Remember when Florida State was hit by an academic cheating scandal two seasons ago?

Thirty-six Seminole football players were connected to a massive cheating plot on an online class and did not travel with the team for the 2007 Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, which Florida State lost to Kentucky.

The school imposed its own sanctions, but the NCAA also launched an investigation. The findings have not been released but Florida State blog Tomahawk Nation is hinting sources inside the program are saying the Seminoles may have to vacant the entire 2007 season.

How does this relate to Penn State? Well currently, Joe Paterno holds a one-win lead on Florida State's Bobby Bowden in the NCAA Division I all-time wins record.

The Seminoles went 7-6 in 2007, meaning if the season is vacated, then Paterno would hold an eight-win lead.

Bowden has averaged less than eight wins per year during the past four seasons, while Paterno has averaged 10 wins per year during that stretch. If Paterno's lead stretched to eight, it would be incredibly difficult for Bowden to pass Paterno by the time the pair of AARP-eligible coaches retire.

-- Wible

Wide receiver Deon Butler and center A.Q. Shipley are two of 14 Big Ten players playing for the East squad in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 17 in Houston (4 p.m., ESPN 2).

Butler, Penn State's all-time receptions leader, and Shipley, the Rimington Award winner, will be joined by former conference opponents like wide receiver Greg Orton (Purdue), quarterback Brian Hoyer (Michigan State), running back Tyrell Sutton (Northwestern), offensive linemen Alex Boone (Ohio State) and Seth Olsen (Iowa). Wisconsin linebacker DeAndre Levy, best known for this sideline hit on Joe Paterno two years ago, also is on the East's roster.

Outside of the Senior Bowl, the East-West game is probably the second most prestigious All-Star game.

Stay tuned to see where other seniors like Derrick Williams, Rich Ohrnberger, Gerald Cadogan, Anthony Scirrotto, Lydell Sargeant or Kevin Kelly wind up.

-- JL

As I promised this summer, here is another edition of the Travvy Awards. This time, I will honor some people who have helped make our California journey enjoyable, unforgettable or just plain strange.

Here we go.

The Weathering the Storm Award goes to...

CHRISTINE SMITH

Nate's sister put up with all four of us using her bathroom all week. We're dudes. We shave. We stink. We don't hang towels up correctly. Some of us don't rinse the sink out after brushing our teeth. We use a lot of toilet paper. We're a mess.

Man, she's a trooper and we appreciate her tolerating our squatting in her crib.

The Friendly Foe Award goes to...

ADAM ROSE

Mr. Rose covers USC for the L.A. Times and was cool to talk to. We helped Adam out when he needed to know a few tidbits about Penn State or Nittany Lion players and he did the same for us when we needed to know if it was true that Rey Maualuga eats lugnuts for breakfast. (He does not.)

Adam's a great guy. If you want to read more about USC, check him out here. He's got a funny video of the aforementioned linebacker dancing with everyone's favorite sideline reporter, Erin Andrews.

The Friendly Foe II Award goes to...

BILL PLASCHKE

You've seen him on ESPN's Around The Horn, and no, he doesn't talk that fast in person. We met Plaschke at a USC practice and he was pretty cool.

There are some other professionals in this business who aren't as accommodating or interested in reporters who write for student publications, but Bill was an exception. He gave us tips on getting to the Rose Bowl and beating traffic and we tipped him off on how to get a one-on-one with Joe Paterno. (HINT: WRITE FOR THE L.A. TIMES.)

The Chainsaw Award goes to...

JOSH LANGENBACHER

This kid sounds like a Stihl when he sleeps. I'm not kidding.

The Bulletproof Award goes to...

NATHAN SMITH

The night before the Rose Bowl, multiple members from the media who cover Penn State caught a nasty bit of food poisoning. Even some of the media relations people with the Rose Bowl got sick, too.

Wible and I were horribly sick. Langebacher lost his lunch. Eller was a whole other story. Not our photographer.

Nate's invincible and spent the next day, while we were all feeling like big dogs in the press box, rolling around on the Rose Bowl grass, taking pictures of everything from stealth bombers to parade floats, not to mention a little pigskin action too.

Nate also happens to be one of the best drivers in Los Angeles and let us all sleep on his bedroom floor.

The Unsung Heros Award goes to...

THE HOUSEKEEPING STAFF AT THE BURBANK QUALITY INN

You ever see that episode of Family Guy when Peter, Brian, Chris and Stewie all drink Ipecac? Here it is...WARNING! Some might think it's a little gross.

Anywho, that's what happened in our hotel room the night before the Rose Bowl. We were all so sick with food poisoning from a still unknown source.

Nate's parents put us up in the hotel so we could get to the stadium quicker the next day. We are thankful for that, but I'm sure the staff there wasn't thankful for the mess they had to deal with. We tried to clean up the best we could, but sometimes, there's only so much a bunch of sick kids can do.

The Boo Birds Award goes to...

KEYSHAWN JOHNSON

As a former USC player, Keyshawn was recognized at halftime during the Rose Bowl. Man, I had a feeling the Penn State fans would boo him, especially being down 31-7 and all, but I had no idea the Trojan faithful would do the same.

Poor Keyshawn.

Honestly, the only athlete I've heard booed louder was San Antonio Spur Tony Parker last year. I was in New Orleans and swung by the New Orleans Arena to catch a Hornets/Spurs game. Each time poor Tony touched the rock he got it. The roof literally shook with contempt.

The Token Homeless Guy Award goes to...

"SONNY"

Sonny rode a bike with no tires and really liked our "wheels" (our pastel-yellow, rented PT Cruiser, appropriately dubbed the 'Pee Pee' Cruiser) Sonny wanted some change and swore to us he wasn't a drinker. We weren't doubting him, but we had no change either.

The Kings of the Table Award goes to...

TEAM JOHNSON/WIBLE

No one could touch Wible and I on the pool table all week. We doubt you can, either.

We'll be at the Phyrst if you'd like to try your hand.

The Took One For the Team Award goes to...

BRIAN ELLER

Eller got the sickness the worst of any of us. While some whole TV stations didn't show up to the "Grandaddy of 'em All" to cover the game due to the food poisoning, Eller toughed it out until he had to be rushed to the E.R. before kickoff.

He was at the Rose Bowl Parade and down on the field before the game, but the sickness hit him in full force (as it had us the night before) at the worst time. It could have easily have been one of us in that E.R.

The Fastest Chug Award goes to...

ANDREW WIBLE.

Duh.

Wible is always the first one to loosen us up when things get tight and provided another classic moment last night when he downed a Modelo Especial in four seconds.

Young cousin is a champ. Wible is also tough on brakes.

And finally we come to the most important award...

The Open Arms Award goes to...

THE ENTIRE SMITH FAMILY.

The Smiths welcomed us into their home as if we were their own and we could not be more thankful for their hospitality. We had places to sleep, food to eat, a dog -- Katie -- to pet, TV to watch and lovely people to spend our time away from the football team to talk to.

Mr. Smith repeatedly made sure we had coffee in the morning before heading off to interview Joe Paterno or watch USC practice. Mrs. Smith made sure we had clean sheets to sleep on and put up with laptops and football reporters strewn about her living room for a week.

Nate's grandparents frequently complimented us on our wardrobes and routinely chatted football with us. We loves us some football.

We have to get on a plane at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow and the Smiths cooked us a big dinner of pork, peas, stuffing (excellent), corn, salad and Dr. Pepper. Again, thanks can't say enough.

I've had a blast on this trip and I've hope you've enjoyed reading. We tried our butts off to provide you with the best Penn State football coverage out there and we hope you've learned with us on the way.

Keep reading.

--TJ

Good afternoon, readers. Eller here, coming at ya from the comfy couch in photo editor Nate Smith's living room.

It's been two days since Penn State's season ended at the hands of the Trojans with a 38-24 loss in the Rose Bowl. After reading countless articles, message boards and blogs you've been able to see nearly every person's excuses behind Penn State's loss. So what happened? Where is the blame to go? The defense? The coaching staff? Joe? Daryll Clark?

Well, while I cannot speak for the rest of the Collegian crew, but I myself had a few observations.

Now before I can go any further, I must admit I was not able to see any of the game. I fell victim to the stomach virus that spread around the Penn State media, and actually spent the game in the emergency room, so the first time I saw any of the game was yesterday when I watched the recorded tape from this very same couch. Happy new year, lol.

Anyway, here's what I noticed.

It's clear Penn State did not play its best ball, but in my opinion, their best may not have been enough to beat the Trojans. USC is just too talented. Props to the Lions for putting up 24 points on a staunch USC defense, however. Mark Sanchez played out of his mind. The argument that Penn State's secondary played terrible is certainly valid, but keep in mind...a number of Sanchez's passes were so well-timed, it wouldn't have mattered how close the cornerbacks were on their receivers. Other times, the defense did look lost, which for a very experienced secondary, was a little weird to watch.

Where the secondary should've improved is in its defensive schemes. Playing a defense which puts the cornerbacks virtually 10 yards off the line of scrimmage, gave the USC receivers no resistance while running routes. And Sanchez is certainly talented enough to put the ball only where the receiver can catch it.

I haven't seen very much blame being put on Daryll Clark, and rightfully so. Clark played very well, showing good awareness and grittyness with some tough runs. Clark did have two interceptions, but one was tipped, and the other came with less than a minute left to play.

But what seemed to doom the Lions from the get-go was something so uncharacteristic of a Penn State team. Mistakes, turnovers, and penalties cost the Lions any sort of momentum. It was capped by Aaron Maybin's offsides call, on which he was able to force what he thought was the game's first turnover.

But, the game is past, and now you guys can worry about how we make it home safely. That's right on today's agenda...GO KARTS!!!!!

Let the carnage begin. No, not really. I myself cannot take it too hard seeing as how less than 48 hours ago I was in the ER with an IV in my arm.

Odds are Travis and Wible will get into a death match on the track, so we'll keep you posted on that. It's our last night in California, so we're not sure what's on tap, but rest assured, it may or may not involve another trip to the hospital.

Hey, we can only hope.

Eller, out.

TOUCHDOWN USC

Treating Penn State as if it were a ball of yarn, USC responds with an almost too easy touchdown drive. It only took three plays until Sanchez found a wide-open, nobody within 15 yards of Ronald Johnson for a 45-yard TD pass.

Drive Summary -- 3 plays, 82 yards, 1:25

USC 38 PSU 14, 12:02

***

TOUCHDOWN Penn State

The Lions finally get into double digits when Clark hits Derrick Williams on a two-yard touchdown pass. Probably won't have any affect on the outcome, but makes Penn State appear a little more respectable

Drive Summary -- 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:09

USC 31, PSU 14, 13:33 fourth quarter

***

Two plays later Norwood is back on the field. Tough guy, and he went right after Mays on the running play to Lawlor.

***

Jordan Norwood goes for a ball at the left hash and is demolished by USC safety Taylor Mays. The hit was not clean at all, Mays went helmet to helmet and then got up and celebrated when the refs threw a flag for the illegal hit. It's one thing to hit a guy high, it's another to celebrate when he's laying on the ground seeing stars and needs to be helped off the field. Bush league move by Mays.

***

Mercifully, USC was called for a substitution violation on its punt. It looked as if Penn State would get called for too many men on the field.

Now, PSU has possession at their own 20, but time is running out.

***

After a C.J. Gable fumble, Penn State drove down to USC's 31-yard-line. The drive ended when, going for it on fourth down, Norwood was knocked out of bounds a yard short.

***

Well if the score isn't carnage enough for Penn State fans, here's some halftime stats

PSU USC
First Downs 7 19
Rushes-Yds 14-60 18-65
Passing Yds 117 276
Att-comp-int 13-7-0 23-18-0
Total plays-yds 27-177 41-341
Penalties-yds 7-62 3-35
Possession 12:45 17:15
Third Dn. Conv. 1 of 5 6 of 8
Fumbles-lost 1-1 0-0

Individual Stats

PSU

Passing
Daryll Clark - 7-of-13, 117 yards, 2 carries, 9 yds., TD

Rushing
Evan Royster - 6 carries, 34 yards

Receiving
Stephfon Green - 3 catches, 62 yards

Defense
Tony Davis - 7 tackles
Navorro Bowman - 4 tackles, 3 for loss, 1 sack

USC

Passing
Mark Sanchez - 18-of-23, 276 yards, 3 TDs 4 carries, 14 yards, 1 rush TD

Rushing
Stafon Johnson - 5 carries, 33 yards

Receiving
Damian Williams - 7 catches, 127 yards, 1 TD

Defense
Brain Cushing - 3 tackles
Kaluka Maiava - 3 tackles
Rey Maualuga - 3 tackles

***

HALFTIME -- USC 31 PSU 7

***

Penn State's success this season has come by not making mistakes, the Lions already have 7 penalties for 62 yards and a fumble.

***

Touchdown USC

For all intents and purposes, this game is over. Sanchez finds C.J. Gable on a screen pass and Gable does the rest of the work scampering 20 yards to paydirt. With Penn State's offense sputtering and USC's receivers running at will, this game might as well be over.

Drive Summary -- 5 plays, 58 yards, 0:26

USC 31 PSU 7, 0:36 second quarter

***

And just when Penn State gets something going on offense, insanity ensues. Clark hit Green on a 30-yard screen pass, but Green fumbled at the 50 and USC recovered at its own 42.

***

Touchdown USC

Can't stress it enough how much of a mismatch USC's receivers are against Penn State's secondary. They are finding every hole and Sanchez is threading the ball and hits Ronald Johnson between two defenders for an 18-yard touchdown. This game, if not already, is very close to getting out of hand.

Drive Summary -- 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:01

USC 24 PSU 7, 1:24 second quarter

***

And when the Lions finally do get pressure, Sanchez gets the pass off just in time for a first down to Damian Williams.

***

Penn State can't cover USC's receivers, and when the Trojans try to run the ball it's usually for minimal or no gain. If I were Pete Carroll and Steve Sarkisian (USC's offensive coordinator) I'd just chuck the ball around and go after Penn State's corners all day.

***

Penn State has been using Stephfon Green exclusively in the backfield and that's because Evan Royster is on the Lions' sideline with a brace and ice wrapped around his left leg. Penn State doesn't release medical information, so his status is unknown, but let's just say it doesn't look good.

He had been moving the ball well up the middle, which is how this USC defense has been exposed in the past, so Royster's loss could be huge.

But right now the Lion defense needs a stop or a turnover to gain a little momentum, otherwise, a USC touchdown could put the game away.

***

They just announced in the press box that McKnight left the game with a sprained toe and his return is questionable. Too bad they got scooped by Collegian Sports Editor Brendan Shorts who texted me five minutes before the pressbox announcement that McKnight is likely done for the game.

***

Field Goal USC

The Trojans have found their rhythm offensively. USC's receiving corps is finding openings throughout Penn State's secondary and the Lions are applying enough pressure to Sanchez who's getting more than enough time to throw. Penn State needs to switch something up either in coverage or by blitzing or else Sanchez will pick the Lions apart all day

Dive Summary -- 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:32

USC 17, PSU 7, 7:00 second quarter

***

On third and one, Penn State runs Stephfon Green off left tackle and he's hit for no gain. On the ensuing punt, USC's Stafon Johnson slips before fielding the kick, so the ball rolls to the USC 16, where the Trojans will take over first and 10 with 10:01 to play until halftime.

***

Touchdown USC

Mark Sanchez does his best to one-up Clark as he goes 4-for-4 for 76 yards on the drive, which he capped off in Clark style with a 6-yard designed quarterback draw. What does Clark have as a response?

Drive Summary -- 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:37

USC 14, PSU 7, 12:22 second quarter

***

USC running back Joe McKnight is helped off the field with an apparent ankle injury, could be huge for the Trojans because he's their best improvisor and play maker, but then again, they have tons of play makers.

***

End of First Quarter - PSU 7 USC 7

Heck of a drive by the Lions just before the end of the quarter. USC's touchdown sort of displayed their ability and was almost a show of might. But Penn State, led by Clark who made a couple huge plays on the drive, including holding onto the ball until the last second on a first-down completion to Williams, responded in kind. All nodded up after one, this game is starting to look like a barn-burner.

***

Touchdown Penn State

And Penn State's offense responds. The Lions marched down the field led by Daryll Clark who completed 4-of-5 passes for 62 yards on the drive. Then on first and goal at the USC 9, Penn State spread the field and ran Clark up the middle on a designed draw for the touchdown.

Drive Summary -- 9 plays, 80 yard, 4:08

PSU 7 USC 7, 0:04 first quarter

***

Another huge miscue for Penn State. What would have been a 44-yard completion to Deon Butler down to the USC 10 was negated by an illegal shift. Entering the game USC was the heavily penalized team and Penn State was the error free group, doesn't look that way right now.

***

Touchdown USC

USC takes advantage of Maybin's penalty and methodically marches down the field. The ran the ball seven times for 46 yards on the drive, which was capped off by a 27-yard Sanchez to Damian Williams touchdown pass.

Dive Summary -- 11 plays, 86 yards, 5:18

USC 7 PSU 0, 4:12 first quarter

***

Huge play, Maybin rushed off the edge, and strips Sanchez right as Sanchez is about to throw. Penn State fell on the ball, but Maybin jumped the snap, so the play is nullified, USC keeps the ball. Huge mistake there for the Lions. This could be one of those deflating penalties, if the defense can come up with a stop here, it'd be huge.

***

Penn State shows some life on its next drive. On the first play from its own 13, Evan Royster runs right up the gut for 15 yards. The drive stalled on the next set of downs, but the Lions may have found something, Royster carried the ball four times for 24 yards on that possession.

***

The two teams trade three-and-outs. Penn State did not try to establish its power running game on offense, which is surprising. Navorro Bowman looks like he's poised for a big game. He tackled shifty Trojan tailback Joe McKnight in the open field for a loss of one on the first play, and he flushed Mark Sanchez out of the pocket on 3rd and 4, Sanchez was tackled for no gain.

The atmosphere here is crazy, there's a buzz in the air and tension on every play. That's why this is the granddaddy of them all.

***

The captains are at midfield, USC wins the toss and elects to defer. Penn State will receive the opening kick and will move from left to right as we see it, or from the solid blue-and-white Penn State end zone to the solid cardinal-and-gold USC end zone.

***

There's 35 minutes until kickoff and just got back to the pressbox.

Here's what I saw on the field:

-- Kevin Kelly was kicking the ball well. He only missed one field goal attempt and that was from 50 yards and was wide left by maybe 3 feet.

-- Jeremy Boone's first couple of punts were wobbly and only traveled about 35 or so yards. But after getting loose or dusting off the cobwebs or something he got in the groove and was averaging around 45 yards per boot, including a booming 60-yarder.

-- A.Q. Shipley is more than ready. After working on snaps with Daryll Clark, Shipley took off his helmet and got a drink of water. Shipley's eyes were extremely focused and when the defensive line came out of the tunnel and Penn State fans started screaming, Shipley started bouncing his head, asking for more noise and jumping around. This may seam trivial, but it's difficult to describe just how focused Shipley appeared, try to imagine a mix of Rocky Balboa, Mike Singletary and a rock.

-- The sun is hot and it's pretty warm on the field. All of the players were sweating when they took their helmets off. This definitely favors the Trojans, but according to multiple weather reports, it's supposed to cool down later this afternoon.

***

PASADENA, Calif. -- Well, the day has come. Wible here sitting in sunny Pasadena, for those of you back in good ole' Pennsylvania, it's 68 degrees and not a cloud in the sky, perfect conditions for football.

The actual Rose Bowl stadium itself isn't the most imposing from the outside, but come in through the tunnels and it's just a gradually sloping behemoth.

Penn State's special teams players are on the field just milling around, getting a feel for the lay of the land and the stadium's probably 1/100th full right now.

Before we get to some actual football talk, quick shout out to the Rose Bowl media relations staff. As I was walking around the tailgates before the game I had my press pass in my back pocket. Apparently someone thought they look enough like me that they could use it and jacked it without even a notice from me.

But no problem, the Rose Bowl staff made it easy and hassle free, and most importantly actually believed a college kid like me.

Also, there's a pretty long line to the bathroom in the pressbox because last night apparently the media hotel was serving up some bad ice and about 15 or so members of Penn State's media contingent got sick, including yours truly along with Travis and Josh.

It was an interesting night filled with several trips to the bathroom and I don't think any of us got more than maybe 20 minutes worth of sleep at a time. So needless to say, the Pepto-Bismol and Imodium are flowing today, and as far as the media food, I can barely type the word food without feeling queasy in my stomach.

But we're troopers and we're going to stick it out and work through this because come on, it's the Rose Bowl.

Well I'm gonna head down to the field and check out pregame warmups, be back before the kick.

-- Wible