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.