Blue White Illustrated

NATE BAUER W E B S I T E E D I TO R Penn State has only played one Blue-White Game while working un- der the NCAA's sanctions against the program, but the stark reality of scholar- ship limitations has given the annual sideshow a little more urgency. Only 23 combined juniors and seniors will hold scholarships next season. Beyond the 20 true freshmen who arrive at Penn State in June, the 30 scholarship athletes with three or more years of eligibility remain- ing this spring 8gure to play a signi8cant role in the program's success in the fall. How unseen redshirt freshmen like An- drew Nelson, Brendan Mahon, Parker Cothren, Curtis Cothran and Garrett Sickels perform in the game will have no impact on what happens when the sea- son starts in Ireland in August, but their contributions on Saturday could provide the insight to predict what's coming down the pike. Throw in a few key posi- tion changes, top-notch press box co9ee and maybe even a bratwurst or two, and this year's spring game might hold my attention as well as any before. ■ S T A F F P I C K S W H A T W E ' L L B E W A T C H I N G I N P E N N S T A T E ' S MATT HERB M A G A Z I N E E D I TO R What will I be watch- ing? The clock, mostly. No joke. The only way to lose the Blue-White Game is to have one of your key players get hurt, and that's exactly what happened last year. When Zach Zwinak le: the 2013 game with a wrist injury – it would eventually re- quire surgery – you could practically see the thought bubble appear over Bill O'Brien's head as he paced the sideline. "What are we doing here?" he seemed to be wondering. This year's team is thinner than last year's in a couple of key spots and cannot a9ord to get anyone hurt, especially along the o9ensive line. So while James Franklin clearly wants to put on an entertaining show in hope of building enthusiasm for the coming sea- son, the best outcome on Saturday will be if everyone is just as healthy by the end of the game as they were when it started. The players will have forgotten the 8nal score by the time they leave Beaver Stadium. So will you. What really matters is that everyone is ready to play in the games that actually matter. ■ PHIL GROSZ P U B L I S H E R With Penn State hav- ing only 75 players on its scholarship roster, depth along the o9ensive line, at linebacker and at several other positions is a major concern. That's why I'll be paying atten- tion in the spring game to several recent position changes aimed at resolving those issues. Will Derek Dowrey and Brian Gaia be able to bolster a thin of- fensive line a:er their move from defen- sive tackle? Is Anthony Alosi capable of challenging redshirt freshman Andrew Nelson for the starting right tackle posi- tion? Will Anthony Zettel be able to re- place DaQuan Jones, an All-Big Ten per- former in 2013 and a possible second- round NFL dra: pick, at the three-tech- nique defensive tackle position? Finally, will Adrian Amos' move from the boundary cornerback position to free safety end up being permanent? These are critical position switches this spring that need to be successful if Penn State is to beat the odds and be truly competi- tive with Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State this fall. ■ F O O T B A L L Urschel a finalist for Sullivan Award Former Penn State offensive line- man John Urschel has been named one of three finalists for the 84th Sullivan Award, which is presented by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) to the nation's top amateur athlete. terbacks. Defense: the sorts of align- ments that are being used, the defen- sive line rotation and also linebacker play. Ctel12592 Can we protect Hack and keep him up- right and healthy? If we can, we win eight or more. If not, six wins will take real work. Drock1971 A mean, nasty offensive line. Or at least the opportunity to root for it. I know that it could be pretty tough to see in these settings. RTLH The offensive line, wide receiver and linebacker play, coaching style and schemes. PennsylvaniaPride I watched Vanderbilt's bowl game very closely. I was impressed with the energy and the excitement from start to finish. I am looking for that in the spring game and to see what Franklin's schemes are going to be even though I am sure that might have to wait until the start of the season. MD.NIT23 The weather, and probably the atten- dance. WTNuke Watching Hackenberg's continued progress. How well he does in Franklin's system. How well he does without Allen Robinson to throw to. wible4psu If like last year, staying warm! Glen

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