Hello once again Phinally Philly readers and fans! Kevin from Nittany White Out and Examiner checking in with your update on what is going on in local college football this weekend.
PENN STATE
After being removed form the position of BCS Championship dark horse last week with a loss to Iowa, the Penn State Nittany Lions take to the road for their first contest away from Beaver Stadium this season. The destination? Illinois.
What makes this particular Big Ten match-up intriguing is the way both teams will respond to losing last week. While Penn State went down in somewhat dominating fashion to the Hawkeyes at home, Illinois came up blank on the road at Ohio State, losing 30-0. To say both teams have holes would be an understatement. The Penn State offensive line has shown that they are far from being regarded as one of the top units in the country. Illinois, you would think, should have the upper hand on the line when Daryll Clark is taking snaps, but the Illinois defense is one of the worst in the conference at pressuring opposing quarterbacks. The Illini, historically sound defensively, are struggling to record sacks and break up passes. They rank toward the bottom of the Big Ten in most related categories.
This weekend we will see what kind of character both of these teams are made of. Penn State enters the game as the more talented team form top to bottom, but Illinois has one of the top wide receivers in the league in Arrelious Benn. Benn is a little banged up but even at 75% Benn is better than most wide receivers in the country at 100%. Injuries are not new to Penn State, as top linebacker Sean Lee will once again not play this weekend.
Is Penn State’s season over? If you ask us over at Nittany White Out, we certainly are not ready to throw in the towel. Personally, I believe Penn State fans can learn a few lessons from the Phillies, the most important is to be patient for the big reward.
TEMPLE
The Owls had a big win last week in their MAC opener, routing the defending MAC champion Buffalo Bulls at Lincoln Financial Field. After starting the season off with losses in state to Villanova and Penn State maybe Temple had determined that the Buffalo game would re-start their season. Now Temple takes to the road to play Eastern Michigan. The Owls should be the favorites this weekend and could be 2-0 in MAC play next week when they host last year’s Cinderella story, Ball State.
VILLANOVA
This is a big weekend for the Wildcats. Ranked #2 in the nation, Villanova will play host to conference rival and the #5 team in the FCS level, William & Mary. the best part is the game will be televised nationally on Versus (3:30pm – same time as Penn State). Villanova has shown that they have both offense and defense, but the Tribe may be the biggest test yet, aside form Temple. buw8in2ftg
PENN
Not to be outdone by their Big 5 rivals, the Penn Quakers will also be appearing on national television this weekend, also on Versus. Penn is playing the network’s Ivy League Game of the Week and will take on Dartmouth up in New Hampshire at noon on Saturday. Both teams enter with identical 0-2 records, but the Quakers have played tough in both of their games. After losing to Villanova to start their season, Penn lost at Lafayette last weekend in overtime. Penn is a favorite by many in the Ivy League this season, so a win could help propel Penn to a division crown.
