Comments on: Penn State: 15 Years In

By: Mazurek

Mazurek — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 03:48:39 +0000

Actually the first five years(with the exception of 94) Penn State did not even do that great in the conference. They only won it in 94 and in the other years they usually struggled to come in third place. They did excell however in non conference and bowls, they only lost one non big ten game out of first 25 or so games. So while the overall record in first five years was very good. The Big ten record wasnt that great. Just one first place finish and mostly third place.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:41:12 +0000

Spartyon, the classest thing about your program is your head coach, and he is and always will be a Buckeye! Focus on beating your older brother and finishing above 5th in the conference before coming onto an Ohio State blog and talking shit.

By: Spartyon

Spartyon — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:21:37 +0000

Penn State coming into the conference was a mistake. All the guaranteed wins against weak opponents have been replaced by tough games against Michigan, Michigan State, the university of ohio state, Indiana, etc.

They also opened the door to western Pennsylvania for the rest of the league to recruit. You have some of the best fans I’ve ever seen, but your exposure to the Buckeye fans nasty behavior is having its effect on you. Stay clasasy, Penn State. Don’t give in to the dark side!

By: JoePa

JoePa — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:32:28 +0000

I was a senior at PSU in 1989 when the deal was announced and most students did not like the idea of joining a conference at all. Everyone liked the independent status and playing for National Titles, not conference titles.
Most PSU fans really didn’t like the conference after going undefeated in 1994 and not getting a national championship. The supposedly “tough” Big 10 had not seen an undefeated team since 1968 and many said there might never be an undefeated team in the B10 again with PSU joining the conference. Unfortunately most of the mid-western sportswriters left PSU out in the cold (when it came to voting for a national champion) and many Nittany Lion fans will never forget that. Since then OSU and Michigan both go undefeated and win titles. How about that?
But since then scholorship limits and the elimination of several conferences and independants have changed the landscape of college football. Maybe if PSU had not joined the B10 the other dominos may not have fallen as they had. But if the conference alignments would have happened anyway, PSU would have struggled to remain an independant and probably would have ended up in the Big East or ACC. From that standpoint, the B10 seems to be a much better fit. In football Penn State has definitely seen its ups and downs (great first five years, poor second five years, about average last five years). But revenue sharing and big football home game draws have helped support a great overall sports program and improving facilities. I’m a huge JoePa fan, but when he’s gone Penn State will have a very good chance to play with the big 2 like they did in the mid-’90’s. So overall, 15 years down the road, I am now sold on the B10 conference - and yes would like to see further expansion for the right team(s).

By: vico

vico — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:02:35 +0000

Granted, I’m new to recruiting trends, but hasn’t Penn State usually done well in recruiting Maryland prepsters? My understanding was they’ve been able to target and poach the Free State with relative ease, and have been able to do so for years. For all intents and purposes, in that area, they would have to be the biggest draw (against: Maryland, WVU, Rutgers, Va Tech, whoever else). Even with Penn State being a usual 8-4/9-3 team for the most part and with the “rise” of the Big East teams, I don’t see where there hurting in Maryland. If anything, the Terrapins might suffer, but not Penn State.

Of course, my experience with Maryland is limited to Ocean City, but there were Lions fans everywhere in Maryland. I couldn’t wear my 2004 Fiesta Bowl t-shirt there without (unwittingly) getting into an argument with some drunk chicks who doubled as Penn State students/fans.

By: Woody

Woody — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:37:37 +0000

Penn st is cleaning up in maryland. Only because they have to. Ohio State is getting the top guys from pa. (brown, Bell, and Pryor). If you combined the talent of pa. and ohio you have one hell of a football team. No more excuses for coach tressel he must get a crystal ball in the next 4 years. This year looks good but so do the next 4. We have speed at every position on offense. Defensively we have bulked up on the back seven as always, but the difference will be our defensive ends. I love Wells the freshman from ga. and Hayward only a soph.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:33:09 +0000

It was a great move for PSU sports except football & basketball. Mainly because Joe Paterno has chosen to be stubborn and play a bland of football that no longer works and to hire his son on top of it. Penn State football has been a joke in the Big Ten and OSU and UM should be thrilled that PSU joined. PSU has brought a TV market, cache of tradition and a huge fan base for OSU and UM to beat up on all the time. Until Joe changes his stubborn ways or retires PSU will continue to be the whipping boy of OSU and UM while maintaining a high level of mediocrity.

By: notch

notch — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:14:30 +0000

Poe McKnoe, you’re a dbag.

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:25:31 +0000

Since when is PSU hurting in Maryland recruiting? Last I checked Larry Johnson is an incredible recruiting down there. Jersey, thats a difference story, and so is PA. I think it should be changed to PA and NJ are no longer solid PSU breeding grounds.

By: Joe Fox

Joe Fox — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:33:25 +0000

Back in the day, I worked out with a guy who was a strength and conditioning coach for the p*nn st*t* football team (he was an assistant, not the head guy). We were talking in the gym one day, after lifting, and we discussed the merger. He told me that Paterno said in a coaches’ meeting that p*nn st*t* would either dominate the league, or become an also-ran. He (Paterno) thought they had three years to win a national title before the crux would come, and the league got familiar with his program.

Looks like the latter has been the case. I think it’s devastated their recruiting. Both Ohio State and m*ch*g*n are routinely dipping in Pennsylvania, while simultaneously keeping p*nn st*t* from delving into their own backyards, and the rise of the Big Least is really hurting them in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and New Jersey.