PIGSKINpREVIEW 14 I FRIDAY, AuG. 27, 2010 2010 Schedule Sept. 4: Youngstown Sept. 11: @ Alabama Sept. 18: Kent State Sept. 25: Temple Oct. 2: @ lowa Oct. 9: Illinois Oct. 16: Bye Oct. 23: @ Minnesota Oct. 30: Michigan Nov. 6: Northwestern Nov. 13: @ Ohio State Nov. 20: Indiana (Landover, Md.) Nov. 27: Michigan State Intriguing storylines highlight football season By Andrew J. Cassavell, Brendan Monahan and Audrey Snyder COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITERS Go'ne are the days of Daryll Clark, Jared Odrick and Sean Lee. With those key departures, the 2010 Penn State football team has unproven talent stockpiled at key positions. The quarterback hasn't been named, Linebacker U will _-.:,~. ~~, ; ,~~' ' ~ "' '~Mr''+WF~✓i`as~a'. I r ... t. Y , ,.~~v —.ar::x : Allaimr, a A lle llIIII:7 t t t ,_., 0 40. . * F - • Id ' . f 2 4 lif 11 1 , ''' - .# # ' ' A Courtesy of Google images Bryant-Denny Stadium, in Tuscaloosa, Ala., plays host to one of the nation's most anticipated nonconference games when Penn State travels to Alabama on Sept. 11. The road game against the defending national champions is one of a handful of intriguing storylines to follow throughout the college football season. Royster rushing for record The redshirt senior running back is 481 yards away from breaking Warner's 27-year-old career rushing record. "It's kind of hard not to think about it," Royster said. "It's been brought up so much. I want to get it out of the way, so I can just get on with my season. The earlier the better." Cynics will say Royster had the help of a 12-game schedule. But if Royster reaches the mark which may come as early as late September he will have done so in an era of multiple-back offen sive schemes. Either way, he fully understands the extent and history behind Brendan Monahan Record: 9-3 (6-2 Big Ten) Bowl game: Outback Bowl Offensive player of the year: WR Graham Zug Defensive player of the year: DE Jack Crawford Season outlook: Penn State has a demanding road schedule, which could wear on the team. The Nittany Lions, facing three presea- r illik * c 0.1 MINIE son top-10 teams away, will find it hard to steal one against Alabama, Ohio State and lowa, espe cially with the quarterback position being an uncertainty. If no quarterback stands out enough, a dual-quarter back system could be implemented, maybe as soon as Youngstown State. Either way in Alabama, whether it's Kevin Newsome, Matt McGloin or Robert Bolden, no quarterback has significant experience. io we' being the school's all-time rushing leader. "I'll look back on it, and it'll be the greatest individual achieve ment of my life," he said. - It's exciting, but I try not to think about it too much." A league of his own Paterno is already the win ningest FBS coach, and he's about to be the only one to reach 400 wins. At the earliest, Paterno can reach the milestone against Illinois at Beaver Stadium, but it may have to wait a week or two later, whether in Minnesota or at home against Michigan in a primetime contest. have three new starters and the brings some of the more intriguing national champion and No. 1 focal point of the defensive line is storylines in the history of the pro- Alabama the first time in 33 stuck in the shadow of Odrick gram. years the Nittany Lions play a reg- And though. the new leaders Joe Paterno, six wins shy of 400, ular season road game against an might not trigger memories of the hampered by health issues all out-of-conference defending celebration on a muddy Florida summer, seems closer to the end national champion. Citrus Bowl field Clark's of his 61-year career than ever. And a freshman quarterback postgame speech, the linebackers Tailback Evan Royster is 481 has been the darling of fall prac conducting the Blue Band, a child yards from breaking Curt ti - ^vi a chance to beer soaking it all in atop Odrick's Warner's all-time rushing IT shoulders the 2010 season Penn State battles deft Only two college football coaches, John Gagliardi at Carroll College and St. John's University , and ' Grambling State's Eddie Robinson have reached 400 wins. The feat would only add to an already-cemented legacy that includes two national champi onships and five undefeated sea sons. "When I'm down and looking up, are they going to put 399 on top of me or are they going to put 401?" Paterno said. "Who the hell cares?" llama's bright lights The Lions will be thrown into the fire after just one tune-up. A.J. Cassavell Record: 8-4 (5-3 Big Ten) Bowl Game: Outback Bowl Offensive player of the year: RG Stefen Wisniewski Defensive player of the year. CB Stephon Morris Season Outlook Forget September, the season begins October 2 in lowa. The Lions will handle three non-BCS opponents, and will struggle against No. 1 Alabama. e i Nit,ll, \ Mir / That will leave the Lions with a make-or break game in their Big Ten opener, and Kinnick Stadium has been a house of horrors. Expect that trend to continue as the Hawkeyes may have the conference's best defense facing a shaky 0-Line with a first-year quarterback. But the Penn State defense isn't too bad either and will keep the Lions in every some of which could be 13- 10 or 10-7 affairs. • , _..3,,te, ~,fl-41>rItc, . i'l•' ' ' 4 k1, 4 4 , '.• ' i '•••••• '- •, • ~ ,V s. ' wilkliprk, ' .- . .1. ~ . - ' ' 4 i, - ' 41 4144 4 , - - - ' 1 4 , - to f4: 10 „ gat - .., ~ . ' - .:. , :s e ii •• v • ... iiitilit, . ~ t i 4 - • ti .. iv - -03P ,, it•-.-• - The last time they competed against the defending national champions was 2003 against Ohio State, a 21-20 loss at Beaver Stadium. This time, though, they play an out-of-conference national cham pion on the road. Penn State will travel to Tuscaloosa against a loaded offense led by defending Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. The season also features road matchups against two more pre season top-10 teams, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 9 lowa, making the Lions the first team to face three BCS winners on the road from the year before. Year 1 A.D. (After Daryll) The muddiest quarterback race in years is winding down, and your guess is as good as any as to who gets the call Sept. 4. No one seems to have separat ed from the pack, giving credence to the notion of Robert Bolden becoming the first freshman to open the season as the starting quarterback since Paterno stepped foot on campus in 1950. Kevin Newsome and Matt McGloin are the other two candi dates, both with at least a year's experience with the playbook To e-mail reporters: ajcs23B@psu.edu, bjmsl46@psu.edu, aass22o@psu.edu Audrey Snyder Record: 8-4 (5-3 Big Ten) Bowl game: Outback Bowl Offensive player of the year RB Evan Royster Defensive player of the year: DT Devon Still Season outlook: An early road trip to Alabama will be a serious wake up call for the Nittany Lions. Add in road games with lowa and Ohio State and it's tough to see the Lions having a winning record on the road. Luckily for the Lions, Evan Royster is poised to carry the load and should become Penn State's all time leading rusher. The defense shouldn't have a problem plugging in three new linebackers. THE DAILY COLLEGIAN ~ ~ al.A,oy. a w N.
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