Welcome to Big Time Football

When I made the move from Mountain West powerhouse University of Wyoming to the 11th member of the Big 10, I had prepared myself for everything football related to be bigger, much bigger. Now, I love the Cowboys. I'm typing this post while wearing a Wyoming Football Jersey I just got on eBay cause I had to send Waymon's old jersey back to Wyo. The big news in Cowboy history was beating UCLA 24-21 in thrilling fashion at the 2004 Las Vegas Bowl. But things at Penn State operate at a different level. Pre-season talk around here is about winning the National Championship (the Lions have 2). The recruits here are of a higher caliber. The Pokes have one recruit verbally committed with a rating of 70. Of the 10 verbal commits to Penn State, only 3 have a rating below 70. As I made clear earlier Beaver Stadium is really REALLY big. The coach is Joe freakin Paterno.

However, the off-field issues are also much bigger. Let's review for the folks back home. Since last season ended, Penn State football players (and coaches HAHA) have been involved in the following issues:

Today - Running Back Austin Scott charged with rape, sexual assault, and aggravated indecent assault in connection with an incident last weekend. He was suspended for the Iowa game for a violation of 'team rules.'

Also this week - Head Coach Joe Paterno was involved in some sort of a traffic incident. To me, it seems like it was a pretty hilarious encounter. At least thats the impression I get from the CDT.

Also this week - Several players were reportedly involved in a fight at the Student Union.

Also this week - Two reserve freshmen — punter Ryan Breen and tailback Joe Suhey — were cited by police for underage drinking.

Earlier this season - Tight end Andrew Quarless and backup defensive back Willie Harriott had been suspended by Paterno for a few games after university police cited them for underage drinking.

Last spring - Several players were disciplined after an altercation. Two of the players, safety Anthony Scirrotto and defensive lineman Chris Baker, are scheduled to stand trial in December on related criminal charges. From what I understand, Scirrotto was involved in a fight of some sort, gathered up his boys, and went back for some more. Paterno is currently making the team help clean the stadium after games.

Lets hope the squad can keep their minds on Wisconsin. My final score prediction: 5-3. Winner? Flip a coin. Both teams will get first half field goals and one will get a third quarter safety.

In other news, GO POKES! Let's get it to 5-1 this weekend. Just under 4 hours (10:18 eastern time) till the Rockies start again!

515,004 vs. 107,678

Curse or no curse, this past weekend brought about the start of one of my favorite sports. The first full weekend of college football ranks pretty high on my list of anticipated season starts. Opening day in baseball is probably at the top, but then college football is tied with a host of other season openings (hockey, college basketball, NFL, and I still really enjoy the Tour even if everyone in the field cheats). But this particular weekend was probably the best college football opening I have ever had.

First of all, the Cowboys put the hammer to Virginia and avenged the heartbreaking loss of a year ago. And even better, I was able to watch about 2/3 of the game, as it was on Versus. One of the pros of having a few roommates is that we can afford digital cable. This really makes me look forward to the start of hockey. But anyways, the Pokes looked pretty good to me. The Virginia offense could not get anything going. GO POKES!

Then tiny Appalachian State goes in to the Big House (biggest stadium in the country) and stuns the world. Watching the previews of that tiny little quarterback running all over the field was pretty cool. And I loved knowing that all my friends who are Michigan fans were hiding in shame from that loss.

But the biggest shock to my college football system came from attending the Penn State v. Florida International game on Saturday. Now, State was favored by almost 40, so it seemed the only question to be answered was: Will there be a fight? FIU is infamously known for their brawl with the Hurricanes last year. But there was none of that to be had, as I believe the final score was 59-0.



I still don't think I've come to terms with the size of Beaver Stadium. Let me put it in perspective. The "official capacity" of Beaver Stadium is 107,282; the 6th largest stadium in the WORLD. The announced attendance for the game I attended was 107,678. The estimated 2006 population of the State of Wyoming was 515,004. First in our hearts, but last of the 50 States in terms of population. The two largest cities in Wyoming are Cheyenne (55,314) and Casper (52,089). The combined total of those cities is 107,403. There were 275 more people at the Penn State game Saturday than in the two largest cities in Wyoming, combined.



It was intense. And with Notre Dame coming - and tickets going for upwards of $500 - next weekend promises to be just as intense.

Here is the curse update: my computer is now up and running - with a lot of stuff yet to be replaced; my car is scheduled to go in tomorrow (I think it is the trunk cable); I got some new sunglasses; but my TV is breaking. I guess that is what I get for buying the display model. We're not out of this yet!