(Update: game preview and prediction for Saturday)
The Penn St. football team is rather angry right now. How convenient, as one of their favorite recent villains, Tim Beckman, is coming to town.
The Nittany Lions lost to Ohio State 63-14 Saturday night, their worst loss in almost two centuries: 1899 to be exact. So when Illinois and the embattled Fighting Illini head coach Tim Beckman go to State College this weekend, there is going to be hell to pay for Penn State’s opponent. And Beckman himself has his own set of problems on top of that. (Details on how much his seat is warming here)
And the Penn St. football team is probably going to beat up on Illinois for more than a few reasons.
First of all, Illinois is just plain bad. They’re ten point underdogs to a Big Ten team that has surrendered 40+ points in three straight games.
The Fighting Illini, who’ve given up 39+ in three straight games, are probably tied with Purdue for being the worst team in the league.
The Penn St. football program knows all too well that eight coaches from Beckman’s staff traveled to State College in the summer of 2012 trying to recruit some Nittany Lions players. This was right after the NCAA came down on Penn State’s football program for the Jerry Sandusky scandal. So last summer was kind of open game for Penn St. football players who wanted to play elsewhere. And other college football coaches to poach them!
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 Penn St. 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 PSU fans will welcome him warmly. “NEVER FORGET” ARGHHH!
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