“Consolation Prize”?

Hello again…time for some more columnist style journalism from your friendly neighborhood Wednesday Sports Blitz radio host (try saying that three times fast!)

As I am cramming my brain with useless information that I must spit back at my professors on a scan-tron sheet, I could not help but pick up the special sports section on the last Collegian published at the end of the semester.

The title read in 1 million pt font on the top of the multi-page spread “CONSOLATION PRIZE” by Wayne Staats

I immediately lost all interest in reading the article….while the content was extremely good and on point…the title is all wrong.

It should have been called “SAVING FACE” or “A CHANCE TO SALVAGE A SEASON” or “CONSIDER  YOURSELVES LUCKY PENN SATE FOOTBALL”

Don’t worry, I am not going into a career of writing headlines for newspapers, because I am terrible at it, but I hope you are seeing my point here.  This bowl is not a consolation prize at all.  We are lucky to even have the type of bowl that we have.

To be honest…I don’t even think we should have a bowl game.  As far as I am concerned our record should be 0-2, because the other ten games that we won just do not matter.

Throughout the years that I have been a student at this great school, I have been blessed with being in the presence of a solid Penn State Football Team.  Our defense has been really something special at times, with them not allowing a touchdown in the first half for a good deal of the season.  We have a great quarterback, who along with his near perfect starting record (sans 4 games) has a great passing arm as well as a solid running and athletic ability.  We have been blessed with an ex-lacrosse player turned running back, and a solid senior (for one season) and young receiving core that can only get better as their college career moves forward.

But what do we have to show for it?

-A dramatic win in the Horseshoe in front of a national audience (about the only positive)

-One point loss to a sleeper team (Iowa)…ruining a perfect season and a chance at the national championship (and yes we would have been in the national championship game, only to most likely lose to Oklahoma who we would have played)

-A loss to USC in the Rose Bowl (yes it was embarrassing)

-Loss again to Iowa…at home….on national television…..(shall I continue?)

-Loss to Ohio State…at home…on national television

It is these things (which are a shame) that Darryl Clark and company will be remembered for.  The team that ALMOST won it all, but could not.

Let me assure you, I am not a pessimist.  I just tell it like it is.  Wins against Eastern Illinois just do not cut it, but that is not the fault of the football players.  They do not control the scheduling of the team in non-conference play, but then why don’t they win when it matters?  Because they are not prepared for the big stage.

Now let me tell you first that I have no power whatsoever, but this is the kind of schedule that should be done every year (and I am using the abilities of teams this year as examples):

Game 1: Miami (Fl) – Who needs a warm up game? Boise State warmed up with Oregon…and won

Game 2: Texas – I do not even think I need to explain this game. So i’m not going to.

Game 3: Pitt – I don’t care how friendly we are with temple…lets pick an in-state team that is 1000000% better

Game 4: Iowa – We would have been much better prepared

Game 5: at Illinois – We would have crushed them by more

Game 6: Boise State – I want to see this game so badly, Kelllen Moore’s magic and Boise State’s speed against Penn State’s Defense…yet another real test for Darryl Clark and co. plus both of these teams would be ranked very highly at this point if they are both undefeated…college game day AGAIN anyone?

Game 7: Minnesota – Would have shut them out 45-0 instead of 20-0

Game 8: at Michigan – Score would have been 55-10

Game 9: at Northwestern – Wouldn’t have fallen behind in first half

Game 10: Ohio State – Would have had better ball control and could have actually won…considering at this point we were so used to playing down to our opponents that it came second nature

Game 11: Indiana – Again…would have beat them by more or held them to less points

Game 12: at Michigan State – ditto again on bigger blowout

Now look at this schedule…if it is ticket revenue you are worried about Tim Curley, you can eat your heart out.  Sure winning games puts butts in the seats, but if this were a real season, you would have sellouts with….

MIAMI…heck of an opening game…

PITT…yes you would sell out Pitt…hell you could even make a state tailgating competition out of it

TEXAS…Big 12 team….Colt McCoy vs Darryl Clark…Mack Brown vs Joe Paterno…shall I continue?

IOWA…revenge….duh

OHIO STATE…because we hate them so much

**maybe Boise State, but maybe not because most people really don’t know how good they are**

You could have that versus the 2 game sell out you had this season.  Plus an undefeated record against these teams looks about so much better than we had run the table with our actual schedule.  This is a schedule that puts you in a national championship should you go undefeated.  And considering all of the undefeated teams this season (even sans Texas) we would be going toe to toe with Alabama without question.

Now…assuming the best case scenario (going undefeated and winning a national championship) this means many things:

1. Alumni love you…you just brought down a big 12 and an sec opponent and brought home a national championship…they WILL write checks…BIG ones.

2. Students love you…most wont know why but you brought home a national championship…they will also have a parade for you and sell out your student section (even with the new ticket distribution system to avoid price gouging because the school appreciates its own capitalism and not the capitalism of its students)

3. The media loves you…not only did you go undefeated through the toughest schedule in college football but you singlehandedly brought credibility back to the Big-10….another team will then join and then you can have your championship game (the reason why another team doesn’t join is because the conference sucks).  Oh yes and a championship game also means more revenue for your football program.

4. Recruiting…more people now want to play for your team…the reason these teams stay good is because they have hard schedules and compete for a national championship EVERY YEAR and without question.

5. You keep your job as an athletic director.

Now I understand that scheduling is harder than just writing something down on paper, but I am a firm believer that throwing the gauntlet at any team I am in charge of is helping, not hindering their development.

You could take this season and go 9-3, 8-4, 10-2, and still call it a successful season, and you might even get a BCS bowl bid.  I mean you are facing some tough opponents, you would have a pretty high computer ranking.  In my mind I think our athletic director needs to grow some balls, and stop being so afraid of losing.  After getting a consensus among students, most are unhappy with ticketing, Penn State Football, and the administration in general.

This season was just plain BORING.  Just truly awful and boring.  I am glad I get into these games for free, because I consider every home game this season a waste of money.

So we are not playing in a consolation game, we are playing to save face, we are playing to save our season, and our national reputation.

As for the players?  Darryl Clark and company are playing for their reputation, whether or not they will be remembered for being the team that left on a good note, or the team that could have won everything, but could not deliver when it mattered.

And that’s a shame, because I think this team is extremely talented.

So great article Wayne, but change the title.  We are lucky we even have the chance to save face.