• Penn State will open conference play at Rutgers on September 13th.  This will be the first ever Big 10 game for the Scarlet Knights.  The 9/13 date is actually the date originally scheduled for the PSU-Rutgers non-conference match.  Rather than starting from scratch, the game was just converted to a Big 10 date.  PSU will return to non-conference play the following week vs. UMass at home.
• The Lions get their first look at old eastern rival/new divisional rival Maryland in Beaver Stadium on November 1st.  This will be the first time the two schools have met since 1993, when PSU hammered the Terps in College Park 70-7.
• Ohio State returns to Beaver Stadium on October 25th.  I’ll just get this out of the way now: It will be a night game, and you will be wearing white.
• PSU returns to Michigan Stadium for the first time since 2009 on October 11th.  The Lions and Wolverines meet for the first time since 2010 this coming fall in Happy Valley.
• THE LAND GRANT TROPHY IS BACK! PSU and Michigan State will renew the battle for this in the regular season finale in Beaver Stadium on November 29th.
• The Lions will also face Northwestern at home, along with trips to Indiana and Illinois.
• Expect the 2015 schedule to include these same teams, with home field flipped.  The conference is still working out specific dates for games.  The 2015 season will be the final Big 10 season with only 8 games, as the schedule expands to 9 in 2016.

Follow VBR Lead Editor Matt de Bear on Twitter for the latest on Penn State

Michael O’Connor from the IMG Academy in Florida has held an offer from PSU since early April, and was told at that point he was Penn State’s choice at quarterback.  He is expected to make a decision in the next month or two, with the Lions very much in the picture, along with Michigan State and Vanderbilt.  So is this recent offer to Cosentino a sign O’Connor may in fact be looking elsewhere?  Or is it, as Ryan Snyder of BWI theorized on Twitter over the weekend, a move to put pressure on O’Connor to make a decision.

Under Joe Paterno, PSU would almost notoriously put all their eggs in one basket at QB (remember that Chad Henne guy?).  That worked out great if you got your target.  But if you didn’t, then you were left scrambling.  When Jake Waters opted for Kansas State last December, which was apparently a mild surprise to the PSU staff, they already had their backup plan in place, with Tyler Ferguson coming on board almost within hours, it seemed.

As connected as Ryan is in the recruiting world, I wouldn’t bet against this Cosentino offer being a strategical decision related to O’Connor, but it’s also not a bad “Plan B” if needed.

Follow VBR Lead Editor Matt de Bear on Twitter for the latest on Penn State

Here are some highlights:

• Penn State will play their first Big 10 games in the new Pegula Ice Arena on January 12 and 13 of 2014 against Minnesota.  The Golden Gophers are coming off a season that saw them earn the 2nd overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, only to fall to the eventual national champion Yale Bulldogs. That will be the first ever meeting between the two programs.
• Traditional power Michigan comes to Happy Valley on February 7th and 8th, in what will be the first ever meetings between the two schools.  The Lions return the favor at one of the great college rinks, Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, two weeks later.
• Ohio State makes their first ever visit to Penn State on March 14-15 (PSU visits Columbus January 31-February 1).  The Lions picked up a huge 5-4 win over the Buckeyes in Pittsburgh’s CONSOL Energy Center at the Three Rivers Holiday Classic consolation game.
• The first ever Big 10 Tournament takes place from March 20-22 in St. Paul, Minnesota at the home of the Minnesota Wild, the Xcel Energy Center.  All 6 programs will take part.

Our friends at ThankYouTerry.com have a ton more info on the schedule as well.

Follow VBR Lead Editor Matt de Bear on Twitter for the latest on Penn State

The Nittany Lions fell 5-3 to the Spartans on Friday evening, a back and forth game that saw the Lions trail 2-0 early in the 2nd period, before Tommy Olczyk scored shorthanded to pull the Lions to within 1.  Taylor Holstrom would tie things up for PSU at 14:48, starting a wild 90 seconds of action that saw MSU retake the lead at 15:58, and David Glen tying it back up again just 24 seconds later at 16:12.  The key play of the game came when freshman defenseman Connor Varley was whistled for a 5 minute major checking from behind penalty, as well as a game misconduct at 12:24 of the 3rd period.  MSU would take advantage of the extended power play time, scoring what proved to be the game winner at 14:17.  Coach Gadowsky would pull goaltender Matthew Skoff late looking for the Lions’ third tying goal of the day, but it was not to be.  The Spartans scored into the empty PSU net with just 16 seconds left to provide the final margin.  PSU was outshot 32-20.  All told, 9 Nittany Lions collected a single point.

Saturday’s series finale started off in much the same way, with the Spartans going up 2-0 just 6:21 into the game, taking advantage of a shaky start for Skoff in the goal.  The 2nd period would open with Penn State on the power play, still down 2-0, when Mark Yannis pulled one back just 32 seconds into the period, finding the entire MSU net empty on a rebound in the slot.  PSU would control the majority of the period with an aggressive forecheck, but were unable to get another puck behind MSU goaltender Jake Hilderbrand until early in the 3rd period.  At 3:13, a deflected centering pass found Casey Bailey with enough time to pick out the lower corner to tie the game up.  Both teams tightened up their defense, until the PSU forecheck forced a turnover, that ultimately found Bailey on the half wall, where he fed a streaking Taylor Holstrom, who went in 1 on 1 with Hilderbrand, and beat the MSU netminder on a nifty backhander under the pad with just over 4:00 left in the game.  The PSU defense, and Skoff, made that 3-2 scoreline stand up, giving the Lions their 2nd win of the year over a future Big 10 conference opponent. Bailey lead the Lions with 3 points (1g, 2a), while Holstrom added 2 (1g, 1a) and Skoff saved 31 of the 33 MSU shots.  For the game, the Lions held a 50-33 advantage in shots on goal.

Penn State returns to action next Friday in Hershey for an exhibition against former ACHA rival Ohio, and again Saturday in the Greenberg Ice Pavilion.  Saturday’s contest could mark the final meeting between PSU and the Bobcats, two of the dominant programs in the ACHA.

Follow VBR Lead Editor Matt de Bear on Twitter for all the latest on Penn State

Jan 13 2013; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions guard D.J. Newbill (2) makes a pass against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Purdue defeated Penn State 60-42. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

After a run of disturbingly poor shooting over the last few outings, PSU showed a renewed offensive aggressiveness to open the game, lead by D.J. Newbill.  The sophomore guard was able to get to the basket seemingly at will in the first half, either converting layups, or getting to the line.  Newbill finished the half with 9 points.  Junior Jermaine Marshall added 7, and grabbed 5 rebounds, as the Lions trailed 29-25.  PSU’s defense was just as aggressive, holding the Spartans to 40% from the field (MSU ranks 37th nationally at 47%) and forcing 7 turnovers in the opening 20.

The second half opened with a Jermaine Marshall 3, closing the game to 1 point, and another Marshall jumper would put PSU up 37-36, but it was short lived.  The Lions would hang around, drawing to within 1 point on two occasions, before Payne and the Spartans went on the 15-4 run.  MSU would open the lead up to as many as 14 with 5:00 to play.  PSU would rally back late, closing to as few as 5 at 73-68, but a missed Marshall layup followed by a missed Jon Graham put back would kill any hopes of the upset.  MSU would make their free throws down the stretch to finish off the 9 point victory.

Marshall lead PSU with a career night with 29 points, 22 of which came in the 2nd half, and grabbed 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.  Newbiill was not far behind with 27 points and 6 assists.  All told, the Lions were 48% from the field, and the willingness to attack the basket sent them to the line 27 times.  Unfortunately, Sparty was able to score nearly at will in their 52 point second half, with 5 different players finishing in double figures, lead by Payne’s 20.

Penn State remains home this weekend against Nebraska, with both teams potentially looking for their first Big 10 win (Nebraska hosts Purdue later Wednesday night).  That game tips at 1:00 on BTN.

Follow VBR Lead Editor Matt de Bear on Twitter for the latest on Penn State

THE LAST TIME OUT

Penn State visited Purdue’s Mackey Arena on Sunday afternoon, falling 60-42.  The Lions intensity was better than their 70-54 home loss against Northwestern, although that would not have been a huge accomplishment.  The Lions offensive struggles continued, as they continued to find open looks, including several within 5 feet, that simply would not find the basket.  Head Coach Patrick Chambers indicated he was pleased with the quality of the looks his offense was creating, but they need to find a way to finish those chances.  Purdue was hardly impressive, but was able to do enough on the offensive end, and dodge enough bullets on the other side of the floor to win comfortably

ABOUT THE SPARTANS

Jan. 13, 2013; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Keith Appling (11) drives to basket against Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Benny Parker (3) during 2nd half at Jack Breslin Students Events Center. MSU won 66-56. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

You could take the green and white jerseys off of this squad, and still be able to tell it’s a Tom Izzo team.  Tough on defense, lethal attacking the glass, and a physical, methodical, efficient offense.  Izzo runs everything through his junior point guard Keith Appling.  Appling averages over 13 points 4.6 assists, and just 2 turnovers per game.  Freshman shooting guard Gary Harris is right behind Appling with 12.9 per game.  Sparty has their typical high rebounding bigs in Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne, who both average over 7 boards per game.  All told, MSU ranks 31st nationally with over 39 rebounds per game.

THE MATCHUP

Not that PSU’s earlier games have prevented less of a challenge, but MSU is exactly the type of team that has me cringing when Tim Frazier went down.  They will pressure the ball as well as anyone PSU faces this season, and that is going to mean D.J. Newbill has to be at his best.  Quality shots are going to be tough to come by, and Penn State will need to start hitting the bunnies they have not the last 2 games.  Michigan State has played down to their opponents much of the season, but they still are the best coached team in the Big 10. Oh, and they have some talent too.  PSU will hang around, but in the end, it won’t be that close.  Sparty by 14.

Follow VBR Lead Editor Matt de Bear on Twitter for all the latest on Penn State

TEAMS:  Michigan State (6-6, 3-5 Big Ten Conference) vs. TCU (7-5, 4-5 Big 12 Conference)

TIME:  December 29th, 10:15 p.m. EST

TV:  ESPN

LAS VEGAS LINES:  TCU -2.5; Over/Under 40.5

After a wild game last night between Texas Tech and Minnesota, a game pulled out  on last-second field goal by Texas Tech, the Big Ten is looking to notch their first win of the 2012 bowl season.  Tonight the Big Ten will be sending out the Michigan State Spartans to square off against the Big 12′s TCU Horned Frogs in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.  Last year this bowl was known as the Insight.com bowl.  For Michigan State, this bowl game is probably not where they thought they would be at the start of the season.  Sure, they had to replace All-Big Ten quarterback Kirk Cousins, but they were returning running back Le’Veon Bell.  The defense was also mostly intact, a defense that was near the top of the Big Ten last year.  So, for Michigan State, losing 6 games and posting a sub-.500 conference record were not something they thought was likely in 2012.  However, that is where the Spartans are at.

The Spartans started off in fine fashion as they defeated #24 Boise State to open the season, but losses to Notre Dame and Ohio State in weeks 3 and 5 left the Spartans faithful wondering just how good their team was going to be.  After a win over Indiana, the Spartans would go on to lose their next two games to Iowa and Michigan respectively.  Michigan State was able to stem the tide with a hard-fought, comeback OT win over the Big Ten Champion Wisconsin Badgers, but the bravado was short-lived as Sparty lost back-to-back games to Nebraska and Northwestern.  Michigan State came into their final game of the season against Minnesota needing a win just to be bowl eligible!  The Spartans delivered and inspired effort to knock off the Golden Gophers and get their 6th win of the year.

March 12, 2011; Indianapolis, IN, USA; A Michigan State Spartans cheerleader on the court during a timeout against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the semi-final round of the 2011 Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse. Penn State defeated Michigan State 61-48. Mandatory credit: Michael Hickey-USA TODAY Sports

Now the Spartans enter the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl with just as many question marks as they did to start the season.  The defense still remains highly regarded as they once again posted the top-rated defense in the Big Ten allowing only 273.3 yards per game and giving up 16.3 points per game, good for 9th nationally in that category.  The problem for Michigan State all year has been their offense.  Yes, they have one of the best players in the Big Ten, and perhaps the country, in RB Le’Veon Bell, but first-year starter Andrew Maxwell has had trouble replacing Kirk Cousins at the helm of the Spartans offense.  The junior quarterback needs to find his niche if he is going to help guide the Spartans to a bowl victory over one of the stingiest defenses in the country in TCU.

Michigan State will be facing a TCU club that has had their share of problems both on and off the field this year.  Head coach Gary Patterson and the Horned Frogs spent their first year in the Big 12 and started off with a bang.  They won their first four games and 5 of 6.  After TCU started 4-0, they hit a bit of a rough stretch when their on-field leader, quarterback Casey Pachall, left the team after having substance abuse problems.  Freshman Trevone Boykin took over the team and they expectedly began to falter, losing 3 of their next 4 games.  Then, Boykin began to hit his stride as he led the Horned Frogs to wins over ranked West Virginia and Texas squads.

For TCU to win the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, they are going to need to solve the Michigan State defense, specifically how to handle the Spartans secondary.  Michigan State was third in the Big Ten with 13 INTs.  Boykin, being a a freshman, does have a penchant for throwing a pick.  On the year he threw 9 INTs in essentially 8 games.  Look for Michigan State to bring pressure, even though they were one of the worst Big Ten teams in terms of getting sacks, to force Boykin into making bad decisions.  If Boykin can make the right reads and make good decisions, the TCU offense may be able to put up enough points to defeat the Spartans.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Michigan State offensively has been defined by the play of All-Big Ten running back Le’Veon Bell.  Bell, a junior, carried the ball a career-high 350 times for 1648 yards.  He was able to punch it into the end zone 11 times.  No doubt that most teams would develop game plans to slow down Bell and force Maxwell to beat them through the air.  For the most past, those plans failed!  Bell has had three consecutive games where he has rushed for over 100 yards including the season finale, a win over Minnesota, where Bell rushed for 266 yards and 1 score on 35 carries.  There’s little doubt that TCU is going to try and slow down Bell.  If they are successful, chances are they will win the game.  However, most teams have taken that approach and most teams have failed.  On the season Bell has rushed for less than 100 yards five times, when he doesn’t reach the century mark, the Spartans are 2-3.  Keep that stat in mind.  If TCU can limit Bell to less than 100 yards rushing, they have a good shot of winning the game.

While Bell is the focal point of the Michigan State offense, much of the outcome of the bowl game will rest on the shoulders of junior quarterback Andrew Maxwell.  Maxwell threw for over 2500 yards but completed just over 52% of his passes.  His decision-making skills have also been called into question as he has thrown 13 TDs but he has countered that by throwing 9 INTs.  In fact, he is riding quite a dubious streak as he has thrown two picks in each of his last two games.  TCU is giving up 228 passing yards per game and 21 TDs, but they also have intercepted 21 passes which leads the Big 12 (4th best in the country).  Maxwell will need to be sure of his target and make good decisions if Michigan State is to pull out the victory.

On defense, Michigan State is paced by junior linebacker Max Bullough who led the team with 101 tackles, good for 7th in the Big Ten.  On the defensive line, TCU will have to contend with William Gholston who led the Spartans in sacks with 3.5.  However, the most dominant aspect of the Michigan State defense has been the play of the Spartans secondary led by junior Darqueze Dennard and senior Johnny Adams.  Both players intercepted 3 passes each placing them 6th in the Big Ten in that category.  No doubt that those two will have their eyes on TCU’s top wideout Josh Boyce and secondary receivers Brandon Carter and LaDarius Brown.

In order for Boyce, Brown, and Carter to get the ball, TCU’s freshman quarterback Trevone Boykin will have to do a good job of maneuvering around the Spartans defense.  Just like Maxwell for Michigan State, Boykin threw 9 INTs to counteract his 15 TDs.  There is little doubt that Michigan State will try to force him into making even more mistakes as they try to disguise blitz packages and dropping linebackers into coverage.  Boykin, unlike Maxwell, has the ablity to escape pressure by using his legs.  On the season, Boykin has rushed for 380 yards and 3 scores.  Watch to see how well Michigan State does of trying to keep Boykin in the pocket.  Making him strictly a passer has to bode well for the Spartans.

Oct 20, 2012; Fort Worth, TX, USA; A TCU Horned Frogs cheerleader performs during a break in the game between the Horned Frogs and the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Amon G. Carter Stadium. The Red Raiders defeated the Horned Frogs 56-53 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

As was mentioned earlier, TCU has a plethora of wide receivers that have put up decent numbers.  The wideouts are led by Josh Boyce who caught 61 passes for 800 yards and 7 scores.  Other top targets for Boykin have been Brandon Carter and Skye Dawson.  Both players caught 34 passes for over 1000 yards combined and 7 scores.  Finally, watch for Boykin trying to complete passes to LaDarius Brown who made 25 receptions, but 5 of them were for scores.

Defensively for TCU, keep your eye on freshman defensive linemen Devonte Fields.  Fields was second in the Big 12 with 9 sacks.  His linemates, Stansly Maponga and Chucky Hunter combined for 6.5 sacks.  The ability of TCU to pressure Andrew Maxwell and to get him out of rhythm is something that Horned Frogs faithful should be watching.

PREDICTION

Michigan State – 23

TCU – 21

Let’s take a look at the games and predict who, if anyone, will represent the Big Ten in those bowls.

ROSE BOWL (Big Ten #1):

Nebraska
The Huskers control their own destiny and have two winnable games left in Iowa and Minnesota. They should be favored over Wisconsin.

Potential Opponents: Oregon, USC, Notre Dame

-

CAPITAL ONE BOWL (Big Ten #2):

Michigan
Michigan probably won’t play in the conference championship, but they’ll deserve this bid after finishing the season with a likely 8-4 record.

Potential Opponents: LSU, Georgia, Florida

-

OUTBACK BOWL (Big Ten #3)

Wisconsin
If the Badgers aren’t careful, Northwestern could find themselves in this game. Should only take one more win for Wisconsin but they have Ohio State and Penn State left on the schedule.

Potential Opponents: Florida, LSU, South Carolina

-

GATOR BOWL (Big Ten #4-5)

Northwestern
If they could play worth a damn in the second half of games, they’d be in Rose Bowl contention. Still, it’s hard to see them playing before January 1st.

Potential Opponents: Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, South Carolina

-

BUFFALO WILD WINGS BOWL (Big Ten #4-5)

Michigan State
Sparty still needs a win to become bowl eligible but they should get it against Minnesota in the final week of the season.

Potential Opponents: Texas Tech, TCU, Oklahoma State

-

MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL OF TEXAS (Big Ten #6)

Minnesota
The Gophers are the 5th and final Big Ten team that is currently bowl eligible. They’ll struggle to get another win but are all but guaranteed a bowl due to the circumstances.

Potential Opponents: TCU, West Virginia, Iowa State

-

HEART OF DALLAS BOWL (Big 10 #7)

Purdue
The Boilermakers have just 4 wins but play Illinois and Indiana in the next two weeks. They have the best shot at becoming bowl eligible.

Potential Opponents: Iowa State, TCU, West Virginia

-

LITTLE CAESARS PIZZA BOWL (Big 10 #8)

It’s almost impossible for the Big Ten to fill this bowl. Iowa needs to beat Nebraska and Michigan to make it happen. Indiana has a shot, but they’d have to beat Penn State and Purdue. If they do so, Purdue will not be bowl eligible.

Conclusion: The Big Ten may send only 6 teams to bowl games. Due to Ohio State and Penn State’s ineligibility, several of the teams will be slotted above where their talent says they should be. That could be bad news for the conference in bowl games.

For all of the latest on the Penn State Nittany Lions, follow VBR Lead Editor Tim Tolley on Twitter.

Snodgrass was unable to make his planned visit to Notre Dame last weekend but was in Columbus for the Purdue game and in Happy Valley for the whiteout against Ohio State.

While many feel that the Buckeyes are the favorite, Snodgrass tweeted this following his visit to Penn State:

Last night >>>>>>>>>>>

— Thaddeus Snodgrass (@ThadSnod1) October 28, 2012

For those not hip to Twitter lingo, that’s a positive response.

Along with his top five, the 6’1″ 170 pound, four star junior wideout has offers from Ohio, Akron, Purdue, Toledo and Georgia Tech. In 2012 he had 30 receptions for 452 yards and is regarded as one of the top wide receivers in the midwest.

Will Thaddeus pick the hometown Buckeyes or will the success of guys like Bill O’Brien and Allen Robinson be enough to pull him out of Ohio? We’ll all know in about 24 hours.

For all of the latest on the Penn State Nittany Lions, follow VBR Lead Editor Tim Tolley on Twitter.

Cincinnati 31 at Louisville (-4) 34 (OT)

Matt – Louisville (L)

Tim – Louisville (L)

Craig – Louisville (L)

Corey – Cincinnati (W)

Mississippi State 7 at Alabama (-23.5) 38

Matt – Alabama (W)

Tim – Alabama (W)

Craig – Mississippi State (L)

Corey – Mississippi State (L)

Florida (-6.5)  9 vs. Georgia 17

Matt – Georgia (W)

Tim – Florida (L)

Craig – Florida (L)

Corey – Florida (L)

Notre Dame 30 at Oklahoma (-10.5) 13

Matt – Oklahoma (L)

Tim – Oklahoma (L)

Craig – Oklahoma (L)

Corey – Notre Dame (W)

Michigan 9 at Nebraska (-2.5) 23

Matt – Michigan (L)

Tim – Michigan (L)

Craig – Michigan (L)

Corey – Nebraska (W)

Oklahoma (-3) 63 at Texas 21

Matt – Texas (L)

Tim – Texas (L)

Craig – Texas (L)

Corey – Texas (L)

Stanford 13 at Notre Dame (-9) 20

Matt – Notre Dame (L)

Tim – Stanford (W)

Craig – Notre Dame (L)

Corey – Stanford (W)

South Carolina 21 at LSU (-2.5) 23

Matt – South Carolina (W)

Tim – LSU (L)

Craig – South Carolina (W)

Corey – South Carolina (W)

Iowa 19 at Michigan State (-10) 16

Matt – Iowa (W)

Tim – Michigan State (L)

Craig – Iowa (W)

Corey – Michigan State (L)

Tennessee 31 at Mississippi State (-3) 41

Matt – Tennessee (L)

Tim – Tennessee (L)

Craig – Mississippi State (W)

Corey – Mississippi State (W)

As always, this week’s point spreads are as of Monday night.  ONTO THE GAMES!

Georgia 7 at South Carolina (-2) 35

Matt – Georgia (L)

Tim – South Carolina (W)

Craig – Georgia (L)

Corey – Georgia (L)

West Virginia 48 at Texas (-6.5) 45

Matt – Texas (L)

Tim – West Virginia (W)

Craig – West Virginia (W)

Corey – Texas (L)

Nebraska 38 at Ohio State (-3) 63

Matt – Ohio State (W)

Tim – Nebraska (L)

Craig – Nebraska (L)

Corey – Ohio State (W)

LSU (-2.5) 6 at Florida 14

Matt – Florida (W)

Tim – Florida (W)

Craig – LSU (L)

Corey – Florida (W)

Michigan (-3) 44 at Purdue 13

Matt – Purdue (L)

Tim – Purdue (L)

Craig – Purdue (L)

Corey – Purdue (L)

This week’s point spreads are from Monday evening.

In the week #6 edition of Underrated/Overrated, let’s take a look at what teams I see that have been slipping in their non-conference tune-ups and what teams have positioned themselves well for a conference run.

Free Falling!

September 29, 2012; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans safety Isaiah Lewis (9) dives after an Ohio State Buckeyes pass during the second half of a game at Spartan Stadium. Ohio State won 17-16. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-US PRESSWIRE

Michigan State (NR – AP / USA Today Polls)

Boy, how far the mighty have fallen!

In the preseason, Sparty was thought to be the class of the Big Ten.  After defeats at the hands of rival Notre Dame and now Ohio State, the Spartans are on the outside of the top-25 and looking in.  Head coach Mark Dantonio has to be really puzzled at the inability of his offense to generate any type of ball movement and scoring beyond his lone weapon, RB Le’Veon Bell.

The defense has remained solid, but it can’t hold every team down.  The Spartans are allowing an average of 12.8 points per game which ranks them 12th nationally.  They also have the 9th ranked defense in the country with their pass and rush defenses ranked no lower than 18th in any category.  It is the play of the offense that has prevented Michigan State from claiming the title of the Big Ten’s best team.

The good news for Michigan State is they still have important Legend’s Division games remaining.  They travel to Michigan and host Nebraska sandwiched around a game with Wisconsin.  To date, the best win for Sparty is the opening night win against Boise State.

Michigan State is going to have to find its offense if they are going to challenge Nebraska for the Legend’s Division crown.  The good news is the play perennial doormat Indiana and a suspect Iowa team in their next two games.  Two teams to get healthy playing against.

Sept 29, 2012; Landover,MD, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies tight end Ryan Malleck (88) congratulates teammate running back Michael Holmes (20) after scoring a touchdown against Cincinnati Bearcats during the fourth quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Paul Frederiksen-US PRESSWIRE

Virginia Tech (NR – AP / USA Today Polls)

The Hokies are another team that has failed to live up to its lofty preseason billing.  Coach Frank Beamer, normally one that stresses fundamentals, must be on edge with how his team has committed turnovers and penalties this year.  There is no doubt that Virginia Tech is one of the more talented teams in the ACC, but their national reputation has definitely taken a hit.

The Hokies lost this past weekend to a very scrappy and upstart Cincinnati Bearcats team after they allowed them to nearly go the length of the field in 1:43 to score the game-winning TD.  Quarterback Logan Thomas has thrown for over 100 yards, but he has nearly as many INTs (6) as he does TD passes (8).  That ratio, combined with a 52.7% completion percentage will not get it done against some of the better teams in the ACC.

Luckily for Va Tech they play in the ACC’s Coastal Division, widely regarded as the weaker of the two divisions.  They have already played and beaten Georgia Tech, so it looks as if the the showdown with Miami (FL) in Coral Gables Nov 1 will likely determine the winner of the Coastal division and the right to take on Florida State, the likely ACC-Atlantic Division winner.

Before getting to the ACC title game, Va Tech still has some intriguing games left on its schedule.  The Hokies have a stretch of 3 games in less than four weeks that will likely determine their course for the remainder of the season.  Starting on Oct. 20, they face Clemson, then Virginia Tech gets a bye week to prepare for the Hurricanes on Nov. 3.  Finally, they have a short turn around as they face-off with Florida State on Thurs. Nov 8.

While the loss to Pitt was terrible, the loss to Cincinnati may not be as bad as originally thought.  The Hokies can still right the ship and get into conference contention again by beating Clemson and Florida State, but most importantly, by defeating the Hurricanes.

September 22, 2012; Eugene, OR, USA; Arizona Wildcats running back Ka

Arizona Wildcats (NR – AP / USA Today Polls)

Oh my how much of a difference two weeks can make.  Two weeks ago, we were talking about the possibility that head coach Rich Rodriguez had invented a new version of the Desert Swarm teams of the 1990s.  Well…I guess not.  That’s not to say that Arizona has been terrible, they just have run up against two teams that are better then they are right now, in Oregon and Oregon State.  And, it doesn’t get any easier this week as the Wildcats travel to Stanford, licking their wounds after tasting defeat for the first time this year.

RichRod brought his read-option style of offense with him to the desert and the results have been remarkable.  The Wildcats rank 9th in passing offense and 39th in rush offense.  Overall, Arizona has a total offense that ranks 10th nationally.  So, putting up points in most games is not the problem, but the defense has been.

Arizona has a total defense that ranks 96th nationally and their pass defense is one of the worst in the FBS at a national rank of 102 while the rush defense also languishes with a rank of 72nd.

Playing in the PAC-12, a decent defense is needed to contend for a conference title.  As of the writing of this article, Arizona has to play 6 consecutive teams that are ranked in the top-25 of the polls.  They lose the first two games (Oregon, Oregon State), they play Stanford this week.  Then they get a bye week before they play host to Washington and USC before hitting the road to face UCLA.  They end the year by facing their annual rival, Arizona State who is vastly improved from last year.

Arizona is going to have to improve its defensive play if it wants to knock USC from the PAC-12 South Division pedestal.

The start of conference play has always given us some special games along with some upsets that alter the landscape of college football.  From my vantage point, the SEC and Big 12 seem to have the deepest conferences and every game is a potential one-game playoff, then there is the Big East and Big Ten conferences.  Many in the national media would be consider both to be down this year, but they always have provided games of intrigue.

In this week’s “prime-3″ match-ups we will delve into key battles for the following games: #25 Baylor at #9 West Virginia, #14 Ohio State at #20 Michigan State, and #12 Texas at Oklahoma State.

For full discloisure, let’s take a quick peek back at how I did last week before moving on to the week #5 games.  In my p”prime-3″ games, I was 2-1 ATS and 2-1 SU.  For the season, my “prime-3″ record stands at 5-7 ATS and 6-6 SU.  I had some trouble last week on my “extra points” picks, but overall, I’m still doing well.  Last week I was 10-9 ATS and for the year, my “extra points” picks have played to a record of 23-15.  As always, I will look to do better!

Let’s take a look at this week’s “prime-3″ games starting with #25 Baylor at #9 West Virginia.

Week 5 presents another pretty weak Saturday outside of the PSU game.  2 games match ranked teams so I had to dig deep to even find 6 worth picking.

Tennessee (+13.5) at Georgia

Mark Richt has lost control of this point spread.  Actually, I picked Tennessee a few weeks back to beat Florida, which they didn’t then struggled with Akron.  Georgia is an inspiration for PSU since they only have 72 kids on scholarship and are ranked #5.  Sooner or later Georgia will blow a game or 2, but they will beat up on the Vols.

Georgia 31 – Tennessee 17

Texas (-3) at Oklahoma State

Texas is a team that I rarely pay attention to.  I know since Colt McCoy, they have played like 50 QBs and they haven’t played an interesting game in like 5 years in my book.  (please note, I am extremely biased)  I would tend to believe that Oklahoma State is hard to beat at home, but I think Texas will find a way to get pretty overrated before losing 3 games.

Texas 27 – Oklahoma State 22

Baylor (+13) at West Virginia

Last week’s ranking in parenthesis.

1. Ohio State (2) 3-0

Last week: 35-28 win over Cal
In back to back weeks, OSU has been pushed to their limits by UCF and Cal. They have one notable offensive playmaker and their defense is extremely flawed. They also appear to be the best team in the conference, up to this point.

2. Northwestern (3) 3-0

Last week: 22-13 win over Boston College
Northwestern has three wins over teams from BCS conferences and I considered placing them at #1 for that, but those three aren’t all that impressive and Northwestern is not realistically as good as Ohio State.

3. Michigan (4) 2-1

Last week: 63-13 win over UMass
No margin of victory over UMass was going to be enough to impress anybody, but Michigan handled business. We’ll know a lot more about them a week from now.

4. Purdue (5) 2-1

Last week: 54-14 win over Eastern Michigan
I’m on the Purdue bandwagon. Not because of this win over directional MAC team…but just because. I think they’ll surprise some teams when conference play starts. They gave Notre Dame a better game than Sparty did!

5. Minnesota (6) 3-0

Last week: 28-23 win over Western Michigan
Another game, another win for the Gophers. I don’t know how long they can keep it up, but momentum is building for Minnesota.

6. Michigan State (1) 2-1

Last week: 20-3 loss at home to Notre Dame

Michigan State was favored to win, then never made it to the end zone. Fans hoped that this would be the year Michigan State lived up to their potential and hype. It’s early, but this was not a good sign.
7. Nebraska (6) 2-1

Last week: 42-13 win over Arkansas State

Nebraska followed a loss at UCLA with a win over something called Arkansas State and next week they play someone from Idaho that isn’t Boise State. Gotta do better than that.
8. Penn State (10) 1-2

Last week: 34-7 win over Navy
Back to back staunch defensive performances against totally different offenses. Another terrific performance by WR Allen Robinson and starting running back Bill Belton could be on his way back.

9. Wisconsin (9) 2-1

Last week: 16-14 win over Utah State
I didn’t expect Wisconsin to be what they were last year, but they struggled against Northern Iowa, lost to Oregon State, then went to halftime trailing 14-3 this week to Utah State at home. They’re averaging under 17 points per game and Montee Ball is a shadow of his 2011 self.
10. Iowa (11) 2-1

Last week: 27-16 win over Northern Iowa
Like Wisconsin, Iowa has some real flaws to work out. However, they may have found a running back. Until the AIRBHG finds out about it, that is.

11. Indiana (8) 2-1

Last week: 41-29 loss at home to Ball State.

Well, Hoosiers…it was fun while it lasted. Eventually that Indiana State/UMass well was bound to dry up and the juggernaut Ball States of the world would come.
12. Illinois (12) 2-1

Last week: 44-0 win over Charleston Southern

Directional CHARLESTON!?!? Is this really a thing? Shameful.
For all of the latest on the Penn State Nittany Lions, follow VBR Lead Editor Tim Tolley on Twitter.

Week #3 offers more intriguing match-ups that could very well determine conference supremacy.  For example, #1 Southern California will be traveling to Palo Alto, CA in a Pac-12 crossover game to take on #21 Stanford.  The slate of games also features some SEC battles as #1 Alabama will make the trip to Little Rock to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks who are still licking their wounds after losing to UL-Monroe in OT last week.  Also #18 Florida will be on the road again this week as they travel to Rocky Top (Knoxville, TN) to battle it out with SEC-East foe Tennessee.  Finally, a rivalry game of sorts as #10 Michigan State looks for revenge as they play host to the #20 Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

Before we proceed to week #3, lets take quick look back at my picks for week #2.  In my “prime-3″ match-ups, I took Florida (+2), Missouri (+3.5), and Vanderbilt (-3.5).  My ATS record for the week was 1-2 (Overall: 2-4) and my record SU for the week was 1-2 (Overall: 4-2).  Florida was my lone win as they outlasted Texas A&M, while Missouri and Vanderbilt both fought valiantly but ran out of gas in the fourth quarter and came up a bit short.  As always, I will go back to the drawing board and try to do better!

This week I will be taking a look at the following “prime-3″ match-ups:  #20 Notre Dame at #10 Michigan State, #18 Florida at #23 Tennessee, and #1 USC at #21 Stanford.  Each one offers interesting point/counterpoints and will provide the college football fan a unique viewing experience.

Last week’s ranking in parenthesis.

1. Michigan State (1) 2-0

Last week: 41-7 win at Central Michigan
Sparty went “on the road” to Central Michigan and won convincingly. They still own the best win in the conference up to this point and will face a true test this week when they host Notre Dame.

2. Ohio State (3) 2-0

Last week: 31-16 win over UCF
While that game was closer than the score indicated, Braxton Miller in Urban Meyer’s offense is exactly what the Buckeyes hoped and they’re one of the few 2-0 teams left in the Big Ten.

3. Northwestern (5) 2-0

Last week: 23-13 win over Vanderbilt
Northwestern proving that it ain’t always pretty, but 2-0 goes a long way here.

4. Michigan (6) 1-1

Last week: 31-25 win over Air Force
Sure they had to hold on to beat a service academy at home…but unlike most of the conference, at least they won! I still think they’re a talented team but they need to show it.

5. Purdue (4) 1-1

Last week: 20-17 loss at Notre Dame
Purdue just as easily could have won that game. I think they’re primed for a strong season in the Big Ten.

6. Nebraska (2) 1-1

Last week 36-30 loss at UCLA
A road loss without your starting running back isn’t the worst thing in the world. Giving up 36 points to the Bruins might be, though.

7. Minnesota (10) 2-0

Last week: 44-7 win over New Hampshire
I’m as surprised as you but the Gophers are 2-0 and have a road overtime win under their belt. Gray is emerging as a playmaker.

8. Indiana (11) 2-0

Last week: 45-6 win at UMass
This isn’t going to last, but the Hoosiers are 2-0 and won big on the road. Props.

9. Wisconsin (8) 1-1

Last week: 10-7 loss at Oregon State
Wisconsin is hanging their hats on a 5 point win over something called Northern Iowa. It appears they miss Russell Wilson and their staff, but they’re still talented…right?

10. Penn State (9) 0-2

Last week: 17-16 loss at Virginia
I could be accused of homerism here, but PSU played much better and should have won, plus the teams below them are very bad.

11. Iowa (7) 1-1

Last week: 9-6 loss to Iowa State
I don’t know what is going on with the Hawkeyes, but no Big 12 team should ever hold someone to 6 points.

12. Illinois (12) 1-1

Last week: 45-14 loss at Arizona State
A 31 point loss to Arizona State? The Illini are lucky there isn’t a spot lower for them to drop to.

For all of the latest on the Penn State Nittany Lions, follow VBR Lead Editor Tim Tolley on Twitter.

Each week I will preview 3-4 “high profile” games for the upcoming weekend.  I will briefly explain what I will be watching from both sides during the game, an intangible or two, and who I think will win the game.  Hopefully this will generate a bit of discussion.

Week #1 CFB Preview:

Game #1: ^#24 Boise St. at ^#13 Michigan State (Aug. 31)

photo by Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

The Skinny: What a good early game the college football gods have given us!  This game could easily become an “Instant Classic”!  No more is this a David vs. Goliath match-up.  Boise St. has cemented its national reputation with top-10 finishes each of the past 3 seasons.  Both teams are coming off impressive bowl victories, but they have lost key members of their 2011 squads.  Which team will be able to find the right complement of players to offset key losses?  The answer will go along way in determining who will win this game.

What to Watch For [W2W4] (Michigan State):  Michigan State returns some of the Big Ten’s best players on defense.  In fact, they return 8 starters from a team that ranked 6th nationally in total defense.  The defense is led by All-Big Ten candidate DE William Gholston, who could very well be on his way to the Ted Hendricks Award (given to the top DE in CFB) in 2012.  The defense will have to be stout to give the young offense a chance to go through some early growing pains.

W2W4 (Boise State):  Boise State will feature 4 returning starters on an offensive line that allowed a nation-low 8 sacks last season, and allowed Kellen Moore and company to put up the 5th most points per game in college football (44.2 ppg).  The cohesiveness the line brings to each game will be a big help to junior QB and first-year starter Joe Southwick who has only thrown for 400 yards and 2 touchdowns in his career.  Also returning to help take the pressure off of Southwick is senior RB DJ Harper.  Now the featured back, Harper can look to improve on last season’s campaign where he rushed for 557 yards and scored 9 TD’s.

Game Intangible:  Weather could certainly be a factor in this game.  Late August in East Lansing can be racked with heat and/or humidity, and the players could be sapped of energy (think back to TCU vs Baylor last season) late in the ballgame.  Which team has used the preseason to help prepare them for the rigors of late August / early September games?

US Presswire

Prediction: Look for Michigan State and Le’Veon Bell to run the ball between the tackles and wear down the Broncos interior line.  This should give first-year starter Andrew Maxwell enough time and comfort to get the ball down the field to Tennessee transfer DeAnthony Arnett and converted corner back Tony Lippett.  The Broncos should be able to keep the game close, but as the fourth quarter arrives, expect the Spartans to dominate on the ground and time of possession forcing Boise St into throwing the ball more often then they would like.  This will lead Southwick to throw a few INT’s and allow Michigan St. to pull away late.  Sorry Broncos fans, I don’t see the underdogs pulling off the upset in this one!

Score:

Michigan St (-8) – 27

Boise State – 13

 Next: Clemson at Auburn