Welcome to another preseason edition of our famous “Know Thy Enemy” question and answer session. So far we’ve given you a look at what’s up with BYU and with week two opponent Tennessee Tech. Today we bring you the first of the Big Ten opponents and ironically the final regular season opponent of the season – Penn State.
Talking all things Nittany Lions is Kevin McGuire, the Managing Editor of the Nittany Lions Den, right here on the Bloguin network. So, make sure you check out their amazing work all season long and give them a follow on Twitter @TheNLD.
You shoud know the drill by now, so let’s just get right into the info, shall we?
MTB: It’s year two of the Bill O’Brien era, what is different now than last year in terms of how O’Brien is leading this team?
Kevin McGuire: Honestly, not a whole lot has changed in terms of how O’Brien is managing the team. By now everybody is pretty comfortable with the situation as it pertains to NCAA sanctions, scholarship reductions etc., but the hard-nosed “next man up” philosophy continues as the team finds players competing for jobs at some key positions. The focus is still on putting together a team that comes together and competes for a Leaders Division championship and O’Brien’s offensive play calling should keep the Nittany Lions taking advantage of the tight ends and all four downs when needed.
MTB: With the loses on the defensive side of the ball, who is stepping up so far in camp and who should Badger fans be on the lookout for this season?
Kevin McGuire: The names fans should know up front include last year’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year in Deion Barnes at defensive end. He led the Nittany Lions in sacks last season and should be a force once again this fall. At linebacker the new face to pay close attention to should be redshirt freshman Nyeem Wartman. He had a solid spring and should bring some good athleticism to the defense. The secondary is a position I actually think will be one of Penn State’s strengths, which is rare. Recently O’Brien made special note of the practice efforts shown by Jordan Lucas and Trevor Williams, but the leader in the defensive back field should be Adrian Amos.
If there is one player who will be looked to as a true field leader on defense, it will be middle linebacker Glenn Carson, who already has a couple years of starting experience in the middle of the field. There’s nothing particularly dazzling about him, but he is a solid tackler and will be around the football more often than not no matter the direction.
MTB: O.K., we’ve waited long enough…. What’s up with the QB battle right now? Seriously, everyone is dying to know…
Kevin McGuire: Penn State has the most raw experience under center in the Big Ten than any other program. I didn’t double check that, but feel reasonably confident with the statement. After losing Matt McGloin to graduation and Steven Bench to a transfer to South Florida, the competition is between blue chip freshman Christian Hackenberg and back-up choice junior college transfer Tyler Ferguson. Ferguson enrolled in January and has already gone through spring practices with Penn State, and O’Brien has said that has helped him get a head start on the competition with Hackenberg for the starting job. Hackenberg has looked good but has made his freshman mistakes as well, which should be expected of any first year player regardless of star ranking.
Who starts in week one is still undecided at the moment, and O’Brien has already backed off the idea of naming a starter 1.5 to 2 weeks out from the opener so he can properly evaluate the situation. My hunch is that Ferguson gets the start to open the year, but don’t be surprised if we see Hackenberg starting soon enough. It makes sense to give a player like Hackenberg time to grow on the field, especially if Ferguson comes out and struggles.
MTB: Are Penn State fans sad that this will be our last meeting as division foes?
Kevin McGuire: I think so, but that may be more because it means the Land Grant Trophy returns to the end of the season for a few years. When Wisconsin initially replaced Michigan State in the final week, fans seemed genuinely pleased by the prospects for the end-of-the-year rivalry to develop. There have been some good games and memories going both ways throughout the series and the games the past two years have been pivotal for one reason or another. There is no juice surrounding a revival of the Michigan State rivalry on an annual basis, but the hope is that games against former longtime regional rival Maryland brings something to look forward too. Penn State has flat-out dominated the series with Maryland, but a more regional end-of-the-year series should be fun.
I don’t think there is any real animosity toward Wisconsin, so it will be sad to see the Badgers leave after a brief annual series, but getting Ohio State and Michigan every year in addition to a pair of eastern rivals is not exactly a bad alternative for Penn State.
MTB: Who is more important to PSU this season – Allen Robinson or Kyle Carter and why?
Kvein McGuire: I’m inclined to say Allen Robinson if only because I trust the depth at tight end more than I do the receivers right now. Kyle Carter will be a tremendous factor in the offense this season, but if for whatever reason he is unavailable then Penn State should have a number of options to work with at either tight end position on the field. Robinson is the team’s top wide receiver and may be the team’s best big play threat as well. After leading the Big Ten in receiving last fall, Robinson has cemented his role as go-to receiver and would be more difficult to replace if needed. Brandon Moseby-Felder and Alex Kenney will be quality receivers and I’m looking forward to seeing what Eugene Lewis can do, but losing Robinson would hurt the passing game more than the loss of Carter I believe.
MTB: Finish this sentence: 2013 will be a success if…..
Kevin McGuire: Penn State finishes with a record of .500 or better. I do not believe this season can really be assessed with wins and losses, but finishing with a losing record would hurt. With a young quarterback ready to be groomed to be a guy the program can build around in the coming years and with a first string team capable of competing with anyone on their schedule, Penn State should have some optimism for a solid year. My concern is with the depth. While the first strings are good, the second string starts to show the concerns regarding depth due to transfers and scholarship reductions.
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