Penn State’s Soft Schedule Converts to Big Fantasy Numbers
Sean Lee, Penn State - Linebacker
Exactly who is making Penn State’s schedule?
The Nittany Lions have the second weakest non-conference schedule in Division 1 this season with only Ol’ Miss having a worst schedule, according to The Sporting News.
Penn State opens the 2009 college football season with the Akron Zips at home. Then, the Lions take on a very bad Syracuse team at home, and then face perennial punching bag Temple at home. On October 10, Penn State hosts Eastern Illinois, at home.
“We see these teams as tough opponents,” said linebacker Sean Lee–a projected star on last year’s team who sat out the entire season with injury.
Come again Sean?
"My schedule is not soft."
“The schedule is not soft,” said quarterback Daryll Clark. Clark went on to say that Temple gave them a tough game last year.
Perhaps Clark forgot the final score versus the Owls: 45-3.
These four teams were a combined 18-30 last year, none had winning records and they all travel TO Happy Valley.
Penn State also has its two toughest Big Ten opponents at home this year. Both Iowa and Ohio State will visit State College.
And, it doesn’t get much better in future seasons either. Temple is on the schedule through 2012 and only once will the Nittany Lions travel to Philadelphia where they will outnumber the Owls fans by 10 to 1 anyway. While Penn State does pick up Alabama in 2010 and 2011, it also has schedule the likes of powers Youngstown State and Kent State in 2010, and Eastern Michigan in 2011. Future opponents include a more respectable trio of Virginia, Rutgers, and Nebraska.
Noticeably missing from the Penn State schedules are former eastern rivals Pittsburgh, Maryland, and West
Evan Royster, Penn State - Running Back
Virginia. In fact, Penn State hasn’t scheduled West Virginia since 1992. Don’t you think Penn State fans would like to play these regional teams rather than see them play Northwestern or Kent State?
The Penn State Nittany Lions are going to rack up some huge statistics this season, especially duing the early going. This is going to give the Penn State cheerleaders a lot to cheer about. Last year, the Lions scored 211 points during their first four games against non-league powers Carolina (Coastal), Oregon State, Syracuse, and Temple.
Expect the same thing this year. The only thing that will hold back running back Evan Royster (1236 yards in ’08) is the fact that he likely won’t play in the second half in each of the non-league games. Quarterback Clark(2592 yards in ’08) may not have to put up the ball very much as the Lions milk the clock early and attempt to keep the tough games close like it did versus Temple last year.
July 19th, 2009 at 10:26 am
Temple sucks, but they do give PSU a hard game. All Temple tries to do is hurt people when they play PSU. They knock heads and deliver vicious blows all game long cause they know they will lose by 40 regardless. They don’t try to make tackles but they abuse the hell out of the hit stick.
Thug Life!
July 19th, 2009 at 10:35 am
PSU cant play WVU, Pitt, Maryland and all other regional teams every season anymore becacuse they joined a conference in 1993, the same year they quit scheduling them. They needed those teams to boost the schedule of an independent, now they have tough teams on the conference slate, and schedule patsies in non conference like everyone else in the country. That WVU-Liberty matchup looks tough this season.
July 24th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Actually, Penn State has offered games to WVU and Maryland and Pitt, but only if they agreed to play 7 games at State College out of 10. That’s really a slap in the face to the other eastern schools.
You are right that the WV-Liberty game is going to be a real exciting contest, but I do understand the financial necessity of the football program hosting an extra patsy game every year to pay for the womens’ lacrosse team’s budget. The problem, however is when all 4 non-league games on the schedule are so blatantly mismatched. Penn State plays Syracuse, Temple, Eastern Illinois, and Akron for its non-league slate. West Virginia schedules the aforementioned Liberty, but also faces Auburn on the road and Colorado at home. The Mountaineers also play East Carolina and in-state rival Marshall at home.
No doubt, the Big East is suffering from only having 8 teams in the conference. This is a big problem for scheduling 5 non-league games each season. The problem is, whom can you add that is willing to take a football only spot since Big East hoops already has 16 members. Nobody will leave the ACC or Big Ten and Notre Dame is not likely to join. That leaves the only logical choices to be East Carolina or Central Florida from Conference USA or the combination of Army and Navy.
August 17th, 2009 at 1:50 am
I am a Penn State fan and loved playing our independent schedule. In 82 our schedule was. Temple,Maryland,Rutgers,Nebraska,Alabama,Syracuse,WVU,Boston College,N.C. State,Notre Dame and Pitt. And defeated #1 undefeated Georgia in the Sugar Bowl for our first official National Championship.Our Schedule was the toughest in the nation that year. joining a conference made it difficult financially to play a home and home game with out of conference teams. We even offer the teams we play a good some of $$ to come to State college but WVU,Pitt and Maryland can’t afford the deal Penn State offered them understandably. So we have to schedule the likes of Akron,Temple(which is an in state rival). We do play Bama next year and Nebraska on future schedules. BUt again conference afiliation and the BCS has changed the landscape of college football. We Are.. ..Penn State