What if they gave a war and nobody showed up . . .

File this one away under interestingly ironic . . . what if a dove gave an anit-war book signing and nobody showed up? Remember Cindy?

Football heaven . . . sort of . . .

College football's regular season winds down after Thanksgiving weekend . . . but for now enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! The "big games" that could impact Penn State's future with regards to their bowl invitation include Texas winner over Texas A&M yesterday and the UCS/UCLA next weekend. Well, the Aggies looked like they'd get it done through 3 quarters of the game . . . too bad, beating Texas would have been sweet!

Today . . . we may get to witness Florida State get beat (and drop out of the Top 25 for the first time since 1996) . . . I just don't understand how some teams can lose 3 or more games and still linger with the elite in the polls. I call it the "Oklahoma Syndrome" . . . those who followed college football for 3 decades or more know about the syndrome. A loss by Florida State today gets JoePa one more game closer to reclaiming "winningest active coach" status (I think he's holding off retirement until he reclaims the top spot) . . . so . . . Go Gators!

Barry Alverez coached his last game at Wisconsin to a win yesterday in Hawaii . . . he'll do well as the AD at Wisconsin . . . nice to go out a winner.

For the next 48 hours or so . . . left over turkey sandwiches, bratwurst and longnecks, and of course college football!

Abbey showing some attitude . . .

It's OK to snow over Thanksgiving . . .

Snow . . . late last night and early this morning the first snow fall of the season dusted our area. Those who know me . . . know I dislike it and constantly bitch about having to shovel it, drive it, and put up with the cold temperatures associated with it.

Working in transportation safety over the past 12 years, my negative bias is pretty intense. Snow has no redeeming characteristics - none!

Last evening, when I took Abbey out for her evening constitutional, the first snow of the year began falling. Weird, for a few minutes I was mesmerized by the beauty of the swrilling snowflakes . . . weird, so not me, hmmmm . . . maybe it's OK (a dusting of it) in time for Thanksgiving.

Teams of the Year

Teams of the Year (Roses, no pun intended)

#1 Penn State, were any teams in the Top 10 was as far down as the Lions were when the season began? After coming off two years marked by frustrating losses and coach JoePa bashing, the roar has been restored in Happy Valley. Yeah . . . I have a PSU bias to be sure, but the Lions and JoePa clawed their way back to the top tiers of national rankings and polls in dramatic "we believe" fashion. They ARE the top story in college football this year!!!

#2 Central Florida, one of PSU's early opponents this year and relative newcomers to Division 1 college football. They got a great coach and the squad put their program on the map this year. 8-3 this year . . . the Bulls rulz . . .

#3 Alabama . . . ouch . . . that was tough for me to confess, another "team of forgotten glory" that "rolled" its way back to the national rankings. They aren't finishing well . . . but I expect The Tide to gain momentum as they build on this year's resurgence.

Teams of the Year (Thorns)

#1 Florida State . . . no secret, I don't like Bowden and the Noles . . . happiness is Miami, FSU, and Florida all losing on the same weekend. This year, I wanted FSU to be good enough to qualify for a BCS bowl and then get stomped by Penn State! Imagine two coaching legends facing off in hear-to-head competition . . . the Noles blew it this year!

#2 Michigan . . . no secret, I don't like Carr and the boys from the big house . . . aside from the PSU-Michigan debacle this year, they disappointed me by not prevailing in the one game I actually cheered for them in . . . Ohio State. PSU could have emerged alone at the top of the Big Ten.

#3 USC and Notre Dame are tied for the "most over rated teams" in the top 1o. ND got their due . . . USC is next when they face either UCLA or Texas later this season. As potential PSU opponents, it's a safe bet the Lions would prevail.

He got it done . . .

Say what you may about Michael Robinson . . . but he got it done . . . Penn State is the first school this year to lock up a BCS bowl bid as Big Ten champs! As a 35 year+ Nittany Lion fan, what impressed be most about Robinson was what he did in the years previous to this one . . . he adapted and played where needed to help the team. Yes, this year's performance should get him an invite to the Heisman dance too! You gotta like Mike.

This is nice to see again . . .

The next 60 days will be filled with recognitions and awards to outstanding players, coaches, all-American teams, etc. It's a treat to see Joe Paterno in a positive spotlight once again. Penn State fans know this . . . JoePa is unique . . . a legend . . . an icon . . . one of the best there ever was . . . congratulations Joe . . . this fan thinks you should be Coach of the Year!

So much has changed . . .

1982, 1986, and 1994 were glorious years for Penn State football fans. Those of the faithful who remember these, as well as many of the other winning seasons, have lived through a dought for the past 11 years. There's so much to say about JoePa and his staff never giving up or losing faith, the call for Joe's retirement, and the 180 degree reversal in the program's design . . . I'll leave that to the sports writers and analysts. As I struggled to stay awake last night to get the outcomes of the Miami and USC games (trust me, after tailgating and celebrating the PSU victory - it was a struggle) the thought popped into my head that so much has changed since the 1994 Big Ten championship . . .

I watched the 1995 Rose Bowl on a 25" Crossley television that has less than perfect cable reception . . . here I was watching the Lions on a 42" widescreen HD television w/digital HD cable feed . . . perfect, you are on the field images . . . I could split the screen and watch 2 games, but who'd want to?

The Internet is an amazing innovation - instant information and anything you need to know about college football odds, stats, forecasts, updates, etc. 20 years ago, USA Today, Thursday editions, was about the only place you could get stats. You'd have to wait 24 hours+ to get poll updates, odds, scores, etc. - today, it's immediate and real time. You can watch game video, listen to interviews, and follow games on "game trackers" if you have a mind to.

In spite of all the technological improvements, some things never seem to change. Most commentators still have an anti-Penn State bias and drool over the possibility we might lose a close game, the Lions still look great in their "travel whites", and Johnsonville Bratwursts, Nittany Lions franks, and Bass Ale remain tailgate favorites of mine.

The eleven years of waiting for the Lions return to glory hasn't been wasted . . . it's been a time when new friendships were forged, a time when my family and friends learned to come together in the shadows of losing numbers on the scoreboard, and a time when we never once lost faith in our beloved Lions.

It's been 11 years . . . this is a season to cherish . . . one more "big game" in about 45 days.

Big 10 Champs . . .

Lions finish 10-1 . . .

Shining through . . .

That would be Penn State's defense . . . yeah baby!!! Too many long necks into the evening to make any real sense of it now . . . but the Lions, in an outstanding defensive performance, finish the regular season 10 - 1 with a victory over Michigan State . . . more thoughts on the game tomorrow when my head is clearer!

This is it . . .

Well . . . it's here, Penn State's final game of the regular season. I've read all the articles, reviewed all the stats, looked at the odds, and ponder all of the predictions. I'm approach tomorrow with two thoughts. First, I'm amazed that the Ohio State-Michigan game is getting more attention than the game that will most likely determine the Big 10 championship. A win by the Lions tomorrow will go a long way towards earning the respect they deserve. And second, the Lions have great offensive and defensive stats (among the top 25 nationally in both categories) that illustrates how well-rounded this year squad has performed. Yep, Michigan States offense is #1 in the Big Ten, and yes there is cause for some concern . . . but I go back to my original premise at the start of this year's campaign . . . I'm cautiously optomistic that we will prevail Saturday by 14 points or more!!!

A win tomorrow, toggled with a few key losses by higher ranked teams, and the road to the Rose Bowl just got a new twist in it . . . a long short for sure . . . but oh so sweet the dream!

# 4 in BCS Ratings Today!!!

PSU is on a roll to a bowl . . . major bowl . . . in all probability the Orange Bowl to face Miami or LSU . . . # 4 today in BCS standings!!! Any losses by Miami, Texas, or USC between now and December 4th simply improves PSU chances to advance to the Rose Bowl . . . now, wouldn't that be dandy!?!

Abbey . . .

Abbey . . .

Here she is . . . our standard poodle, Lady Abigail of East Berlin

Bowl picture beginning to focus . . .

Assuming a Penn State win over Michigan State on November 19th and teams like Miami, Texas, and USC finishing their seasons with no losses, I think the Lions will go to the FedEx Orange Bowl and play Miami. That should be a GREAT game! Visions of a Shane Conlin-led defense keep dancing in my head . . . aaah the sweet memories of the last Orange Bowl when we beat them with "D".

I like Penn State over Michigan State by 15 points or more . . .

Good weekend of college football. Not quite the perfect "upset" combinations I was hoping for but losses by Bama(ends all the nonsense about this over-rated team), Florida State (gets Joe one victory closer to reclaiming his winningest coach honors back), Florida (it's always a great weekend when 2 or more Florida teams lose, especially if Lee Corso picked them to win), and Georgia (I just don't the dawgs). Too bad Northwestern couldn't get it done over Ohio State . . . that would have been so sweet! Sorry Wisconsin, guess that loss to Iowa takes away the Big Ten co-champ dream . . . aah, it was a good weekend!

Will I cheer for Michigan next weekend to prevail over Ohio State? You betcha!!! Penn State emerges as undisputed Big Ten Champions and is Orange Bowl bound!

Another milestone . . .

I'm not much on celebrating my birthday and on nearly every previous occasion I preferred to treat it as just another day. Turning 40 was particularly traumatic but 50 didn't seem to phase me a bit. Now this steady march toward 60 thing has me in a tail spin and I'm not sure why . . .

I do know that I've been particularly blessed over the past decades with good health, loving family and friends, and an excellent but modest standard of living. Well, maybe it's because time seems to move quicker as one grows older . . . it seems that way to me. Reflecting back this morning . . . I got most of the stuff done in my life that I set out to do . . . and while life has a way of dealing out new sets of goals each year, they get done too . . . they just take a few days, weeks, or months longer to achieve. Maybe that's it . . . a bit of frustration . . . it now takes a week to paint a room that say 10 years ago took only a day or two.

As you get older, birthdays become a lot like New Years resolutions . . . this year, I'm gonna do this, start this, work on this, etc. What's up with that? Especially all the self-improvement stuff. Maybe that's it.

Well . . . God willing, He'll give me another year to ponder all this. I love life and all it offers . . . good or bad . . . it's been an amazing ride so far.

Salute to All Veterans . . .

11th minute of the 11th hours on 11 NOV 1919 . . . Armistice Day marked the end of the Great War . . . World War One. Since then we've honored veterans of every war in which service personnel have participated in ever since. A salute to fellow comrades!

The polls don't tell the whole story . . .

Here's a thought . . . there are two teams in the USA this week that have both top ranked offenses (total yards per game) and defenses (total yards allowed per game) . . . just 2 teams!!! Texas and Penn State . . . so, give the # 1 poll spot to USC, # 2 to Texas, and # 3 has gotta be Penn State! Sportswriters and coaches, what are you guys thinking?!?

After surfing all the college football "stories of the day" . . . I found an interesting prediction . . . Penn State versus Maimi in the Orange Bowl . . . hmmmm . . . the gate would be open to finish #2 in the nation at the end of the season . . . I thought this to be possible a few weeks earlier . . . cool, some professional sport journalist thinks so too!

Coach of the Year?!?

I haven't seen anyone propose it yet . . . so I will . . . Joe Paterno, Coach of the Year!

PSU is 5th in new BCS Rankings

Yeah buddy!!! The Lions climb up another notch to #5 in the BCS rankings just released at 1400 hours today!!! Remember, teams currently ranked 1 through 4 above PSU have plenty of opportunities to get knocked off between now and PSU's date with Michigan State on 19 NOV. If the Lions prevail on the 19th., toggled with a few key losses by the other top four teams . . . it could get really interesting - FAST!!! My oh my . . . how sweet this is . . . a bye week . . . come next Monday the Lions could be perched at #3 in the BCS without playing a single down . . . fun to dream . . . nice to be able to indulge in them for a change!!! GO LIONS!!!

Penn State Could Finish 2nd

I don't indugle in much wishful thinking when it comes to college football "final ratings" at the end of a season . . . but it's been too long since I last had a chance to dream about Penn State finishing a campaign at the top of the heap! Well, it would take a few "miracle games" to pull it off, but the Lions could finish this year near the top of the final polls. It takes 2 wins on the part of Penn State - Michigan State and whoever we play in the bowl game - and it takes a few losses by teams ranked ahead of Penn State to position the Lions for a run for # 2.

LSU and Bama - we need Bama to win this one and then lose to Auburn the following week. Virginia will need to beat Miami and UCLA needs to upset USC . . . if this combination should occur, look for Penn State to be gunning for the top poll position. Hey, who would have thought Florida State, Virginia Tech, and UCLA would loose this weekend?!? I don't know if there's a team that can challenge Texas between now and December 4th. Anyway, it's fun to speculate just how high Penn State could climb if all the stars line up just right.

Like Old Times . . .

Excuse me for celebrating . . . this is like the good old days of Penn State football, and I can't help but relish the "throw back" to the years I first fell hopelessly devoted to this program! Ok . . . PSU climbed to #6 in both the AP and USA Today polls . . . not that this isn't GREAT in and of itself . . . the one poll that matters most is the BCS poll that comes out on Monday . . . I'm thinking 5 or higher . . . which means, for now, either LSU or Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Pundents and prognosticators say Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl . . . but to me, that's a step down, because ND has 2 losses and a puss schedule to finish out the season. PSU, with a win against Michigan State in 2 weeks, deserves a much better opponent than ND (and while it would be nice to see the Lions claw some Irish butt, I'd much prefer Bama at this point in the ratings).

It's hard to believe (is it really?), that PSU is 9-1 and one game away from a Big Ten championship! Perhaps the last 5 years have taken a little bit of a toll among the "faithful" and "true believers" in Lion football . . . but not this fan . . . I just refused to believe the detractors! With a win against MSU, JoePa should be named coach of the year! At 78, he still the man!!! Sad to even ponder the notion of our team being led out of the tunnel by any coach other than Joe . . . that day will come, but for the moment it's like the old days again and I love it!!!

The Bass Ale and brats never tasted better!

35 -14 PSU wins! 9-1 and bowl bound

WE ARE . . . PENN STATE!!! One game to go to clinch the Big Ten Championship and a major BCS bowl . . . what do the detractors and critics have to say about all this now?!? Yeah baby . . . how very, very very sweet this is!!! It's like old times again!!!