The NFL switched from Reebok uniforms to Nike in 2012
In 2012 the NFL made a major change on the football field. The NFL switched the jerseys from Reebok to Nike. At first the rumours of completely different Nike Pro Combat uniforms for all 32 teams was a scary thought in the minds of all NFL Fans. There are many sketches that you can find of uniforms, and here is a picture of what some of these look like.
Will we see these in 2013?
You can tell by looking at them that some of these aren't that bad. The Eagles uniforms, as well as the New England Patriot uniforms look very cool. The sketches of the Steelers, Dolphins, Chiefs, Chargers, and Bengals are all very very ugly. You can take a look at all these from the bleacher report link below.
Personally I find the pro combat uniforms to be something that will only be present at the University of Oregon, where Nike has it's headquarters. These uniforms would really scare some people, and have numerous NFL teams playing in jerseys ugly enough to make you sick.
The NFL should avoid wearing anything as ugly as these Maryland uniforms
Philly fans are definitely angry with the Eagles woes
Philadelphia. The city of brotherly love has become the city of unhappy Eagles fans. The Eagles now sit at 3-8, and are in last place in the NFC East division. It truly is a troubling situation in Philadelphia to say the least. Head coach Andy Reid has been on the hot seat for as long as I can remember, and without some sort of miracle he is as good as gone. The Eagles have been looking to improve after last year's so called "Dream Team" underachieved to an 8-8 record. The Eagles haven't done anything except lose this season. The only success this team has had was beating the Browns to open the year, and somehow beating the Ravens in a very close game, and pulling out a win over the Giants at home.
Now the Eagles are without Michael Vick, who suffered a concussion, and they lost LeSean McCoy to the same injury. Many people have been pinning the losses on quarterback Michael Vick, so the fans finally got a taste of what Nick Foles could do as the starter for this team, and that is absolutely nothing. Foles has committed six turnovers in only three games so far this year. He can't save this team. This week the Eagles lost DeSean Jackson for the rest of the year with broken ribs and released an under performing Jason Babin. This team is in need of some sort of a miracle. The Eagles are going to be looking for a new coach, and here are possible fits for this team:
Tony Dungy
Bill Cowher
Jon Gruden
Chip Kelly
Let's start out by saying Jon Gruden is crap. Don't hire him. Don't. You think Reid is bad, this guy won't do a thing. Chip Kelly is a great coach at the university of Oregon, coaching the Ducks to a National Championship Game appearance two years ago against Cam Newton and Auburn. He lost the game, but he burst onto the scene as a good coach. He is great in college football, but I can see him being a Nick Saban type. Saban has won three National Championships, two with Alabama, and one with LSU. That being said, Saban was a career 15-17 in his head coaching stint in the NFL. He isn't fit for the NFL, and neither is Kelly.
Every Eagles fan right about now
That leaves us with two men who could possibly turn this team around. Bill Cowher, and Tony Dungy. Dungy is 139-69 as a head coach in the NFL. He turned around an awful Tampa Bay Buccaneers team, and with Peyton Manning he took the Colts to the Super Bowl in 2006 and won the game over the Chicago Bears. He will bring in the culture change that the Eagles need, and maybe he can work a little magic. This man is known to be able to do so. The only thing is, I feel that it is highly unlikely for him to leave broadcasting to coach this team. I don't blame him.
Bill Cowher would bring everything that Dungy would bring, but he would do something that Andy Reid just doesn't seem to want to do. RUN THE BALL! LeSean McCoy is an amazing back. When the Eagles give him the ball, they win. So why wouldn't you give him the ball? Sounds easy to me. Plus Cowher would make this team play defense, which they also don't do. Cowher and Dungy would bring in a new attitude, but I think Cowher is a possibility for this team, and if they land him, it could be huge in Philadelphia.
Why do they not give him the ball at least 25 times a game? Unreal.
The Steelers are normally the face of the AFC North and challenge the Baltimore Ravens for the division title. This year the Steelers are in a world of trouble. The Steelers sit at 6-4, which if the playoffs were to begin now, they would be the sixth and final seed in the AFC North. One problem. The Bengals are only a game behind Pittsburgh, and the Steelers injury list is filled with key pieces to their team.
The biggest injuries being the injuries to star safety Troy Polamalu and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Without Ben, back up Byron Leftwich took Roethlisberger's starting postion going into their game against Baltimore last week. Leftwich looked great often, taking the Steelers straight down the field in their ugly "bumble bee" throwback uniforms for a touchdown. Leftwich showed inability to make certain throws in the game and took a beating from the Ravens defense. He suffered two broken ribs and an injured shoulder in the 13-10 loss.
Here was Leftwich's 31 yard rushing touchdown against the Ravens.
The biggest problem for the Steelers is the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are sitting at 5-5, one game behind the Steelers in the AFC North. The Steelers currently hold the tie breaker defeating the Bengals 24-17 on Sunday Night Football earlier this season.
The Bengals have a very easy schedule remaining this season, as they will face the Raiders, Chargers, Cowboys, and Eagles, who are all under .500. The big games will be the final two as the Bengals face the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and finish with a game against the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers will be without Roethlisberger for 3-6 weeks, and with Leftwich out the Steelers will have to look to back up Charlie Batch to lead the team.
The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame are the new number 1
Last Saturday the college football world was turned completely upside down as the number one and two teams in the nation suffered their first losses. Kansas State was completely embarrassed by Baylor, losing to the Bears 52-24. Oregon fell to Stanford, 17-14 in overtime. This catapulted the third ranked Irish to the top in this weeks rankings. Notre Dame has never been ranked first in the BCS standings, and hasn't been number one since it was ranked first in the AP Poll in 1993. The top 10 looks like this:
1. Notre Dame
2. Alabama
3. Georgia
4. Florida
5. Oregon
6. Kansas State
7. LSU
8. Stanford
9. Texas A&M
10. Florida State
The major issues with this poll is how far Oregon and Kansas State fell. Kansas State is better than Florida. Florida will have its hands full with Florida State this weekend. Florida will have to shut down the high powered offense of Senior quarterback EJ Manuel. Manuel has completed 68.8% of his passes, while also throwing for 21 touchdowns. The Seminoles have averaged 42.9 points per game while giving up just 13.1. The Gators average 25.8 points per game, while giving up 11.7. This game will probably be a low twenties to mid thirties game. Look for The Seminoles to have to find a running game to open up passing lanes. The Gators are 3-1 against the Top 25 this season.
Oregon lost to a tough Stanford team to get their first loss. Oregon fell much further than necessary as well, as they should be sitting at number four instead of the Gators. Notre Dame has gotten very lucky in two games this season that it should have lost. The Fighting Irish were a blown call away from a loss to Stanford, and the luck of the Irish continued against Pittsburgh as they pulled out a 29-26 victory in triple overtime.USC is looking less likely to upset the Irish this weekend without quarterback Matt Barkley who suffered an injury last weekend against UCLA, but with the receivers that the Trojans have I can see them giving Notre Dame a run for their money. The Top 10 in the polls should be like this:
USC and UCLA set to renew their rivalry this weekend as UCLA hosts USC Saturday at 3:05. The last couple meetings are ones that UCLA would like to forget, as the Bruins have lost 12 of the last 13 games, including an embarrassing 50-0 loss last season.
UCLA hopes to paint the Victory Bell trophy Bruin blue this year and show the country that they can finally beat the Trojans. The Bruins come in at 8-2 but still are a three point underdog in the game. USC has lost three games this year, those losses being a 21-14 loss to Stanford, a 62-5 loss to Oregon, and an embarrassing upset loss to Arizona 39-36.
UCLA is looking for a big game from RB Jonathan Franklin, who has 1,210 rushing yards this season, to go along with eight TDs. If they can have a good running attack against USC that will really open up the passing game. Look for WR Joe Fauria to have a good game against the Trojans. The 6'7" wide receiver creates huge match up problems against shorter cornerbacks. Fauria has recorded 31 receptions for 417 yards, and nine scores. USC hopes to creates the similar defensive problems for USC with wide receivers Marqise Lee and Robert Woods.
The athletic directors of both schools are asking for good sportsmanship, from fans and the teams. USC will not complete their pre game ritual this week of stabbing the midfield logo.
There is a lot of bad blood between these cross town rivals, and UCLA has something to prove this year. This game should be a closely contested high scoring affair. The winner of this game controls the PAC-12 South division. I predict that UCLA will finally
beat their rival USC, in a 42-36 thriller.
Thanks to Texas A&M, there was some madness in the new BCS Standings. Texas A&M pulled out a huge upset over the number one Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. Johnny Manziel played a great game, and shocked the Crimson Tide. With the loss, Alabama fell in the polls, and shook things up a bit, opening the door for controversy. This week's top 10 looks like this:
1. Kansas State
2. Oregon
3. Notre Dame
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Florida
7. LSU
8. Texas A&M
9. South Carolina
10. Florida State
There are a couple controversial things about these rankings. First, Oregon should be number one, not Kansas State. The next problem is Texas A&M jumping from 15 to number eight in just one week. Sure they upset the number one team in the nation, but they just jumped too many teams in one week. Don't get me wrong, they were very impressive against Alabama, but they still have two losses, and a few teams they jumped would be very competitive with the Aggies.
Oregon should be the top team in the BCS Poll. They continue to impress by putting up points and rolling over teams. Though they will face another tough test on their schedule as they finish up the year with Stanford and will play their rivalry game known as the Civil War, against in state opponent Oregon State. If Oregon can finish the year undefeated they should be playing for the championship, which they will do if they manage to stay unbeaten. Kansas State has a rougher schedule, but they don't dominate the game like Oregon does. I really want to see Kansas State matched up with Oregon. Either team could really come out on top. Both teams have great offenses; Oregon's being the more explosive offense. Oregon's defense scares me though, as they have given up 51 points to USC, 34 points to Arkansas State, 25 to Fresno State, and 26 to Washington State. Kansas State on the other hand is a very solid defensive team and wouldn't allow Oregon to put up the 54.8 points that they average per game.
Notre Dame is really favored by the computers and with that help if they can go 12-0 they may be able to jump Kansas State to play Oregon in the Title, assuming that all three teams go 12-0. Notre Dame isn't as good as Kansas State or Oregon but may be able to get a good push from the computers to get them there. That is the problem with the BCS. Ever since its installment issues like that have come up many times. The four team playoff next season can't get here soon enough. Though to put that in perspective, if there was a playoff, the 1 and 2 seeds would host the 3 and 4 seeds. So Kansas State would play Alabama at home, and Oregon would get Notre Dame at home. The problem? Alabama is MUCH better than Notre Dame. How things will come into shape will be interesting to say the least. Until then, enjoy college football, and get ready for what is hopefully a great bowl season.
Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and team celebrate the upset victory over Alabama
Johnny Manziel knew that to beat Alabama it was going to take a great game from him. He was up for the challenge. Alabama came into the game ranked number one in the BCS, and they may have saw their national championship hopes fall apart. After Alabama had to claw it's way to a 20-17 win against LSU last week, an upset was in the air Saturday. The Crimson Tide suffered their first loss of the year at home to the Aggies of Texas A&M.
The Aggies jumped all over Alabama in the first quarter, scoring 20 unanswered points. Christine Michael ran for two scores, and Johnny Manziel threw a 10 yard pass for a touchdown to wide receiver Ryan Swope. Alabama then found a running game as Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon scored on rushing touchdowns in the second quarter to make it a six point game going into the half. The game was up for grabs entering the third quarter but Alabama made some costly mistakes. Alabama had three turnovers, including two interceptions and a fumble. Alabama threw an interception on their last drive. They were able to hold A&M and forced them to punt but Alabama linebacker Tyler Hayes committed a neutral-zone infractions with 40 seconds left, giving the Aggies a first down and the game.
Johnny Manziel played a great game going 24/31 for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He put himself in the Heisman race with this victory. Manziel has been having a great season but this game really caught some attention. Manziel became the second freshman quarterback to beat the AP number one on the road.
Oregon running back Kenjon Barner makes a statement for the Heisman
A few close games nearly shook up the BCS this week, but Alabama and Notre Dame were able to recover late to avoid losing their first game of the season. The Top 10 looks like this:
Alabama
Kansas State
Oregon
Notre Dame
Georgia
Florida
LSU
South Carolina
Louisville
Florida State
The only real change here is Notre Dame. Notre Dame really struggled this week and nearly stumbled against an awful Pittsburgh football team. The Panthers showed up ready to play against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, as Pitt running back Ray Graham ran for 172 yards and a touchdown. Notre Dame entered the fourth trailing 20-6 but rallied to force overtime. In triple overtime, Pitt had to settle to a field goal, and that doomed the Panthers chances for a huge upset as Everett Golson led the Irish down the field and scored on a one yard rushing touchdown to win the game.
Golson made some big plays down the stretch in this game to keep Notre Dame's title hopes alive. Golson went 23/42 for 227 yards and two touchdowns. Pitt was one big play from defeating the Irish and that is a big reason why Oregon finally gained a little bit more respect and jumped them in the polls.
Alabama is again the number one team in the country. The Crimson Tide fell behind LSU and trailed 17-14 in the 4th quarter of the game. LSU came out ready to play, even though they didn't play the greatest, they rallied and held a late lead. Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron refused to lose. McCarron drove the team down the field with just under a minute left, throwing a wide receiver screen pass to T.J. Yeldon who scored from 28 yards out to give the Crimson Tide the lead for good. Alabama continues to win games, and the defense continues to be lights out. The defense is only allowing opponents to score an average of 9.1 points per game. They are playing lights out, and with a defense like that this team doesn't need that many points to win. I'm interested to see how Alabama responds after a close game like that to LSU. They face a very good Texas A&M team this week. Johnny Manziel is having a great Freshman year for the Aggies, and he will be a huge offensive threat that Alabama will have to keep in check to win the game.
Kansas State continues to win, and they played very well in their match up against Oklahoma State this week, beating the Cowboys 44-30. Collin Klein got hurt in this game, but he should play in their week 10 match up against TCU. Kansas State continues to impress, as they now have quality wins over Miami, Oklahoma, Iowa State, West Virginia, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and if they beat TCU that will also be a big win for the Wildcats. This team's rushing attack is a main strength, while they get the job done throwing the ball when they have to. The Wildcats are a great overall team, and deserve to be a top three team but personally Oregon is just better. Kansas State holds an edge over Oregon mainly due to their better strength of schedule.
Oregon should be the number two team in the nation, by far right now. Oregon is just putting up so points and got a huge win over USC this weekend, defeating the Trojans 62-51. Oregon running back Kenjon Barner made a strong statement about who should be hoisting the Heisman Trophy as he rushed for 321 yards and five touchdowns, which is just unreal. The Ducks offense tore USC apart and the defense held its ground when it needed a stop to keep them undefeated. Oregon will play Stanford and Oregon State yet this year to wrap up their season. Oregon will have to hope that either Alabama or Kansas State loses because without a loss by either of those teams they may get snubbed from the National Title Game, and end up playing in the Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl is still a great BCS Bowl, but Oregon would have to feel snubbed being undefeated and sitting out the Title game.
You can see by this video of the highlights of the Oregon USC game, just how explosive Oregon is as a team. They are in good shape for a championship, as long as Kansas State or Alabama stumbles. Alabama will face a tough test against Texas A&M so we will see if they can avoid a setback after the hardly fought game against LSU.
What the Top 5 Should Be:
Alabama
Oregon
Kansas State
Notre Dame
Georgia
I agree with the Top 5 for the most part, other than Oregon being number three in the country. They are the second best team. They just are.
The 2012 Indianapolis Colts. A team that most people would have expected to be mediocre after the rebuilding phase of losing a legend. Peyton Manning, now a member of the Denver Broncos is no longer carrying this team to the playoffs on a yearly basis. The Colts suffered their worst season since 1998 when they went 3-13. The Colts went 2-14 last season to earn the number one pick in the NFL Draft. The Colts knew that they were in for a rebuilding process, but nobody expected them to rebuild this quickly.
The Colts drafted quarterback Andrew Luck with the number one pick in this year's draft. There were plenty of scouts who every day flipped back and forth between Robert Griffin III, and Andrew Luck, as far as who should go number one overall. Robert Griffin, or RG3 as he known as, is more of a scrambling quarterback with a rocket arm who almost effortlessly throws the ball 80 yards with just a flick of the wrist. Griffin also can run and isn't afraid to make plays with his legs. Luck is more of a pocket passer that many scouts saw as a can't miss prospect, or in fact the next Peyton Manning. Ironically enough, he is now taking number 18's spot in the Indianapolis huddle. The Colts started out the season on the losing end of a 41-21 beat down handed to them by the Chicago Bears. Luck threw for 309 yards, a touchdown, but on a bad note also threw three interceptions in the week 1 loss. The Colts were looking like they wouldn't be much of a contender, and Houston was set to run away with the AFC South.
The next week the Colts faced the Minnesota Vikings in Minnesota, where the Colts where able to breakout to a 20-6 lead behind two Andrew Luck touchdowns. The Colts defense then struggled and the Vikings rallied and tied the game up with 31 seconds remaining. Andrew Luck then took over. Luck came out looking like Peyton in just his second NFL game, and led the Colts down the field for the game winning 53 yard Adam Vinatieri field goal. This was the first win of the season for the Colts, and it was a statement game for rookie Andrew Luck, who completed a 4th quarter comeback to win a game in just his second start. The Colts improved to 1-1 with the win.
The Colts then played a big game against division rival Jacksonville. The Jaguars are a big rival of the Colts, and a win in Jacksonville would've been huge for the Colts. Unfortunately it didn't happen. The Colts scored early but blew yet another lead, and they couldn't recover this time. The Jaguars beat Indy 22-17 and it was a game that the Colts really could've used.
The Colts were going into a bye week the next week after the disappointing loss to the Jaguars. First year Colts head coach Chuck Pagano received bad news as he was diagnosed with Leukemia on September 26th. The team and city came together as one and rallied around Chuck and was ready to come out and play the next game for him, as he would be watching from a hospital bed. A doctor said that his cancer is now in remission and he is expected to make a full recovery.
CHUCKSTRONG Banner in Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
The Colts picked up the slogan "CHUCKSTRONG" coming out of their bye week to a home match up against the Green Bay Packers. Chuck Pagano wrote his players a letter:
Dear Colts Family,
On behalf of the Pagano Family, we want to say thank you for all the love and support that you have shown. We can never repay you, but just know that we Love you all and we will always have your backs. We could not get through this without all of you!
All the cards, notes, texts, emails have all been read and digested. It's overwhelming. But right on time.
We will all be better in the long run. Thanks to all the survivors and your personal stories. They are truly inspiring. I know I will beat this, and hearing all the special success stories make the days much better!
You know I am going crazy in here, but nobody understands process better than all of us Colts.
My condition will not determine my position. I understand the condition but choose to focus on my position. That is to stay positive and SERVE.
WE WILL, WE CAN, WE MUST. WE HAVE NO CHOICE. BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY. WE WILL OVERCOME.
IT'S ALL IN THE PROPER STATE OF MIND.
There is no better owner in the NFL, period! He has built an organization based on Faith, Family and Football. Don't ever mistake the ORDER.
We all have a job to do. We know and understand that. That's why we signed up for it. We knew there were going to be tough times. This is not for everybody, but I know deep in my heart we are all here because we're supposed to be.
Focus on being 500 by 4:30pm on Sunday. Nothing else. LASER SHARPE FOCUS. That has to be our mind set.
60 minutes, all you got, one play at a time!
WIN!
Respectfully,
Coach P
The entire Colts organization played this game for Pagano, including Reggie Wayne who wore orange gloves during the game, orange being the color for leukemia. The Colts fell behind 21-3 at half and it was beginning to look like the game was over. Then momentum began to shift. Dwayne Allen caught an eight yard touchdown pass from Andrew Luck which made the score 21-10. The Colts then scored again on a field goal, and Andrew Luck ran into the end zone to make it a 21-19 game, and the two point conversion to knot it up at 21 was unsuccessful by Indianapolis. Adam Vinatieri then kicked a 28 yard field goal to take a 22-21 lead. The Packers then drove down the field, as Aaron Rodgers threw an eight yard touchdown to James Jones, but they couldn’t convert the two point conversion, so the score became 27-22. The Colts needed a hero. As a Colts fan, 4th quarter heroic efforts were made on numerous occasions by Peyton Manning, but all the pressure was on rookie Andrew Luck to take over, and make his second 4th quarter rally of his young career. Luck was virtually perfect on the last drive, taking the Colts right down the field and completing the game winning touchdown to whom else, but Reggie Wayne. The Colts won, and were showing signs of being a team that could contend in the AFC.
The next week the Colts looked to continue that momentum and what better way to do that than against an extremely overrated New York Jets team. Or so they thought. The Colts got creamed 35-9. The next week Indy stepped it back up and beat division rival Tennessee on the road in overtime, 19-13. Vick Ballard caught the game winning touchdown from Luck in overtime.
Sunday the Colts matched up against the Miami Dolphins who are a decent team, and Andrew Luck just tore it up. All doubters who said that Robert Griffin III was the better quarterback were instantly proven wrong. Luck threw for a rookie record 433 passing yards in the game against Miami. Luck also threw for two touchdowns in the win. He is well on pace to break Peyton Manning's rookie record for 300 yard games in a season. Luck is just the second rookie in NFL history to have four 300 yard games in a rookie season. The Colts now sit at 5-3, two games behind the Houston Texans in the AFC South Division. Nobody has expected the Colts to play as well as they are, and the rest of the league better not take this team lightly, because right now, it's more than just a game. Chuck Pagano was able to attend the Colts game Sunday in Indianapolis, and gave a post-game speech to his team.
Penn State players follow new coach Bill O'Brien out of the locker room at Beaver Stadium
Happy Valley has undergone many changes since the Sandusky
scandal, and come September all eyes were on Bill O'Brien and the rest of the
2012 Nittany Lion football team. The Penn State uniforms feature players names
on the backs of the jerseys for the first time ever, O'Brien says it shows who
stayed and stuck it out for this university, and it would show the fans who the
players are, and the players who wanted to be here. Many key players left the
team to play elsewhere, the key players leaving being running back Silas Redd
and Wide Receiver Justin Brown. The rest of the team stuck together under first
year coach Bill O'Brien and Senior linebacker and Senior quarterback Matt
McGloin really stepped up to show leadership on this team and kept it together
as a unit going into the season.
The season didn't start on a good note for Penn State.
97,000 fans showed up to show support for their Nittany Lions. Penn State got
out to a quick start on Ohio, after scoring on two passing touchdowns from Matt
McGloin, to go up 14-3 at the half. Emotion then seemed to have gotten the best
of the Penn State team. Penn State struggled offensively in the second half and
was held scoreless, while the defense gave up 21 unanswered points and Penn
State fell to Ohio, 24-14 at home. Penn State hadn't lost a season opener 2001
against the University of Miami, who was a top five team when they faced Penn
State that year.
The second game unfortunately showed more of the same for
the Nittany Lions, as they played awful against Virginia, and fell 17-16 after
Sam Ficken missed the game winning field goal in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Ficken went 1-5 on field goals that day, and he also missed an extra point. It
was just a heart breaking game for any Penn State fan, and it made it look like
there was no hope to be had whatsoever in this Penn State football team.
Penn State finally showed up to play at home in week three
against the Navy Midshipmen. Penn State came out firing on all cylinders as
Matt McGloin connected on four touchdown passes, three of them to wide receiver
Allen Robinson. Robinson finished with five receptions for 136 yards and three
touchdowns. Robinson has really emerged as a favorite target for McGloin and
the team finally got the spark they needed in this game. The Penn State defense
held Navy to just four third down conversions, and forced four turnovers in the
victory. They allowed the only touchdown Navy scored in the 34-7 victory with
just 10:03 left in the final quarter. Penn State dominated this game, and it
proved to be the spark that the team needed.
Penn State wide receiver Allen Robinson scoring a touchdown vs Navy
The momentum from the Navy game carried over into their week
four match up against Temple. After a closely contested first quarter Penn
State finally started to pull away. Matt McGloin connected on a 41 yard
touchdown pass to Allen Robinson with six seconds left in the first quarter,
and it was all Penn State from then on out. Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin
threw for 318 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for two more scores in the
victory. The Penn State defense held strong and only allowed three first downs
in the 24-13 win. Penn State finally started showing signs of turning the
season around as they improved to 2-2 with the win.
Penn State then traveled to Champaign to play its Big Ten
opener against Illinois. The Illini failed to put together any substantial
drives in the first half as they fell behind early. Penn State scored an early
touchdown on a one yard rush by Zach Zwinak, and then scored another touchdown
on a one yard rush by Matt McGloin. Late in the second quarter Matt McGloin
connected on a 21 yard pass to Matt Lehman to put Penn State up 21-0.
Illinois then drove down the field but on 4th and goal
Nathan Scheelaase's pass was intercepted by Penn State Senior linebacker
Michael Mauti. Mauti returned the interception the whole way back on what was
initially thought to be a touchdown. The play was then reviewed and Mauti was
marked down at the one and the clock still had just one tick left on it. Sam
Ficken came out to attempt a field goal for the Nittany Lions but the kick was
blocked and Illinois held Penn State to a 21 point lead, hoping to rally behind
the small momentum boost that they took with them into the locker room. Penn
State showed its true strength and poured on two more touchdowns to win the
game 35-7. With the win Penn State became 3-2, 1-0 in conference play, and
Illinois fell to 2-3. This win marked the third straight for the Lions, and
Happy Valley was buzzing with excitement. The Nittany Lions were back.
The next week was the game of the year for the Nittany
Lions. Penn State was set to face #24 Northwestern at home. The Wildcats
traveled to Happy Valley 5-0, and were hungry to be 6-0 for the first time in
50 years. Penn State got an early field goal, and then scored on a rushing
touchdown by Zach Zwinak. Northwestern then rallied and scored two touchdowns
to take a 14-10 lead into halftime. Matt McGloin found his favorite wide
receiver Allen Robinson for an eight yard score. Northwestern then took control
of the game. Kain Colter then scored on a 10 yard run, and Venric Mark returned
a punt 75 yards for a touchdown and it was beginning to look like Penn State
was completely out of the game.
Penn State was trailing 28-17 and it was looking like the
game was about to be blown wide open in the Wildcats favor. The Wildcats just
couldn't put up another touchdown, which would've sunk the Nittany Lions in
this game. Matt McGloin took the team down the field, and threw his second
touchdown pass to Allen Robinson in the game, which made the score 28-23. Penn
State decided to go for a two point conversion and the conversion was
successful on a handoff up the middle to Michael Zordich. This brought the
Nittany Lions within three points. With just less than three minutes remaining
in the game Matt McGloin dove into the end zone to put the Lions on top 32-28
with just 2:37 left to play in the game. Penn State then got the ball back and
scored to make the final score a little wider than what it is, the final score
of this game being 39-28. Penn State trailed by 11 heading into the final
quarter, but rallied to score 22 unanswered points to stun Northwestern. This
was the win of the year for the Nittany Lions, and Matt McGloin, Allen
Robinson, and linebacker Michael Mauti continued to lead this team to
victories. This win was an upset, and it handed Northwestern their first loss
on the season.
Penn State was 4-2 heading into Iowa to play a not so great
Iowa team, even though they were also 4-2 going into the match up. This game
tends to get more hype than normal Big Ten games as Iowa as seemingly always
had Penn State's number, and no Nittany Lion fan will ever forget the 2008
season when Iowa hit a field goal as time expired to strip Penn State of its
National Title hopes. Iowa is a bitter rival of Penn State and they always seem
to come out with a lot more energy in this game. Iowa lost a lot of players to
graduation and the NFL that were key in their success, and Penn State played a
great game and destroyed the Hawkeyes 38-13. Matt McGloin threw for 289 yards
and two touchdowns, while running back Bill Belton ran for 103 yards on 16
carries, and three touchdowns.
Running Back Bill Belton running past Iowa defenders
The next game was the biggest test of the season thus far.
Ohio State. This is one of the biggest rivalry games that is played yearly in
the Big Ten, and this year the hated Buckeyes traveled to Beaver Stadium to
take on Penn State. Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin threw for 327 yards and
two touchdowns in the losing effort. Penn State fell 35-23, and suffered their
first loss since week two. Penn State had a five game winning streak entering
the game against Ohio State, but Braxton Miller threw for 143 yards and a
score, and he also rushed for 134 yards and two scores.
Penn State will play Purdue this week in an attempt to reach
six wins on the season. With the scandal Penn State isn't eligible for a bowl
game for four years, and faced $60 million dollars in fines. Penn State lost
many players from the team, as mentioned earlier. The team came together and is
working to restore the universities image. The community completely came
together through everything and continues to support Penn State football. We
Are and always will be... Penn State!
The Joe Paterno statue before it was removed after the Sandusky scandal
