Uncharacteristic mistakes were the deciding factor in this ball game. Penn State made them, Ohio did not.  

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks:  B+

McGloin went 27/48 (56%) for 260 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT.   McGloin handled himself well on Saturday against a good veteran defense.  Matt looked like he had command of the offense, made the proper reads, and for the most part delivered accurate passes.   He is a good fit for this type of offense and I expect an even stronger performance by McGloin next week against Virginia.

The big issue with McGloin’s performance against Ohio was the 56% completion percentage.   If we are going to rely on long, methodical drives (as we did yesterday), then we need a completion percentage somewhere around 65%.  Otherwise, drives are likely to stall out at some point, as they did in the second half yesterday.

Running Backs:  C+

I hate to say this, but Penn State misses Silas Redd badly.  Belton and Day both averaged only about 4.0 yards per carry and combined for 92 yards rushing on 21 attempts.

Bill Belton showed that he is an amazing athlete and is a great receiving running back.  He is quick, elusive, and has great hands.  Unfortunately, he also showed his durability issues and his inability to break a tackle.

In addition, Derek Day showed that he is tough, reliable, and strong.  He secures the ball, makes good decisions, and can obviously take a hit.  But, he is simply not explosive or elusive enough to make game changing plays, which is what we really lacked on offense yesterday.

Wide Receivers:  B

The Penn State receivers have a ton of potential and are integral to a strong season.  Allen Robinson showed off the skills that O’Brien bragged about all off-season,  Kersey showed the speed that we had all been hearing about, and Kenney showed that he is a viable and speedy third option.  All of our receivers looked fast, athletic, and explosive.  But, there were far too many drops.  Those drops need to stop if our offense is going to sustain drives and put points on the board.

Tight Ends:  A-

Kyle Carter hauled in 6 catches for 74 yards and Matt Lehman was able to haul in the second touchdown of the day for the Nittany Lions.  We had TEs line up at the line of scrimmage, in the backfield, and spread out wide as wide receivers.  The TEs looked very solid and are sure to be a strong point in our offense this season and for years to come.

Offensive Line:  B-

The offensive line protected the quarterback well, but was not able to open up many rushing lanes for the running backs to scamper through.  Our offensive line is going to need to do much better run-blocking for our offense to be effective.

Many recruits are pledging their verbal commitements to the Nittany Lions to be able to strap on that White Helmet. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

PENN STATE’S 2013 VERBAL COMMITS

BIG TEN CLASS NATIONAL RANKING

*VBR Composite is the highest rating for each player from all of the 4 major recruiting sites.

For the latest on the Penn State Nittany Lions, follow VBR Staff Writer, Chris Chuff on Twitter.

Updated: June 6, 2012

October 8, 2011; State College, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Matthew McGloin (11) looks down the field during fourth quarter action against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey G. Pittenger-US PRESSWIRE

Question:  Who should be the starting quarterback for the Nittany Lions?

Answer:  Matthew McGloin

Reason:  The strengths Matt McGloin exhibits are the skills most necessary for Bill O’Brien’s offense to succeed and score points.  Bill O’Brien’s offense requires a quarterback to, more than anything else, make quick, proper decisions and accurate passes.  McGloin is the most accurate passer and best decision-maker on Penn State’s depth chart and accordingly should be the starting quarterback.

Analysis:

Bill O’Brien’s offense is based on the Erhardt-Perkins offensive system, but emphasizes the pass more than the tradition Erhardt-Perkins system.  Thus, it is widely known as the Air Erhardt offensive scheme.  The Air Erhardt offensive scheme utilizes multiple formations and involves passing plays that have 4 to 5 potential receivers, including WRs, TEs, and RBs. The offense is largely designed to find the most favorable matchups and exploit those matchups.  It uses a plethora of combination routes designed to ensure that at least one receiver will be open on a given play.  Determining which receiver will be open depends upon the defense’s pre-snap alignment and post-snap movements.  Thus, in this type of offense, the quarterback must be able to understand which receivers will be open depending on what the defense does, actually digest what the defense is doing on a given play, find the favorable matchup based on what the defense is doing, and make an accurate throw.

Undoubtedly, Matt McGloin is the quarterback on Penn State’s depth chart that is most able to do this.   Matt is the most experienced and intelligent quarterback in contention for the starting job and is accordingly the best decision maker.  Moreover, McGloin’s superior mechanics allow him to throw a more accurate ball than the remainder of the quarterbacks competing for the starting job.  Therefore, the strengths that McGloin exhibits over the other candidates are the skills needed to successfully operate O’Brien’s offense, score points, and win football games.

There is no denying that Paul Jones and Rob Bolden can throw farther and run faster.  In an offense where these skills are put at a premium, Paul Jones and Rob Bolden may be better candidates for the quarterback position than McGloin.  These skills, however, are NOT put at a premium or necessary to successfully operate Bill O’Brien’s offense.  Accordingly, because McGloin’s strengths are the skills that are necessary to score points in O’Brien’s offense, and because Paul Jones’s and Rob Bolden’s strengths are not skills that are needed to succeed in O’Brien’s offense, Matt McGloin should be the starting quarterback for Penn State.

McGloin is also a great leader, extremely competitive, and has the most experience of all of the candidates.  These qualities only bolster the fact that McGloin should be leading the Nittany Lions out of the tunnel come September 1, 2012.

See why Paul Jones should be Penn State’s starting quarterback.

Oct 29, 2011; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Gerald Hodges (6) celebrates breaking up a pass in the fourth quarter by quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase with teammate Nathan Stupar (34) at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated illinois 10-7. Mandatory Credit: Rob Christy-US PRESSWIRE

I have been seeing some tweets from Ohio State fans claiming that Ohio State is the new Linebacker U. Many Ohio State fans, and even some current Ohio State players, have been claiming that Ohio State has 15 of their former players playing the linebacker position in the NFL. So I decided to set the record straight with some good old fashioned research. I researched every NFL team’s roster and depth chart. I looked at every single linebacker that is currently in the NFL, determined where they played college ball, and whether they start for their respective NFL team. The results are set forth below. But, here are some of the highlights.

TOP 10 LINEBACKER SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY

1. The Penn State Nittany Lions 11[6] – The Nittany Lions are still Linebacker U. Penn State has the highest amount of linebackers on NFL rosters, with a total of 11. Second, and more importantly, Penn State also has the highest amount of linebackers starting for their respected NFL team. Those starters include: Navorro Bowman* (Starting ILB – San Francisco 49ers); Dan Connor* (Starting ILB – Dallas Cowboys); Tamba Hali* (Starting OLB – Kansas City Chiefs); Sean Lee* (Starting ILB – Dallas Cowboys); Paul Posluszny* (Starting MLB – Jacksonville Jaguars); Cameron Wake* (Starting OLB – Miami Dolphins). The non-starter linebackers from Penn State are: Aaron Maybin; Josh Hull; Tim Shaw; Nathan Stupar; and
Bryan Scott, who has moved up to linebacker from his safety position. With the highest amount of linebackers on NFL rosters and the highest amount of starters, Penn State is still the cream of the crop when it comes to producing NFL linebackers.

1. The Miami Hurricanes 11[6] – The Miami Hurricanes come in tied with Penn State for number 1. They too have 11 former players playing linebacker for NFL teams. Moreover, like Penn State, 6 of those are starting for their respective teams. The notables for the Hurricanes are: Jon Beason* (Starting OLB – Carolina Panthers); Ray Lewis* (Starting ILB – Baltimore Ravens); Colin McCarthy* (Starting MLB – Tennessee Titans); Darryl Sharpton* (Starting ILB – Houston Texans); Jonathan Vilma* (Starting MLB – New Orleans Saints); D.J. Williams (Starting OLB – Denver Broncos).

3. The USC Trojans 11[5] – The USC Trojans come in at number 3 with 11 former Trojans playing linebacker for NFL teams and 5 of them starting for their clubs. The Trojan linebackers starting for NFL teams are: Nick Perry* (Starting OLB – Green Bay Packers)’ Keith Rivers* (Starting OLB – New York Giants); Rey Maualuga* (Starting MLB – Cincinnati Bengals); Clay Matthews* (Starting OLB –Green Bay Packers); Brian Cushing* (Starting ILB – Houston Texans).

4. The Alabama Crimson Tide 8[5] – No surprise here. The Alabama crimson tide have produced some very impressive linebackers as of later. Having produced 8 linebackers on current NFL rosters, and 5 starters, the Crimson Tide come in at number 4. Here are the Crimson Tide on NFL rosters: Demeco Ryans* (Starting MLB – Philadelphia Eagles); Jerrell Harris; Donta Hightower* (Starting OLB – New England Patriots); Jarret Johnson* (Starting OLB – San Diego Chargers); Rolando McClain* (Starting MLB – Oakland Raiders); Courtney Upshaw* (Starting OLB –Baltimore Ravens); Alex Watkins; Chavis Williams.

5. The Texas Longhorns 8[3] – The longhorns round out the top 5 producing 8 linebackers on current NFL rosters and 3 starters. Here are the longhorn NFL linebackers: Sam Acho* (Starting OLB – Arizona Cardinals); Emmanuel Acho; Derrick Johnson* (Kansas City Chiefs); Eddie Jones; Sergio Kindle; Roddrick Muckelroy; Keenan Robinson; Brian Orakpo* (Starting OLB – Washington Redskins).

6. The Purdue Boilermakers 6[4] – Somewhat surprising is who comes in at number 6. The Purdue boilermakers come in at number 6 by having 6 former players playing linebacker on NFL rosters, 4 of which are starting in the NFL. The notables are Ryan Kerrigan* (Starting OLB – Washington Redskins); Rob Ninkovich* (Starting OLB – New England Patriots); Shaun Phillips* (Starting OLB – San Diego Chargers); and Anthony Spencer* (Starting OLB – Dallas Cowboys).

7. The Nebraska Cornhuskers 7[3] – Coming in tied at number 7 is the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Nebraska has 7 former players on NFL rosters and 3 of them starting for NFL teams. Here, are the notables: Stewart Bradley (Formerly Started with the Eagles); David Lavonte* (Starting OLB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers); Barrett Ruud* (Starting MLB – Seattle Seahawks); Scott Shanle* (Starting OLB – New Orleans Saints).

7. The Ohio State Buckeyes 7[3] – While the Buckeyes are nowhere near dethroning the Nittany Lions as Linebacker U. They are producing their fair share of NFL linebackers. They, like Nebraska, have produced 7 NFL linebackers and 3 starters. Here is the Ohio State Linebackers currently on NFL rosters: Bobby Carpenter, Larry Grant, AJ Hawk* (Starting ILB – Green Bay Packers), James Laurinaitis* (Starting MLB – St. Louis Rams), Brian Rolle*(Starting OLB – Philadelphia Eagles), Austin Spitler, Andrew Sweat.

7. The Georgia Bulldogs 7[3] – The Georgia Bulldogs come in tied at number 7. Here are their NFL players: Rennie Curran; Thomas Davis; Akeem Dent* (Starting MLB – Atlanta Falcons);
Dannel Ellerbe; Darryl Gamble; Justin Houston* (Starting OLB – Kansas City Chiefs);Will Witherspoon* (Starting OLB – Tennessee Titans).

9. The Boston College Eagles 6[3] – The Boston College Eagles slip into the top 10 producing 6 NFL linebackers, 3 of which are starting for their respective teams. The BC linebackers in the NFL are: Alex Albright; Jo-Lonn Dunbar* (Starting OLB – St. Louis Rams); Rob Francois; Mark Herzlich; Mathias Kiwanuka* (Starting OLB – New York Giants); Luke Kuechly* (Starting MLB – Carolina Panthers);

9. The California Golden Bears 6[3] – The Cal Bears are tied with Boston College at number 9, producing 6 linebackers on NFL rosters and 3 starters. The notable Cal NFL linebackers are: Desmond Bishop* (Starting ILB – Green Bay Packers); Scott Fujita* (Starting OLB – Cleveland Browns); Mychal Kendricks* (Starting OLB – Philadelphia Eagles).

10. The Iowa Hawkeyes 6[2] – Another Big Ten team rounds out the top 10 with the Iowa Hawkeyes. The notables for the Hawkeyes are: Pat Angerer* (Starting ILB – Indianapolis Colts); Chad Greenway* (Starting OLB – Minnesota Vikings).

10. The Auburn Tigers 6[2] – The Auburn Tigers are tied at number 10 with the following linebackers in the NFL. Josh Bynes; Antonio Coleman; Karlos Dansby* (Starting ILB – Miami Dolphins); Will Herring; Quentin Groves; Takeo Spikes* (Starting ILB – San Diego Chargers).

10. The Florida State Seminoles 7[1] – Tied for number 10 is the Florida State Seminoles. The Seminole NFL linebackers are: Mister Alexander; Nigel Bradham; Geno Hayes; Brandon Hicks; Lawrence Timmons* (Starting ILB – Pittsburgh Steelers); Dekoda Watson; .Markus White.

TOP CONFERENCES FOR PRODUCING NFL LINEBACKERS

1. The Big Ten 50[25] – The Big Ten has produced the most starting NFL linebackers and the second most total linebackers. As Penn State is Linebacker U, the Big Ten is the preeminent Linebacker Conference.

2. The ACC 55[20] – The ACC has produced the most NFL linebackers, but have produced 5 less starters than the Big Ten. This includes prospective members Pittsburgh and Syracuse.

3. The SEC 46[20] – The SEC comes in closely behind the Big Ten with 46 former linebackers on NFL rosters and 20 of those starting in the NFL. However, these numbers reflect all 14 SEC teams, including prospective members Texas A&M and Missouri.

4. The Pac-12 25[10] – The Pac-12 produced 25 linebackers in the NFL and 10 starters.

5. The Big 12 27[5] – The Big 12 has only produced 27 NFL linebackers and only 5 starters. This figure includes TCU and West Virginia.

6. The Big East (Including Central Florida, Houston, Memphis, Southern Methodist, and Temple) 18[2] – The newly reconstructed Big East Conference comes in last of the automatic qualifying conferences with 18 NFL linebackers and a measly 2 starting in the NFL.

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