Back in Happy Valley

Paterno and the media

Penn State is planning a course on Joe Paterno and the media, and yesterday's Paterno exchange with Patriot-News reporter Dave Jones is probably worth one or two classes.

Here's Jones' column, recounting that exchange.

Ask what you will, but don't expect any recognition of the issue you even present. Not to mention answers.

I will say Paterno did a great job in the announcing booth again during blue/white. He's funny and engaging and it's clear he could do that when he decides to leave the sidelines.

But answering questions that fans ask, posed by reporters -- that's not for Paterno. It's none of your business, anyway.

Penn State's black eye

Daily Collegian readers were greeted with three Page 1 stories today about football players in trouble.

We have those three stories packaged here online, with disturbing detail concerning Chris Bell's alleged threat toward another player in a campus dining hall. Coaches broke it up.

Bell is thrown off the team, we now know, in a move that had to be made quickly.

Penn State will get national attention today regarding all of this, here in early April. Is that what the Nittany Lions need?

We've had two incidents involving groups of players last April and last October, and of course charges are still out there on those. We have the Austin Scott case, the incidents involving Andrew Quarless, and now today's news about Chris Bell.

Am I forgetting any?

These off-the-field incidents take away from Penn State's on-the-field mission, and it seems it should be top priority to stop these from happening.

Blue/white is coming and there's reason for optimism, isn't there?

Among friends

That describes the atmosphere last night at the Bryce Jordan Center, as a small crowd of hoops fans gathered for the Penn State-Iowa game.

The announced attendance was 6,058 but anyone who was there knows it was half that, or perhaps less.

Still, the crowd saw a gritty effort by Penn State to come back from a miserable start in the second half and to beat Iowa 65-64.

Again, Jamelle Cornley played like an "Ultimate Warrior," taking from the headline over Saturday's story about him and his contribution to this team.

Penn State has a pretty good record in close, close games. The Lions have to win a few more to qualify for the post season, and you have to think efforts like last night's could carry them.

Michigan comes next, on Saturday night, and let's hope everyone at the Jordan Center last night brings a few friends.

A springboard?

A bowl win is a bowl win, and Penn State fans can savor the Alamo Bowl victory for a little while.

Coach Joe Paterno can look back on his 500th game fondly, as his team came together and beat a spirited Texas A&M squad 24-17 in a game that seemed to last forever.

The Lions should be able to use this one as a springboard for next year, given that few guys are leaving and there's reason to believe the offense will do fine under Daryll Clark.

It all ended 9-4 and Penn State fans, like some of those posting comments already, think that's so wonderful and the team is so good.

But keep in mind that this team only beat the teams it should have, all season long, and lost to the Big Ten elite. Keep it in mind as you talk about this season.

The hope is that they use this as a springboard to a great season, something they didn't do after last year's bowl win.

Amazing fans, tailgates

I hope readers liked our Penn State fan and tailgate of the year contest as much as I did.

The idea came about when we were considering just how to again cover the off-the-field festivities of 100,000 or more people every home weekend. How do you do that justice?

We decided to feature one fan and one tailgate per week, and correspondent Gail Franklin oversaw it all. Franklin, new to Happy Valley from Buffalo and a contributing writer for a few months, enjoyed meeting people and learning about the Penn State football craze through her reporting.

She chose great fans and tailgates, with some help from readers. Several of our featured Penn Staters came from tips from readers, and of course online readers determined the winners in amazing voting that concluded Thursday.

In fact, we found top fan Linda Barlett after we received an e-mail about her from a friend or care giver. What a wonderful fan, we thought, and she was featured in week five.

I'm thrilled that Barlett won the online voting. She's truly special and it's great that Penn Staters got to meet her through this contest.

She loves Penn State football as much as any fan, yet can't go to the games. We're glad to salute her today and we salute her caregivers and friends too. You all are special.

The tailgate side of the contest too was interesting and I think we featured some pretty cool groups. All were different, and we salute Becky Grove and her friends.

All 14 of our featured fans and tailgates were winners, I think you'd agree. I look forward to doing this again next year and we'll invite your ideas as the season approaches.

Thanks for following it online and for voting. You made it happen. 

Keep Alamo in focus

With the Alamo Bowl back in the news, let me offer a word of wisdom to those planning a first visit to San Antonio.

The Alamo city is wonderful and you'll have a fantastic time. I almost guarantee that, after three visits in three years myself.

However, a friend shared this kernel of knowledge with me before I made the first visit, and I want to share it with you.

You may be like I was in looking forward to finally visiting the Alamo. You've heard about it, read about it, but never saw it ... until this trip. I had soaring expectations, talking about it constantly.

Shortly before I left for San Antonio my friend shared that the Alamo itself really isn't very big. It's nice, he said, but not big. Just be prepared.

That was great advice, because otherwise I would have had a letdown. The Alamo is the most visited attraction in Texas and is drenched in history. It's fantastic. But it is small. You can go in and out and then into a shop that seems bigger than the Alamo itself.

Just remember that and you won't be surprised.

That's my first of a few San Antonio travel tips. Enjoy it , everyone.

Westerners most welcome

September just got brighter for Penn State fans, and we should offer a warm welcome to the Oregon State Beavers and their fans.

I have out-of-town guests on football weekends and I've wondered for awhile whether they'd make the trip for Coastal Carolina, Arkansas State and Temple in consecutive order at Beaver Stadium before the real home season would begin with Illinois.

It was looking like the most brutal home non-conference stretch in Penn State's history.

But here come the Beavers to the rescue, and Oregon State makes for a very attractive opponent for Penn State and the blue and white faithful. I think most will agree.

Access makes a difference

A good number of people have taken time to tell me they appreciated our "positive" stories about Coach Joe Paterno and his Hall of Fame induction, and our editorial on the coach last week.

Yes, we had coverage fitting for a Hall of Fame event, thanks to sports writer Jeff Rice and a little thing I'll call access.

Access makes the difference, I tell people. Time set aside to talk to Paterno, to hear from him, really did make a difference last week and always will make a difference. Same goes for access to players, to hear from them regularly, rather than have them kept off limits. 

It shouldn't be hard to figure out, yet is seems to be a struggle for Penn State. There isn't a whole lot of access for football reporters to the coach, to players, or to the program itself.

It's been like that for ages and ages, I know, but just consider what access did to help last week's coverage become fitting for a Hall of Fame event.

Pretty simple stuff.

Interesting that I write this two days after the football banquet, which is reported in brief form today. Access to that? Nope, it's closed to the press.

Pick the top fan, tailgate

We're unveiling a lot online this week, and the latest is launching a two-week vote to determine our top Penn State fan and tailgate, as featured this fall in the Centre Daily Times.

You will pick the winners. Check them out on this special page and vote.

You may remember them from reading on home football weekends, and if you do you'll remember that all are worthy of their name in lights.

Know your bowls?

Don't miss our online-only bowl contest, which debuted today on CentreDaily.com.

Compete against our other online readers for prizes -- CDT books -- and most importantly recognition as a college football bowl expert.

Good luck all.

Just call him coach

There will never be another coach like Joe Paterno, and it's great that we all can pay tribute to him at the time of his College Football Hall of Fame induction.

Never again will a coach define a university like Paterno at Penn State.

As a fan from way back and a Penn Stater myself, I've been honored to meet Paterno at times in this great job. I'm not sure that would have ever happened otherwise, although I will always thank him for the birthday note and photo he sent my mother when she was ill in a Harrisburg nursing home. She treasured it, and everyone else in there wanted it to the point of trying to steal it one day.

Our editorial concludes with this today, fitting and lasting for Paterno:

"This is ... a time to remember Paterno’s phenomenal success, his many contributions to the university he loves, and the community that has embraced him, his generosity, his idealism and even his personality — endearing or quirky depending on his mood and your perspective.

"And it is a time to remember, as Paterno certainly does, Engle, his head coach at Brown and the man who lured him from law school to Happy Valley; and John Cappelletti, Jack Ham, Lydell Mitchell, Mike Reid and the other hall-of-famers Paterno coached; and Lehman, Epstein, Riley, O’Hora, White, Phillips and others whose love for Penn State was deep, abiding and contagious.

"And Joseph Vincent Paterno, of College Heights by way of Brooklyn. A great football coach. One of the best. Ever."

No better place for a bowl

Penn State fans are in luck. In this year when the Nittany Lions played themselves out of a top bowl game, the Alamo Bowl has come calling.

And be happy. There is no better place for a big event or a bowl game than San Antonio.

RiverWalk anyone?

We experienced San Antonio during a big event just last year when the Alamodome hosted March Madness. Ohio State won its way to the Final Four that weekend, but great games were played and our NCAA tournament experience was enhanced because of San Antonio.

I've been there several times and I'll throw out some tips for visiting in future blog posts.

But enjoy this one, Penn State fans. There is no better place.

It's always better to be open

My view has always been that it's better to be open, particularly when it comes to public policy and spending public money.

There should be nothing to hide.

Any time you keep something under wraps there are unanswered questions and suspicions that maybe something's wrong. Human nature perhaps, but it's a prevailing condition.

Now let's move to Coach Joe Paterno's salary. He gets a state pension. Keep that in mind.

His salary is now public, like most coaches in the United States, all because of a five-year court battle. And what have we learned? That Penn State perhaps has a really good story to tell, about how the university is not spending wild amounts of money on a coach like others.

And Paterno is not just a coach, he's a legend and he'll be a Hall of Famer next week.   

Penn State is now accounted for in the Big Ten salary list. Only Northwestern is missing.

What is wrong with this picture? Nothing, if you believe public policy and spending public money should be public.

If you don't, then we'll disagree and we'll ask whether you want to know when your school taxes are going up, or when parking rates change in town, or when state legislators get cost-of-living increases. These examples involve public money and public policy, and they should be public, just like we said above.

Bowl projections by others

As mentioned in today's midday report, two writers on ESPN.com have projected the bowl lineup and agree that Penn State will play in Orlando in the Champs bowl.

Not bowl speculation is everywhere and I'm not endorsing this, but you might like to see their projections.

Notice that they disagree on the fate of Kansas and Missouri. Have to admit, I never expected to watch a huge game involving those two, but Saturday night's shootout from Kansas City should be special.

How have I become a Jayhawks football fan all of a sudden?

That 8-4 feeling

Why, when 8-4 is really not a bad record, do you have a bad, bad feeling for this 8-4 Penn State squad?

Perhaps it's the way it all ended, with the defense unable to stop the Spartans in East Lansing and the Nittany Lions blowing a 24-7 lead that was built with strong offensive line play.

Or perhaps that feeling came earlier, with off-the-field stuff constantly interrupting football, and you wondering what you'll read about next.

Or perhaps it's because there were some really high expectations this year, with an easy non-conference setup (including Notre Dame) and that real chance in Ann Arbor that was just thrown away.

Perhaps any or all of these, or others. But this Penn Stater doesn't have a good feeling at 8-4 this year, and I bet you don't either.

Fans may be rewarded if the Alamo Bowl comes calling and they can get over this bad feeling in time to go. San Antonio is wonderful, and perhaps some quality time along the Riverwalk and a good game against Texas could cure the blues.

Does this team deserve it? We'll see. The fans certainly do.

Piling on

Very sad to say, but this Penn State team might best known for two fights -- in April and October.

Both apparently were piling on, with team leadership lacking and bad decisions all around.

Anyone watching ESPN tonight sees the bottom of the screen headline, first with Austin Scott's not guilty plea and then with news on the latest pileup leading to charges against Chris Baker and Navarro Bowman.

Very sad indeed, for a proud program now with two fights and the Scott rape case as the latest skirmishes with the law.

It's getting old, Joe

Coach Joe Paterno again chose to blame the media yesterday, this time for how his quarterback is treated.

"Anthony's had a tough time at Penn State, and mostly because of the media," was yesterday's Paterno gem.

Another week it'll be about a reporter asking a question that he doesn't approve of. Paterno just blames the media.

Let's talk about the quarterback. Penn State is 8-3, Anthony Morelli has made big plays and thrown interceptions, and he fumbles every time he carries the ball. The fans aren't all that happy. The media cover the action. Simple as that.

Paterno gets a break here in Happy Valley because there aren't big numbers to the press. Nothing like Chicago or New York. Sports reporters are simply doing their jobs.

The coach sounds like one of those who will blast the media because he disagrees with what is reported. There are a few of those types right now, we all know.

It's time to move past blaming the media, coach, because it's getting old. Maybe you can blame someone else.

Beating Temple

I couldn't stay away from Penn State-Temple games in years past.

Attended all of them, at Beaver Stadium and Veterans Stadium, Franklin Field and even a game at the Meadowlands.

Back then I went to all the games and certainly spent some uneasy moments watching the Nittany Lions in Philly. Remember Wayne Hardin anyone?

I skipped this one and watched it from Happy Valley. Not too much to sweat about today.

What was it like in Lincoln Financial Field?

A mini-Happy Valley according to our Associated Press story today.

A Penn State tailgate paradise, according to Jeff Rice's Nitt Notes blog.

Whatever it was it was an easy win, and a road win at that. If the Lions can win next Saturday in East Lansing, a nice bowl will be in their sights.

Stay tuned.

Penn State memory columns

Penn State football memory columns have ended their fifth season in the Centre Daily Times, and I want to make sure to thank the writers in this forum.

Here's the part of my column last Sunday that talked about the columns:

Joe Battista, whose Cup ’o Joe columns update Nittany Lion Club members regularly, shares his unique game-day routine with Penn Staters everywhere in our final football memories column of this season.
Battista, writing in today’s Centre Living section, concludes the fifth year of the widely read column series written entirely by readers.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these as much as I have, and here’s a thanks to our 2007 writers: David Han, Michele Marchetti, John Greene, Willis and Martha Herr, Daniel Victor, Gwenn Miller, Brian Clarkson, state Sen. Jake Corman, Jamey Perry, Carolyn Todd, Mike Poorman, R. Thomas Berner, Laura Rudy and Battista.

It’s been a year of great tales — ranging from watching Penn State in Iraq (by Clarkson) to deciding when to start wearing signature blue hair (by the Herrs).

There were memories of tailgates past with plans for reunions this year, and there was humor by the paragraph in Poorman’s piece comparing Penn State to Ohio State.

There also was the column worth the wait — Greene’s replay of the 1987 Penn State win over Notre Dame, two years after he agreed to write. It was great timing, to run on the day of Notre Dame’s first visit to Beaver Stadium in 16 years, by the former Nittany Lion running back and the new executive director of the Big 33.

All in all, the columns reached out to Penn Staters at a time when monthly reading (measured in unique visitors) on CentreDaily.com amounts to the equivalent of four Beaver Stadium sellouts.

That’s a lot of potential shared memories, and we look forward to more next season. Think about it and let me know if you have a story about a special game, a team, a season or the football experience that just must be shared. We’ll work you into the lineup for 2008.

Making room for Temple

I'm sure you're cheering wildly, like I am, that Penn State filled the final open spot in next year's schedule with ... drum roll please ... Temple.

Yep, Temple, with an Oct. 20 Beaver Stadium date and dates in coming years.

This just solidifies a gem of a non-conference schedule, if we ever saw one, that should have fans on the edge of their seats quarter after quarter.

Something to look forward to, no doubt, and it begs the question to be asked over and over and louder and louder toward University Park: Why can't they bring back Pitt, or West Virginia, or Rutgers?

Why?

Instead we'll get what we get, all topped off with Temple.

I couldn't help but notice that there was no fanfare made in announcing Temple's renewed visits.

I also couldn't help but notice that Coach Joe Paterno had more of a comment about this than about the player punishment memo that deserves his comment. But that may be another blog post entirely.

A fan's plea

It is great to be back in Happy Valley for a crisp election day.

VOTE -- all of you. Please take time to do that.

I had a nice quick trip out west and missed some interesting news. I thought I'd do a full post with e-mail comments sent my way, but there weren't many of substance.

There was this, however, in reaction to Monday's story about punishments unmet for Penn State football players. Here's what a fan said, in part: "The players will be either punished by the court or reach a settlement. I do not think it is moral for the C D T to continue bringing this up.  You want the Penn State football team to not put the best players on the field. This shows how much the CDT dislikes Penn State."

So there, back to reality, Happy Valley style. Some of the comments posted with the story sound like this too, but posters don't often send e-mails to the editor.

Let's review: Players get in trouble, coach announces punishments and puts them in writing to the university president, players face trial, players play, coach doesn't follow through with punishments put in writing. Coverage will continue.

Giving fans a black eye

Just when we thought Penn State fans deserved applause for good behavior against Ohio State, the video debuted on YouTube and changed thinking quickly.

Web readers are sounding off over the video showing disgusting Penn State fan behavior.

This one gives all Penn State fans a black eye, and let's hope it wakes fans up to talk down this kind of behavior whenever they see it.

That's about all you can say. We'll see where the police investigation goes.

Stadium cleanup ends quietly

It's nice to know, officially, that the Penn State players' cleanup of Beaver Stadium is now history.

You might recall that Coach Joe Paterno called for it in a speech before alums in Philly over the summer, so of course we got interested in it.

Then, when the season arrived, we attempted to photograph it like we do stadium cleanup any other time.

But no, not this time. We we're invited. It was just for us, Paterno and Penn State said.

So there. We stayed away, not bothering sending resources to stand around outside.

So I'm glad for the update today that the cleanup is, in fact, over. We wouldn't know any other way.

We'll see what makes headlines next from a big alum speech in Philly or elsewhere, and how long that initiative lasts. This one didn't make the full season.

Big Ten Network gets Ohio State

One Big Ten Network post deserves another, I guess, and a Columbus reader alerted me to the big controversy raging in No. 1 town.

What could they complain about? Well how about if their Buckeyes are the featured attraction on the Big Ten Network this Saturday, against Wisconsin.

Imagine that -- No. 1 on the network that so few see.

Penn State fans got the better end of the deal this week, with the Lions-Purdue on ESPN at noon Saturday. The Buckeyes-Badgers get the Big Ten Network.

It continues to be truly ridiculous that the network is not even offered in any capacity to many cable subscribers. But that's another post.

As for this week, good luck, Columbus. Hope you have a ticket.

History doesn't repeat

It's called the greatest show in college football, and the atmosphere in and out of Beaver Stadium was indeed great Saturday night.

Lee Corso and company were live outside, along with the ESPN Radio team, and charged up white-clad students were impressively leading their own "We are" cheer inside.

It was grand, even as the game started slipping away.

You could tell early, as the Penn State defense could not stop a steady and impressive Ohio State offense. Were there concerns about the Buckeye quarterback? Not evident tonight.

Ohio State looked very much like the No. 1 team, not phased by the Beaver Stadium mania nor Penn State. The Nittany Lions started strong on offense, but there would be no easy road against the Buckeye defense.

It ended as 37-17 after A.J. Wallace returned a kick for TD, only to make you wonder -- again-- why Wallace doesn't touch the ball more often.

You have to think Ohio State, alone at the top in this wild college football season, can win out and again play for the national title. It's anybody's guess on the other team.

The Nittany Lions, meanwhile, could finish 8-3 and in sunny Florida. Fans enduring a cold night at Beaver Stadium might warm up at that thought.

Big doings in sports

It's a big time in sports, no doubt you'd agree.

There's Penn State against No. 1 Ohio State tonight at Beaver Stadium, along with a full slate of big college games.

There's the Breeders Cup horse races today in New Jersey.

There's the World Series, with game three tonight in Denver.

There's much more, including the World Finals of the Professional Bull Riders tour in Las Vegas.

Now this is big, big stuff, particularly for a bull riding fan like me. The best riders, the best bulls, the best fans. I'm heading to Vegas for the final finals next weekend.

Here's a look if you'd like to see how really big this is. Think Super Bowl or World Cup big. Or, Penn State fans can think Fiesta Bowl big.

Really big, and if you're curious be sure to catch it on Versus.

As for me, I'm off to the big game right here in Happy Valley. The perfect place for it, I'd say.

Bullish on Lions

I'd feel better if Matt Hahn were blocking, but I still feel confident that Penn State will end Ohio State's unbeaten run this weekend.

I offered my pick early in the midday report today.

Why wait? It has the makings of a classic, and the Lions could vault into a good bowl situation with a win.

A big road win

A road win is a rare thing for the Nittany Lions, so you should be happy about it.

It was wild, from start to finish, and the shining star in Bloomington was Maurice Evans with great impact plays on defense.

Penn State settled for too many field goals but scored enough to win 36-31 to set up what will be quite a weekend in Happy Valley next week.

The Nittany Lions are a rising 3-2 in the Big Ten and could really shake things up with a win over the Buckeyes.

The offense played well today but sputtered too often in the red zone, again. You have to be happy that they pulled out the win, given all of that.

Indiana is a program on the rise, and they gave the Lions a battle to remember.

A win next week could make this a season to remember, after a slow start in the Big Ten.

Enjoy our coverage from Bloomington, by Jeff Rice and Guy Cipriano, and stay tuned to a big week leading up to Ohio State.

The view from Allentown

Allentown attorney John Karoly Jr. certainly has a lot to say regarding unfair treatment of his client, Austin Scott.

Read it for yourself.

The case can and should play out in the courts, no matter what the out-of-town attorney has to say.

Comparing it to the Duke situation? Really?

Here's Karoly:" I was hopeful before the charges were brought, that what happened at Duke University would send a message to a lot of prosecutors beyond the borders of that state."

We'll wait to see what happens. He should too.

A special fan

Linda Bartlett truly is a special fan, and I'm thrilled that she was named our fan of the game today.

Linda watches the Penn State games from her wheelchair in Pleasant Gap, and she's as big a fan as there is anywhere.

She has had quite a struggle since a 1983 car accident involving a drunk driver left her paralyzed.

Your heart goes out to her, and I'm sure you're happy for her, like I am, that she enjoys the Nittany Lions each week.

Linda is a special fan, and I'm sure she loved Saturday's game immensely.

All the best Linda, and thanks to the reader who let us know about Linda.

Too bad he's annoyed

Take a look at what Joe Paterno said when asked after the game by reporters about the Austin Scott situation.

It was of several questions about on and off the field performance, and it was legitimate coming just a day after the former starting tailback was charged with rape and more.

Paterno, visibly upset: “I’m not gonna even make a comment on that. And I’m annoyed. Simple as that. I had a bunch of kids play a good football game today against a good team.”

Paterno, who thinks his program doesn't have an image problem, hasn't even clarified Scott's status on the team. In case he missed it, the Scott case merited headlines all weekend on sports shows and in newspapers.

And in case he forgot, he invested several years in Scott, and now with him facing charges it's fair for reporters to ask him about it. And it would be fair for reporters to ask him -- in the limited chances they get -- about the other dozen players who have had experience with the legal system since April.

Too bad he's annoyed. The questions will continue, whether there's a glow of a big football victory or not.

All-business Lions

To their credit the Nittany Lions brushed off all of the distractions and were all business Saturday, rolling to a surprisingly dominant Homecoming win.

Who would have expected 38-7 over Wisconsin?

The Lions' offensive line is improving dramatically, and an impressive rushing attack with Rodney Kinlaw and Evan Royster made things happen.

Anthony Morelli had his best game by far, and the defense led by Sean Lee was stifling.

Wisconsin has dropped from its lofty perch, first losing at Illinois and then here in a Penn State performance that left the sixth-largest Beaver Stadium crowd happy.

That it happened after such a rocky week of off-the-field distractions is a credit to the players and coaches, and we'll just have to see what happens now.

The Lions face a tough game at Indiana next Saturday, and a win would give them great momentum for the Ohio State game two weeks from now.

But guys already in the legal system are making big contributions, and if anything else happens off the field the Lions could be derailed.

It's an interesting season, and it could turn out to be a really good one if the all-business Lions show up every week.

Limited access

Football writer Jeff Rice shares our challenges with readers today in a column that you should read.

It's titled "Sources must be considered when reporting."

Journalism students and readers alike will benefit from it, as Rice discusses what reporters go through to present the truth at a time when rumors blaze on the Internet.

His job is all about facts, and it depends on access and the ability to get those facts.

I titled this post Limited Access because that's exactly what Rice and other writers get when covering Penn State football.

Let's take this week alone, as unconfirmed reports took on lives of their own on the Internet.

Rice and beat reporters attended Coach Joe Paterno's Tuesday news conference, like they always do. They learned very little in the form of updates about football.

They didn't hear about Paterno's own brush with the law; Paterno explained his role to a private audience on Wednesday and then to a controlled audience via his Thursday radio talk show. Nobody had a chance to ask him a question.

Rice and other beat reporters don't get any other access to Paterno during a week leading to a game. Tuesday is it. They work via teleconferences, talking to players who are given the green light to talk. They talk to the opposing coach and players too.

That's the way it's done, this year and every other year. It's Limited Access, to say it nicely. And people wonder why things blaze on Internet.

Happy Homecoming

Happy Homecoming Penn Staters, each and every one of you.

Thanks for reading us on the Web and come back often, because some of our better features have yet to appear in this redesign.

Happy Homecoming indeed, and it will be great to get into the stadium and start the game.

More so than ever, perhaps, because we've had one of the craziest weeks leading up to a game that I can ever remember, and many questions remain.

One has been answered today, with no charges against either driver in the traffic incident that blazed on the Web all week. Coach Joe Paterno was one of the drivers.

Other off-the-field incidents are still playing out, we know, so it's been quite a ride. Perhaps order will be restored Saturday when the game kicks off and the alumni band is fully a part of the festivities.

I'm looking forward to it. And I'm sure you are too.

Happy Homecoming, all.

An important win

Perhaps the Nittany Lions gained the confidence they need with today's 27-7 win over Iowa.

This certainly wasn't the Iowa team you're used to.

That aside, the Lions had to make things happen and they did to win before a white-shirted crowd at Beaver Stadium.

It's the first Big Ten win and all of a sudden there's a lot going on in the conference. Illinois may be for real with its huge win over Wisconsin, and the Badgers will come here out of the top 10 and certainly not invincible.

Michigan State also fell to Northwestern today in OT on the Big Ten Network, and tonight's Ohio State-Purdue game will tell a lot about the Boilers.

But no doubt, today's performance is a good win for 4-2 Penn State and perhaps there's momentum to take on Wisconsin in a signature home game.

We started a poll about that and we'll see what fans think. Thanks for reading us and look for our team coverage of the Iowa game in Sunday's Centre Daily Times.

How about 9-6?

I cringe every time I hear someone talk about that 6-4 game with Iowa, the last time the Hawkeyes visited Beaver Stadium, and how this Saturday's contest could be similar.

Why? Well, both teams have strong defenses and both are not scoring in the red zone, in particular.

I'm sure it warms your heart, like it does mine, that Penn State doesn't fumble in practice. That's according to Coach Joe Paterno on Tuesday. Perhaps not, but they make up for it in games, don't they.

I'm leaving town Wednesday for the APME conference so I'll offer my prediction right here. It usually gets out in Friday's midday report, but there's no reason to wait and of course I've been wrong for two straight weeks.

So, here's my pick: How about 9-6?

It's a toss up, friends, and field goals will rule. I need a couple more days to really figure out the winner. At this writing, however, I'd say Iowa.

That could change. But I'm most confident that it won't end 6-4. Nothing should, expect one of these Phillies-Rockies games with the Fightin' Phils on top.

Now that would we a score to savor.

Web talk

Penn State fans have a lot to say these days, so today's Web chatter numbers shouldn't be so surprising.

As of Sunday afternoon Web comments with football stories accounted to more than 5,000 page views today, an astounding total. And there's plenty of time left.

Thanks to Web visitors for fantastic reading today and all of this month. Unique visitors for September will top 432,000, one of our highest monthly numbers.

And back to the comments for a second: They're much like what could be heard yesterday in post-game shows and in discussions all around Happy Valley. Fans are frustrated and they have a lot to say.

The Web can be much like a talk show, I often say, and the talk show continues on this Sunday.

No magic in Illinois

My last post talked about magic but there was no magic for the Nittany Lions today in Illinois.

There was frustration, disappointment and reality, I'm afraid.

Execution was lacking, to say the least, as the Nittany Lions lost to drop to 0-2 in the Big Ten.

How a potentially great season has turned. The Lions now face a tough October stretch and a season at a crossroads.

It starts Saturday against Iowa. A win is needed. Execution is needed most of all.

The turnovers that are killing the Lions have to be replaced with magic, or at least red zone effectiveness.

Back to Illinois

Every time the Nittany Lions play Illinois, I naturally think back to 1994 and the comeback that led all comebacks.

It was the golden year and Kerry Collins was in charge. The undefeated Nittany Lions fell way back early ... well, you know the story.

We sat in the end zone and watched the final drive come toward us. It was a magic moment and a monumental win that I'll never forget, and it happened in Illinois.

And so today you have to wonder whether we'll see any magic, or any real offense. It's pretty clear that Penn State can't continue to turn the ball over and survive.

I picked 17-16 Nittany Lions in Friday's midday report. If that happens, there will be some magic, to be sure.

Enjoy the game on the Big Ten Network, and I hope you find a way to watch. We'll update it all regularly online and give you a chance to talk about it all afternoon.

Big Ten hoops

The Nittany Lions are on the Big Ten Network again Saturday. That's not news, I realize, but I can't say often enough how many fans are shut out as the network/cable dispute continues.

Perhaps it won't get resolved this football season, but what about in basketball season?

Will pressure intensify in the Midwest basketball hotbeds to force some action?

I wonder, because the latest Big Ten Insider report -- I get them, given that I get the network -- indicates that eight of the 11 conference teams will play at least half of their hoops games on the network.

Penn State will have 17 games on the Big Ten Network, the report says. Other teams in the more than half category are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa (with the most, 23 games), Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin.

Those are some hoops hotbeds right there. And if their fans don't see their team ... well, we'll see what happens.

Orange alert

Will the Nittany Lions see an Orange-out in Illinois?

I would expect it, but I wonder if it will be any more orange than in Denver Sunday for the Broncos' game.

Orange was everywhere, but the fans never could make a difference as the Broncos sleepwalked to a 23-14 loss to Jacksonville.

Met Michigan State and Purdue fans en route, all living large as their teams are 4-0. A long Big Ten season is ahead, as they know, and for the Nittany Lions the Illinois game looms large.

Orange-out or not.

A repeat of years past

Sorry to admit this, but the Nittany Lions performance in Ann Arbor didn't surprise me. It led me to go elsewhere this weekend.

I did expect them to win, no matter how they played. But they played down, way down, and now are 0-1 in the Big Ten.

They couldn't score a TD against a defense that was run up and down the field by Appalachian State and Oregon.

Their senior running back fumbled again, as did their senior quarterback.

They allowed a freshman QB to excel on third downs, looking like Tom Brady.

And they did not stop Mike Hart, although they tried mightily.

Sorry, but this looked like a repeat of years past, with little imagination and little offense, despite perhaps the most skilled receiving team in Penn State history.

The Michigan streak continues, and the Lions season now is cloudy ahead. All in all, it was disappointing to say the very least.

Big House moments

Enjoy the Big House, all of you fans who will make the trip west.

Enjoy the ride on Interstate 80, honking at other Penn Staters to and from.

Enjoy tailgating on the golf course, the place to be near the Big House.

Enjoy the Irish bar in downtown Ann Arbor, where Penn Staters gather no matter the year.

And enjoy the atmosphere of the largest stadium, while you squeeze into too-small seats. You'll likely be in the end zone but you'll adjust to the view.

I'm skipping the Big House this year. I've made my share of trips, with the most memorable being that great '94 Penn State victory over Michigan and the most recent heartbreaking loss to Michigan despite Michael Robinson's heroics.

You're entrusted to bring home a win and end -- forever and ever and ever -- this long losing streak to Michigan dating to Nov. 17, 1996.

It's up to you. Make the Big House yours on Saturday.

We'll be watching.

Really shut out

Our Big Ten Network poll is really stunning, with 78 percent of readers at this writing saying they don't get the network.

Already 619 people have voted and a couple dozen have left comments.

Here's the short story about the PSU-Illinois game on the network and the poll and comments.

Also, Mike Vest of the Big Ten Network sent me this link to a column on the Indiana Hoosiers' athletics Web site. I include it for you and thank Mike for keeping in touch.

Big game on new network

I don't know about you, but I never ever expected the Penn State-Illinois game to land on the Big Ten Network.

No way. I figured ESPN would grab it, seeing that it's one of the more interesting games of the season.

Illinois -- and I understand an orange-out is planned -- gave the Nittany Lions fits last year in Beaver Stadium and have the game at home this year. The Lions will come off Michigan for another road test before big home showdowns in October.

And now we know, many Penn State fans won't even be able to see the game.

Not with the outrageous Big Ten Network-cable blackout that continues.

I predict this one will really make the shut out fans angry. And it should. And it should make the powers at both the network and the cable companies hold their collective noses and work out a compromise.

Otherwise greed will continue to rule, and the fans will continue to lose.

The Quarless factor

Before the season I figured that Andrew Quarless would climb out of Coach Joe Paterno's doghouse in time for the second half of the Buffalo game.

I was close.

Quarless certainly made a difference in his first action, scoring twice and no doubt helping Anthony Morelli navigate the offense. It was an impressive second season debut for the tight end.

Now it's on to Michigan and Big Ten play for the Nittany Lions, winners 45-24 but with many, many questions. How good are they? We really have no idea.

How good is Michigan? Again, no idea. It'll be fascinating in Ann Arbor, won't it?

I watched today's game on the Big Ten Network and feel for the Penn State fans who can't get it.

While Penn State and Indiana game were featured on the new network, the ESPN stations showed Purdue and Michigan State. Their fans, at least, got to see them.

It's actually outrageous that we're so far into this season with the games kept from the fans, not only here but around the Big Ten. Somehow, some way, the network and major cable companies have to reach an agreement.

The fans -- the paying customers -- are the ones penalized, and that isn't right.

Quite a contrast

Football fans are back in Happy Valley -- how fast did this week go?

It'll be quite a different experience in Beaver Stadium tomorrow than last Saturday, and we're not just talking about the opponent and the crowd intensity.

We're really talking about the weather. Fall has arrived and it will be perhaps 30 degrees cooler Saturday than last Saturday.

Those white T-shirts will be replaced with sweat shirts, perhaps.

You'll see plenty of those white T-shirts when you pick up our Penn State Pregame wrap around the Centre Daily Times on Saturday. The big question concerning the full-page cover photo: Will you be able to see yourself in the crowd?

I bet hundreds, perhaps thousands, of fans will try.

Enjoy the game and the weekend, everyone.

Fans of the game

Congratulations to Andy Berdy and Suzie Kaler, our fans of the game.

We could have picked any of the 110,000 or so clad in white, but Berdy and Kaler stood out. Nothing like getting married right here in Happy Valley on game day.

Their tailgate hosts earned our honor too, for including a wedding this time. Nice work.

Our fan and tailgate picks are a new feature in the Centre Daily Times this year, every home Sunday. At the end you'll get to vote on all of this, and you're invited to nominate yourself or your group.

Just send a note to cdtnewstips@centredaily.com and tell us why you should be honored.

Buffalo is next. Are you ready?

A night to remember

OK, you've been to Beaver Stadium a bunch of times, a bunch of seasons.

You've seen everything. Until Saturday night, that is.

A sea of white, courtesy of 110,078 Penn State fans, made for a remarkable scene at what we consider the very best stadium on any college campus. It was spectacular.

And so was the Penn State defense, which stopped Notre Dame and its freshman quarterback at every turn.

It was a defensive masterpiece, in a sea of white, that Penn State fans will remember for years and years.

The second-largest crowd ever, the first game with Notre Dame in years, the White House effect -- all in night to remember.

Call it 31-10, payback for last year, and satisfying on a muggy September night.

Enjoy our coverage and our White House photos.

Playing Notre Dame

The Penn State-Notre Dame series has been great, so great. There are many memories, many highlights and lowlights.

There's a great history of the series on our Notre Dame rivalry page. Make sure you check it out.

I attended many of the games, both home and away, during the stretch from 1981 to 1992. They were amazing with such intensity, and I'm not just talking about the teams. The fans always were ready.

I'll just share one memory here, that of the 1985 game at Beaver Stadium in the drenching rain. It came in buckets and it started Friday night. But that didn't matter to fans who stayed throughout what was a Penn State blowout win.

I'll really never forget how wet we were, yet still there in the fourth quarter along with so many others. It was sweet revenge for the loss in 1984 in South Bend, and it ended as a 36-6 Penn State win (I seem to remember a shutout, not sure why).

Soaked but happy. That described the fans as they left Beaver Stadium.

And that was 22 years ago. Say what?

Saturday will be special, for each and every ticket holder. If you've been to a Penn State-Notre Dame game, you know what I mean. If you haven't, you're in for a sports highlight.

Enjoy it, everyone.

Confident from the start

I've been confident about this Notre Dame game in Happy Valley for quite some time, and nothing that happened last week altered my thinking.

So, Notre Dame freshman quarterback or not, I was picking Penn State to win big. And today the pick went up in the midday report as 44-7.

Who knows, I've been off base before. But I think the sea of white-clad fans will enjoy this one.

I too remember a long, long afternoon last September in South Bend -- and I only watched it on TV.

Forecast: A whiteout

Conditions could not be better for a full Beaver Stadium whiteout on Saturday.

There's been a buzz about it all week and even e-mails arriving from readers are ending, "Wear white on Saturday."

It'll be hot and humid and perfect for a white T-shirt.

Will it happen? All week we've been seeking your thoughts and your votes in our poll, and so far 77 percent of you say it will happen.

Some comments, however, make it known that it won't happen in full.

Here's a link to our online chatter and poll for you to join in.

As for me, I think a whiteout will happen and yes, I'll wear white.  Thanks for asking.

Overflow games

How will the Big Ten Network handle overflow games, if it were offered on cable?

I wondered about that in a previous post and here's the answer, according to its Web site. My concern, mostly, is for Penn Staters living west and elsewhere, away from Pennsylvania. You can draw your own conclusions.

Thanks to Mike Vest of the network for passing it on.

Q: How will you handle multiple games at once?  Which game will I get to see?

A: The Big Ten Network will frequently air multiple games at the same time, and will regionalize the games so that we can cater to each specific market.  You will see the games you care most about. So, for example, assuming the game is on the network, if you live in Michigan or West Lafayette, you could see the Boilers play the Wolverines on October 13. On that same day, if you live in Iowa or Illinois, you could see the Hawkeyes play the Illini.

We also will offer the games we are not broadcasting in certain markets to our distribution partners to air on their "overflow" channels, so that fans who live outside their university's state can watch their teams.

DIRECTV will carry all of our "overflow" games.  For cable operators, the decision whether or not to air Big Ten Network "overflow" games will be made by the cable operator.

What if Comcast gave in...

I don't mean to suggest here that Comcast will roll over in the great Big Ten Network dispute. After all, Comcast faced the NFL head on and didn't back down.

But let's just say, for the sake of discussion, that Comcast does at some point relent and allow the Big Ten Network to be offered on basic cable for all subscribers. Under that scenario there may or may not be a rate increase, but let's just look at what would happen.

Anyone who watched the Big Ten Network on Direct TV Saturday saw it expand to four stations, all offering different games. It was impressive, and among them of course were the Penn State-Florida International and Michigan-Appalachian State games.

That can happen on satellite TV, but let's think about how it would play out on basic cable. The Big Ten Network would be on one channel for each subscriber. One channel means one game, no matter how many games are on at the same time.

Under that scenario would the Big Ten Network offer Penn State only in our region? Would it offer Michigan only out there, and Ohio State only in Ohio? Would it choose a top game to offer on its one station, then showing highlights of the other? Or would it offer a screen split with four games for everyone?

What would it do?

What I think is that Penn State fans in Pennsylvania and thereabouts would get the Lions, but Penn State fans elsewhere might get another Big Ten game on that one Big Ten Network cable channel. They could be shut out even if get their wishes and get the Big Ten Network.

Nobody's talking about this in their demands for the network to be shown on cable TV. At least I haven't heard them talk about it, and it's a real issue.

Skipping by the Nittany Lions

Now it's just one halftime show on a new network, but first impressions count. And Penn Staters would be interested in what we saw on the Big Ten Network during the Minnesota-Bowling Green halftime Saturday night.

With some fans wanting to see Michigan-Appalachian State highlights, we decided to watch the halftime show and indeed we saw the highlights and relived the shock. Gerry DiNardo, Big Ten Network analyst, offered his perspective and then moved to other games around the league.

He and the others talked about Illinois, Ohio State, Iowa and more.

And Penn State? Just a line score and a passing mention in the entire halftime show. No highlights, nothing. It was like -- well like ESPN when they pass over a Nittany Lions victory. But of course this is the Big Ten Network with a much smaller group of teams to report. And still nothing about the PSU 59-0 win.

I just bring this up because first impressions do matter, and I'm all for sharing observations about this new network that's coming into my house.

Another observation, or perhaps just a question: How, pray tell, do we have expert college football analysis on two major stages by former Indiana coaches -- DiNardo and Lee Corso?

Fans miss PSU game, Big Ten stunner

More than 100,000 fans saw today's scrimmage -- er, game -- live at Beaver Stadium.

They're heading home happy. As expected, the Lions rolled and any potential problems are overshadowed in the 59-0 win over Florida International.

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Penn State fans didn't see the game, unable to get the Big Ten Network.

It's a new era for the Big Ten and Penn State, and so far a lot of fans are shut out.

However, those able to watch the Big Ten Network were treated to an incredible game that certainly will resonate across the nation for years and years and quite likely will put the new network on the map.

There it was, Appalachian State and Michigan -- a barn burner at the Big House.

The Big Ten Network had four games live starting at noon today -- Penn State, Ohio State, Northwestern and Michigan -- but the Wolverines' game will be remembered.

When Appalachian State blocked the Michigan field goal at the end, there was stunned silence and an incredible scene at the Big House. And only Big Ten Network viewers saw it.

Predicting the PSU season

As midday report readers are noticing, I'm bullish on the Nittany Lions this season.

I'm not out spouting from the rooftops, but I'm quietly optimistic about a team that faces a tough but nicely constructed schedule that features all but one of the key games at Beaver Stadium.

The key to the season, in my view, is the running game led by Austin Scott and of course the offensive line. Is Scott really ready? If so, he has the potential to have a huge season that may have fans looking back to Larry Johnson.

I'm clearly counting on all of the offensive parts working in predicting 11-1.

Wildly optimistic? I don't think so. The Lions are talented in the skill positions and quarterback Anthony Morelli and the receivers have been together for awhile. The defense should be solid from the start, and young guys should grow fast with an early schedule that will allow it.

I have to think that the off-field problems and attention have brought the team closer. They should realize that a big season could be ahead.

Unlike many others, I don't think the Michigan game in Ann Arbor is a definite loss. The Nittany Lions are going to win one against Carr and company when you least expect it, and perhaps this will be the year with the Wolverines touted as phenomenal (catch any Big Ten Network chatter last night)? But I'm predicting one loss, so if not Michigan there will be another game.

Now, just sharing that I'm now in year 32 of sitting in Beaver Stadium. Started like many of you in the student section, then moved to ND for many, many, many years before trying the new south upper deck club seats. I moved quickly to WB and now am happy -- very happy -- in WDU.

So I've seen a few games and analyzed a seasons before the opening kickoff. This time let's call it 11-1 and I'll throw out individual game predictions each Friday in the midday report.

Enjoy the season, everyone, and enjoy our print and online coverage.

Stadium off limits II

One good blog post deserves another, so here I'll offer the Penn State Athletic Department response to my request to open the stadium Sunday for the players' cleanup.

Jeff Nelson says, "We appreciate the CDT's interest in making the team clean-up of the stadium a news story, but that was never the intent. It is a team event and the stadium will be open on Sunday only to those involved in the clean-up."

It was "never the intent." Do they actually think that what Coach Joe Paterno says about discipline, in response to a State College incident that brought headlines and criminal charges, is not news, or should not be considered news?"

Perhaps Old Main can explain it and tell them to open the stadium after all, kind of the way they're trying to tell Comcast what to do about the Big Ten Network.

Or better yet, maybe Athletics can compromise and open the stadium to Big Ten Network cameras only, so at least a few of the fans can see what's happening Sunday.

It's not really my intent to spend a lot of time on this. I think two blog posts tell the story.

Stadium off limits during cleanup

Let's turn back the clock to when Coach Joe Paterno made statewide, if not national news, with his remarks in Philadelphia that Penn State players would help clean Beaver Stadium after games this year.

Paterno, startling many and surprising even Old Main, announced that this was part of the discipline for everybody on the team after the April 1 downtown fight led to arrests of players. (That case is in the news again today, with the punishments for students involved.)

Fans applauded or were critical of Paterno's decision, but it's fair to say they've debated it ever since he shared it, and they're still talking about it this week. In fact some might be more careful about leaving soda cups or wrappings in the stadium, so Sunday-shift players don't have to do any more work.

Naturally, we consider this stadium cleanup news and want to photograph it Sunday morning. In fact we asked the Athletics Department about it earlier this week and today found out that the stadium will be off limits. No entry, no press coverage.

So there.

I have appealed this and if it changes I'll let you know. But here's another case of Penn State wanting it both ways -- in this case creating news and public interest and then preventing any access to covering it.

It should be noted that we've received permission any other time that we wanted to photograph cleanup of Beaver Stadium. Never an issue.

I'm sure I won't be the only one wondering if players actually did clean the stadium Sunday, and if they will every Sunday as promised? We'll just have to take their word for it.

Making blogs work

There's nothing like the approaching football season to get bloggers pounding the keyboard.

Our football blogs, and others, are moving full speed ahead, led by Penn State football beat writer Jeff Rice's Nitt Notes.

Rice starting something new with Nitt Notes, blogging from Coach Joe Paterno's first of the weekly press conferences. Added to that, photographer Nabil Mark came back with photos and a video for Web readers just starved for football news.

Perhaps this new approach will bring new readers to blogs, and maybe they'll discover our full lineup of interesting blogging. Some, you know, say they just can't think of reading a blog, or just don't have time.

Well, I think you'll find Rice's posts are quick reading and just right for this Web update. Of course, look for his full reports in Wednesday's Centre Daily Times or here online.

Looking forward to Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Have to see if Paterno really "parachutes' to the field. Great line, coach.

Constantly amazed

The Penn