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Sportswriter thinks both Penn State and Illinois underrated in poll

Link below. Talks about three underrated teams and three overrated teams in this week's ranking. Like most sportswriters' opinions, it proves nothing and means nothing, but still.

Personally, I'm perfectly happy with a #9 ranking at this point of the year. I don't see anyone in the current top-10 that we should be ranked ahead of...except possibly Oregon, which is trading on its preseason status but has looked underwhelming at times during its first few games:

No. 9 is way too low for Penn State Nittany Lions

The Penn State disrespect needs to stop. Of course, if the Nittany Lions lose at home next week to the upstart Illinois Fighting Illini, that will be a moot point. But after wiping the floor with Kent State, who might be the worst team in FBS, that close call with Bowling Green shouldn't feel so punitive. After all, the Falcons took what I think is a halfway decent Texas A&M team to the brink on Saturday.
Throughout the first month of the season, Penn State has remained an ever-present part of the College Football Playoff picture. Not once have I thought about moving them outside of the top 12. My thought is Penn State is way too talented on both sides of the ball and at all levels of its coaching staff to be any lower than a top-eight team in the country. They may be the Big Ten's second best!

No. 19 is way too low for Illinois Fighting Illini

I had a feeling that at least one team in the Big Ten was going to emerge as a serious threat to the perceived top five. Through the first month of the season, that team would undeniably be the Illinois Fighting Illini. Although Kansas seems to have fallen on hard times since the Week 2 defeat, as well as Nebraska not looking quite ready just yet, Illinois is playing with a ton of momentum up to this point.

Bret Bielema is flexing on other quality coaches during this impressive start to the season. Luke Altmyer continues to impress at quarterback with every passing game. While I am not sure what this team's ceiling is, the Illini are comfortably a bowl team, one that should have staying power in the top 25 throughout the season. They need to be closer to No. 15 than closer to No. 19 sitting at No. 20.


Steelers/Chargers ending

The Steelers ended their game with the Chargers on the Bolts 1 yard line. They took a knee two times to kill the last minute and then just let the clock run out. My question is this: why wouldn’t you kill most of the clock and then bash it in or kick the field goal? Points vs the conference is one of the playoff tiebreakers. You might want those points at the end of the year. Anyone have a thought on this? Regardless, it’s always to see Jimah go down in flames.
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NCAA to present findings and (only) recommend post-season ban for Cheaters of the West. No vacated natty or wins per report


What a pathetic organization..cheating wins again.

Talent Fee at Tennessee

It was only a matter of time. Tennessee to add a 10% “talent fee” to ticket prices next year.

So, instead of “the system” figuring out how to share the billions in revenue, they are just adding more expense to the fans to cover the costs. Got it. 🙄

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OT J. D. Souther, writer of many Eagles and other artist's songs dead at 78.


J. D. was quite the talent and contributed to the success of many artists of the 70's

How many of you have attended a musical event at the Eisenhower Auditorium?

I attended an event by The Preservation Jazz Band there shortly after returning to PSU after the service. It was electrifying.

Penn State was way more than Happy Valley Party City to me. I befriended several terrific football players there, as my time at University Park was split into two parts pre Navy and post Navy. Mike Reid, Greg Murphy, Jimmy Cephalo and Franco Harris were some of the players I spent time with. All were very different but interesting people. Franco even drove me to morning classes when my old Galaxy 500 needed CPR for weeks.

But Football was just a part of the PSU experience. Because of where it is located, I could see a concert by Jefferson Starship there, The Preservation Jazz Band, Watch great sports, hike Mount Nittany, trout fish, get a bus trip to NYC, socialize with graduate students from Thailand, China, Great Britain and jump in a car for a short ride to ski slopes in NY. On weekends I could go to Philly or the Burgh with my friends and take breaks off with one of my pros and his son doing canoe portage. Sitting up at night gazing through the telescope through an uninterrupted atmosphere..And more...

What has troubled me over many decades was the PSU administrators outspoken attitude that no one would want to come to PSU from the cities or large suburbs... I have often thought ...how did they not know the PSU I experienced, knew and cherished. I know much of that attitude has changed... but I think a bit of it still lingers in the minds of our BOT.
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