With the Penn State Nittany Lions vs the Illinois Fighting Illini, you can’t ask for a more brutal of all the brutally honest previews. The two teams have each given up 39+ points in their last three games and lost by a combined score of 105-17 last week. Factor in that one school announced yesterday they were paying out $60 million to the victims of a monster named Jerry Sandusky; one who served as the #2 man behind Joe Paterno in the program from 1977-1999.
On the other side, you have a program that clearly made a disaster hire with its current head coach, but simply firing him at the end of the year might make their current quagmire even worse. And Coach Tim Beckman makes his first return to Happy Valley since he raised the ire of Nittany Lions Nation by openly attempting to poach Penn State players made available in the wake of sanctions. Beckman is still loathed in State College; and he’s not very highly thought of by his own fan base at his own school.
Pick a storyline for Nittany Lions vs Illini; we’ve got ’em by the boatloads: scandal, salaciousness, sanctions, money, player injuries, professional incompetence, bitter resentment…this game is about as uplifting as Les Miserables.
This is emo music in college football form.
As Jerry Sandusky is back in the news again today, I would like to call attention to the people in the Penn State culture who are doing the right thing. (More detail on that here) Also you need to check out these links… bands4rainn.org and wareagles4rainn.org
Now back to football:
TV: ESPN 11 AM Beth Mowins and Joey Galloway
SPREAD: Nittany Lions -10
Tim Beckman hot seat meter: 0=job for life, 100=Three Mile Island
Score=89
What seemed like progress in 2013 in the non-conference has been eradicated by the no-show in Big Ten play. In the three league games, they’ve looked just as awful as they were in 2012. That 3-1 start in which Beckman’s seat got nice and cool? Ancient history now as the Illini have been dominated like mommy bloggers dominate Facebook. And their defense has been about as fun and interesting as a mommy blogger’s Facebook fan page. Pick a stat, the Illini defense is last in the league. And remember Beckman is/was a “defense guy.” (more on all this here)
Illini preview:
What a difference three quarters can make. With a 3-0 lead on a good Michigan State in the second quarter, the talk around the Illini was “how much progress have they made this season? Will they finish with five wins, or pull an unlikely upset and maybe reach a bowl?”
Then we watched an Illinois team play like…well did you see the 2011 regular season finale, the final game coached by Ron Zook? The Illini were badly blown out by a terrible Minnesota team which had a shred of the talent UI possessed. Illinois literally did not try in that game, watch the highlights and you’ll see Gopher ball-carriers running to end zones without any Illini even pursuing them at all. That’s exactly what Illinois looked like in the second half Saturday.
If you believe Beckman is in over his head, then you got a lot of further validation.
The look of disgust/concern/discontent on the face of University of Illinois Athletic Director Mike Thomas when time expired at Zuppke Field conveyed everything you need to know. The final decision is up to Thomas, pundits and reporters like myself will have no bearing on the future of Tim Beckman. And if you read Thomas’ body language, like I did, you would not feel very confident in Beckman returning next season.
Either way, it’s safe to say the days are numbered for Defensive Coordinator Tim Banks. Unless he somehow starts pitching shutouts here in the final games. Or can at least keep an opponent in single digit scoring.
A little backstory here:
Okay, so one of the main storylines in this one. (more detail on this here)
Tim Beckman said at the 2012 Big Ten Media Days that members of his staff were not technically on the Penn State campus, but at establishments in and around State College (a Denny’s to be exact, stay classy!) trying to meet up with Nittany Lions football players. Also, the Illinois coaches did not break any rules. Still this will be the first time Beckman has returned to Happy Valley since then.
I’m sure Nittany Lions fans will welcome him warmly. “NEVER FORGET”
The only player Illinois ended up getting was offensive lineman Ryan Nowicki. The funny thing is, Ryan Nowicki didn’t play a damn down for Illinois and transferred to Northern Arizona. So all of Tim Beckman’s wheeling and dealing (whether you think it was the right thing or the wrong thing to do, and Penn St. football fans don’t think too highly of it) never paid off one iota.
And despite Illinois getting zilch on that return on that risky investment, they built up a lot of ill will in State College. I think this tweet from Evil Bill O’Brien, the parody account of B.O.B.
I’d hate to be the coach I face next week. OH WAIT, IT’S BECKMAN. YOU’RE SO SCREWED JACKOFF
— Evil Bill O’Brien (@evilbillobrien) October 27, 2013
Nittany Lions preview:
It was the worst loss for any Nittany Lions coach since 1899. It was the most points (63) ever given up by a Penn State football team in this century; or last century. in the very long and very illustrious history of Nittany Lions football, this was the worst loss since 1899. Back then, the Duquesne Athletic Club beat them 64-5. I’m not sure a future scheduled date with Duquesne Athletic Club will happen any time soon.
Ohio State gained 686 yards in total, and its 63 points were the most ever versus a Big Ten opponent.
Also starting QB Christian Hackenberg left with an injury, but tried to play after in happened. It’s probably he was pulled when you consider the entire game was garbage time. Why risk further hurting next year’s Big Ten preseason player of the year over something meaningless? It doesn’t appear Hackenberg’s injury is serious, but it was good to give Tyler Ferguson some reps.
Imagine what a healthy Hackenberg and an always dangerous Allen Robinson would do to this Illini excuse of a pass defense? FCS QB Kody Faulkner lit ’em up for over 300. Connor Cook and the MSU offense, reknown for being bad, converted 14/16 3rd down on Illinois. And Cook completed 14-15 passing for over 200 yards.
Brutally honest record 65-25
Brutally honest prediction: Nittany Lions 40, Illinois 27
We’ll see what happens with Hackenberg, we’ll get more information during O’Brien’s conference call and media session in a couple hours maybe. Then again he’s worked with Bill Belichick, and it shows. He knows how to hide injury info, and we may not find anything out until later. Illinois could be without their best DB V’Angelo Bentley again this Saturday. They just lost their best WR Ryan Lankford for the season. I’m picking Altoona’s Big Ten team in this one.
Catch me every Tuesday at 10:30 AM Central talking Northwestern and Illini for 1620 The Zone Omaha
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also a regular analyst on news talk radio stations across the world; with weekly segments on NBC and Fox Sports Radio. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks) and RSS