All is forgiven, Joe. Everything. The off-field problems. The road rage. The losses to Michigan and Illinois. Everything.
Just beat Ohio State.
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| Todd Boeckman and the Sweater Vest must be mistake-free. (Getty Images) |
The nation's No. 1 team visits Penn State this weekend looking vulnerable. Start with Ohio State's struggle last week against Michigan State, then add a night game, a whiteout and history this week at Happy Valley. The Buckeyes' last regular-season loss came two years ago at Beaver Stadium.
"I had not realized the last time they lost a regular season was against us. I was not aware of that. I don't particularly look back a lot of times," said the Joe in question.
That's probably a good thing when there are eight decades to look back on.
For only the second time in history, Penn State is hosting a No. 1 team. Joe (Paterno is his last name, if you must know) is 4-7 against No. 1, two of those wins clinching the 1982 and 1986 national championships.
This has the look, feel and build-up of a classic trap game. Then what? We'll most likely be looking at Boston College at No. 1, the fourth top team in the AP poll this month.
As the great coach himself might say: "Aaaaah, can't we just talk about football?"
That's what Weekend Watch List is here for, Joe.
Scouting the Nation
The things and people that will decide this weekend:
Las Vegas: Southern California is a regular-season underdog for the first time in more than four years heading up to a program-defining game at Oregon.
What does that mean? In the small sample we have, the Trojans have reacted well to being an underdog in the past. The last time USC was a 'dog in a Pac-10 game was 2001. UCLA was a three-point favorite and lost 27-0. In 2003, Auburn was a four-point favorite in the season opener. In that famous Matt Leinart coming-out game, USC won 23-0.
USC was actually a 1½-point dog in this year's Rose Bowl, then beat Michigan by two touchdowns.
Mark Sanchez-John David Booty: No matter who starts Saturday, there is a quarterback controversy brewing at Troy.
WWL gets the feeling that USC coaches want Sanchez to get the job sooner rather than later -- and keep it. Sanchez is the future while Booty has underachieved. Not just because of the broken finger suffered in the Stanford upset.
If Sanchez beats Oregon, it's going to be hard to pull him with the Trojans back in the Pac-10 and national championship races.
Chip Kelly: Anybody know who this guy is? One hint: He was at New Hampshire for 14 years as an assistant coach.
Still stumped? Kelly is the guy who caught the golden ticket when Oregon needed a new offensive coordinator. Mike Bellotti called in the offseason, Kelly accepted and the Ducks' offense has been a carnival ride ever since.
Kelly is the brains behind quarterback Dennis Dixon becoming a Heisman candidate and the Oregon offense becoming unstoppable.
"Half the time," Washington linebacker E.J. Savannah said last week, "I didn't know where the ball was."
Oregon is No. 2 in both total offense and scoring offense. No. 3 in rushing offense. Dixon is fourth in pass efficiency. It's the zone read spread option that is so popular being run to perfection and maybe right up USC's ... well, you know.
Anthony Morelli: The main reason Penn State has a shot. The Nittany Lions quarterback has been uneven overall in his career, but much more effective at home.
How effective? Eighteen touchdowns and six picks at home the past three seasons; six TDs and nine picks on the road.
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| With every passing game, Todd Reesing proves everyone wrong. (US Presswire) |
Reesing has that anything-to-get-it-done ethic. The nation's 18th-rated quarterback has 17 touchdowns and only four interceptions.
"Anybody who didn't recruit him, including us, made a mistake," Texas coach Mack Brown said this week.
Reesing is from nearby Lake Travis High School.
Martellus Bennett: WWL is leaning toward Kansas in the A&M game because the Aggie tight end's mind seems to be elsewhere. The junior is thinking about leaving for the NFL after this season. Who wouldn't after catching all of 24 passes this season?
"I just really want to work on my game and take it to the next level ... " Bennett said. "For the most part, I feel like I'm the best tight end in the country. I don't think they can stop me."
Dennis Erickson: We lauded him Thursday. The country might jump on the bandwagon late Saturday night.
Erickson's Sun Devils are an amazing fourth in the BCS. If Penn State beats Ohio State, Arizona State could be in the top three of the BCS by beating Cal.
Robert James: The Arizona State linebacker missed part of last season due to concussion-related headaches. That led to migraines.
That's bad enough, but James was also trying to care for his 16-month-old son, who was having trouble breathing.
On his way home from a doctor's appointment in the spring, James was run off the road, conked his head and the problems started all over again. While in the hospital, James read about great Arizona State linebackers and was inspired to become one of them.
Little Robert had surgery to correct his breathing. Big Robert is on his way to become one of those ASU greats, leading the Sun Devils with 66 tackles.
The headaches are gone too.
Michael Hart: As usual the Kremlin, er, Michigan would rather invite MTV Cribs into the football complex than clarify the injury status of the nation's leading rusher.
Hey, it has worked so far. Hart sat out the Illinois game with an ankle sprain. But which ankle? Both Hart and quarterback Chad Henne are game-time decisions against Minnesota.
Tim Tebow: It has finally happened. Florida's quarterback is nicked up (sore shoulder going into the Georgia game).
Center Drew Miller said part of the reason is cheap shots.
"In piles people are grabbing (him)," Miller said. "Every time he's in a pile I try to push people off and try to get him up."
Tebow, to his All-American credit, looks at it another way if the Bulldogs try anything dirty.
"If they come after my shoulder, then I guess they will not be hitting me straight up and will have a very good chance of breaking that tackle."
The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party: Yes, it's being played. Saturday. In Jacksonville. It says so right here on the schedule. Tell your friends.
SEC East: A mess. A three-way tie at the top with Kentucky and Tennessee a half-game back of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
The only certainty: The WLOCP winner is going to be at least tied for the division lead.
Darren McFadden: Hogs everywhere are griping over D-Mac falling off Heisman lists, even though his numbers at this point are vastly better than they were a year ago.
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| Razorback nation isn't happy with all the McFadden dissing. (Getty Images) |
That isn't to say McFadden can't jump back up (playing Florida International this week) but the Hogs will have to start winning big. That is the biggest unwritten rule of the Heisman race.
Bo Pellini: During his team's bye week, LSU's defensive coordinator has been hired at Nebraska. Oh, and Pellini already has chosen his staff ... if you believe the breathless Husker message boards who want this coaching search thing wrapped up, like, yesterday.
Tallahassee realtors: Yes, it has gotten this bad at Florida State. Someone put a For Sale sign on Bobby Bowden's lawn last week after the Miami loss.
Then on Thursday came the ominous news that AD Dave Hart Jr. has negotiated his exit strategy (end of the year). Three people already have asked WWL what this means for Bowden. Considering that St. Bobby once coached FSU president T.K. Wetherell (a former Seminoles receiver), not much. Wetherell still is a huge Bowden supporter. Unless something has changed drastically, Bowden still will be able to call his own shot as to when he steps down.
Of course, if FSU loses to Duke this week, forget the For Sale signs, they'll back up the moving vans to Bobby's home.
Mike Stoops-Ty Willingham: Someone has to lose when Arizona visits Washington, which means one coach is going to be dunked further into the hot soup.
Stoops' Wildcats dropped to 2-6 after an unacceptable loss to Stanford. The Arizona Daily Star reported this week that it would take approximately $3 million in buyouts to get rid of Stoops and AD Jim Livengood, who probably won't be given another chance to hire a new coach if Bob Stoops' brother is let go.
Figure on a $4 million total once a new AD, coach and staff are hired. The heat is on Willingham (2-5) during a defensive meltdown which has seen the Huskies give up 1,581 rushing yards in the past five games.
