Blue White Roundtable

Other possible participants:

There is No Name on My Jersey
Tangled Up in White and Blue
WF Yurasko
Happy Hour Valley
Black Shoe Diaries
The Nittany Line
Zombie Nation

1. Penn State has the best scoring offense (55.3 ppg) in the Big Ten, and top-five nationally. Of course, this has been against two bad teams and a mediocre Oregon State squad. This week's Temple game should be another 40-plus game for the PSU offense. That being said, do you think this has been a fluke so far? Or is the Spread HD for real?

No, we don’t think this has been a fluke so far. But the credit for the scoring should go to the personnel instead of the actual offensive system. More important than the Spread HD is the simple fact that Morelli is no longer the quarterback. Clark and Devlin are obviously both better quarterbacks (and infinitely better decision makers) than Morelli was. Morelli played with a lot of the same guys on offense, but no matter how many weapons you have, an incompetent quarterback is going to make your team suffer. Clark and Devlin have looked outstanding so far, so lets hope they carry it over to the Big11Ten schedule.

On the other hand, we don’t want to knock the offensive system because the play calling has seemed to be a lot better this year, in our opinion. We’re not so reluctant to throw the ball downfield, but we’re still anchored by a great running game. Everything is balanced very well right now. And we can’t talk about the offense this year without mentioning how fantastic the offensive line has looked so far. As good as the skill players have been, the O-line has been key, opening big holes for Royster and allowing no sacks in the first three games. If they play this stout in conference games, look out Big11Ten.



2. If Maurice Evans and Abe Koroma are convicted, what are the chances Joe Paterno will play either by the Illinois game? What message does it send to the team, and the nation, if both players are given light punishments? Conversely, what if the punishments are seemingly too severe, like dismissal?

We think chances are slim. We hope the chances are slim because they really don't deserve to play. Look, we jumped up to say "hey you can't control what some people will do, even at your own house," only to find out the product was actually in the players' rooms.
If a secure future for yourself and your family and many future generations rests solely on your ability to give up smoking pot, and you can't do it, then you don't deserve the opportunity.

If the guys are being held out during an investigation, then why bring them back now that charges have been filed? Keep them out until they're proven innocent.

So we guess that brings up dismissal. Why not?

3. Leadership has been a huge part of this year's team's ability to move past distractions. Who has to really step up this week and keep this team focused? How does the coaching staff figure into this, or should they just let the players handle it by themselves?

We’re not sure anyone has to really step up this week, as we’re playing Temple. The Owls are improved (and could easily be 3-0), but we don’t think they’re a huge threat. That said, you never want your team to relax, and we’d love to see them go out and hang another 50-spot on the scoreboard.

We’re going to say that Derrick Williams will have to step up this week and keep the guys focused. He’s such an integral part to the team because he can do so many things on the field, whether as a receiver, a running back or a return man. He seems like the quintessential lead by example guy. He should go out, make a couple big plays early, and keep everyone focused on the task at hand.

On the defensive side, if the D-line plays well again, we think that will only help solidify this team. If they show they can step up when other members of the team have made mistakes off the field, then they will continue to earn the respect of their teammates and coaches and the team will jell heading into a big matchup with Illinois next week.



Lightning Round



Penn State throws its first interception this week?

No.



Evan Royster's YPC vs. Temple?

8.7

Coke or Pepsi?