By losing to the Buckeyes by a score of 28-6, Penn State reclaimed the moniker of Brittany Lions.  We need to say a word of thanks to PSU QB, Anthony Morelli for the two absolute gifts he tossed up to Malcolm  Jenkins and Anthony Smith, both of which we returned for touchdowns.  Those two plays took all the suspense out of what had been a 14-6 game.  Troy Smith deserves credit for ignoring the fact that he was having an off day when he made the play they will show just before he is handed the Heisman trophy.  Eluding a bevy of would-be tacklers, he reversed field and somehow spotted Brian Robiskie streaking toward the end zone and hit him with a perfect strike.   Sort of made up for the two interceptions he had surrendered earlier.  While the end result was satisfactory, two things about this game concern me.  First, why in the world were we behind 3-0 at half time?  Secondly, after Troy’s heroic play led the Bucks to a 14-3 lead, we allowed Tony Hunt to absolutely stuff the ball right down our collective throats.  Only an illegal procedure penalty (a thank you to 105,000 of my best friends) forced the drive to end with a field goal.  Actually the defense looked great up to and after that drive.  They completely nullified the dangerous Lion wide receivers and kept the Nits out of the end zone.  The run defense continues to be a worry.

            Elsewhere, the Michigan State Spartans took their Jekyll-and-Hyde act to new heights by playing 3 quarters of excellent football before becoming as stupid as PAC Ten referees.  Usually MSU waits til the following week before tuning to crap.  They just morphed a bit early this year.  Still, having Charlie Weis and John L .Smith on the same field is just too much theatre.  Those two coaches have more crap than a pig with E. coli.  Arkansas beat Alabama in a game no one not presently eating grits cared about and most of the other big boys either took the week off or pummeled the weak.  Pretty much the same scenario this week as the nation focuses on Iowa City.   Purdue takes and loses its unbeaten record to South Bend as Brady gets back on the Heisman track.  Glen Mason’s Gophers will make a surprisingly valiant effort before falling to Weasels in Rodent Wars II.  Illinois will lose again to somebody. 

             ESPN Game Day is paying its first visit to Iowa City in decades. Only the second night game at Kinnick Stadium.  Two ranked teams in front of a national prime time audience. All of this helps to create a scene that will not unlike a combination Central American revolution and  margarita-night at the Playboy mansion. Any Kirk Ferentz team presents a challenge and this Iowa team is no exception. Drew Tate is an exceptional QB, very much in the Troy Smith mold.   He can make something out of nothing.  In the backfield with him is Albert Young who is an All-Big Ten caliber running back.  The Iowa defense, like the Buckeyes, lost a lot of linebacker talent with the departure of Hodge and Greenway to the NFL.  They also need to replace both corners.  The difference in this game will be the speed of the Buckeyes.  Iowa has no real deep threats at receiver, though they do have a 6’7” tight end, in Scott Chandler who could present problems.  That lack of home run threat should allow Jim Heacock’s forces to concentrate on stuffing the run and containing Mr. Tate.  How well they accomplish the later will greatly influence their ability to do the former.  I think I just confused myself, but we need to stop the run.  The offensive line, normally a Ferentz strength, may be a problem for the Hawks as they have lost a few key members to suspension and injury.  That may mean good things for The Mighty Quinn and friends.  The Buckeye offense needs to return to the form they exhibited in Austin.  That really was a pretty good defense they shredded and they seem to have been retreating in the last two weeks.  We need to take advantage of our speed on the edges on both sides of the ball in the first half.  In the second half we can pound them with Pittman who seems to do his best work in the second half.  Last year the Buckeye defense harassed and frustrated Tate to the point where he spiked the ball.  That hissy fit drew him a flag and let the Bucks know they had him.  This year Tate will keep his cool, but lose the game 24-10, as the Buckeyes close out a brutal month of September.