It’s that time of the year. With college football season completely in the books, most college campuses turn their attention to basketball. While most die hard Nittany Lion fans will tell you that it’s that way at University Park, it simply is not. In today’s edition of Morelli OnLion, we’ll explore the problems plaguing the Penn State men’s basketball team, touch on some Nittany Lion football and feature some commentary on the sports world in general.
It’s a new feature that we call Tuesday Morning Smorgasports.
Ed DeChellis has the Nittany Lions off to an 0-5 start in conference play.
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).
A Serving Of Smorgasports
— The Penn State men’s basketball team hit its lowest point since conference play began when it fell to Iowa, 67-64, on Saturday afternoon in Iowa City. The Nittany Lions are a mess right now and unless the ship gets righted soon, this team could wind up at the bottom of the barrel in the conference. Why? Well, this team is ill-prepared for games and the talent on the team simply isn’t up to snuff with the rest of the Big Ten. That, ladies and gentlemen, comes down to coaching and recruiting. Look, coach Ed DeChellis does a great deal for the community and seems like a genuinely nice guy, but other than last season, he hasn’t had a season to remember. In a 64-55 loss to Michigan earlier this season, the Wolverines spent much of the game in a 1-3-1 zone and DeChellis failed to adjust. Those basic mistakes are costing this team on the scoreboard and ultimately, in the win column. Talor Battle is the only reason to go to games right now and with some of the top teams in the conference looming in the weeks to come, it’s probably going to be a long winter in Happy Valley.
— The Nittany Lion football team truly salvaged its season on Jan. 1 when they defeated LSU, 19-17, on the cow pasture also known as the Florida Citrus Bowl. Had the Lions lost that contest, the season would have been a complete and utter failure. How is 10-3 a failure? Well, when you don’t beat a ranked team all season and your non-conference victories are over Akron, Syracuse, Temple and Eastern Illinois, that’s a hollow 10-3. Head coach Joe Paterno addressed that at his “day after” news conference. “Hey look, the business about not beating a ranked team and all that is kind of horse manure,” Paterno said. “That bothered me more than it bothered them because I had felt we hadn’t done a better job at least beating one of those teams that were supposedly ranked.” Supposedly ranked? JoePa, prior to the Capital One Bowl, you played two ranked teams — Iowa and Ohio State. You lost to them both, at home. You cannot twist the facts. Had the Lions not beaten the Tigers, they wouldn’t have beaten a ranked team all season long. Simple as that.
— Looking ahead to the 2010 Nittany Lion football season, the Nittany Lions open with Youngstown State on Sept. 4 before heading to Alabama for a date with the defending National Champions on Sept. 11. After that, there are non-conference dates with Kent State and Temple before the Lions travel to Iowa for the Big Ten opener. October also features home dates with Illinois and Michigan. A road trip to Minnesota comes on Oct. 23. November has home contests with Northwestern and Michigan State, as well as road tilts with Ohio State and Indiana. Expect losses at Alabama, Iowa and Ohio State. The guess is that the Lions will also stub their toe somewhere else along the line, so call the early guess 8-4. A best-case scenario is probably 9-3.
Five-star RB Marcus Lattimore has pared the Nittany Lions from his list.
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).
— Penn State is officially out of the Marcus Lattimore sweepstakes. The five-star running back (according to Rivals.com) from Byrnes High School in Duncan, S.C., officially trimmed the Nittany Lions from his list. Gone from the list are Penn State and Oregon. Only South Carolina and Auburn remain. Paterno would have visited Lattimore, but he found out over the weekend that he could unpack his bags. It’s anyone’s guess as to where Lattimore is going, but he will have an immediate impact wherever it is. It’s a big non-get for the Nittany Lions, but they will still have a top 10 class.
— Speaking of recruiting, look for USC to make major waves with Lane Kiffin at the helm. The dynamic young coach will bring some of the top talent in the country to southern California. Sure, his coaching record with Oakland (in the NFL) and at Tennessee (in college) wasn’t the greatest, but he was left with scraps and sub-par talent at both places. At USC, he will be able to glean some of the best talent in the nation. Look for him to be holding that prized crystal football in the near future. Within five seasons, Kiffin will have the Trojans playing for the national championship again.
— As hard as it is to believe, there are just three football games left in the season. (We’re not counting the Pro Bowl or any of the college All-Star Games, of course). The AFC and NFC Championship Games will be held on Sunday in domes. I’m not a fan of domes, but at least the Super Bowl will be played outdoors in south Florida. The upstart New York Jets are on fire, but their run will end on Sunday in Indianapolis. In the NFC title game, I like the Minnesota Vikings to pull the upset against the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome. However, I wouldn’t be surprised or upset if the Saints earn their first trip to the Super Bowl. Their fans certainly deserve it. Gantdaily.com predictions: Indianapolis 28, New York 17. Minnesota 38, New Orleans 33.
— The NFL playoffs make for great television because of the unknown. When the playoffs began, who would have expected the New York Jets to make the kind of run that they have? With a 9-7 record, they barely got into the tournament and here they are just one win from the Super Bowl. They remind me an awful lot of the 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers (great defense, rookie QB) that got all the way to the AFC title game before losing to the New England Patriots. The fact that a wild card team can win the whole thing is what makes the NFL great. If only the greedy athletic directors, university presidents and television networks could learn from the NFL and have a playoff in college football.
Chris Morelli is the award-winning editor of Blue White Illustrated, a weekly publication devoted to Penn State athletics. He is also a regular on “Sports Central,” which airs on ESPN Radio in Altoona and State College. E-mail him at morellionlion@gmail.com. This column does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of BWI’s writers or publisher.