Oh boy...

The title sort of has two different ways it can be taken.

On one hand it's, Oh boy, Penn State really sucks.  On the other, it's Oh boy! The Capitals pounded the snot out of the New Jersey Devils.

Penn State looked absolutely horrendous against Illinois on Saturday.  They couldn't run, they couldn't pass and they couldn't tackle -- a total recipe for a disaster.  Homecoming is supposed to be a game where you beat the other team handily, the alumni are happy and everyone goes to tailgate and to the bar on a high not.  Not trying to block out the pain of suffering that will be this season.

As I mentioned last week, I thought PSU would go 6-6 at best after their showing against Iowa.  One of those wins was supposed to be against the Fighting Illini.  Whoops.

I know the defense is banged up and that we lost Lou Eliades on the offensive line for the season.  But even the guys who are second on the depth chart, should be good enough to beat Illinois.  This is Penn State we're talking about.  For some reason the recruiting has dropped off and we're not getting the big boys of farmland Pennsylvania to come play ball. 

Also, I keep hearing that the running game isn't Evan Royster's fault.  So why is it that we keep changing the running back, seemingly on every series?  Royster is a fifth-year senior, even though the offensive line can't muster the strength to block, Royster should be smart enough, veteran enough to figure out a way to make it work.  Changing him and the receiving corps (which seems to be done on every play) could be  playing a part in this.  Perhaps a little consistency would do us some good.  And throwing Kevin Newsome in the game every once in a while wouldn't hurt either.

Here's hoping the team takes the bye week seriously and gets back on track before Michigan and Denard Robinson show up.

**********

Even with the crappy afternoon, the night turned out OK.

Coming off a 4-2 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers, the Washington Capitals opened their home slate against the Devils.  The Caps trailed twice in the game, but broke out for four goals in the second period and dominated the Devils, 7-2.

It was good to see Alex Ovechkin grab a couple goals and I was glad to see John Carlson stepping up in the offensive game. Ovechkin scored just his second goal on a penalty shot, in seven tries in his career.  Perhaps he worked on that during the summer.  He certainly had a head start, thanks to the Montreal Canadiens.

Also good, the fights in the third period.  The Capitals took care of business when the Devils decided they'd rather box than play hockey.  Needless to say, the Caps' new enforcer, D.J. King, will suit up the next time we see the Devils in New Jersey. A little payback may be in store for New Jersey, not that the Capitals need any more rivals or targets on their backs.

The team that played Saturday night was the team that the NHL was used to seeing, and hopefully the one that will be showing up to the next 80 games for the Caps.  I know they won't win them all, but if they put in the effort like they did against New Jersey, things will be OK in D.C.

We're in for a long one...

It's getting to be a familiar scene. 
Saturday's game against the Iowa Hawkeyes opened and was nearly a mirror image of the Alabama game, on September 11th.  Iowa took the opening kickoff and marched right down the field and scored.  And they continued to pour it on, while stifling the Penn State offense, led by freshman quarterback, Rob Bolden.

As they did in Tuscaloosa, Penn State fell, 24-3, to the Hawkeyes in Iowa City.

Penn State had two decent drives, one to end the first half and one to open the second half, yet the Nittany Lions only put three points on the board.  The Lions got close at the end of the first half, but bungled the clock management game and let Colin Wagner boot a field goal to close out the half and trailed 17-3 at the break.  Penn State got down inside the 5-yard line to open the second half, only be stopped a half yard short on fourth and goal.

I'm all for giving the freshman quarterback some confidence, but when you're down 14 points and your defense has been playing better, I would have put some points on the board.  Also, I think that Kevin Newsome should have gotten into the game a lot earlier than with 1 minute, 30 seconds to go.  Bottom line is that Penn State needs to win games and a change of pace may not be a bad thing.  However, there is the saying that if you have two quarterbacks, you have zero quarterbacks.

Following the opening drive by the Hawkeyes, the Penn State defense seemed to settle down and kept the Lions within a reasonable striking distance.  But, Bolden never had too much time, thanks to the Iowa defensive line.  On the ground, Evan Royster looked like the Royster of the first three games, unable to find any running lanes.

That could be a product of an inept offensive line.  The line hasn't jelled yet this year, mainly because starting positions are still not nailed down.  The O-line has to be addressed after the season is over, Stefan Wisniewski will be graduating.  That group has to come together so that 2011 provides a better result in the running game.


And as of the Iowa game, I think Penn State might get an early jump on the 2011 season.  With the resurgence of Michigan and Michigan State playing like crazy, I think the best Penn State can do in 2010 is go 6-6.  Ohio State and a surprising Northwestern team also should be Penn State.  That should limit the number of bowl games Penn State will be invited to.  The mostly likely destinations in my mind at this point would be the Little Ceaser's Bowl on Dec. 26 in Detroit, Mich. or the Insight Bowl on Dec. 28 in Tempe, Ariz.

Since Penn State lost by the same score and in very similar fashion, it makes me shutter about the Ohio State game on Nov. 13.  Somehow, I think the Buckeyes can hang more than 24 points on Penn State.

Crazy Day So Far

Soooo...exactly how good is Boise State?  I'm guessing not that good. Reason:  Virginia Tech loses to James Madison at home, 21-16.  It's Virginia Tech's first loss to an Division I-AA school since 1985.  Whoops.  There goes that 11-game winning streak against a inferior opponent.

Is it me or is Beamer Ball pretty lousy this year?  There were several special teams miscues against the Broncos on Labor Day and then the Hokies rough the punter to seal their fate against the Dukes.  Not the look I'm used to seeing from VT.

Beamer, however, is in good company.  Maybe he and Tim Brewster can share some stories tonight.  Minnesota gives the Big Ten a black eye by losing to South Dakota, 41-38.

This phenomenon seems to have started in 2007 when Appalachian State beat Michigan, since then Division I-AA opponents have constantly beating Division I-A teams.  Way to go Big Ten!!!!

Ravens going south in February?

In somewhat of a surprising move, the Ravens signed wide receiver T.J. Houshmanzadeh on Monday.

The Ravens already bolstered their receiving corps this offseason with Anquan Boldin and Dante Stallworth, but signing Houshmanzadeh can't hurt either.

The best part about it may be that we can finally get rid of Mark Clayton.  For whatever reason, the Ravens have been unable to draft and develop wide receivers.  Clayton is another bust in a long line of them at that position. 

According to the Baltimore Sun Clayton is in line to be traded or released.  I'm not sure we would get anything of value in return for Clayton, but not sure he would have added any by being on this team.  When Stallworth returns from his injury, I imagine Clayton would have been bumped down the depth chart.

I know the Ravens have taken a lot of heat over the years for their passing game (if you call it that some years) and rightfully so.  Now, it's good to see that they finally have confidence in a passer and are doing whatever they can to give Joe Flacco the necessary tools to compete.

If the aging defense can hang on this season, the Ravens should be able to make a legit run at the Super Bowl in Dallas.

Football is back and so am I

Getting back to this now that football is back.

It was an interesting weekend of football.  Penn State started the season with a true freshman quarterback and I must say I was pleasantly surprised.  Given that Joe Paterno said that all three of his quarterbacks would play and the fact that the entire team was playing poorly in the first half, I would have thought that he would have pulled Rob Bolden.  But give credit to Paterno, he stuck with the guy until the fourth quarter when the game was finally in hand.

I was glad to see that Brett Brackett showed up as well.  He got lost in the gameplan last year, which was odd because it was the first time that Norwood, Williams and Butler weren't in the picture in several years.  The main thing is that Brackett will be a good go-to-guy for Bolden.  They've seemed to develop some sort of rapport.

To be a fly on the wall in the locker room at halftime would have been something.  Neither the offense or defense played well in the first half.  But both turned it around in the second half.  Colasanti playing middle linebacker will be a positive for the Nittany Lions all year, he seems to fit right in at Linebacker U.

However, this Saturday will be a different story.  Alabama is waaaay better than Youngstown State and doesn't look good for Penn State, even if Mark Ingram is out. 

On the plus side, I think Bolden showed enough in Saturday's game to lead me to believe that we won't get embarrassed.  I still don't think Penn State will win, but it shouldn't be unbearable to watch.

NHL in Europe

This is stupid.

I don't understand why the United States professional sports leagues feels a need to send our games overseas.

They're going to play NHL games to open the season in Finland, Sweden and the Czech Republic. Why? I'm pretty sure that Finland and Sweden each have thier own hockey leagues, I'm not sure about the Czech Republic, but wouldn't be suprised if they did.

The only reason I can see for the NHL doing this is the fact that they can. Either that or they want to rub it in that many of those countries' best players come to the NHL because of the big money payouts that are available.

The European and North American games are so different. In some respects, the European game is better and makes me look forward to Olympic ice hockey every four years becaues the ice is bigger and it's more  of a finesse game, instead of a power game.

Not to mention the fact, that each team that is in Europe loses out on a potential home game, which can be a loss of revenue. And unfortunately that is what it comes down to today in professional sports. The same goes for the NFL trying to play a game a year in London.

The NFL Europe (Europa) failed. It didn't take hold on the other side of the pond. They have soccer and we have football. Why can't we leave it at that?

Fourth Quarter

• Colts find out why the Ravens let Matt Stover go. He's usually accurate, but it's the distance that is killing him at his age.
• First challenge of the Super Bowl goes the Saints way. I think it's a good call, nice to see that things get called correctly, even if it's the second time around. No need to mess things up at this point. No onside kick on the ensuing play though, could it have been successful a second time?
• So, I was wrong in my assessment that Manning have the Colts pull away in the second half. Seven second-half comebacks in the regular season = exciting final 5:35 of the game.
• Dat is probably the Super Bowl. Tracy Porter comes up with big 74-yard interception for Saints. Also, Dat might be the worst haircut I've ever seen.
• Since a kicker probably won't win Super Bowl MVP, although Hartley might deserve it. My guess is the race will come down to either Brees or Porter.
• Just dawned on me, Penn State usually has a strong player contingent in the Super Bowl. This year = 0. Only connection with the Nittany Lions is Colts' coach Jim Caldwell, who was an assistant in the late 80s, early 90s.
• Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints, didn't look good early, but that's why you play all four quarters.

Third Quarter

• Gutsy call by Saints coach Sean Payton, much like the fourth and goal call, but this time it worked out as New Orleans gets the onside kick to start the second half. This could get wild.
• Yahtzee! Saints take lead. Pierre Thomas got a great block on the screen pass to allow him a path to the end zone.
• Colts score -- cut to Eli Manning. Maybe I didn't pay attention, but have we seen Kim Kardashian tonight? Colts up 17-13.
• Garrett Hartley -- damn. Wish the Ravens had a kicker with this kind of range/accuracy early in the season.

Second Quarter and Halftime

• Budweiser's bridge commercial = decent. Still not buying their beer.
• Umm, Jay Leno and Dave Letterman are friends now? Leno and NBC agree to promote Letterman's show?
• Career Builder's "Casual Friday" commerical = amusing.
• Back to the game - Saints kick field goal, not totally out of it yet. Dwight Freeny's ankle looked OK on his sack on Drew Brees.
• New Orleans has the right idea with two mintues to go. Running 20 plays to the Colts' three. Manning can't win the game if isn't on the field.  However, Brees has got to get New Orleans in the endzone.
• I thought of writing mission accomplished, but then I thought of George W. Bush and then the Saints running back fell down before he got to the enzone. Whoops.
• Also a whoops - going for it on fourth down in the first half of the super bowl.
• Garrett Hartley is Saints' MVP of the first half. Not easy field goals. Like I said yesterday, I thought it would be a close first half. Now Peyton Manning gets the ball to start the second half, I think this is where he'll start to put the game away for Indianapolis.
• I like The Who, but can the NFL get past the wardrobe malfunction and have acts who are more recent play the halftime show. I still cringe at the thought of Mick Jagger running around in his half shirt a few years ago.

Pregame and First Quarter

• Heck Yes! Carrie Underwood. I would be OK if the power went out now and I missed the rest of the Super Bowl. All the commericials will be online and SportsCenter will have highlights for about 12 hours tomorrow.
• Boy, Jim Nantz is on top of his game. He's got all the inane coin toss stats memorized. I bet he spent last night studying. But for real, 13 in a row for the NFC, that's kinda crazy. Seems like a pro-Saints crowd.
• I like CBS' new player intro "graphic", using the full bodied players to introduce themselves. Probably won't last beyond the Super Bowl.
• Nice to see a guy like Pierre Garcon in the NFL. It takes a special player to come from Division III to the NFL and scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl. Alliance, Ohio is going crazy.
• Good stop by the Saints to hold the Colts to field goal, they don't want to get into a track meet with the Colts. Peyton Manning is no Brett Favre.
• Reggie Bush finally seems to be coming around as a complete NFL player. He's been borderline bust since he's been in the league. However, I think that's an unfair label. Typically, Heisman Trophy winners haven't translated to the NFL. But there is a big difference between being the best player in college football and being a decent player in the NFL. Case in point: Peyton Manning finished second  in 1997 when Charles Woodson won the award. Although, Woodson has had a solid NFL career.
• Early winner on Commericials: Doritos.

Capitals 5, Penguins 4 (OT)

Wow, what a game!

The Captials were able to extend their winning streak to 14 games, beating the Penguins 5-4 in overtime.

Alex Ovechkin came up big for Washington, scoring three goals (The Caps' first hat trick of the season). This was after he was boarded in the first period, a call that was never made by the referees. They missed several during the game and even made a few bad ones, specifically the slashing penalty in the third period on Jeff Schultz that wasn't.

Lucikly, that penalty, called when the game was 4-4, didn't hurt the Caps and they survived to go to overtime. That's when Washington's power play struck, Mike Knuble putting home a rebound on Ovechkin's shot.

Once again Washington played poorly to start the game and Sidney Crosby scored twice in the opening period to squash any talk of after effects from the Pens' crazy journey to DC.

• Watching the game made me realize what NBC actually stands for: NBC = Nothing But Crosby. Man, the network couldn't get enough of this guy. It seems like that's all they talked about and all they showed. As of the end of the game, Ovechkin is still on top of the goal scoring race, with 42 to Crosby's 39.
• Knuble has been an incredible find for the Caps. I was skeptical in the offseason, I knew he was a paint guy, but he was a little bit older in a team full of young guys. Doesn't seem to matter any more, he's been on fire as of late.
• Last year and this year combined, the Caps are 5-0-1 against the Penguins in the regular season. I don't know why we can dominate in the regular season, but fall apart in the playoffs. Maybe, I'm being a pansy and not wanting to confront the problem head on, but I hope we don't have to play Pittsburgh this year in the playoffs.

That's about it for now on the Caps game. I'm getting ready to watch the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl is tomorrow.

So I guess the Super Bowl is tomorrow. You wouldn't know it though, because apparently it has snowed in the DC area.

But, more importantly than the Super Bowl is what comes before. And I'm not talking about the six hours of incessant pre-game coverage. (FYI, I think a hurricane may have hit New Orleans a few years ago.)

The most important part of the sporting day will be at Noon, when the Capitals go for win No. 14 against the Penguins. That is if the Penguins do indeed make it into town. According to the Washington Post (http://http//voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/dc-snow-caps-penguins-game.html) Pittsburgh is flying into Newark, NJ and hoping to take a bus ride into DC for the game tomorrow.

Talk about an advantage. Hopefully the Caps stayed in the downtown area so that they are nice and rested.

Getting back to the football game. Peyton Manning is going to be tough, I'll take the Colts over the Saints. I envision a tight first half, but Indianapolis should pull away in the second half.