12/9/08
Both good news and bad news awaits Happy Valley residents for the 2009 season. First the good...Penn State continues to be blessed with playmakers on both sides of the ball. Offensively, QB Daryll Clark and TB Evan Royster, both All-Big Ten selections, return to make the running game command respect. In fact Clark and Royster are sure to be included on many preseason Heisman watch lists. Clark has issues before he can become a true passing threat, but Royster has already risen to be one of the better ball carriers returning for next season. Defensively, Aaron Maybin is a returning All-American, and his 12 sacks and 19 TFLs make him one of the most feared pass rushers anywhere. Navorro Bowman continues the tradition of Linebacker U., while hopes are that last season's potential Butkus Award winner Sean Lee can return from his (pre) season ending knee injury and again be a monster. The bad news...the senior laden offensive line responsible for making Penn State one of the best rushing attacks. On top of that, the array of receivers moves on. A good many holes also exist in the secondary. Ergo, the modest number of returning starters (11) will not bolster the Nittany Lion's preseason worth (in fact, PSU will maintain the least amount of returning starters out of all our current Early Bird choices). All this does not necessarily mean a dreaded rebuilding season. This team still has the talent to take them to another Rose Bowl. The keys will be how well Clark passes without established targets, and how quickly newbies can fill in the holes on the offensive line. The power game has proven to be an important characteristic for the Big Ten's elite teams of the past. Unfortunately but realistically, the expectations are probably somewhat higher than a year ago, despite the fact there will not be as many veterans on the upcoming team. Paterno has said he will return as “the man”, but he and his staff will have some work to do.