from the OL. Their schedule is a joke tho. 3-1 OOC, 5-3 B10 = 8-4 and a bowl loss.

I haven't looked at their info in detail, but I will now.

The game with us will be a toss up.

However, we'll all know about PSU and maybe even more about Alabama once they play each other.

 

The game with us will be a toss up.

However, we'll all know about PSU and maybe even more about Alabama once they play each other.

I think Evan Royster puts in several Jevon Ringer-like performances where he carries the ball 40 times for 200 yards and 2 TDS.

I think if I'm a Penn State fan, my QB situation worries me a lot more than I'm letting on (see that one chart about true freshmen starting a QB)

I think they manage to 8-4 or 7-5 and end up on one of ESPN.com's "Most Disappointing" lists.

"The hell with Penn State"!!

I think they will be top 25, and may fall out of that ranking as the season progresses.  I think we have a good shot to beat them this year, which will be really nice.

Good DL. Great RB in Royster with some good back ups. Decent OL. Okay secondary. Okay LBs. Suspect kicking game? Obviously a drop off at QB from Clark no matter who plays, but the fact is that Michigan had a true freshman QB at the helm last year, won 5 games, and had a chance to win in several others--and Tate had much less talent around him. I think they (PSU) won't be great, but given their schedule, I think they'll be better than people suspect. They miss Wisconsin, and get likely cellar dwellers IU and Minny.

They'll like lose 3 or their 4 road games (Ls at Alabama, OSU. Likely loss at Iowa). I think they'll be favored in every other game, and probably win the majority of them. 8-4, possibly 9-3.  Michigan can win that game but I put the chances around 50-50 in HV.  Any other wins there will be pretty big upsets by the likes of Sparty, Northwestern, Illinois, etc. Teams that typically don't do well in Happy Valley.

"We own Penn State" will once again be appropriate.  For the first time since Henne, it is Michigan who will enter the game with the more experienced QB.  Also, the way Michigan moved the ball on them last year before Molk got reinjured does not bode well for them.  Michigan is on the way back up and PSU is temporarily on the way down.

This is one projected "loss" that Michigan will turn into a win.

Stop the run = we win. That's it.

I don't see their QBs beating us - esp given Newsome's downturn.

OK, PSU lost to the draft:

3 LBers (!), a DT (odrick, obvs) and 2 TEs (Quarless & !?)

They lost 3 OTs, 2 DEs 2 CBs also. these guys went undrafted.

So, on the line, they lost 3 Tackles and 2 TEs. The inner line will be solid, but weak on the outside due to youth if not talent. That and a crappy QB and nondescript WRs is a good match up for us anyway.

On D, they look to be pretty decimated due to natural attrition, having lost a lot of talent in the front 7 over the past 2 years. their safties will be solid, but CB and LB seem to be very Green, with only Ogbu a potential star.

this will also be the year where the uninspiring and shockingly small (14 member) recruiting class of 2008 will start to be counted on. I could see PSU starting to slide this year and next. still, the schedule is easy. i'd say 9-3 or 8-4 this year with losses to Bamma, OSU; then going 1-2 or 2-1 against iowa, M and MSU. I don't see 10 wins in the reg season here.

depending on how strong NW is this year, that could be a tough stretch for PSU: M, NW, @OSU

The one guy that killed us was Clark and he was a great leader. I told my dad and grandfather(PSU Guys) enjoy not having a QB this year. Most of my friends are also PSU and they have been talking smack like get ready for 3 wins in a row against Michigan. I laughed and replied with good luck barely making a bowl game. They will not be a good team.

Few and far between.

Things are not well in Happy Valley.  They have a 5-year peak-valley cycle and they are on the downswing.  Honest, I think we will either be right ahead of them or right behind them in B10 standings at the end of the year.

 

We'll win this one.  Don't forget what made PSU different these past few years was their "Spread HD" offense.  We all know too well how a spread works with inexperienced Qb's.  That puts them back to the same ole PSU that was owned by Michigan since they entered the B10.

 

We own...Penn State.  I love it!

They should still have a good defense. They have some good players returning, and in recent years their new defensive starters have consistently played pretty well.

Their passing game won't be good, but it could well be good enough to take some pressure off their running game. If it isn't, they could potentially lose to anyone in the conference.

The two elite defenses on the schedule (Iowa and OSU) will probably stone them, and their defense will have to play out of its mind to beat Alabama. I don't expect them to win any of these games.

Michigan and MSU are the type of marginal teams that could give them trouble. Both should be pretty tough to run against, and PSU may not be able to exploit their weak secondaries.

I think they're looking at 7-5 or 8-4.

I agree with the poster. Penn St usually rolls with a Lloyd Carr-ish type offense that will be conservative beyond belief. Add that to possibly starting a freshman and I think they are around the 8 win benchmark. If they do start a frosh at qb they might need to use a little damage control in Tuscaloosa to make sure his confidence isn't rocked for the whole season. That said, I think Michigan can match up well against any team breaking in a new qb.

Our run defense will be much better this year, and the secondary will have a few games under their belt by then...M should be favored in this game..

i don't think PSU will be very good. 

Looks like an 8 win team, tops.  Shoddy QB play will cost them dearly.  I'm not sold on their O-line either.

Winnable game for UM.  Their crappy QBs shouldn't be able to destroy UM's questionable secondary.

I think PSU will be a 7-8 win team, but their defense still scares me a bit.  They probably won't be a good passing team, but if our secondary is like last year, they won't have to be to torch us in the air.  People need to remember that they didn't just beat us the last couple of years; they dominated us.

I agree with many - with their QB situation, PSU may have a tough time on offense.  I think Evan Royster is a very good back, but I think the line play will be short of spectacular, and it can be tough to run when consistently facing 8 in the box.

Best case scenario:  very effective play action and screen game keeps defenses off balance and gets the ball into Royster's hands in the passing game.  Worst case:  Royster gets a lower leg injury that ends his (and Penn State's) season.

with that one loss being to us.  I like JoePa and it looks like this may be the end of his tenure.  If so, I hope he goes out with a great season.   It probably won't happen, but for Joe, I hope it does.

Newsome would make a good tight end.

1) Newsome appears to be trash and in retrospect, it's a good thing he decommitted as I'm happier with Tate and Denard

2) They don't need a ton of offense as their defense always carries them. They're looking at a transition season though so 8-4 or 7-5 IMO