9/2
Akron Zips
Sept. 2, Beaver Stadium
Series history: 2-0 Penn State
Two years ago this week, Anthony Morelli saw his first collegiate action in mop-up duty during a blowout win against Akron.
"Coach told me before the game that he wasn't going to redshirt me and that he would try to get me in there a few times during the season," Morelli recalled.
Two years later, Morelli is set to take his turn as Penn State's starting quarterback when the Nittany Lions kick off their season against those same Zips.
But Akron is far more respected now than it was two seasons ago, when then-rookie head coach J.D. Brookhart dropped his first game to Penn State, 48-10.
"The biggest difference is that we are two years into the system," Brookhart said. "That was a tough game for us; we're a little bit more experienced now, though."
That bit of experience paid off for Akron last year when it won the Mid-American Conference, landing the Zips in the Motor City Bowl.
Brookhart came to Akron by way of Pittsburgh, where he served as offensive coordinator for four years. Morelli verbally committed to Pittsburgh, but made out his letter of intent to Penn State on signing day 2004.
"I know Anthony very well because we recruited him while I was at Pitt," Brookhart said. "He has easily one of the best arms I've ever seen - and he moves a lot better than people think."
The Zips will use an unconventional 3-5-3 formation on defense, something the Penn State offense does not see very often. Brookhart says his defense is tough against a spread offense, because it puts more safeties on the field who are then better able to cover slot receivers.
"They are a 3-5 with a lot of stunting and things of that sort," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. "Regardless of how good of an athlete you are [on the offensive line] you have to have poise, know what is going on and anticipate certain things."
These might be tough tasks, considering the Lions return only one starter on the offensive line.
Morelli, however, feels that the offense will be able to weather the storm and that Penn State's slot receivers will create mismatches against the Zips defense, which returns eight starters from 2005.
Akron quarterback Luke Getsy, a Munhall, Pa. native, followed Brookhart west from Pittsburgh. As a quarterback for the Panthers, Getsy appeared in six games and made one start as a sophomore in 2003.
Getsy became acquainted with Morelli because of the proximity of their hometowns and their one-time allegiance to Pitt.
"He's from Steel Valley, along my way, so I know what he can do," Morelli said.
Paterno and the Penn State coaches are making sure their players know exactly what Akron can do, and they are certainly not taking this game lightly -- even with a trip to South Bend looming.
Despite its big early season matchups against the likes of Notre Dame and Ohio State, the company line for Penn State has been that the players and coaches alike are focused on only one team with gold helmets and one of the nation's top returning passers.
"If you want me to talk about our early games, the biggest game we have is Akron. That's our only focus now," senior linebacker Paul Posluszny said.
The co-captain's sentiments were shared by his head coach, now entering his 41st season at the helm.
"Akron is a big boy," Paterno warned. "Our kids will concentrate on Akron; and we better, or we will get licked."
-- By Scott Cooper
Notre Dame
Fighting Irish
Sept. 9, Notre Dame Stadium
Series history: Tied 8-8-1
Anticipation for this game began building even before Penn State's seniors had committed to play for the Blue and White.
It's arguably the biggest regular season game of the year, and it's the first nationally significant test of the season for the Lions. Notre Dame is ranked No. 2, quarterback Brady Quinn is the Heisman favorite, and coach Charlie Weis returns 18 of 22 starters.
The good news for Penn State?
Despite returning nine starters on defense, the Fighting Irish could be labeled inconsistent at best.
Notre Dame was ranked No. 103 in the nation in pass defense last season -- No. 75 in total defense -- and with the departure of two linebackers, the defensive line appears to be the Irish's only redeeming characteristic.
Weis deflected criticism of his secondary last week, however, saying that it has "a pretty good understanding a year into the system, which has been simplified on top of that."
"Everybody's telling me how bad the defense is," Weis said. "I guess we'll just have to wait until [Saturday] to find out. But that's what everybody's telling me -- by the way, that's what I'll be telling them all at 2 o'clock, too."
Penn State is still clearly the underdog in this matchup and should have its hands full with Quinn and wideout Jeff Samardzija. The two hooked up for more than 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns last year.
Justin King will likely be pitted against Samardzija, and that will be a key matchup. If King can neutralize Quinn's No. 1 target, the Lions may just be able to pull off the upset.
A win would again thrust Penn State into the national spotlight, a loss could be deflating after so much hype.
-- By Josh Moyer
Youngstown State
Penguins
Sept. 16, Beaver Stadium
Series history: First meeting
No good can come from this game.
Barring one of the most incredible upsets ever, the likely win over Youngstown State still won't factor into the BCS rankings because the computers don't take Division I-AA opponents into account.
And Joe Paterno was none too pleased that his team is in the position to play 12 straight games this season, rather than the usual 11.
"If you go 12 games for 12 weeks in a row, that is not going to be easy. I would prefer, obviously, that we had an open date ... I think 12 games is tough, tough for kids, but it is [about] money."
The Penguins were slated to take on the Nittany Lions after fellow cupcake Louisiana Tech cancelled after changing conferences. According to Youngstown State coach Jon Heacock, one of the things he's tossed and turned about is his situation at wide receiver. Three of the Penguins' top wideouts are gone -- which should be music to the ears of the Penn State secondary that does not return a single starter from last year's squad.
And the Lions' offensive line also shouldn't have much of a problem either.
"We have a new defensive line coach who will be starting a little bit from scratch over there. We'll have to adjust a learning curve with how fast we go on defense because of having a new coach," Heacock said, putting a positive spin on the issue back in March. "Like I said earlier, sometimes that's a blessing because it allows you to make sure your players know what's going on."
Make no mistake, the Penguins are one of the most feared teams in Div. I-AA football. But when your team Web site includes an Online Recruiting Questionnaire -- with blanks to fill in "Key Statistics" -- beating a powerhouse Div. I program will require nothing short of a divine intervention. And, no, Youngstown State is not a Catholic school.
-- By Josh Moyer
9/23
Ohio State Buckeyes
Sept. 23, Ohio Stadium
Series history: 11-10 Penn State
Ranked No. 1 in both preseason polls, Ohio State is the popular pick to win the Big Ten, if not more.
The Buckeyes return eight starters on offense, including talented quarterback Troy Smith, who is a threat to run and pass. Much of Smith's passing load will be thrown to playmaker Ted Ginn Jr. and the reliable tight end Anthony Gonzalez.
To open the season, much of the running game will be placed in the hands of junior Antonio Pittman, who rushed for 1,331 yards in 2005 while racking up 5.5 yards per carry. Much ado has been made over the arrival of true freshman Chris Wells, though, whose combination of power and speed may make the Ohio State faithful forget all about the last Buckeye star freshman tailback.
Wells is 6-foot-1, 225 pounds, and could very well make Ohio State nearly impossible to stop in red-zone situations.
Still, worse news for opposing defenses is that Ohio State brings tremendous balance to the offensive side of the ball - balance that has not always been there during head coach Jim Tressel's tenure.
"We are further advanced in the number of things we are doing with our format," said Joe Daniels, Ohio State quarterbacks coach and passing attack coordinator. "It's great, because it is where we have always wanted to be. We have always been lacking something, whatever it happened to be. But we take where we were last year, add to it and go with that."
The area of concern for the Buckeyes is their normally stable and solid defense, which returns only two starters. The Buckeyes must also fill the void of three departed linebackers that were widely regarded as the best unit in the country last year.
-- By Scott Cooper
9/30
Northwestern Wildcats
Sept. 30, Beaver Stadium
Series history: 8-3 Penn State
At Big Ten Media Day in Chicago in August, first-year Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald stressed the importance of his football team coming together as a family.
Perhaps this year, that idea has never been more important for the Wildcats.
After the tragic loss of head coach Randy Walker June 29, Northwestern has been forced to regroup quickly for the upcoming season.
"We're trying to deal with it as a team," said Fitzgerald, who was named Northwestern's 29th head coach on July 7 after serving as an assistant coach for the Wildcats since 2001.
"As one family we are coming together to get through this and get ready for the Aug. 31 home opener. It'll be just as tough for Miami (Ohio), where Walker holds the record for most wins. Our seniors have had a lot of trials and tribulations to deal with, so they will need to step up as leaders for our younger guys."
At 31, Fitzgerald is the youngest head coach in college football, usurping Wisconsin's Bret Bielema, 36, for the title. So on Sept. 30, when Northwestern kicks off its Big Ten schedule at Beaver Stadium, the game will feature Penn State's Joe Paterno, the oldest coach in the NCAA at 79, against Fitzgerald.
"It's a great benefit being 31," said Fitzgerald, a standout linebacker on Northwestern from 1993-1996. "I'm not too far away from my playing days and I know what it's like to be a student at Northwestern."
Fitzgerald has a tough example to follow, as Walker is the only Northwestern coach to guide his team to three bowl games, including the Sun Bowl last year when the Wildcats posted a 7-5, 5-3 Big Ten record.
While Northwestern does have 2005 Big Ten Freshman of the Year in running back Tyrell Sutton back, the Wildcats have a quandary at quarterback following the departure of Brett Basanez, the team's leader in career yards. Expected to handle the offense will be redshirt freshman Mike Kafka.
While Fitzgerald wants to keep the winning alive at Northwestern, he knows this year is about more than just football.
"The focus is getting through this difficult time in all of our football families' lives," he said. "That's the real focus, and we will move on from there."
-- By Andrew Staub
10/7
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Oct. 7, H.H. Humphrey Metrodome
Series history: 5-4 Penn State
Last year, it was Laurence Maroney and Gary Russell.
Before that, it was the tag team of Maroney and Marion Barber III.
Going even further back, it was Barber in 2003, Terry Jackson II in 2002, Tellis Redmon in 2001 and 2000. And finally, it was Thomas Hamner in 1999.
The Golden Gophers have churned out 1,000 yard rushers year after year, but this year, Minnesota enters the season with questions surrounding its running game.
Russell, who set a school record for rushing touchdowns last year, has been declared academically ineligible. Junior college transfer Brylee Callender was suspended for violating team rules.
Two days later, Jay Thomas was suspended for the season opener against Kent State for undisclosed violations, leaving junior Amir Pinnix as the only running back with solid experience.
Pinnix backed up Maroney and Russell last year, finishing with 467 yards and an impressive average of six yards per carry.
Throw in the loss of All-Americans Greg Eslinger and Mark Setterstrom, part of an offensive line that allowed just three sacks last year, to the NFL, and suddenly, the running game doesn't look so solid in Minneapolis.
-- By Andrew Staub
10/14
Michigan Wolverines
Oct. 14, Beaver Stadium
Series history: 8-3 Michigan
One second.
That's how quickly an undefeated season disappeared from the Nittany Lions last year when Michigan's Chad Henne found Mario Manningham in the end zone as time expired to give the Wolverines a dramatic 27-25 win in Ann Arbor.
While the loss was a disheartening blow to Penn State players and fans alike, it did set up the Nittany faithful for one hell of a matchup this year.
This year, No. 19 Penn State will host No. 14 Michigan at 8 p.m. Oct. 14. With night games like Nebraska in 2002 and Ohio State last year drawing the two largest crowds in Beaver Stadium history, this year's revenge bout against the Wolverines is setting up to be just as big.
Henne, once recruited by Penn State, returns as a third-year starter. Already an accomplished quarterback (he's thrown for 48 touchdowns in his first two years), Henne's name has been mentioned along with Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn as a Heisman candidate.
"Chad Henne, I think, is ready to take another step," Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr said during August's Big Ten Media Day in Chicago. "At some point, he'll be a great quarterback. He has got everything it takes to be a great quarterback."
The offense also returns running back Mike Hart, who rushed for 108 yards against Penn State last year, along with wideout and return specialist Steve Breaston, who's 41-yard kickoff return helped set up the winning score against Penn State last year.
Defensively, Michigan returns eight starters and has a very talented front four, as defensive end LaMarr Woodley and 6-foot-6, 360-pound defensive tackle Alan Branch will anchor the line.
"We have two of the finest defensive linemen we've had at Michigan," Carr said.
All of that sets up Oct. 14 as a day many college football fans are anticipating.
"We've circled every date that we have," Carr said "[But] certainly, Penn State-Michigan is a special game. It has turned into, certainly, a great rivalry, a game that college football fans like to see."
-- By Andrew Staub
10/21
Illinois Fighting Illini
Oct. 21, Beaver Stadium
Series history: 11-2 Penn State
As crazy as it sounds, Penn State may have done Illinois a favor last year.
Sure, a 63-10 Nittany Lion romp on the Fighting Illini's Homecoming isn't exactly what second-year head coach Ron Zook may have liked to see, but it may have been what he needed.
"I told my football team at the end of that game this is as bad as it's going to get. It's not going to get any worse," Zook said in August at Big Ten Media Day in Chicago.
Zook even went as far as to compare the low point of last year to that of an alcoholic or drug addict - completely necessary.
"I really kind of look at that as day as bad as it was may have been the best thing that happened to us because we did hit rock bottom," he said. "From that day on, I think we continued climbing and improved this program."
While the descent to rock bottom didn't spur Illinois to more victories (The Illini lost their last four games, part of a larger nine-game skid), Zook feels the team used the down year to toughen up for 2006.
Illinois returns 10 starters on both offense and defense, the most in the Big Ten, including starting quarterback Tim Brasic (14 total touchdowns in 2006) running backs Pierre Thomas (689 yards, five touchdowns) and E.B. Halsey (370 yards rushing). Halsey also gives Brasic a reliable passing option out of the backfield, as he led Illinois in receptions last year with 38.
Junior linebacker and Butkus Award Watchlist member J Leman anchors a shaky defense that finished last in scoring defense (39.5 points per game).
While the team has experience and a renewed confidence, especially with a refurbished $100 million Memorial Stadium refurbishment planned tentatively to be completed by the 2008 season, rock bottom is a place Zook doesn't see his team heading this year
--by Andrew Staub
10/28
Purdue Boilermakers
Oct. 21, Beaver Stadium
Series history: 11-2 Penn State
The Boilermakers should be much improved from last season. Coach Joe Tiller might even have his best offensive line and wide receiving corps since joining the team in 1997.
Still, even Tiller admitted there's plenty of time for that to change.
"It's been since 2000 that we've put two tackles on the field like this, at the same time," he said. "And it's been since 2000 that we've put two guards on the field like this... That tells me we've got a pretty good O-line out there right now, if it stays together.
"If it doesn't stay together, we could go from the penthouse to the outhouse in a heartbeat."
Statistically, the Boilermakers (No. 36) had a better offense than Michigan (No. 45) last year, in terms of scoring points.
That may come as quite a surprise. And with the return of quarterback Curtis Painter and tailback Kory Sheets, Purdue's offense could rival the likes of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Defense, however, has been a sore subject for the Boilermakers.
Last year, Purdue was ranked No. 100 in total defense while the secondary was particularly awful. Obviously, Tiller is hoping that won't carry over to this season.
"I told the players if the media wants to talk about last year, just ignore them because we've talked so much about it," he said. "Each team is different and takes on its own personality from previous teams. Hopefully, we'll have one that's a little more like us [this year]."
-- By Josh Moyer
11/4
Wisconsin Badgers
Nov. 4, Camp Randall Stadium
Series history: 7-4 Wisconsin
Wisconsin comes into 2006 having lost eight offensive starters and the head coach who turned the program into a powerhouse.
Bret Bielema, formerly Wisconsin's defensive coordinator, will take over for Barry Alvarez as head coach.
The Badgers lost their top seven pass catchers along with running back Brian Calhoun, who put up big numbers in 2005.
The new starting receivers are highly touted, though, and are said to possess great speed.
Senior offensive tackle Joe Thomas might be the best player on the team, and perhaps the best offensive lineman in the conference.
The Badgers return senior quarterback John Stocco, who will pilot the offense for the third straight year. Stocco is coming off knee surgery, and may miss the opener against Bowling Green.
"John Stocco is our starting quarterback in this program, and nothing will take him out of that role unless there's an injury that prevents him from doing that when game time arrives," Bielema said.
Though Stocco is a potent passer, the Badgers found success last year via ball control, focusing on the running game.
Wisconsin managed 31 rushing touchdowns in 2005 while only yielding 13.
--by Scott Cooper
11/11
Temple Owls
Nov. 11, Beaver Stadium
Series history: 31-3-1 Penn State
When Temple comes to Beaver Stadium on Nov. 11, nostalgia may be the feeling for the Owls coaching staff.
Four Temple coaches, including first-year head coach Al Golden, played their college ball at Penn State. Reminiscing on the past won't help the Owls coaches in the present, though, as Temple may find itself severely outclassed on the football field - the same way it has for much of the past 16 years.
The Owls have averaged just two wins a year since 1990, and the 2005 campaign provided little promise of a brighter future. Last year Temple was beaten by an average score of 45-10.
But with a brand new coaching staff and a desire to escape the bottom of the barrel in many preseason rankings, Temple should at least be competitive on a few Saturdays this fall.
Don't expect one of those Saturdays to be Nov. 11.
Penn State boasts a 31-3-1 record all-time against the Owls, who return to Penn State's schedule as a result of the NCAA's adoption of a 12-game season.
Golden, 37, was a two-year starter at tight end for Penn State, captaining the team as a senior in 1991. He served as Penn State's linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator in 2000 before taking the defensive coordinator position at Virginia.
Golden's co-captain on the 1991 squad was Mark D'Onofrio - Temple's first-year defensive coordinator.
Running Backs coach Jeff Nixon started his coaching career in 1997 as a graduate at Penn State after finishing his playing career as a running back in 1996.
Now in charge of the Temple defensive line, Matt Rhule was a Penn State volunteer assistant in the spring of 1998 after playing four years at linebacker for the Blue and White.
The new coaching staff at Temple will have its hands full all year as the Owls look to regroup from a season in which the defense forced only 25 punts, opponents completed 29 touchdown passes against Temple's four and the squad was outscored in the first quarter by a margin of 135-27.
-- By Scott Cooper
11/18
Michigan State Spartans
Nov. 18, Beaver Stadium
Series history: Tied, 11-11-1
Even coach John L. Smith will tell you that the Spartans' success this season will fall on the shoulders of the defense. Offense hasn't been the problem -- it was ranked No. 5 in the country last year.
But defense prevented the team from surpassing mediocrity, and it may do so again this season.
"For us, the key this year: We have to step up and play some defense," Smith said. "We need to help the offense out."
Senior quarterback Drew Stanton has plenty of firepower on offense. And while the offensive line may be nothing special, he should more than make up for it.
He threw for almost 280 yards per game last year, with 22 touchdowns. Stanton was a big reason why the Spartans had the No. 11 passing attack in the nation, and it should only be stronger this season.
Offense could be the only thing going for the Spartans, as defense and special teams should hold the team back.
The Spartans were horrendous on special teams. Most high school teams had a better field goal percentage -- Michigan State went 5-for-16 last year, going 2-for-10 on field goal attempts of more than 29 yards. By comparison, State College High School went 7-for-11.
"We're going to have to better than we were a year ago," Smith said. "The depth there -- [Brandon] Fields is going to be the punter and backing him up could be several guys. Could be Hall, could be -- Who knows?"
-- By Josh Moyer
