Showing posts with label bill o'brien. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bill o'brien. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Friday, January 3, 2014
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Penn State vs. Syracuse: 'Who Gives a Shit About Bubbles?!?'
In my nearly 30 years on this planet, I have seen Penn State play up in East Rutherford at the Meadowlands complex more than any other place outside of Beaver Stadium. I was there for a couple of the now-defunct Kickoff Classics vs. USC (a victory in 1996 and loss in 2000), witnessed them trounce Rutgers with Bobby Engram running a fumble he picked up in for a touchdown at the beginning of the game, and even saw them play and destroy Temple in Giants Stadium in 1996.
Saturday I was able to add another chapter to bearing witness to Penn State playing at the Meadowlands, as the Nittany Lions topped Syracuse at MetLife Stadium 23-17 in the season opener behind a stout defense and just enough offense. And while the game was all well and good — particularly last year's goat, Sam Ficken, and true freshman quarterback Christian Hackenberg taking home Big Ten honors — the highlight of the entire trip came well before kickoff.
I departed for the game at approximately 11 a.m. with two of my longtime friends, both of whom were roommates of mine during our college days at Penn State. Surprisingly, we hit virtually no traffic the entire way, even as we approached the Meadowlands, leaving us plenty of time to tailgate. The first thing we noticed, which was no surprise, was that the vast majority of the parking lots were filled with Penn State supporters, with very little orange in sight despite this being an official Syracuse home game. We also noticed a lack of, let's say, aesthetic beauty.
Anyway, we posted up and began eating and drinking when something pretty hilarious happened. Across from us was an interesting-looking family — a large, athletic-looking guy with a tough-guy feel to him, his wife that looked a bit off and two young boys. The father was tossing the ball around with one son, as the other was running around. A little later, the father and his two sons were tossing some bean bags when the smaller of the boys tugged on his dad's pant leg and asked him where the bubbles where. The father's reply?
"Who gives a shit about bubbles?!?"
It had us laughing our asses off, and the dad turned toward us and said, "Fucking bubbles!" He was clearly disgusted with his young son discussing bubbles at a football tailgate — and he had no qualms about using the foul language in front of him. Quite entertaining if a bit concerning.
A little later, that same young boy was looked at by medics after falling, but he was fine — just a little scrape on his arm or something. It was quite a different tailgate, that's for sure.
After a couple hours in the parking lot, we headed in and prepped for the start of the college football season. In line, surrounded by Penn State fans, a rowdy group of college-aged Syracuse fans began some chants they found to be extremely clever, such as, "BOWL GAMES! BOWL GAMES! BOWL GAMES!" Because, you know, Penn State should be jealous of Syracuse's impressive résumé of bowl games since the Nittany Lions can't go to any for a little while. Admittedly, it was a tame chant, but it did prepare the Penn State fans in attendance for the few Orange fans that actually bothered to show up.
We got to our seats in the end zone and got all settled in. There were a few Syracuse fans around us, including a drunk, obnoxious woman who eventually was escorted out after causing a fight, but it was mostly Penn State fans surrounding us. It was a remarkably comfortable day, our view was great and we were ready.
Penn State received the opening kickoff and had its drive stalled in Syracuse territory. Nothing noteworthy there … except the fact that reigning Big Ten Receiver of the Year Allen Robinson did not see the field the entire drive. That had me scrambling all over to find out why in the world the team's best player wasn't on the field. I sent out texts and hit Twitter, finally learning that Robinson had been suspended for disciplinary reasons. At first, the tweet I saw reported he was suspended for the game, but turns out he was just suspended for the first half. No one knows why, exactly, since coach Bill O'Brien would not disclose the reason and Robinson was muzzled after the game. My guess is he missed a class or practice or curfew or something, but that's purely speculation.
Anyway, without Robinson on the field and with a true freshman quarterback under center, Penn State moved the ball a bit but could not get any points on the board. Then, to close out the first quarter, O'Brien put sophomore junior college transfer Tyler Ferguson in the game, who promptly threw a strike for 18 yards on his first play … only to fumble on his second, losing the ball as he cocked to pass. That led to a field goal by Syracuse to take a 3-0 lead, and it also led to Ferguson spending the rest of the game on the bench. One drive, one turnover and one lost chance to become the starter moving forward.
From there, it was Hackenberg's show, and the freshman impressed. However, he could not cap off any drives with touchdowns, and he wasn't helped by the play-calling of O'Brien.
Penn State did take a 6-3 lead into halftime as Sam Ficken continued to show his remarkable improvement by easily connecting on back-to-back 36- and 35-yard field goals, but the offense was sort of stagnant without Robinson. A large reason for that was because O'Brien was calling quite the curious game — something that continued the entire way. He repeatedly called for Hackenberg to do it all in just his first start, quickly neglecting the running game after it got off to a slow start. But at the same time, O'Brien would not let Hackenberg go all out in 3rd-and-long situations, often running with little chance of getting a first down. Also, the tight ends weren't seeing a ton of balls, especially Kyle Carter, which I found odd as well. I love Bill O'Brien, but Saturday was not his finest play-calling game.
Still, Penn State took the lead despite two turnovers — Hackenberg threw a pick in the second quarter — thanks to a stout defense. Syracuse could not get a damn thing going on the ground, as defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and company were getting repeated penetration, allowing Glenn Carson to sniff out the ball carrier time and time again. On top of that, minus a bad breakdown by Adrian Amos on one play, the young secondary stepped up. Stephen Obeng-Agyapong was outstanding, flying all over the field, and sophomore corners Jordan Lucas and Trevor Williams held their own nicely.
Still, the 6-3 margin didn't provide a ton of excitement. Thankfully it wouldn't take long for the excitement level to turn around in the second half, thanks to Allen Robinson.
After Penn State forced a punt on Syracuse's opening drive in the second half, Robinson entered the game and immediately made an impact. And I mean immediately. On his first play, Hackenberg hit Robinson for a 25-yard completion. On the very next play, the freshman went back to his top target, and Robinson dashed 51 yards for a touchdown, 13-3 Penn State. Two plays, two catches, 76 yards and a touchdown. Allen Robinson is fucking good.
That had the crowd amped and me really pumped, directing a few, "Uh, ohs" at some Cuse fans because our stud was back. Of course, the Orange came right back and scored its first touchdown of the game on the very next drive thanks to the aforementioned blown coverage by Amos, making it a three-point game again.
However, Penn State was able to hold on for the 23-17 victory, as Ficken followed his perfect first half by remaining perfect with a 46-yarder, while Hackenberberg connected with Geno Lewis for a 54-yard touchdown pass thanks to all the attention Robinson rightfully received following his first two plays.
Still, it wasn't all roses for the Nittany Lions. Hackenberg threw an absolutely atrocious interception late in the game, which led to Syracuse's second touchdown that put the outcome in doubt. On the play, Robinson was in single coverage. No matter what the play call was, Hackenberg or O'Brien should have changed the play to make sure it went Robinson's way. No one did, and then Hackenberg showed his greenness, tossing a horrid interception into double coverage. Not good, particularly with Robinson, who had seven catches for 133 yards and a score in just one half of football, in one-on-one coverage. Like I said, not the finest play-calling performance by O'Brien.
On top of that, tight end Matt Lehman went down in a heap without being touched in what looked like an ACL injury. It looked bad. Turns out, Kyle Carter also hurt his arm, and while it's not serious, it could explain his zero catches. Then there was the loss of linebacker Mike Hull, who ran off the field on his own accord but did not return either. That's not good considering he was expected to be the most versatile and potentially best linebacker on the roster.
Still, Penn State was able to come away with the victory in its opener, something that didn't happen last year. The defense was extremely impressive, with Obeng-Agyapong the clear standout. He was definitely the defensive player of the game, if not the player of the game, and his teammates — namely Jones and Carson — were outstanding as well.
On top of that, Hackenberg looked very, very good in his first start despite a couple of freshman mistakes, Robinson was inarguably the best offensive player on the field and the biggest difference maker, and Sam Ficken looks like he definitely has put his struggles from the first half of last season behind him for good.
Not the most impressive game ever, but a fine start to the season. Can't wait to see what the Nittany Lions have in store the rest of the way.
Saturday I was able to add another chapter to bearing witness to Penn State playing at the Meadowlands, as the Nittany Lions topped Syracuse at MetLife Stadium 23-17 in the season opener behind a stout defense and just enough offense. And while the game was all well and good — particularly last year's goat, Sam Ficken, and true freshman quarterback Christian Hackenberg taking home Big Ten honors — the highlight of the entire trip came well before kickoff.
I departed for the game at approximately 11 a.m. with two of my longtime friends, both of whom were roommates of mine during our college days at Penn State. Surprisingly, we hit virtually no traffic the entire way, even as we approached the Meadowlands, leaving us plenty of time to tailgate. The first thing we noticed, which was no surprise, was that the vast majority of the parking lots were filled with Penn State supporters, with very little orange in sight despite this being an official Syracuse home game. We also noticed a lack of, let's say, aesthetic beauty.
Anyway, we posted up and began eating and drinking when something pretty hilarious happened. Across from us was an interesting-looking family — a large, athletic-looking guy with a tough-guy feel to him, his wife that looked a bit off and two young boys. The father was tossing the ball around with one son, as the other was running around. A little later, the father and his two sons were tossing some bean bags when the smaller of the boys tugged on his dad's pant leg and asked him where the bubbles where. The father's reply?
"Who gives a shit about bubbles?!?"
It had us laughing our asses off, and the dad turned toward us and said, "Fucking bubbles!" He was clearly disgusted with his young son discussing bubbles at a football tailgate — and he had no qualms about using the foul language in front of him. Quite entertaining if a bit concerning.
A little later, that same young boy was looked at by medics after falling, but he was fine — just a little scrape on his arm or something. It was quite a different tailgate, that's for sure.
After a couple hours in the parking lot, we headed in and prepped for the start of the college football season. In line, surrounded by Penn State fans, a rowdy group of college-aged Syracuse fans began some chants they found to be extremely clever, such as, "BOWL GAMES! BOWL GAMES! BOWL GAMES!" Because, you know, Penn State should be jealous of Syracuse's impressive résumé of bowl games since the Nittany Lions can't go to any for a little while. Admittedly, it was a tame chant, but it did prepare the Penn State fans in attendance for the few Orange fans that actually bothered to show up.
We got to our seats in the end zone and got all settled in. There were a few Syracuse fans around us, including a drunk, obnoxious woman who eventually was escorted out after causing a fight, but it was mostly Penn State fans surrounding us. It was a remarkably comfortable day, our view was great and we were ready.
Penn State received the opening kickoff and had its drive stalled in Syracuse territory. Nothing noteworthy there … except the fact that reigning Big Ten Receiver of the Year Allen Robinson did not see the field the entire drive. That had me scrambling all over to find out why in the world the team's best player wasn't on the field. I sent out texts and hit Twitter, finally learning that Robinson had been suspended for disciplinary reasons. At first, the tweet I saw reported he was suspended for the game, but turns out he was just suspended for the first half. No one knows why, exactly, since coach Bill O'Brien would not disclose the reason and Robinson was muzzled after the game. My guess is he missed a class or practice or curfew or something, but that's purely speculation.
Anyway, without Robinson on the field and with a true freshman quarterback under center, Penn State moved the ball a bit but could not get any points on the board. Then, to close out the first quarter, O'Brien put sophomore junior college transfer Tyler Ferguson in the game, who promptly threw a strike for 18 yards on his first play … only to fumble on his second, losing the ball as he cocked to pass. That led to a field goal by Syracuse to take a 3-0 lead, and it also led to Ferguson spending the rest of the game on the bench. One drive, one turnover and one lost chance to become the starter moving forward.
From there, it was Hackenberg's show, and the freshman impressed. However, he could not cap off any drives with touchdowns, and he wasn't helped by the play-calling of O'Brien.
Penn State did take a 6-3 lead into halftime as Sam Ficken continued to show his remarkable improvement by easily connecting on back-to-back 36- and 35-yard field goals, but the offense was sort of stagnant without Robinson. A large reason for that was because O'Brien was calling quite the curious game — something that continued the entire way. He repeatedly called for Hackenberg to do it all in just his first start, quickly neglecting the running game after it got off to a slow start. But at the same time, O'Brien would not let Hackenberg go all out in 3rd-and-long situations, often running with little chance of getting a first down. Also, the tight ends weren't seeing a ton of balls, especially Kyle Carter, which I found odd as well. I love Bill O'Brien, but Saturday was not his finest play-calling game.
Still, Penn State took the lead despite two turnovers — Hackenberg threw a pick in the second quarter — thanks to a stout defense. Syracuse could not get a damn thing going on the ground, as defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and company were getting repeated penetration, allowing Glenn Carson to sniff out the ball carrier time and time again. On top of that, minus a bad breakdown by Adrian Amos on one play, the young secondary stepped up. Stephen Obeng-Agyapong was outstanding, flying all over the field, and sophomore corners Jordan Lucas and Trevor Williams held their own nicely.
Still, the 6-3 margin didn't provide a ton of excitement. Thankfully it wouldn't take long for the excitement level to turn around in the second half, thanks to Allen Robinson.
After Penn State forced a punt on Syracuse's opening drive in the second half, Robinson entered the game and immediately made an impact. And I mean immediately. On his first play, Hackenberg hit Robinson for a 25-yard completion. On the very next play, the freshman went back to his top target, and Robinson dashed 51 yards for a touchdown, 13-3 Penn State. Two plays, two catches, 76 yards and a touchdown. Allen Robinson is fucking good.
That had the crowd amped and me really pumped, directing a few, "Uh, ohs" at some Cuse fans because our stud was back. Of course, the Orange came right back and scored its first touchdown of the game on the very next drive thanks to the aforementioned blown coverage by Amos, making it a three-point game again.
However, Penn State was able to hold on for the 23-17 victory, as Ficken followed his perfect first half by remaining perfect with a 46-yarder, while Hackenberberg connected with Geno Lewis for a 54-yard touchdown pass thanks to all the attention Robinson rightfully received following his first two plays.
Still, it wasn't all roses for the Nittany Lions. Hackenberg threw an absolutely atrocious interception late in the game, which led to Syracuse's second touchdown that put the outcome in doubt. On the play, Robinson was in single coverage. No matter what the play call was, Hackenberg or O'Brien should have changed the play to make sure it went Robinson's way. No one did, and then Hackenberg showed his greenness, tossing a horrid interception into double coverage. Not good, particularly with Robinson, who had seven catches for 133 yards and a score in just one half of football, in one-on-one coverage. Like I said, not the finest play-calling performance by O'Brien.
On top of that, tight end Matt Lehman went down in a heap without being touched in what looked like an ACL injury. It looked bad. Turns out, Kyle Carter also hurt his arm, and while it's not serious, it could explain his zero catches. Then there was the loss of linebacker Mike Hull, who ran off the field on his own accord but did not return either. That's not good considering he was expected to be the most versatile and potentially best linebacker on the roster.
Still, Penn State was able to come away with the victory in its opener, something that didn't happen last year. The defense was extremely impressive, with Obeng-Agyapong the clear standout. He was definitely the defensive player of the game, if not the player of the game, and his teammates — namely Jones and Carson — were outstanding as well.
On top of that, Hackenberg looked very, very good in his first start despite a couple of freshman mistakes, Robinson was inarguably the best offensive player on the field and the biggest difference maker, and Sam Ficken looks like he definitely has put his struggles from the first half of last season behind him for good.
Not the most impressive game ever, but a fine start to the season. Can't wait to see what the Nittany Lions have in store the rest of the way.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Friday, January 4, 2013
It's Friday, Time to Dance: BOB Edition
After an impressive first year as a head coach, surpassing pretty much all expectations anyone had for Penn State in 2012, Bill O'Brien became one of the hottest coaches out there and a target for NFL franchises looking for a new lead man. Seeing as he has pro experience coaching the potent New England offense prior to taking over at Penn State, then flourishing as a head coach in year one, the reasons are obvious.
However, before the new year O'Brien said he intended to stay at Penn State despite the murmurs that he may bolt for the NFL. Still, as Black Monday unleashed its wrath, O'Brien's name came up for seemingly every head coach opening, understandably. And while there was lots of speculation that he may leave after all, Bill O'Brien put that all to rest last night, reconfirming that he will indeed be the head coach of the Nittany Lions in 2013, and that he will not take any more interviews for NFL jobs — he apparently met with the Eagles and Browns.
So in honor of Bill O'Brien remaining in Happy Valley — with a nice little raise to boot — it only makes sense to enjoy Bombs Over Baghdad (BOB) for Bill O'Brien (BOB).
And the version with Rage Against the Machine, just because.
However, before the new year O'Brien said he intended to stay at Penn State despite the murmurs that he may bolt for the NFL. Still, as Black Monday unleashed its wrath, O'Brien's name came up for seemingly every head coach opening, understandably. And while there was lots of speculation that he may leave after all, Bill O'Brien put that all to rest last night, reconfirming that he will indeed be the head coach of the Nittany Lions in 2013, and that he will not take any more interviews for NFL jobs — he apparently met with the Eagles and Browns.
So in honor of Bill O'Brien remaining in Happy Valley — with a nice little raise to boot — it only makes sense to enjoy Bombs Over Baghdad (BOB) for Bill O'Brien (BOB).
And the version with Rage Against the Machine, just because.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
The 2012 Penn State Football Season
On Saturday, Penn State finished its unprecedented 2012 season with a win over Wisconsin. The win put the Nittany Lions at 8-4. Usually 8-4 wouldn't be considered a great season, especially in Happy Valley. Not a terrible season, but not great. Yet when you consider where this program was a year ago, or six months ago, 8-4 is incredible. It's perhaps the best 8-4 season that ever was.
Let's take a quick look at where the program was a year ago. We all know what happened, and I'm not going to rehash that. I just want to mention that the program had parted ways with its legendary coach, who had led the program since before most of the people who read this site were born, long before. For the first time in almost half a century, there would be a new man patrolling the sidelines for Penn State. The man hired to replace him would have some big shoes to fill, and such a major change could in itself be cause for a season of struggles.
Then six months ago the NCAA handed down its sanctions on the Penn State football program. Crippling sanctions that were pretty much intended to blast the program back to the Stone Age while competing against programs with hovercrafts and laser guns. There would be no bowl games for four years, there would be less scholarships available, and current players could transfer without the penalty of having to sit out a year. And some major pieces sure did transfer. Silas Redd, the team's leading rusher. Justin Brown, the team's best returning wide receiver. Anthony Fera, the team's dependable starting kicker and punter. The team's depth chart was left depleted, and players who under ordinary circumstances wouldn't have seen the field all season where forced into major playing time.
So all hell had broken loose in Happy Valley. Talented players were leaving for supposedly greener pastures, recruits were being scared away, second- and third-string players were about to get significant playing time, and there was a brand-new, first-year head coach trying to navigate this mess. At this points the "experts" proclaimed the program basically dead, and you heard predictions of 2-10 and 3-9 being bantered about. So how did 8-4 come to be?
It all starts with the leadership of the senior class, especially Mike Mauti. After the sanctions were announced, Mauti stood with a group of fellow players and defiantly stated that he, and the players behind him, were going to stay at Penn State, show what Penn State was really all about, and work to leave a positive impression on the program and help it start to rebuild. And boy did he. Along with fellow seniors Jordan Hill and Gerald Hodges, he anchored the defense and provided invaluable leadership. The entire senior class deserves to be greatly commended, but in particular Mauti. His loyalty, passion, dedication, and leadership were inspirational and should be an example to us all.
Next in line to get a ton of credit is first-year head coach Bill O'Brien. The hiring of O'Brien was not met with much enthusiasm from alumni, fans, and even former players. And after an 0-2 start, it didn't look good. But once the team got comfortable with the coach's schemes and ideas, it started to click. The team won 8 of its last 10 games and even managed to flirt with the top 25 a few times. O'Brien did some really good things on the field while also making some rookie mistakes, but his leadership cannot be denied. He sat there and accepted the sanctions, even though he or no one on his team had anything to do with the atrocities that occurred. Instead of complaining or making excuses, he sat there, accepted his circumstances, and said that his program would recognize what happened and do its best to move on to try to keep the program afloat through the sanctions and work on building a bright future. He's off to a great start. I sure hope he doesn't leave.
Credit is also due to Matt McGloin. I have been extremely critical of McGloin during his time at Penn State. He was never able to overtake Rob Bolden for full-time starting quarterback responsibilities, and his play was frustrating to say the least. He had a propensity to make mind-boggling throws that would inevitably lead to interceptions. He was a turnover machine.
But during the spring, coach O'Brien endorsed Matt as his starter. Matt studied the coach's new offense and learned it well, and he flourished. In 2012 he was one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 10. He completed 60.5% of his passes for 3,271 yards. And he threw 24 touchdowns to only 5 interceptions. He looked poised, he looked in control, and for the most part he made the correct reads and throws. He also deserves credit for his senior leadership.
Two quick final notes. Allen Robinson showed some star potential throughout the season. The sophomore receiver finished with 77 catches for 1,018 yards and 11 touchdowns. Just for reference, his freshman season numbers were 3 catches for 29 yards.
Finally, it was fitting that Sam Ficken ended the season with a game-winning field goal. To say the season has been an struggle for Ficken would be an understatement. It's hard to put a loss on a single individual, but if ever there was a time it would be on Ficken in the Virginia game. Yes, Allen Robinson dropped a touchdown pass, and I'm sure there were plenty of less obvious mishaps that occurred, but Ficken missed 4 of his 5 field goal attempts (including a 20 yarder), and missed an extra point, with Penn State losing by a single point. That games seems forever ago now, and it was nice to see the kid pull through against Wisconsin and hit that big kick and end his season on a good note.
As a Penn State fan, I can't thank this team enough. Especially coach O'Brien and the seniors. I'm thankful for the loyalty they displayed, and thankful that they helped Penn State take a step forward. Most importantly, I'm happy for them, that their loyalty and dedication paid off and was rewarded. They were a part of one of the most important seasons in Penn State history, and they will go down as one of the most special.
Let's take a quick look at where the program was a year ago. We all know what happened, and I'm not going to rehash that. I just want to mention that the program had parted ways with its legendary coach, who had led the program since before most of the people who read this site were born, long before. For the first time in almost half a century, there would be a new man patrolling the sidelines for Penn State. The man hired to replace him would have some big shoes to fill, and such a major change could in itself be cause for a season of struggles.
Then six months ago the NCAA handed down its sanctions on the Penn State football program. Crippling sanctions that were pretty much intended to blast the program back to the Stone Age while competing against programs with hovercrafts and laser guns. There would be no bowl games for four years, there would be less scholarships available, and current players could transfer without the penalty of having to sit out a year. And some major pieces sure did transfer. Silas Redd, the team's leading rusher. Justin Brown, the team's best returning wide receiver. Anthony Fera, the team's dependable starting kicker and punter. The team's depth chart was left depleted, and players who under ordinary circumstances wouldn't have seen the field all season where forced into major playing time.
So all hell had broken loose in Happy Valley. Talented players were leaving for supposedly greener pastures, recruits were being scared away, second- and third-string players were about to get significant playing time, and there was a brand-new, first-year head coach trying to navigate this mess. At this points the "experts" proclaimed the program basically dead, and you heard predictions of 2-10 and 3-9 being bantered about. So how did 8-4 come to be?
It all starts with the leadership of the senior class, especially Mike Mauti. After the sanctions were announced, Mauti stood with a group of fellow players and defiantly stated that he, and the players behind him, were going to stay at Penn State, show what Penn State was really all about, and work to leave a positive impression on the program and help it start to rebuild. And boy did he. Along with fellow seniors Jordan Hill and Gerald Hodges, he anchored the defense and provided invaluable leadership. The entire senior class deserves to be greatly commended, but in particular Mauti. His loyalty, passion, dedication, and leadership were inspirational and should be an example to us all.
Next in line to get a ton of credit is first-year head coach Bill O'Brien. The hiring of O'Brien was not met with much enthusiasm from alumni, fans, and even former players. And after an 0-2 start, it didn't look good. But once the team got comfortable with the coach's schemes and ideas, it started to click. The team won 8 of its last 10 games and even managed to flirt with the top 25 a few times. O'Brien did some really good things on the field while also making some rookie mistakes, but his leadership cannot be denied. He sat there and accepted the sanctions, even though he or no one on his team had anything to do with the atrocities that occurred. Instead of complaining or making excuses, he sat there, accepted his circumstances, and said that his program would recognize what happened and do its best to move on to try to keep the program afloat through the sanctions and work on building a bright future. He's off to a great start. I sure hope he doesn't leave.
Credit is also due to Matt McGloin. I have been extremely critical of McGloin during his time at Penn State. He was never able to overtake Rob Bolden for full-time starting quarterback responsibilities, and his play was frustrating to say the least. He had a propensity to make mind-boggling throws that would inevitably lead to interceptions. He was a turnover machine.
But during the spring, coach O'Brien endorsed Matt as his starter. Matt studied the coach's new offense and learned it well, and he flourished. In 2012 he was one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 10. He completed 60.5% of his passes for 3,271 yards. And he threw 24 touchdowns to only 5 interceptions. He looked poised, he looked in control, and for the most part he made the correct reads and throws. He also deserves credit for his senior leadership.
Two quick final notes. Allen Robinson showed some star potential throughout the season. The sophomore receiver finished with 77 catches for 1,018 yards and 11 touchdowns. Just for reference, his freshman season numbers were 3 catches for 29 yards.
Finally, it was fitting that Sam Ficken ended the season with a game-winning field goal. To say the season has been an struggle for Ficken would be an understatement. It's hard to put a loss on a single individual, but if ever there was a time it would be on Ficken in the Virginia game. Yes, Allen Robinson dropped a touchdown pass, and I'm sure there were plenty of less obvious mishaps that occurred, but Ficken missed 4 of his 5 field goal attempts (including a 20 yarder), and missed an extra point, with Penn State losing by a single point. That games seems forever ago now, and it was nice to see the kid pull through against Wisconsin and hit that big kick and end his season on a good note.
As a Penn State fan, I can't thank this team enough. Especially coach O'Brien and the seniors. I'm thankful for the loyalty they displayed, and thankful that they helped Penn State take a step forward. Most importantly, I'm happy for them, that their loyalty and dedication paid off and was rewarded. They were a part of one of the most important seasons in Penn State history, and they will go down as one of the most special.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Bouncing Back: Penn State Continues to Move Forward
Heading into the 2012 college football season, no one knew what to expect from the Penn State Nittany Lions. After starting 0-2 with a loss to Ohio at home and a squandered opportunity at Virginia, things looked grim. But from there, Bill O'Brien and Penn State bounced back with five straight victories before falling to Ohio State.
On Saturday, the Nittany Lions bounced right back again, trouncing Purdue 34-9 to prove that no matter what sort of turmoil this team goes through, Penn State will not succumb to the pressures and quit on this season.
Matt McGloin bounced back from a difficult game where he reverted to his old self by picking apart the Boilermakers to the tune of 321 yards passing and two touchdowns without any of those costly turnovers. Brandon Moseby-Felder bounced back from a season of dropped passes with his best game to date, hauling in six passes for a game-high 129 yards and a score. The running game bounced back from an anemic showing against the Buckeyes to gain 185 yards, led by Zach Zwinak's 134. The defense bounced back after getting worn down by Ohio State to suffocate Purdue's offense. And Bill O'Brien bounced back from a rough second half where he was outsmarted by his counterpart Urban Meyer by pushing all the right buttons. Hell, even Sam Ficken bounced back from a season of struggles to make both his field goal attempts and knock through four extra points.
All in all, it was an encouraging sign, another in a line of many for the program. No matter what kind of hand the Nittany Lions are dealt, they seem to find a way to come out ahead. Truthfully, 6-3 isn't the type of record that's going to knock the socks off of the college football world, but this is no ordinary 6-3 team. It's a 6-3 team that simply refuses to make excuses or take the easy way out.
This entire season has been built around bouncing back, a program that needed to bounce back from a scandal so heinous and unfathomable that many thought it would take years, if not even longer. And while the long-term ramifications are still to be sorted out, this team, led by this new, fearless coach, just keeps bouncing back.
These Nittany Lions bounced back from the departures of some key players by circling the wagons and playing for each other. They bounced back from a demoralizing start to go on a winning streak. And they bounced back from a rough home defeat to a rival with another impressive performance.
As a result, Penn State is beginning to bounce back as well, at least from an alumni standpoint. Thanks to the football program, especially the players. going out and working their tails off to provide a distraction for a few hours, some of that pride that was so suddenly stripped away is returning. I saw it this weekend in Boston as I watched the game at The Greatest Bar, Boston's Penn State bar. The alumni there were cheering and chanting and hanging on every play, showing their school pride in a city some 430-plus miles away.
For a program and school that still has a long way to go to restore faith and take the proper steps to help in any way it can for the pain and misery it allowed to happen on its very campus, this team represents the Penn State resolve.
No matter how many jokes we are the butt of — from South Park to The League to everything in between — and no matter how many people want to pigeonhole an entire community based off the actions of five individuals, we are all working as hard as we possibly can to bounce back, to help our university bounce back. Bill O'Brien and the 2012 Penn State Nittany Lions are a proud extension of that, a team that just keeps bouncing back and showing its resolve.
On Saturday, the Nittany Lions bounced right back again, trouncing Purdue 34-9 to prove that no matter what sort of turmoil this team goes through, Penn State will not succumb to the pressures and quit on this season.
Matt McGloin bounced back from a difficult game where he reverted to his old self by picking apart the Boilermakers to the tune of 321 yards passing and two touchdowns without any of those costly turnovers. Brandon Moseby-Felder bounced back from a season of dropped passes with his best game to date, hauling in six passes for a game-high 129 yards and a score. The running game bounced back from an anemic showing against the Buckeyes to gain 185 yards, led by Zach Zwinak's 134. The defense bounced back after getting worn down by Ohio State to suffocate Purdue's offense. And Bill O'Brien bounced back from a rough second half where he was outsmarted by his counterpart Urban Meyer by pushing all the right buttons. Hell, even Sam Ficken bounced back from a season of struggles to make both his field goal attempts and knock through four extra points.
All in all, it was an encouraging sign, another in a line of many for the program. No matter what kind of hand the Nittany Lions are dealt, they seem to find a way to come out ahead. Truthfully, 6-3 isn't the type of record that's going to knock the socks off of the college football world, but this is no ordinary 6-3 team. It's a 6-3 team that simply refuses to make excuses or take the easy way out.
This entire season has been built around bouncing back, a program that needed to bounce back from a scandal so heinous and unfathomable that many thought it would take years, if not even longer. And while the long-term ramifications are still to be sorted out, this team, led by this new, fearless coach, just keeps bouncing back.
These Nittany Lions bounced back from the departures of some key players by circling the wagons and playing for each other. They bounced back from a demoralizing start to go on a winning streak. And they bounced back from a rough home defeat to a rival with another impressive performance.
As a result, Penn State is beginning to bounce back as well, at least from an alumni standpoint. Thanks to the football program, especially the players. going out and working their tails off to provide a distraction for a few hours, some of that pride that was so suddenly stripped away is returning. I saw it this weekend in Boston as I watched the game at The Greatest Bar, Boston's Penn State bar. The alumni there were cheering and chanting and hanging on every play, showing their school pride in a city some 430-plus miles away.
For a program and school that still has a long way to go to restore faith and take the proper steps to help in any way it can for the pain and misery it allowed to happen on its very campus, this team represents the Penn State resolve.
No matter how many jokes we are the butt of — from South Park to The League to everything in between — and no matter how many people want to pigeonhole an entire community based off the actions of five individuals, we are all working as hard as we possibly can to bounce back, to help our university bounce back. Bill O'Brien and the 2012 Penn State Nittany Lions are a proud extension of that, a team that just keeps bouncing back and showing its resolve.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Urban Meyer and Braxton Miller Are Good, the Eagles Stink
This weekend was about as bad it gets football-wise for me. Penn State, following a very hard-fought first half, got completely blitzed in the second half to lose 35-23 to Ohio State, while the Eagles got flat out embarrassed by the Atlanta Falcons, giving Andy Reid his first regular-season loss following a bye week of his head coaching career.
Honestly, there's not too much to go over for either game, though there are a few things I'd like to note about the Penn State-Ohio State game. For starters, I can't say enough about the make-up of this Penn State team. Even after missing several blown opportunities to make big plays — namely a slightly off-target pass to Allen Robinson that Robinson still probably should have brought in and a sure-fire pick six dropped by Stephen Obeng-Agyapong — the Nittany Lions played tremendous defense and took a 7-0 lead on a blocked punt my Mike Hull, and even when they fell behind, they never quit, making the final score respectable.
I will say that it's disappointing that the referees' horrid call extended Ohio State's final drive of the first half, which directly led to a tired defense that thought it had gotten off the field surrendering a momentum-altering touchdown to tie it up just before half. The defense played outstanding in that opening half, but you can only contain Braxton Miller for so long. If Penn State does get that stop and then manages to score before halftime, or even just take that 7-0 into the break, who knows how things play out.
Still, that terrible (and I mean terrible) call aside, this game was lost in the third quarter. Coming out of the break, Matt McGloin tossed an atrocious pick six, the type of throw that he became known for prior to this season, and the game spiraled out of control from there. Urban Meyer and Luke Fickell flat out outcoached Bill O'Brien and Ted Roof from there on out, the first time all season really where the new Penn State staff has been overmatched.
The Ohio State defense, which came into the game struggling, was dominant, completely shutting down Penn State's exciting attack. Fickell was clearly ready for this one and overwhelmed O'Brien and his players.
As for Meyer, he found a way to let his quarterback loose even as he was struggling to throw the ball, and Braxton Miller simply took over in the third quarter. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, this one was all but over.
Like I said, credit to Penn State for not giving up and laying down, fighting until the very end, but the Buckeyes simply outclassed the Nittany Lions on Saturday in the second half.
It was a nice measuring stick, and while the outcome was not desirable, it's proof that Penn State hasn't fallen off as dramatically as some suspected — at least not yet — and that O'Brien and his staff are still headed in the right direction.
As for the Eagles, what can you really say about that 30-17 embarrassment other than not a single player, unit or coach looked even remotely good? Everyone sucked. The defense couldn't stop the Falcons to save its life, looking worse than if ever did under the admittedly underqualified Juan Castillo. The offense was inept and laughable. And the special teams is the special teams.
There's not much else to say about this team other than the longer this goes on, the more it feels like the Andy Reid era is coming to a close. Speaking of Andy, the most entertaining thing about Sunday was former Eagle Asante Samuel's remarks about his former coach after the game.
The 2012 Philadelphia Eagles suck.
Honestly, there's not too much to go over for either game, though there are a few things I'd like to note about the Penn State-Ohio State game. For starters, I can't say enough about the make-up of this Penn State team. Even after missing several blown opportunities to make big plays — namely a slightly off-target pass to Allen Robinson that Robinson still probably should have brought in and a sure-fire pick six dropped by Stephen Obeng-Agyapong — the Nittany Lions played tremendous defense and took a 7-0 lead on a blocked punt my Mike Hull, and even when they fell behind, they never quit, making the final score respectable.
I will say that it's disappointing that the referees' horrid call extended Ohio State's final drive of the first half, which directly led to a tired defense that thought it had gotten off the field surrendering a momentum-altering touchdown to tie it up just before half. The defense played outstanding in that opening half, but you can only contain Braxton Miller for so long. If Penn State does get that stop and then manages to score before halftime, or even just take that 7-0 into the break, who knows how things play out.
Still, that terrible (and I mean terrible) call aside, this game was lost in the third quarter. Coming out of the break, Matt McGloin tossed an atrocious pick six, the type of throw that he became known for prior to this season, and the game spiraled out of control from there. Urban Meyer and Luke Fickell flat out outcoached Bill O'Brien and Ted Roof from there on out, the first time all season really where the new Penn State staff has been overmatched.
The Ohio State defense, which came into the game struggling, was dominant, completely shutting down Penn State's exciting attack. Fickell was clearly ready for this one and overwhelmed O'Brien and his players.
As for Meyer, he found a way to let his quarterback loose even as he was struggling to throw the ball, and Braxton Miller simply took over in the third quarter. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, this one was all but over.
Like I said, credit to Penn State for not giving up and laying down, fighting until the very end, but the Buckeyes simply outclassed the Nittany Lions on Saturday in the second half.
It was a nice measuring stick, and while the outcome was not desirable, it's proof that Penn State hasn't fallen off as dramatically as some suspected — at least not yet — and that O'Brien and his staff are still headed in the right direction.
As for the Eagles, what can you really say about that 30-17 embarrassment other than not a single player, unit or coach looked even remotely good? Everyone sucked. The defense couldn't stop the Falcons to save its life, looking worse than if ever did under the admittedly underqualified Juan Castillo. The offense was inept and laughable. And the special teams is the special teams.
There's not much else to say about this team other than the longer this goes on, the more it feels like the Andy Reid era is coming to a close. Speaking of Andy, the most entertaining thing about Sunday was former Eagle Asante Samuel's remarks about his former coach after the game.
The 2012 Philadelphia Eagles suck.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Who Are You and What Have You Done With Matt McGloin?
Ever since Daryll Clark's departure upon graduating following the 2009 season, Penn State has had a rough time with the quarterback position. The past two seasons in particular, the flip-flopping between heralded recruit Rob Bolden and former walk-on Matt McGloin had taken over as the focal point and created the biggest division among Penn State fans — not to mention the hopes held out for Paul Jones.
Bolden seemed to posses the superior physical traits, whereas the offense just seemed slightly more competent with McGloin at the helm. Either way, neither guy impressed that much playing in the offense coached by Galen Hall and Jay Paterno. Bolden, following a few promising starts his freshman year, never developed and looked progressively worse, while McGloin had flashes of decency, but nothing more. It looked as though Penn State was going to be locked in a quarterback controversy for the foreseeable future as the new coaching staff came in, at least until the next highly touted recruit, Christian Hackenberg, makes his way to campus.
However, once Bolden decided to transfer to LSU following the Penn State sanctions and Paul Jones flamed out at QB, the new head coach gave McGloin the keys to the offense with little behind him. For the first time, now as a senior, the Penn State offense was Matt McGloin's and Matt McGloin's alone. For many Penn State fans, myself included, that was a terrifying proposition, mainly because during his sophomore and junior seasons, McGloin looked to outsiders as a guy with walk-on talent attempting to play the game like Brett Favre — bad decisions and all.
After all, McGloin entered his senior seasons with just a 54 percent completion percentage in his career and an unimpressive 22 to 14 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Given the departures of his top receivers and his star tailback Silas Redd, many people projected another struggling Penn State offense just like the Nittany Lions had in 2010 and 2011, even with O'Brien and his offensive acumen now in town.
Turns out, O'Brien and McGloin have been a match made in some sort of bizarro-world heaven.
As if overnight, under the tutelage of O'Brien, McGloin has gone from a shaky, overconfident quarterback to arguably the best passer in the entire Big Ten. Following Saturday's brilliant performance in a dismantling of Penn State nemesis Iowa in Iowa City, in which McGloin was 26-38 for 289 yards and two touchdowns, McGloin leads the conference with 255.4 passing yards per game, is second only to Taylor Martinez in completion percentage and has 14 touchdown passes to just two interceptions.
It's as if he's an entirely new player, nothing like the guy who would make mind-numbingly putrid decisions at inopportune times we've seen the past two years.
It goes to show you just what a vote of confidence from the coach can do for a guy, allowing himself to go out and play without having to look over his shoulder.
Even more importantly, though, it shows just how brilliant of a coach Bill O'Brien is. With former quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno tutoring McGloin, there was little to no development, and the offense looked inept. Now after just one spring and summer with O'Brien, McGloin is playing nearly flawless football, and he gets better each and every week. That can't be a coincidence. Bill O'Brien is the real deal.
And with his help, now McGloin is not only a competent college quarterback, he's one of the best signal-callers to date this season in the Big Ten. Saturday was just more proof on how far McGloin has come in a short time. In leading the Nittany Lions to their fifth straight victory, McGloin had perhaps the best game of his Penn State career, literally playing a near perfect football game. If anything, his numbers should have been even better if it were not for a number of drops, and his opening touchdown pass to Jesse James was a thing of beauty, the type of play I didn't think Matt McGloin was even capable of making.
Heading into the season, there may not have been a bigger Matt McGloin detractor than myself. I just didn't think he was good enough to pull an offense that had struggled mightily the past two seasons out of the cellar.
So far, I couldn't have been more wrong. Outside of his struggles against Northwestern — struggles he overcame by the way to lead the Nittany Lions to a dramatic come-from-behind victory — McGloin has been absolutely brilliant in this his senior campaign. He's no longer forcing throws and trying to do more than he's capable of. He's going through his reads, calling plays at the line, deciphering defenses, commanding the huddle and playing some of the best football in the entire conference.
I don't know where the Matt McGloin of the past two seasons has gone, but I couldn't be happier that the Matt McGloin of 2012 is here. If just a few months of Bill O'Brien can transform a player like McGloin and an offense like the one he inherited — minus its biggest playmakers — into one of the most productive units in all of college football, there may be more to look forward to for Penn State football than anyone could have imagined when Bill O'Brien was named head coach just a few short months ago.
Bolden seemed to posses the superior physical traits, whereas the offense just seemed slightly more competent with McGloin at the helm. Either way, neither guy impressed that much playing in the offense coached by Galen Hall and Jay Paterno. Bolden, following a few promising starts his freshman year, never developed and looked progressively worse, while McGloin had flashes of decency, but nothing more. It looked as though Penn State was going to be locked in a quarterback controversy for the foreseeable future as the new coaching staff came in, at least until the next highly touted recruit, Christian Hackenberg, makes his way to campus.
However, once Bolden decided to transfer to LSU following the Penn State sanctions and Paul Jones flamed out at QB, the new head coach gave McGloin the keys to the offense with little behind him. For the first time, now as a senior, the Penn State offense was Matt McGloin's and Matt McGloin's alone. For many Penn State fans, myself included, that was a terrifying proposition, mainly because during his sophomore and junior seasons, McGloin looked to outsiders as a guy with walk-on talent attempting to play the game like Brett Favre — bad decisions and all.
After all, McGloin entered his senior seasons with just a 54 percent completion percentage in his career and an unimpressive 22 to 14 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Given the departures of his top receivers and his star tailback Silas Redd, many people projected another struggling Penn State offense just like the Nittany Lions had in 2010 and 2011, even with O'Brien and his offensive acumen now in town.
Turns out, O'Brien and McGloin have been a match made in some sort of bizarro-world heaven.
As if overnight, under the tutelage of O'Brien, McGloin has gone from a shaky, overconfident quarterback to arguably the best passer in the entire Big Ten. Following Saturday's brilliant performance in a dismantling of Penn State nemesis Iowa in Iowa City, in which McGloin was 26-38 for 289 yards and two touchdowns, McGloin leads the conference with 255.4 passing yards per game, is second only to Taylor Martinez in completion percentage and has 14 touchdown passes to just two interceptions.
It's as if he's an entirely new player, nothing like the guy who would make mind-numbingly putrid decisions at inopportune times we've seen the past two years.
It goes to show you just what a vote of confidence from the coach can do for a guy, allowing himself to go out and play without having to look over his shoulder.
Even more importantly, though, it shows just how brilliant of a coach Bill O'Brien is. With former quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno tutoring McGloin, there was little to no development, and the offense looked inept. Now after just one spring and summer with O'Brien, McGloin is playing nearly flawless football, and he gets better each and every week. That can't be a coincidence. Bill O'Brien is the real deal.
And with his help, now McGloin is not only a competent college quarterback, he's one of the best signal-callers to date this season in the Big Ten. Saturday was just more proof on how far McGloin has come in a short time. In leading the Nittany Lions to their fifth straight victory, McGloin had perhaps the best game of his Penn State career, literally playing a near perfect football game. If anything, his numbers should have been even better if it were not for a number of drops, and his opening touchdown pass to Jesse James was a thing of beauty, the type of play I didn't think Matt McGloin was even capable of making.
Heading into the season, there may not have been a bigger Matt McGloin detractor than myself. I just didn't think he was good enough to pull an offense that had struggled mightily the past two seasons out of the cellar.
So far, I couldn't have been more wrong. Outside of his struggles against Northwestern — struggles he overcame by the way to lead the Nittany Lions to a dramatic come-from-behind victory — McGloin has been absolutely brilliant in this his senior campaign. He's no longer forcing throws and trying to do more than he's capable of. He's going through his reads, calling plays at the line, deciphering defenses, commanding the huddle and playing some of the best football in the entire conference.
I don't know where the Matt McGloin of the past two seasons has gone, but I couldn't be happier that the Matt McGloin of 2012 is here. If just a few months of Bill O'Brien can transform a player like McGloin and an offense like the one he inherited — minus its biggest playmakers — into one of the most productive units in all of college football, there may be more to look forward to for Penn State football than anyone could have imagined when Bill O'Brien was named head coach just a few short months ago.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Bill O'Brien Makes Good First Impression
Admittedly, I was not exactly thrilled with my alma mater for hiring Bill O'Brien and for taking so long to name a head coach. Like several vocal alumns, I thought the search committee led by interim athletic director Dave Joyner did a disservice to the members of the 2011 Penn State coaching staff by stringing them along and moving slower than molasses through the process, all but assuring those not retained will have a hard time finding jobs before the start of the 2012 season.
Also, I wasn't exactly sold on handing over the reigns of one of the most storied football programs in the nation over to a guy who had never been a head coach at any level and who had only a couple years of coordinator experience — two statistically unsuccessful years as the offensive coordinator at Duke, and one very successful year as offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots this season. It also didn't help that the only thing I really knew about him was that he was the guy who screamed at Tom Brady on the sidelines like he was a child.
However, unlike guys like Lavar Arrington and Brandon Short — two players I grew up idolizing — I was and am willing to give O'Brien a chance. I don't see what good it does for anyone to renounce an institution it once loved or threaten to sue the school. That's not going to help your university move on from a horrific tragedy and scandal, so what's the point — especially when you've been such positive advocates for Penn State over the years?
Believe me, I understand the frustration and anger. To many former players and alumni, the way the board of directors and search committee went about all of this put off an air of pretending that nothing from the past 50 years was worth squat. Of course that's upsetting, and I do feel particularly bad for long-time defensive coordinator and interim head coach Tom Bradley — a man who was probably never really a serious candidate for the job and was left hung out to dry by those in charge at the university. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and times have never been more desperate for any big-time college football program and perhaps any U.S. university than they are right now at Penn State. There needed to be a new direction, and let's face it, the situation in Happy Valley didn't exactly lend itself to a big-name hire. What established coach with his choice of where to work would voluntarily walk into the shit storm at Penn State?
Thus we were left with Bill O'Brien, an up-and-comer in the NFL ranks who has an extensive background at the collegiate level. You can find his résumé all over the place, so I won't bore you with his background. What I will do is break down what I took away from O'Brien's introductory press conference on Saturday, which I watched pretty much in its entirety save for a few moments after ESPN cut away until my roommate and I flipped over to the Big Ten Network.
At first, O'Brien looked and sounded a bit nervous at the podium, understandably. It didn't help that he went into a sort of life biography, introducing his wife, son and brother and having them stand and wave. I've never really seen anything quite like that at a press conference, and it was pretty awkward to say the least. However, it helped set the narrative for O'Brien as a family man with good morals, something Penn State was known for prior to November. I can understand why both O'Brien and Penn State wanted him to begin that way, though I was more interested to hear what he had to say about the job and the program and his plan to move the team and the university forward.
Thankfully, O'Brien did not disappoint in those areas. Once the talk shifted to football and the challenges ahead, O'Brien shined. He discussed the history of Joe Paterno with admiration, but also made it clear this is a new era in Penn State history. That was wise to help appease to some extent the many people who were peeved that a man with no ties to the program whatsoever was brought in. Further, he addressed the controversy and backlash that has been out there since his hire started circulating head on, saying he understands some people are upset, but it's his job to bring the Penn State family back together and headed in the same direction. As an alumnus, I appreciated the fact that he didn't avoid the chatter and turn a deaf ear to it, and his open letter to the Penn State community was nothing short of a home run.
He also addressed the concerns many have raised about his decision to stay with the New England Patriots throughout their playoff run, no matter how long it goes, instead of jumping right in to his new position full time. He said simply that he couldn't truthfully look any players or recruits in the eye and talk about loyalty and dedication to the team if he walked out on the Patriots in the middle of the playoffs — a valid point and something that's hard to argue with, even with recruiting concerns looming.
Once he got going, O'Brien came across as an intelligent — he did go to Brown after all — genuine, passionate guy, someone who is confident but respectful of Penn State's tradition, and a man who is ready to take on the challenge laid out before him.
Then he completely won me over by stating that he had talked with Larry Johnson Sr., the longtime defensive line coach and interim co-defensive coordinator, and that LJ would be a member of his coaching staff.
Titles have not been officially announced, but I assume Johnson will be either the defensive coordinator (my hope) or remain defensive line coach, something he's done a masterful job at over the years. If anyone was going to survive from the staff, I wanted it to be Johnson for a couple of reasons. Number one, he's a fantastic coach, evident by the long list of defensive linemen he's coached and helped make All-Americans and NFL players — Jimmy Kennedy, Anthony Adams, Michael Haynes, Aaron Maybin, Jared Odrick, Devon Still, just to name a few. Second, LJ Sr. has been the best Penn State recruiter for years, which will help the university in trying to retain its current commits and also allow Johnson to continue recruiting as O'Brien finishes up with New England.
It's been reported that linebacker coach Ron Vanderlinden will also remain on the Penn State coaching staff, along with strength and conditioning John Thomas. The remainder of the coaching staff has yet to be named in full, however Tennessee Titans offensive assistant Charles London has been named the new runningback coach. Clearly, O'Brien is putting an experienced, talented staff around him, just like he declared he would on Saturday, and by retaining a few of the more highly regarded coaches already at Penn State, he showed he cares and respects what the previous regime has built.
Of course, the jury is still out on O'Brien as a coach. If he steps in and wins games, recruits well and helps Penn State continue the success it's had on and off the field, he'll have no trouble winning over a befuddled and upset fan base. If he loses games and/or bolts early for another job, the reservations people have will be validated. We don't know which direction things will go, but I can tell you I came away from Saturday's press conference impressed. Bill O'Brien made a good first impression on me, and apparently did the same with his new players.
Now I can only hope he makes a good lasting impression on Penn State University because in the end, that's the only thing that really matters.
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