Penn State coach Joe Paterno: "There is no doubt in my mind that Maryland is the best football team we have played so far this season." Play Maryland's Jerry Claiborne off against Penn State's Joe Paterno as though neither team will win. But then Jerry starts talking crazy . By Ray McAllister The coaches' game. There is no doubt that Joe Paterno plays it to near perfection. Whenever the Penn State coach begins his "analysis" of the next weekend's opponents, listeners must assume that oppontint is the Miami Dolphin football team. It is somewhat in comprehensible to encounter a rational football mind which uses glowing ter minology for, say, Syracuse...or Army...or lowa. Yet he does it. Week after week. Season after season. The team lye are about to play, he will say, is big enough, fast enough. talented enough, well-coached enough to beat us. We had better realize this, he will say, or we could be in for a long afternoon. Logically he needs to do this, of course. For if ever his team lost to a Syracuse, or an Army, or an lowa, the season realistically would be over, at least as far as any high national ranking or major bowl hid would be concerned. But, just as logically, very few believe him. The press and the fans are highly skeptical, the players only slightly less so. Even the opposition must be wondering at the words of this crazy man. It wasn't enough that he turned down a millfon dollars, some surely must say, now he thinks we Kill beat him.- But that isn't what - Joe Paterno is saying. He is not saying that the other ilV41,11" . • The coaches' game team will beat his, only that it could. And, Though he is not quite so refined as Pater he is quite determined to make sure it ) no, he knows better than to make in doesn't. Usually it doesn't.' His task is sometimes difficult. 1 fiammatory statements that end up on op ) posing team's locker room bulletin boards, Tomorrow, for instance, he is up against a statements such as the "we will win Maryland team which quite genuinely is a because hard work and determination will good football team, or at least appears to make the difference" Stanford coach Jack be. But after crying wolf for so many Christiansen made. Penn State • beat weeks, how convincing can Paterno be? Christiansen 20-6. Obviously, he must resort to the grandest of superlatives. "On a an-to-man basis, you've got to "There is no doubt in my mind that say Penn State has the stronger team and Maryland is the best football team we have 1 bigger personnel," Claiborne says, played so far this season," Paterno ) Playing the game by its rules. However, I perhaps showing his inexperience, decides. "Maryland has its best team in 10 Claiborne continues: "But a lot depends on or 12 years and this will be the biggest , game for them since the days when Jim determination, and how the ball bounces." , Tatum was coach. , This still is not a fatal slip by any means. "The Maryland team has more quality • True, it is less than devestatingly brilliant players than anybody we have met so far. :to hint that "determination" could beat the They have size, speed, strength and !Nittany Lions, but it can be excused by ability. Maryland ranks among 'the Claiborne's being caught up in the national leaders in defense and it is easy to ,euphoria of the first winning team see why." :Maryland has had in 11 years. There it is. He has done it. The supreme But, stubbornly, Claiborne persists. compliment. And, cleverly, with the ' Using the example of New Orleans' stun phrase "so far," he has left himself an Ining National Football League upset of opening for the games which follow with i Washington last Sunday, Claiborne adds: North Carolina State and Pitt. (What he '"Man-to-man the 'Skins were a tad better than the Saints." comes up with for lowly Ohio University doubtless will be the greatest challenge.) By now it must be suspected that Maryland's Jerry Claiborne, in his Claiborne is either stupid, obstinate or un second season as the Terps' coach is familar with the rules. In fact, he is to say, playing this game reasonably well also. "when you beat a team like Penn State, or ••• and it will look play well against them, it helps with recruiting, with contributions and to put fans in the stands." Beat Penn State?! What if Penn State hears this, or Joe Paterno? What then?! Claiborne seems undeterred. A win, he says, "would let people know we're making progress in our program, and help a great deal with recruiting in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. And it would make me feel a lot better." The humor at the end doesn't help. Claiborne clearly has implied that he thinks it is possible for Maryland to beat Penn State. No two ways about it, that's what he said. The man's 5-2 record must be making his head spin. Sure he has a good team, and sure the two squads were tied 10-10 at the half last year, but don't forget who you are, boy. Claiborne offers some explanation, possibly an attempt at face-saving, "We're playing better this year, and we should have a better frame of mind," he says, la ter adding. "It will take a super effort to beat Penn State—a better game than we've played all year. One thing for sure, we must play error-free football." Paterno, perhaps uninformed of Clai borne's remarks, perhaps unconcerned, sticks to his game plan. "We expect," he says, "the toughest game we have so far." Maryland coach Jerry Claiborne: "When you beat a team like Penn State, or play well against them, it helps with recruiting, with contributions, and to put fans in the ~. ~_.~:~
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