We Are ..Penn State!

**jimmyinkedup** · 12-15-2008, 01:44 AM

Ok so lets hear it...PSU or USC ?? My vote is PSU all the way....

PT · 12-15-2008, 05:02 AM

i hope penn state takes it. my wife and her family were all born and raised in state college so there die hard psu fans. her entire family still lives there and most went to college there as well. there having a huge party for the game on the 1st and were making the drive up for it. usc has a tough defense but im hoping penn state can run past them.

i was actually praying oregon state lost to oregon a few weeks ago so penn state wouldnt have to play them. i knew PSU would have a way easier time with oregon state(already destroyed them this year) then with USC but i didnt care. i wanted the better game

**jimmyinkedup** · 12-15-2008, 11:01 AM

^^^ agreed re the game - glad its usc not oregon state as well ...this is a great game ...for all college football fans. 2 very popular teams..one east coast... one west ... I know it will be a tough game but as a PSU alum I cant help but be biased *L*

**StoneGRMI** · 12-15-2008, 02:37 PM

Being a fellow Big Ten guy I would like to see PSU win but I don't think it will happen. I honestly see USC winning by 14+ for some reason. What's the early spread on this one?

**jimmyinkedup** · 12-15-2008, 03:16 PM

psu is a 10 point underdog as of now...

**Jfew44** · 12-15-2008, 03:17 PM

I'll be rooting for Penn State, but USC is just so damn good...

PT · 12-15-2008, 05:37 PM

penn state has a good defense but usc has one of the best defenses ever in college football history. its going to be a hard fought extremly tough game but im praying penn state comes out on top. i wish i was going to this game, i love going to penn state games.

**jimmyinkedup** · 12-15-2008, 08:25 PM

^^^ great times...ive been to over 50 games at this point ..about 25 of them as a student at PSU. I actually went to the fiesta bowl in Jan 1987 at ASU stadium when they beat miami for national championship 14-10. I was a freshman at penn state ...one of the best /trips/times i ever had. *L* so now you all know how old i am!! To say PSU travels well is an understatement (from a fan turnout perspective) but this is practically a home game for USC. USC defense is amazing but when PSU offense is clicking they are pretty impressive this year as well. PSU defense is ,well PSU defense..always pretty good most years. Im excited for the game.

**Brown Ninja** · 12-15-2008, 09:31 PM

USC big......USC will finish #2 in the polls

**rdcrdrvr** · 12-16-2008, 11:58 AM

Can't wait for this game.

It will be great. Penn State wins if their offense clicks, but it will be close. If Clarke gets hurt there is no back up QB because Pat Devlin left the program. He was unhappy with how he was being treated (rumor has it he did not get along with the QB coach- Jay Paterno).

I've been gong to Penn State games since 1968 (yeah, I'm old).

Roar Lions Roar!!

**StoneGRMI** · 12-16-2008, 07:17 PM

I can't believe they gave the old guy an extension...

**JAYROD** · 12-16-2008, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by StoneGRMI

I can't believe they gave the old guy an extension...

i can't believe the guy can still coach as well as he can! i have the dvd of the orange bowl played in jan. '86 when oklahoma beat psu for the national championship and he looked old then. he most certainly is a legend and he should be able to step down when he feels it's time. btw i would like to see them beat southern cal and jopa step out as a winner.

**Brown Ninja** · 12-16-2008, 08:47 PM

I must be missing something because I think USC wins this one going away. Penn State is not a bad team by any stretch of the imagination but USC is playing at a different level right now, as they always do at the end of the year. Bets? Anyone?

**StoneGRMI** · 12-16-2008, 09:17 PM

Originally Posted by JAYROD

i can't believe the guy can still coach as well as he can! i have the dvd of the orange bowl played in jan. '86 when oklahoma beat psu for the national championship and he looked old then. he most certainly is a legend and he should be able to step down when he feels it's time. btw i would like to see them beat southern cal and jopa step out as a winner.

I don't think he's been coaching for 5-10 years now. He's just a sideline/press box figure that they can't let go on the schools terms. They have to want him to retire by now.

**jimmyinkedup** · 12-16-2008, 09:47 PM

^^^ if thats true it certainly isnt what the assistant coaches and players say. Hell the guy hurt his leg demonstrating an onside kick in a practice...i tend to think he still plays a very active role ! *L* Anywaylike u said how about that 3 year re up!! I agree with jayrod ..with all he has done for psu and college football he should be granted the respect of leaving when he is ready...a real class act ....one of only a few around coaching in college as well as at pro level.. He has proved many wrong that said the college game passed him by .....

**T_Own** · 12-17-2008, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by Brown Ninja

USC big......USC will finish #2 in the polls

no way.. texas and alabama are still ahead of them and should both win their bowl games.

gotta go with the psu boys for this one, but i don't know, usc's de is amazing.

its a good matchup though. on the espn polls they had the states that voted either way and psu won one (PA) and usc won the other 49 lol.

**StoneGRMI** · 12-17-2008, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by jimmyinkedup

^^^ if thats true it certainly isnt what the assistant coaches and players say. Hell the guy hurt his leg demonstrating an onside kick in a practice...i tend to think he still plays a very active role ! *L* Anywaylike u said how about that 3 year re up!! I agree with jayrod ..with all he has done for psu and college football he should be granted the respect of leaving when he is ready...a real class act ....one of only a few around coaching in college as well as at pro level.. He has proved many wrong that said the college game passed him by .....

What player or coach in their right mind would come out and publicly say that Joe Pa doesn't do anything? Come on now. It's been widely reported for years that he doesn't call plays in games or run drills in practice. I believe he's purely there only because they want to give him the respect to leave on his own terms as he's a living legend there. Nothing against the guy, he's been great for PSU. It's just time to hang up the black tennis shoes in my opinion.

PT · 12-17-2008, 12:56 PM

i love joe pa and actually met him twice but i agree its time to hang it up. he just signed a 3 yer deal so he will definatly be there another year but hopefully its his last. i wanted to see penn state go undefeted and play for the national championship so joe pa could go out on top but that obviously didnt happen but leaving after the rose bowl isnt so bad either. i just hope the team dosnt bomb next year and he has to leave with them being on the bottom. the main reason penn state wants him there is recruiting. alot of people want to play for joe pa and go there because of him

**jimmyinkedup** · 12-17-2008, 01:10 PM

^^ i agree with everything u said ...esp the undefeated national championship out on top ...damn iowa !! *L*
and stone i agree with you no player or coaches would say that ...he did injure himself demonstrating a drill in practice(maybe the only one he did all year who knows?) but i think its much like in business ...a good manager(coach) leads through his people and they feed off his knowledge and experience. I too think he should retire ...but on his own terms and when he decides ...out of respect for all he has done AND the fact that his teams are still successful.

**JAYROD** · 12-17-2008, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by StoneGRMI

What player or coach in their right mind would come out and publicly say that Joe Pa doesn't do anything? Come on now. It's been widely reported for years that he doesn't call plays in games or run drills in practice. I believe he's purely there only because they want to give him the respect to leave on his own terms as he's a living legend there. Nothing against the guy, he's been great for PSU. It's just time to hang up the black tennis shoes in my opinion.

i've never heard it said that he doesn't call plays or run drills in practice but other than mike leach i don't know of any head coach that calls the plays and if there is they are few and far between. from what i know a head coach for the most part is picks their coordinators and coaches and basically oversees it all. now they certainly have the last word after everything has been run by them and they make their ammendments to the game plan but i think a great head coach lets his assistants do their part while he runs the show. i don't know how big of a role joe pa has at penn state but whatever he's been doing for more than my entire lifetime has been worken with a great deal of success.

**rdcrdrvr** · 12-17-2008, 04:40 PM

I am sure Paterno wanted more than 3 years, that's all that the PSU Board of Trustees would give him. It is well known that he is apprehensive about retirement as he has no interests outside of football, Penn State and his family. In this way he was much like one of his mentors- Bear Bryant. They were very close personal friends. Bryant died 28 days after he retired from Alabama. I think Joe has some concern about his future after retirement.

Paterno is like a great many college coaches. He doesn't call individual plays but works with his coordinators and has considerable input on the game plan.

As far as I am concerned, he can stay as long as he wants. He has been great for Penn State, their football program and the concept of scholar athlete.

**JAYROD** · 12-17-2008, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by rdcrdrvr

I am sure Paterno wanted more than 3 years, that's all that the PSU Board of Trustees would give him. It is well known that he is apprehensive about retirement as he has no interests outside of football, Penn State and his family. In this way he was much like one of his mentors- Bear Bryant. They were very close personal friends. Bryant died 28 days after he retired from Alabama. I think Joe has some concern about his future after retirement.

Paterno is like a great many college coaches. He doesn't call individual plays but works with his coordinators and has considerable input on the game plan.

As far as I am concerned, he can stay as long as he wants. He has been great for Penn State, their football program and the concept of scholar athlete.

good point about bear bryant. woody hayes died shortly after retirement also and i think coaching is 99.9% of some of these guys lives and it's the only way they know how to live. i think coaches like joe pa and bobby bowden are apprehensive about getting out of the game because they simply don't have any other meaningful interests in life or they just don't know what to do if they retire and it's scary to them.

**jimmyinkedup** · 12-17-2008, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by JAYROD

good point about bear bryant. woody hayes died shortly after retirement also and i think coaching is 99.9% of some of these guys lives and it's the only way they know how to live. i think coaches like joe pa and bobby bowden are apprehensive about getting out of the game because they simply don't have any other meaningful interests in life or they just don't know what to do if they retire and it's scary to them.

I agree about apprehension. I think guys like joepa see it as more than coaching or a job. I really believe to him it is about the young men he coaches...teaching them about alot more than just football. Most of his former players will say this...and that not something they need to say. Im sure its hard to give up ...rewards he get from teaching things like this are prob pretty fulfilling...can give your life purpose and meaning ...who knows.. i dont for sure but i believe it may be the case...he's def a class act no doubt about that....

**StoneGRMI** · 01-01-2009, 07:05 PM

Man, USC is dominating.

**StoneGRMI** · 01-01-2009, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by StoneGRMI

Being a fellow Big Ten guy I would like to see PSU win but I don't think it will happen. I honestly see USC winning by 14+ for some reason. What's the early spread on this one?

I should be a vegas odds maker

**jimmyinkedup** · 01-01-2009, 10:08 PM

^^ as much as it pains me...(not that it was you that was correct but the fact that PSU lost) ....you called it....ouch....damn that 2nd quarter....well usc deserved it they palyed the better game...

**T_Own** · 01-01-2009, 11:02 PM

usc really let up in the 4th quarter. if it wasn't for that pick ~3:00 left, psu could have scored and been down only 7.. i'm surprised the amazing defense let psu walk down the field a few times in a row. and that pick at the end was too bad. losing by 7 would have been a lot better than 14. nonetheless, it was a good game, very interesting to watch. now i just hope florida goes down