Dangerous Capital One Bowl conditions for Penn State, LSU?

We were horrified while watching the horrible field conditions during Tuesday's Champs Sports Bowl, knowing that tomorrow Penn State and LSU will compete on the same mess of a surface...

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Miami running back Greg Cooper, who has more than 2,200 career rushing yards and averages 5.2 yards per carry, suffered a very, very bad knee injury during the game...

On the play that featured the injury, Cooper picked up a short kickoff at the Miami 24, burst through a hole and seemed poised for a long runback. Near midfield, he planted his knee in what players described as sandy turf - large divots appeared in the surface all game long - and the joint gave out. Cooper collapsed quickly, squeezing his knee tightly with both hands.

According to the city of Orlando, the issue began after the Florida Citrus Bowl hosted eight high school state-championship games the two weekends prior to Christmas.

The city replaced the stadium's turf Dec. 24, as it has done prior to past bowl games (Orlando has hosted two bowls for the past eight years). But unseasonably cool weather prohibited the grass from growing horizontally or vertically, causing the problems, said Heather Allebaugh, spokesperson for Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer...

"They're working around the clock to get the field into good condition for the Capital One Bowl. Our grass is high quality, the same turf that the Tampa Bay Bucccaneers use. We hold ourselves to a high standard. I don't know if it was the best, but I don't know if it's the worst, either."

We're happy that FieldTurf will be installed at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium over the summer, but it's too late for Greg Cooper.

Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark watched on TV and sounded less-than-thrilled...

"I saw chunks and chunks of grass popping up from play to play. Field conditions may be a bit of a problem. Our equipment guys will make sure we have the right shoes so that doesn't affect us."

The Capital One Bowl forecast is 68° with a chance of showers and a 50% chance of precipitation. We fear for the knees of players on both sides of the ball.
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Bad news and good news for Penn State football recruiting

There is bad news and good news on the Penn State football recruiting front.

Unfortunately, the bad news is definitive, while the good news is more speculative...

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The bad news is 4-star defensive end Dominique Easley is no longer a Nittany Lion. (Technically he was never a Nittany Lion, but we begin to think in those terms when a player makes a verbal "commitment.")

Easley told ESPN, "Penn State's a good school but I wanted to get off the East Coast and do something different."

It's looks like Easley's finalists are Oregon and Miami. (Apparently Miami is no longer hard on the Atlantic.)

On the good side of the ledger, Joe Paterno is scheduled to make a rare in-home visit with 5-star running back Marcus Lattimore on January 28th.

South Carolina is thought to be the leader for Lattimore, with Oregon and Georgia also in the running.

The conventional wisdom has the Gamecocks in the lead, but Lattimore's father, Vernon Smith, told Nittany Network that it's wide-open: "Nobody is really in front of anybody. Everybody is still in the running pretty much."
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Video: Behind the scenes of Penn State Beaver Stadium video board

We had no idea the Beaver Stadium video board is controlled from the basement of the Bryce Jordan Center...

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Does Urban Meyer's retirement help Penn State recruiting?

Florida coach Urban Meyer stunned the college football world today by announcing he was stepping down.

What implications does this have for Penn State football recruiting?

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Meyer said he was stepping down for health and family reasons...

"I have given my heart and soul to coaching college football and mentoring young men for the last 24-plus years and I have dedicated most of my waking moments the last five years to the Gator football program. I have ignored my health for years, but recent developments have forced me to re-evaluate my priorities of faith and family.

"After consulting with my family, Dr. Machen, Jeremy Foley, and my doctors, I believe it is in my best interest to step aside and focus on my health and family."

Also, we're hearing that when Meyer was hospitalized with "dehydration" after the SEC Championship Game it was actually chest pains.

What are the implications for Penn State football recruiting?

We have a "soft verbal" from 4-star wide receiver Adrian Coxson. Coxson is/was reportedly still considering the Gators, so perhaps this will help solidify his verbal.

Looking ahead to 2011 and beyond, the Gators had become a presence in the fertile Baltimore/DC/Northern Virginia recruiting territory. However, the departure of Meyer and recruiting coordinator Billy Gonzales (who is going to LSU) should allow Penn State to solidify its grip on the area as the new Florida staff will basically have to start from scratch.
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Penn State Women's Volleyball: A Look Back

On the one week anniversary of the National Title win, I thought it'd be fun to look back at the history-making women's volleyball team, since I just can't get enough of them...

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First, remember where this season started. Despite the team's preseason #1 ranking in the coaches poll, Coach Russ Rose made it known that he was NOT among the coaches who felt his Lions were the best team in the country. Rose said that he was "a little bit closer to the situation" and thought there were some holes in his roster that other coaches either weren't looking at or didn't see.

Well, that might have been the case (who am I to question Russ Rose?) but I'm sure just about every other coach in the country would've loved to have that roster with those "problems."

That's not to say Penn State was perfect. There was the well-documented loss of a SET (!) against Iowa at home. But the team and the staff weren't as shocked as the fans and media (most of whom don't even follow the team that closely) were. Immediately after that match, I spoke with Assistant Coach Dennis Hohenshelt, and he told me flat out that the team had a terrible week of practice and they just lost their focus. Ironically enough, Christa Harmotto and Nicole Fawcett were in town that weekend, and he said that there was no way those two would've ever let a week of practice like that happened. This team was lacking a leader. Alisha Glass pretty much echoed his sentiments the following day, when I spoke to her before the match against Wisconsin. They went on to sweep the Badgers, but were still a little sloppy. There was a chink in the Lions armor, but the bigger question was: how long would it be there? And, is anyone good enough to fully take advantage of it?

The Wolverines, normally a thorn in the side of the football team, came the closest. Taking a 2-1 lead in Ann Arbor, but were unable to finish the job.

If the dropped set against Iowa was a wake-up call, then the 5-set win against Michigan was a cold bucket of water thrown in the team's face. They went on to paste Michigan State the next night, and swept all the rest of their regular-season matches except one, a 3-1 victory at Purdue. There wasn't anymore boredom or focus problems with this team.

All throughout the season, this team had one focus: a National Championship. And make no mistake. The goal wasn't to win a third straight. The goal wasn't to make history. The goal was to win in 2009. Everything else that came with it was just a bonus.

When it came to crunch time, the team came to life. After dropping the first set against Hawaii, the Lions took it to the team that came into the tournament #3 in the polls. It looked like a 3rd round matchup, rather than the National Semi-finals.

And then there was the epic showdown against Texas. While some Penn State fans and supporters were rooting for Minnesota to upset the Longhorns in the other National Semi-final, Penn State vs Texas was the match-up that the volleyball world wanted to see.

Those two teams went wire-to-wire as the top two teams in the nation and appeared to be in another class all season. And now, we finally had them on the same court for a contest that would leave no doubt as to who the best team the nation was.

Down 0-2, the Lions dynasty was on thin ice. Or so it seemed. But for some reason, I never really got the sense that Penn State was going to lose. That's not to say that, as they went to intermission, I was supremely confident they'd come back and win three straight. I wasn't. But if there was one team who could win three straight over the #2 team in the nation, it was the Penn State Nittany Lions. I just couldn't see Megan Hodge and Alisha Glass allowing their own careers to end with such a crushing loss, and I couldn't see their teammates allowing their senior leaders to go out on that note.

This team was too close and cared too much about each other. Now obviously, emotion can only get you so far, but Penn State had the talent to back it up too.

While watching the fourth set, I leaned over and said to someone else, "This is it right here. This is the match. If Texas wins, obviously it's over. But if Penn State wins, there's no way they lose the fifth. No way." And I honestly believed that.

And in the end, it was the talent and the championship experience of the Lions that won out. My heart went out to Destinee Hooker, the Texas All-American who could not have played better in the Final Four and Championship Match, especially (and was rightly named the Most Outstanding Player), but I couldn't feel bad for her too much and for too long, because I also knew how much this title meant to Coach Rose, his staff and his team.

While it's a sin of broadcasting and journalism, I got way too close to this team. I was emotionally invested in them and rooted for them more than anybody. And I don't apologize for it at all.

All athletic achievements and accomplishments aside, this was a team and a staff of great people. They couldn't have treated myself and Kevin Foedinger any better throughout the entire season. They gave us unprecedented access (from a student-media perspective) and an awesome overall experience. I wanted them all to succeed and reach their goals, and they did.

While I've been a fan and a media member rooting for and covering this team since I was a freshman, this championship was my favorite of the three. There were the obvious historical implications, as well as the fact that the Championship match was one of the most intense sporting events I had ever seen. But for me, it was the fact that I felt connected to the team. I knew the staff, I knew the girls and they knew me.

It was a great season for a great team, and all well-deserved.

Where does Penn State Volleyball go from here? It's tough to say. Penn State will still return a lot of talent, and also reloaded this year with a fantastic recruiting class, but you don't just replace players like Megan Hodge and Alisha Glass.

2010 should be interesting, but for now, I'm just going to hang onto 2009 for as long as I can.

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Dan Krupinsky is a senior at Penn State, majoring in broadcasting and journalism. He is a member of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism. Dan is one of three sports directors at the Penn State student radio station, ComRadio and is also the voice of Penn State women’s volleyball for GoPSUSports.com. The STAA Talent Agency ranked him as one of the top 40 collegiate broadcasters last year (as a Junior), in a nationwide competition.

The Only Way Penn State Can Beat LSU

There is only one way Penn State will beat LSU in the Credit Card Bowl - great defense...

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Our defense played more than well enough this year to give us an undefeated season. How well? Let's take a look at the second half scores of our games.

Second Half Score

• Akron 7 Penn State 0
• Penn State 14 Syracuse 7
• Penn State 10 Temple 3
• Iowa 16 Penn State 0
• Penn State 28 Illinois 14
• Penn State14 Eastern Illinois 0
• Penn State 7 Minnesota 0
• Penn State 10 Michigan 0
• Penn State 24 Northwestern 0
• Ohio State 14 Penn State 0
• Penn State 21 Indiana 10
• Penn State 35 Michigan State 7

Worst second half performance? Iowa? Not really. Iowa scored on a blocked punt, and only managed to rack up nine points of offense.

Iowa started their two second half scoring drives after an interception. Iowa started those drives at the Penn State 24 and 39 yard lines. On Penn State's last three possession against Iowa the offense went: interception, fumble, interception.

You will note that the nation's most overrated college football player - DarryL Clark - put up a second half goose egg against both Iowa and Ohio State.

It will be interesting to see if DarryL plays like he usually does against good opponents, or actually steps up in the pocket and lets it fly.

If we get behind LSU in the second half you can leave early, spare yourself the pain, and get loaded as quickly as possible.

On the other hand, if we play error free offense we might be able to beat LSU in a tight game.

I am wondering if our young stud wideouts will see more action? With a month to get ready it just might happen.

Newsome in the wildcat? Nah. But there should be one or two surprises.
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Video: ESPN conversation with Joe Paterno

A conversation with Joe Paterno is usually entertaining and this one with ESPN's Todd Blackledge is no exception...

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Video: Merry Christmas from Penn State Clips!

Penn State Clips wishes you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous and healthy New Year.

Click here to order the Penn State Christmas tree ornament in the photo at right.

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Will Penn State face a one-dimensional LSU offense?

Penn State has always fared well against one-dimensional offenses. It looks like Tom Bradley's crew will face another one in Capital One Bowl...

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LSU senior running back Charles Scott won't make it back from a broken collarbone in time to play Penn State in the Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day.

Scott rushed for 2,317 yards and 32 touchdowns in his career.

Scott ranks fourth in rushing touchdowns and seventh in rushing yardage in school history. In 2008, Scott ran for 1,174 yards and 18 touchdowns, the second highest total in school history.

As was the case in the regular season finale against Arkansas, the Tigers will be missing their top three running backs for the Penn State game. Keiland Williams broke an ankle against Ole Miss and Richard Murphy suffered a knee injury against Vanderbilt.

Sophomore Stevan Ridley, who started against the Razorbacks, will get the nod against the Nittany Lions. The backup running backs will be senior Trindon Holliday and freshman Russell Shepard.
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Penn State QB Daryll Clark is PISSED

It seems that everyone except Joe Paterno Twitters...

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Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark had an interesting Tweet on Saturday...

Ok so apparently according to fans my legacy is on the line..wow theres no fakin about this.IM PISSED..well see on new years

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Video: Historic three-peat for Penn State Women's Volleyball!

We'll have more coverage in the coming days, but to get you started here is ESPN's highlights video of last night's historic NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship match...

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Penn State 8th in licensed merchandise sales

Penn State has a large fan base, so we're not surprised to see Nittany Lion gear sales in the Top Ten...

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Collegiate Licensing Company top-selling institutions for the first quarter of the 2009-2010 fiscal year...

1) Texas
2) Florida
3) Georgia
4) LSU
6) Alabama
6) North Carolina
7) Michigan
8) Penn State
9) Oklahoma
10) Notre Dame

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Video: Penn State vs. Texas Volleyball Championship Preview

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Penn State hoping for good officiating from Pac-10

Penn State fans have complained about officiating since the inception of the Big Ten.

Of course, bowls are officiated by neutral officials...

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Bowl officials for Big Ten games...

• Alamo Bowl, Michigan State vs. Texas Tech: SEC
• Capital One Bowl, Penn State vs. LSU: Pac-10
• Champs Sports Bowl, Wisconsin vs. Miami: SEC
• Insight Bowl Bowl, Minnesota vs. Iowa State: Pac-10
• Orange Bowl, Iowa vs. Georgia Tech: SEC
• Outback Bowl, Northwestern vs. Auburn: Big 12
• Rose Bowl, Ohio State vs. Oregon: Big 12

Bowls being officiated by Big Ten crews...

• EagleBank Bowl, Temple vs. UCLA
• Fiesta Bowl, TCU vs. Boise State
• Gator Bowl, Florida State vs. West Virginia
• Sun Bowl, Oklahoma vs. Stanford

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LSU quarterback says Penn State is slow

After reading LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson's take on the Capital One owl, we're just hoping Penn State can keep it respectable.

A victory is obviously too much to hope for given our complete lack of team speed...

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"Our two conferences are a lot different. The SEC has a lot more speed-type people. They have a lot more big guys. We've got great receivers and running backs to try to take advantage of something Penn State doesn't have.

"We want to get [senior tailback] Trindon [Holliday] and [true freshman QB/TB] Russell [Shepard] involved in the offense to where we can get some yards and put points on the board. But Penn State is very big. We are going to have to put our hands on them and slow them down. We are working as much as we can to make sure we are ready for this game.

"Their linebacker corps is good. We'll try to come up with some new plays for their defense. It is a little different than playing SEC ball, so we are working on plays to use our speed on their defense."
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Missouri will listen if Big Ten calls

Shortly before the Big Ten announced plans to look into expansion over the next 12-18 months, Missouri declared itself to be a player...

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Missouri Chancellor Brady Deaton issued this statement...

"The University of Missouri has not been contacted by the Big Ten. Should there be an official inquiry or invitation, we would evaluate it based upon what would be in the best interest of MU athletically and academically."

Missouri officials have expressed dissatisfaction with the Big 12 Conference bowl selection process, a process that has undercut the accomplishments of the MU football team in each of the last three seasons.
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Update: Will Penn State get a real rival if Big Ten expands?

The Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors (COP/C) discussed the future of the Big Ten Conference at its winter meetings on Dec. 6 in Park Ridge, Illinois. The following statement is issued by the Big Ten office on behalf of the COP/C...

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Penn State joined the Big Ten Conference in June of 1990 and its addition has been an unqualified success. In 1993, 1998, and 2003 the COP/C, in coordination with the commissioner's office, reviewed the issue of conference structure and expansion. The COP/C believes that the timing is right for the conference to once again conduct a thorough evaluation of options for conference structure and expansion. As a result, the commissioner was asked to provide recommendations for consideration by the COP/C over the next 12 to 18 months.

The COP/C understands that speculation about the conference is ongoing. The COP/C has asked the conference office to obtain, to the extent possible, information necessary to construct preliminary options and recommendations without engaging in formal discussions with leadership of other institutions.

If and when such discussions become necessary the COP/C has instructed Commissioner James E. Delany to inform the Chair of the COP/C, Michigan State University President Lou Anna K. Simon, and then to notify the commissioner of the affected conference(s). Only after these notices have occurred will the Big Ten engage in formal expansion discussions with other institutions.

This process will allow the Big Ten to evaluate options, while respecting peer conferences and their member institutions. No action by the COP/C is expected in the near term. No interim statements will be made by the Big Ten or the COP/C until after the COP/C receives the commissioner's recommendations and the COP/C determines next steps, if any, in this area.
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Will Penn State get a real rival if Big Ten expands?

The Land Grant Trophy game between Penn State and Michigan State has had some dramatic moments, but it's still a forced "rivalry."

Will the Nittany Lions get a "real" season-ending rivalry game if the Big Ten expands?

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Big Ten spokesman Scott Chipman said Monday that a 3 p.m. Tuesday announcement regarding what he called "potential expansion" is planned.

“A statement will come out this afternoon,” Chipman confirmed today. When pressed for specifics, Chipman said, “It will all come in the statement.”

If Notre Dame would agree to give up their independent status it would be a done deal. Others that have been bandied about include Boston College, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, and West Virginia.

All of them have serious drawbacks. If forced to choose from that group we'd go with the 'Cuse.

However, the only school besides Notre Dame that really interests us is Texas. Don't laugh, the notion isn't as ridiculous as it sounds.

If we can't get Notre Dame or Texas, we hope the conference stays at 11 rather than going to 12 just to stage a football championship game.
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Penn State Women's Volleyball recruiting: The rich get richer

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) has announced its annual Under Armour Girls High School All-America Teams and it doesn't look like the Penn State dynasty will end anytime soon...

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There are 24 members of the AVCA First Team and six of them are are future Nittany Lions...

• Erica Denney, Aurora (Col.) Grandview, is a 6-5 Middle Blocker
• Maddie Martin, Tampa (Fla.) Plant, is a 6-2 Outside Hitter
• Deja McClendon, Louisville (Kent.) DuPont Manual is a 6-0 Outside Hitter
• Mikinzie Moydell, Parker (Col.) Chaparral is a 6-0 Setter
• Ariel Scott, Washington Township (N.J.) Immaculate Heart Academy is a 6-4 Middle Blocker
• Kathleen Slay, Raleigh (N.C.) Wakefield is a 6-6 Middle Blocker

No other school has more than two First Team players.

There are five First Team players who are 6-4 or taller. Three of them are coming to Penn State.

We also have an Honorable Mention recruit, Alyssa Longo, a 5-6 setter from Littleton (Col.) Chatfield.

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Wrestling video: Interview with Penn State coach Cael Sanderson

WPSU reporterette Kellie Goodman interviewed new Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson.

Here is the complete interview...

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New York Times profile of Penn State Women's Volleyball Coach Russ Rose

The New York Times did a terrific profile of Penn State Women's Volleyball coach Russ Rose. The entire article is worth reading, but here are some excerpts that caught our eye...

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During matches, when most coaches are pacing and shouting instructions, Russ Rose is usually sitting quietly, scribbling into a notebook. Rose’s numbers and notes go into blue three-ring binders that few others ever see.

“My decisions in coaching are based on these statistics,” Rose said.

He pointed to shelves in his office lined with binders, filled with decades of handwritten scribbles and diarylike entries. Then he held up the official NCAA statisics from a recent match.

“Not these,” he said.

[Clips Comment: Sounds like Rose was using a Moneyball approach long before Billy Beane.]

In the late 1970s, Rose wrote his master’s thesis on volleyball statistics. Today, he has a higher career winning percentage (.862) than any Division I women’s volleyball coach in history — and more than 100 points higher than the .751 of Joe Paterno, the far more famous football coach of the Nittany Lions. Rose’s top-ranked team is in the NCAA tournament for the 29th year in a row, on to the regionals, hoping to win its third consecutive national title this month.

Yet the number garnering the most attention is 98. And counting.

That is how many consecutive matches Penn State has won, dating to September 2007. It is the longest winning streak in NCAA Division I women’s sports history, and the second longest over all, trailing only the Miami men’s tennis program, winner of 137 straight from 1957 to 1964.

In recent weeks, Penn State volleyball passed, among others, the 88-game winning streak of John Wooden’s UCLA men’s basketball teams from 1971 to ’74, and the North Carolina women’s soccer program, which won 92 in a row from 1990 to 1994.

“I’ve heard people say that maybe we’d be better served had we lost,” Rose said. “I was kind of wondering what profession they were in. I wouldn’t want a lawyer representing me to think like that. I wouldn’t want a doctor operating on me to think like that.”

[Clips Comment: Amen, brother!]

His office windows were open to a brisk afternoon. Rose was trying to clear the air of the smell of cigars sitting on the desk. (“Cuban contraband,” he called them.) He usually smokes them on the plaza outside Rec Hall, an old brick gym where thousands fill the bleachers for each volleyball match. He says he does not know if that is allowed and does not seem to care.

[Clips Comment: Wow, we never pictured Coach Rose as a cigar aficionado.]

Raised in Chicago, Rose does not believe in schmoozing or sugarcoating. (Several players, asked to describe their coach, used one word: honest.) He rarely rants and yells, teaching instead in whispers, smirks, and knowing glances. He swears in casual conversation. His players seem unfazed by it.

Administrators ask Rose to watch his language at matches. Rose will sometimes lift his notepad in front of his face and bark an expletive into it. Before a televised match recently, he spotted a courtside microphone near the Penn State bench. He unplugged it.

[Clips Comment: We never imagined Coach Rose swearing it up, either. Hilarious story about the courtside microphone.

Very interesting approach to coaching women with "whispers, smirks, and knowing glances." Contrast that with guys, who often benefit from someone getting in their face and/or kicking them in the ass.]

Rose's master's thesis at Nebraska examined the skills most associated with winning. (“Passing predicts the level of play,” Rose said of his conclusion. “Hitting and blocking are most correlated with winning.”)

Official statistics have always bothered him. Most sports tally what the player did, not what he or she failed to do. He sees that as only half the equation. What about the rebound the basketball player should have had? Or the ground ball the shortstop did not reach? Or the dig that the volleyball player blew?

“On that sheet,” Rose said, pointing to a match’s official NCAA score sheet, “if you don’t hit the ball, you don’t get a statistic. On mine, you do. You didn’t hit the ball.”

Most of his scribbles in the notebook reflect missed opportunities, what his players call “error control.” Rose grades each play, too, on a scale — not just whether the serve was in, for example, but how good the serve was.

“He keeps stats and gets stats of every play,” said Kaleena Davidson, a former player at Penn State who is in her first season as one of Rose’s assistants. “He knows everything you’d want to know. And everything you don’t want him to know.”

[Clips Comment: Again, more Moneyball principles, looking beyond beyond the official box score.]

During matches, Rose will coax with sarcasm and freshly computed numbers.

“He’ll say, ‘You’re hitting negative right now,’” said the all-American setter Alisha Glass, meaning that a player has more errors than kills. “‘You might want to do something about that.’”

[Clips Comment: Again, great understanding of women with "You might want to do something about that."]

Glass said that “it’s all about the numbers” for Rose.

“His degree is in volleyball statistics or something,” she said.

“It is?” outside hitter Megan Hodge, widely considered the best player in the country, asked with wide eyes. “That explains a lot.”

[Clips Comment: This exchange is Laugh Out Loud funny.]

Rose’s coaching strategy is largely one of playing devil’s advocate, a lonely role when thousands of fans see his team as unbeatable.

Since the winning streak began on Sept. 21, 2007 — after a loss to Stanford six days earlier — the Nittany Lions have won all 98 of their best-of-five-sets matches. They have won 294 sets; opponents have won 15.

Those numbers are not in any of Rose’s scribbled notebooks.

“I have my own stats,” Rose said. “Because I want to win.”

[Clips Comment: One trait we've noticed in great coaches is that they're always looking forward, always looking to the next competion, not resting on their laurels. As Da Coach, Mike Ditka, famously put it, "The past is for cowards and losers."]
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Penn State QB Daryll Clark: Big Ten Most Valuable Player!

Daryll Clark became the third Penn State player to win the Chicago Tribune Silver Football Award as the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player, following in the footsteps of fellow quarterbacks Kerry Collins (1994) and Michael Robinson (2005)...

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For the first time in the history of the Award it was split between two players, as Michigan's outstanding Defensive End Brandon Graham shared the honor with Clark. Wisconsin running back John Clay was third and Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka was fourth.

Penn State players Jared Odrick, Navorro Bowman, and Evan Royster also received votes.



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Penn State an early favorite in the Capital One Bowl

Penn State is one of only two Big Ten favorites in this bowl season, as the Nittany Lions are an early 2½-point favorite against LSU in the Capital One Bowl...

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The Total (Over/Under) for the Cap One Bowl is 44, making it the second-lowest Total of the bowl season, behind the Holiday Bowl (Nebraska vs. Arizona) at 41.

This is quite a change for the Holiday Bowl, which has traditionally been one of the higher-scoring and entertaining games of the bowl season. Who can forget the 1989 classic, when Gary Brown interrupted BYU's game-winning drive by stealing the ball from quarterback Ty Detmer and racing 53 yards for a touchdown in a 50-39 Penn State victory.

Other Big Ten Bowl games...

• Champ Sports Bowl: Wisconsin (+2.5) vs. Miami
• Insight Bowl: Minnesota (-3) vs. Iowa State
• Outback Bowl: Northwestern (+8) vs. Auburn
• Rose Bowl: Ohio State (+3.5) vs. Oregon
• Alamo Bowl: Michigan State (+7) vs. Texas Tech
• Orange Bowl: Iowa (+3.5) vs. Georgia Tech

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Penn State bowl game in Florida - but is it Orange or Cap One?

Earlier today we reported that Iowa is going to the Fiesta Bowl, which would send Penn State to the Capital One Bowl against LSU. No so fast, my friend...

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Now we're getting word that the Fiesta Bowl will match Boise State and TCU.

This stunning news means Penn State may still be alive for an Orange Bowl date with Georgia Tech. We'll know soon.
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Penn State vs. LSU in Capital One Bowl

Penn State sources have begun saying that they believe Iowa is headed for the Fiesta or Orange Bowl. That means PSU is headed for Orlando and the Capital One Bowl, very likely against Louisiana State...

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The Capital One Bowl committee of about 100 voting members entered their ballots last Sunday (Nov. 29) on Big Ten and SEC preferences. Penn State should be the run-away winner for the Big Ten with LSU likely getting the edge on Mississippi among SEC candidates. CapOne members will know the results of that vote by sometime after 5 p.m. EST today but won't be permitted to release it until after the BCS presentation show on Fox at 8 p.m.

We believe there's not much difference between playing LSU in the Cap One Bowl and playing Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. Boise State has the more gaudy record (13-0 vs. 9-3), but LSU brings the legitimacy of the SEC. We believe the betting market will rate the game as about a toss-up against either opponent.
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Charlie Weis says Pete Carroll living with grad student in Malibu

Certified Genius® Charlie Weis had a wrap-up interview with Tim Prister of Irish Illustrated and accused Pete Carroll of being like Tiger Woods (and not in the golf sense!)...

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Q: Is it frustrating to you Pete Carroll, for example, portrayed in one way...

A: Let me ask you this question: You guys know about things that go on in different places. Was I living with a grad student in Malibu, or was I living with my wife in my house? You could bet that if I were living with a grad student here in South Bend, it would be national news. He’s doing it in Malibu and it's not national news. What’s the difference? I don’t understand. Why is it okay for one guy to do things like that, but for me, I’m scrutinized when I swear?

Carroll denied the allegation...

"It’s untrue, it’s irresponsible, and it’s incredible he’d be talking about me like that."

Early this morning, Weis contacted the Los Angeles Times and said he was having a “totally subjective” conversation with several reporters that was an aside to the formal interview. During that conversation, Weis said, he was speaking about Internet rumors and how they adversely affect the lives of coaches and their families...

“In no way was I trying to take a shot at Pete. What we were talking about was how the rumor mill can affect people’s lives. When I was asked a specific question like that, I responded like, 'This is the same crap that I’m talking about.' You start saying things like this and one thing, this guy does this and I do that and all of a sudden the Internet takes it all over the place.

"So, in no way was I trying to take a shot at Pete. I feel if I offended Pete, I will run Pete down and apologize. [Clips comment: From the look of Crewcut Charlie's ever-expanding waistline, the only place he runs to is the dinner table!]

"In no way do I have any idea what’s going on in anyone’s life other than the fact that rumors on the Internet can affect coaches' lives in a very, very negative fashion.

"In no way would I be disrespectful to that guy. All I know is that he kicked the crap out of me five times.”

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Two Penn State Volleyball Legends Set To Play Final Match In Rec Hall

How spoiled have Penn State volleyball fans and even the media that covers them become? After the Lions needed only an hour to sweep through the Binghamton Bearcats last night, by scores of 25-9, 25-13, 25-14, there were grumblings that Penn State wasn't on their game...

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Was last night a flawless performance? No. But is there any reason to be upset about how they did. Not from my point of view.

Here are the stats for the three offensive leaders last night:
Megan Hodge: 13 kills, 22 attempts, 1 error = .545 hiting
Arielle Wilson: 12 kills, 15 attempts, 0 errors = .800 hitting
Blair Brown: 9 kills, 14 attempts, 2 errors = .500 hitting

Those three accounted for 34 of the teams 42 kills, and none of them hit below .500!

As a team, Penn State hit .507 with 6 errors, committed 2 service reception errors and no blocking errors. Maybe the biggest complaint is their 8 service errors, but 3 of them came from Alyssa D'Errico, who also recorded 3 aces and was effective with her jump-spin serve all night.

Coach Rose also got all of his players into the match at some point last night, so you saw substitution patters and a few line-ups out there on the court that you're most likely not going to see as the tournament goes on.

These first weekend matches for Penn State are more of a tune-up than anything. In my opinion, they did just about what they wanted to last night. Everyone was very loose, very enthusiastic at practice this morning, including the coaching staff. They're pretty much right where they want to be.

Look for another sweep tonight, as they take on the Penn Quakers at 7:30 pm EST in Rec Hall. It will be the last match in University Park for two Penn State legends, Alisha Glass and Megan Hodge. It should be an emotional night and I would expect inspired performances from those two (I saw firsthand what Megan did earlier in the season when she went back home to play in Durham and what Alisha did when she played back home in Michigan for the final time). It will also be the final match in Rec Hall for Kelsey Ream, the State College native.

Penn advanced by beating Army 3-1 last night, but aren't in the same league as Penn State. However, it should be a more competitive match tonight. The Quakers have several players from California on their roster and also possess pretty good size. They'll be able to play at the net a little more than the Bearcats did last night.

Kevin Foedinger and I will have the call on GoPSUSports.com starting at 7:30 pm EST. As per NCAA rules, the match streaming will be free, as opposed to the $10 fee normally charged for All-Access events.
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Dan Krupinsky is a senior at Penn State, majoring in broadcasting and journalism. He is a member of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism. Dan is one of three sports directors at the Penn State student radio station, ComRadio and is also the voice of Penn State women’s volleyball for GoPSUSports.com. The STAA Talent Agency ranked him as one of the top 40 collegiate broadcasters last year (as a Junior), in a nationwide competition.

Penn State Women's Volleyball Starts Three-Peat Run

The top-ranked Penn State Women's Volleyball team starts the stretch run in their quest for an unprecedented third straight National Championship tonight when they host the first round of the NCAA Tournament...

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The Lions are the #1 seed in the tournament (surprise, surprise) and will take on the Binghamton Bearcats tonight at 7:30. The Bearcats won the American East Championship, but have an overall record of only 15-15. Binghamton may be best known by sports fans as the alma mater of Tony Kornheiser. (It was then known as Harpur College.)

The Lions and Bearcats have met once before, in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Penn State rolled 30-15, 30-8, and 30-10. (Why was the first game so close??? And yes, they were called "games" back then.)

With all due respect to the Bearcats, don't expect the result to be much different tonight. Binghamton is a very small team. They have fast outside hitters who can get on the ball quickly and hit with good pace. They run their offense well, but they're no match for the Lions.

Penn State has been waiting this moment all season. I expect them to bring their A-game every night, which is a scary, scary thought for any opponent.

Kevin Foedinger and I will have the call on GoPSUSports.com starting at 7:30 pm EST. As per NCAA rules, the match streaming will be free, as opposed to the $10 fee normally charged for All-Access events.
Kindle: Amazon's 6" Wireless Reading Device

Dan Krupinsky is a senior at Penn State, majoring in broadcasting and journalism. He is a member of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism. Dan is one of three sports directors at the Penn State student radio station, ComRadio and is also the voice of Penn State women’s volleyball for GoPSUSports.com. The STAA Talent Agency ranked him as one of the top 40 collegiate broadcasters last year (as a Junior), in a nationwide competition.