Hello Phinally Philly readers. Kevin from Nittany White Out here once again. Today I hope to get you caught up to speed on what is going on in the local college football scene this weekend. What is nice is that the Phillies will take a day off in order to let college football take center stage for a day. Penn state, Temple, Villanova and Penn are all in action this weekend.
PENN STATE
It’s Homecoming time at Penn State but this weekend it will look more like a wintery wonderland. With State College already receiving more than four inches of snow, more of the white stuff is expected Friday night into Saturday, which is already causing havoc on Homecoming tailgating plans for more than 80,000 fans. Regardless of happens with the abundance of fans who will be packing the shuttle busses in a fashion reminiscent of how Philadelphia fans jammed Septa last October 31 to see the Phillies’ World Series parade, the Nittany Lions have a big test on the football field when Minnesota comes to town.
Minnesota brings one of the top wide receivers in the Big Ten to Happy Valley in Eric Decker. The Gophers will hope that th snowy field conditions do not deter from Decker’s brilliance too much as they hope to pull a big upset in the Big Ten. Quarterback Adam Weber has the skills to make a difference, but he has also made some poor decisions with the ball in his time as a starting quarterback.
Penn State linebacker Sean Lee was listed as possible for this weekend’s game but with the playing conditions looking to be less than ideal, I would think his playing time, if he sees any, will be very limited at best.
TEMPLE
The Owls are turning some heads in the MAC. After starting the season with a pair of losses to in-state rivals Villanova and Penn State, Temple has jumped to 3-0 in the MAC. This weekend the Owls look to be a favorite as they welcome Army to the Linc for their homecoming game. Quarterback Vaughn Charlton has passed for five touchdowns and freshman running back Bernard Pierce has recorded five touchdowns on the ground.
A win would be huge for Temple as they head on the road for their next two games. Temple is now four wins away from clinching bowl eligibility.
VILLANOVA, PENN
In the FCS ranks Villanova will look to get back on track after taking their first loss of the season last week in New Hampshire. The Wildcats lost to conference foe New Hampshire and saw a weakness exploited in the passing game. New Hampshire threw for nearly 300 yards and shut down Villanova in the fourth quarter to narrowly beat the previously unbeaten Wildcats. This week Villanova continues to take their show on the road at James Madison. The Dukes are 0-2 in the CAA right now but they are always a tough team.
The Quakers return to Ivy League action with a game at Columbia. Both teams are 1-0 in the Ivy and 2-2 overall. Penn enters riding a two game winning streak after beating Bucknell last week by a 21-3 tune in Franklin Field. Penn will have to find a way to keep Columbia from racking up the points. Columbia enters with 112 points scored, 38 of which came in a shutout of Princeton.
So that is a glimpse at what will be happening on the college football fields this weekend for the teams of local interest. On the national spotlight will be a pair of rivalry games. Notre Dame hosts USC in what should be another futile effort by the Irish, and Oklahoma and Texas square off in the Red River Shootout. Texas should be the favorite but Sam Bradford and Oklahoma could cause a stir in the upcoming BCS standings with a victory.
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