Blue White Illustrated

columnists, some of which were from random college football fans and all of which were apparently cataloged by Twitter hero Evil Bill O'Brien, who is to college football what Fake Steve Jobs was to technology. A sampling: "In Big 10 terms, Penn State football just became Indiana football." "Welcome to the Patriot League." "Man, Penn State just turned into ITT Tech." "Might as well have given them the death penalty." So here we are on the brink of O'Brien's second season as head coach, and how do those tweets read in retrospect? Not like prophesies, that's for sure. More like punch lines. Which is why Evil Bill has been retweeting them a few at a time the MATT HERB We all know where Penn State's two biggest concerns reside: at quarterback, where a newcomer is set to take over, and along the defensive front seven, where depth is minimal due to the NCAA's scholarship reductions and other factors. If there are difficulties at quarterback, they will be most acute at the beginning of the season, as Tyler Ferguson and/or Christian Hackenberg get acclimated to elite college competition. Meanwhile, the depth problems are more likely to manifest themselves late in the season when everyone's bumped up to one degree or another. Although I don't think Penn State will come out as flat as it did last year, the nonconference schedule contains a couple of potential booby traps in UCF and Kent State, both of which are better than people think. If the Nittany Lions take three of their first four, they'll be well-positioned for another winning season. If they go 2-2 or worse, all bets are off. RECORD 7-5 past few weeks, relishing them in a drinking-the-blood-of-my-enemies sort of way. Why not? The idea that the Nittany Lions won't be able to recruit anymore, or that the mere sight of them will have TV viewers lunging for the remote control, has been thoroughly debunked. On the recruiting front, the Lions are coming off one of their more successful seasons in recent memory and are putting together an even better one in 2014. Rivals.com had them at No. 22 nationally as of early July, with four four-star prospects and seven three-stars in the fold. And as for the contention that they wouldn't be worth watching? Viewers haven't agreed. ESPN's broadcast of last year' season opener against Ohio TIM OWEN All eyes are on the quarterbacks. Rightfully so. But with a seasoned offensive line, a developing running game and almost enough pass catchers to fill the student section, either QB has the surrounding tools in place to help make a smooth transition into big-time college football. The primary point of concern, however, comes on defense. The first string has the talent to keep even the most difficult opponents in check (Michigan and Ohio State), but if the Nittany Lions are forced to go without a couple starters, even the weakest team will present a challenge. Injuries at linebacker or along the defensive line could keep the win total below six, but if the Nittany Lions can maintain their health – by using creative practice techniques and innovative defensive formations – don't be surprised to see a repeat of 2012. I'm not one to predict injuries, so let's highball this one. RECORD 8-4 drew 3.5 million viewers, a 71 percent improvement over the network's 2011 opener featuring Ohio State against Akron. Later, when they faced Ohio State in a game that had no impact on the postseason due to both teams' ineligibility, they still managed to draw 3.9 million viewers. This year, three of the Nittany Lions' 12 games have already been picked up by either ABC or ESPN: the opener against Syracuse, the Homecoming matchup against Michigan in Week Six and the Week Seven showdown at the Horseshoe against Ohio State. All three will take place at night. So, how to explain the Nittany Lions' success so far? Inertia, for one thing. It's built into the very nature of college football. Programs that are big RYAN SNYDER The key to the Nittany Lions' season will be leadership and the play they get at the quarterback position. Tyler Ferguson is in a similar situation to the one that Matt McGloin was in last year, in that he only has one season to pick up on enough of the playbook to run a competitive offense. However, unlike McGloin – who had so much to prove after being written off by many people for two years in a row – Ferguson has no idea what to expect in the Big Ten. I could see the team struggling in the first half of the season, losing an early game that you wouldn't expect it to lose. The Christian Hackenberg era could begin once the Big Ten season gets under way in October. If that's the case, expect him to struggle at times, like any freshman quarterback. But this team is talented enough to rally late in the year. Look for Bill O'Brien's squad to start slow and finish strong. RECORD 7-5

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