Spartan Nation 2009 Football Scouting Report: Penn State University
Spartan Nation 2009 Scouting Report: Penn State University
Biggest Game: November 7, 2009 Ohio State
Predicted record: 11-1 (7-1)
Projected Big Ten standing: 2nd
Returning Starters: 9; OFFENSE 5, DEFENSE 4 Lettermen returning: 37
Head Coach: Joe Paterno 44th Season at PSU Last Season: 11-2 Lifetime: 383-127-3
Top assistant: Tom Bradley DC
Number of Players on the All Spartan Nation Big Ten Team: Two; LB Sean Lee, DT Jared Odrick
Analysis: JoePa may not be the coach he was 20 years ago, but he has evolved as a coach and now runs the Lions as more of a CEO. It doesn’t matter, because the Lions keep winning and he still does well. I, for one, seem to be one of the handful that thinks he has earned the right to walk away on his terms.
They lost a lot of talent, but they still have a lot of players with real experience. Tom Bradley, the DC, is the top assistant because it will be his task to keep this defense performing at a high level.
The Lions style won’t change, but since Coach Hall came in as the OC they like to attack more and that style has helped them attract the athletes that caused a lull in the program that led to many calling for Paterno’s scalp.
I call for the November 7th game as their biggest of the season. That is when, what I predict will be, the undefeated Buckeyes will come to town with another national title BCS birth on the horizon. Penn State is the second toughest stadium in the Big Ten and one of the top ten in the nation. If they can get the upset (I don’t think they will), then they could be the team on a precipice of something really special.
The schedule is another big plus with the only difficult games being at MSU and Illinois. Both of those games are ones that the Lions could lose if they aren’t hitting on all cylinders.
Predicted Win/Loss:
1.Akron WIN
2.Syracuse WIN
3.Temple WIN
4.Iowa WIN
5.@ Illinois WIN
6.Eastern Illinois WIN
7.Minnesota WIN
8.@ Michigan WIN
9.@ Northwestern WIN
10.Ohio State LOSS
11.Indiana WIN
12.Michigan State WIN
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