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Game Thread Game Four: #1 Ohio State 28, #24 Penn State 6 (9/23/06)

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Lions seek big-time redemption
By Sam Ross Jr.
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, September 18, 2006

The hype masters at ESPN might call Penn State's game at No. 1 Ohio State "Second Chance Saturday."
Lions co-captain Paul Posluszny wouldn't disagree.

"This is a great opportunity for us to do something huge for our program," Posluszny said. "We're going to have the No. 1 team in the country, on the road. It's just going to be a great chance for us to make something big happen for us and get us back into the swing of things."

Penn State was looking to make a national statement two games back at Notre Dame, and instead got swept aside, 41-17. The Lions recovered somewhat by beating Youngstown State, 37-3 on Saturday.

That was a necessary win, but only an interim step. To capture the magic of last season, to once again move to a spot of prominence on the national stage, No. 24 Penn State (2-1) needs a strong performance at Ohio State (3-0) in a 3:30 p.m. game Saturday.

"The Notre Dame game, I don't think we played great, and a couple of things went their way, which is tough to play against," linebacker Dan Connor said. "But we get another crack at it and another chance to show we're a good football team."

That was a common theme among Penn State players, with co-captain Levi Brown a notable exception. Maybe Brown was just trying to be different, and he was smiling slightly when he said of playing the top-ranked Buckeyes,"Just another game."

Playing the No. 1 team in the nation is just another game?

"Definitely. That's all it is," Brown said.

Penn State's two wins this year have come against Ohio-based competition, Akron and Youngstown State. Someone asked Brown, playfully, if Ohio State was just another team from Ohio?

"Pretty much," he said. "Another team from Ohio."

Penn State's all-time record in games vs. No. 1 opponents is 4-8. The last such meeting came in the 1998 season, at Columbus.

Penn State took a 3-0 record and a No. 7 ranking into that game and left on the short end of a 28-9 score to the No. 1 Buckeyes. The Lions haven't won at Columbus since 1978, going 0-6 in the interim.

It also was in Columbus that the promising football career of Adam Taliaferro ended when he was injured making a tackle late in a loss. Taliaferro's recovery since then is a well-chronicled miracle, but at the time it was the unhappiest experience for Penn State at Ohio State.

Columbus is a tough place to play, Posluszny said, because of the crowd, the noise, the enthusiasm, and the quality of the Buckeyes teams.

The Lions and Buckeyes shared the Big Ten Conference championship last season. This game marks the beginning of the Big Ten season for both.

"It's a good opportunity for us to go out there and show our stuff," tailback Tony Hunt said.

Sam Ross Jr. can be reached at [email protected] or (724) 838-5144.
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http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/sports/college/s_470998.html
 
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The last thing those Nitts need do is have anything approaching bulletin board material --

Someone asked Brown, playfully, if Ohio State was just another team from Ohio?

"Pretty much," he said. "Another team from Ohio."
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Mmm, don't think they are in a position to make that claim, even in jest.
 
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I have a question:

Paul Pozsluszny won the Butkus award last season because his team beat A.J. Hawk's team. Does that mean that when the Buckeyes win this week, we can engrave James Laurinaitis' name on this year's trophy?
 
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Keep in mind that YSU played Penn State tough throughout the first half, and only due to a lot of missed tackles on YSU's part was Penn State even able to score 20 in the second quarter. We should pound Penn State...
 
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Morelli looked pretty horrible against YSU. Really a mediocre season so far for him.

Poz looks a step slower and a little stiff this year. He's also playing a new position.

Finally, the PSU OL is lackluster. I expect OSU's DL to cause major problems. PSU's biggest chance is rushing outside the tackles and maybe having Morelli throw short screen passes (which he had trobule with against YSU).
 
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This will be a fun game, because I strongly dislike Penn State...the Big 10 season is upon us...and we are a MUCH better team than Penn State...and being at home there isn't going to be much that can stop us from putting a beat down on the lions. This may be close early...but it may not. Penn State just isn't the team they were last year...and we aren't either...fortunately for us, we have moved in a positive direction and they have moved in a negative one. Besides Indiana...this game scares me the least of what is on the rest of the schedule. It'll be fun though...GO BUCKS!
 
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