2009 Penn State NCAA Football Predictions
After beating Ohio State in Columbus late in October, it appeared the Nittany Lions were in the driver’s seat to send Joe-Pa to the ‘ship. But Penn State’s BCS championship hopes were crushed when it fell to Iowa by one point in its next game. Still, 2008 was a memorable campaign for the Nittany Lions, finishing 11-2 and earning a share of the Big Ten title. Find out if Penn State has what it takes to wrap up another Big Ten title in this 2009 NCAA football betting article. Penn State is listed at +3000 to win the 2009 BCS championship.
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Offense - Quarterback Daryll Clark is the Penn State offense. He threw for 2,592 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 282 yards and 10 more touchdowns last season. This dual-threat QB is a master of improvisation, not afraid to take gambles, and yet he only threw six picks all of last season. The receiving corps isn’t nearly as talented this season. The program will look for Graham Zug, Brett Brackett, and Derek Moye among others to step up. So much of Penn State’s success in 2008 came from its ability to stretch the field. If these guys can do just that, the offense should remain top notch. But if they can’t get the job done, the points won’t pile up nearly as quickly as they did in 2008. Running back Evan Royster returns as one of the premier backs in the conference. He rushed for 1,236 yards and 12 touchdowns, often benefiting from the down-the-field threat posed by the receiving unit. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry and showed great vision and shiftiness in tight spaces. We could see his yards per carry drop as the offensive line loses three first-team all-league starters. Stephen Wisniewski and Dennis Landolt return to anchor the unit in 2009.
Defense – The interior of the defensive line, which helped the Lions rank eight nationally against the run (93.2 yards per game allowed), should be strong once again with tackles Jared Odrick and Ollie Ogbu coming back. The defensive ends are unproven, but defensive line coach Larry Johnson is usually able to identify guys capable of getting the job done on the outside. He’ll look to Jack Crawford, Jerome Hayes, Kevion Latham, and Eric Latimore to bring the heat. The linebacker unit is in great shape with Navorro Bowman returning following a 106-tackle season. The team will also get a boost from the return of potential All-American Sean Lee, who missed all of 2008 with a knee injury. While the front seven figures to remain tough, the secondary looks like a weakness. The Lions started four experienced seniors across the back last season, but only A.J. Wallace is back. A bit of a drop off is probably inevitable after losing seven total starters from a unit that ranked eight nationally in both scoring and total defense, but Penn State should still boast of the better defenses in the league.
Prediction: 2nd Big Ten – I can’t see Penn State being as good as it was last season, but the Nittany Lions will get some help from a favorable schedule. Their non-conference slate is weak and they get Iowa, who they’ll be looking to pay back, and Ohio State, who they beat last year in Columbus, at Beaver Stadium. Penn State is listed at +250 to win the Big Ten.
Take the college football odds makers to school this season with Jimmy Boyd’s expert football picks!
