Watching this Penn State football program year in and year out is like watching the movie Groundhog Day.
It comes down to the same issues every year - the offensive line has to be rebuilt, a question on the starting quarterback, focus on why Penn State is the only school in the country using co-offensive coordinators (Galen Hall and Jay Paterno), the bend but don't break defense.
And it goes on and on and on.
Or maybe we should label the Alabama game as a comedy of errors as far as the Nittany Lions were concerned. Quarterbacks were overthrowing their receivers, receivers were dropping passes or fumbling the ball.
Defensive back Nick Sukay looked bad on allowing a receiver to beat him to the punch on a thrown pass by Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron, who is in the same year as Penn State's Rob Bolden and yet Bolden has more reps than McCarron going back to last year but is not on a par with him.
This game was dominated by Alabama 27-3 with a few minutes left in the fourth quarter when Penn State came to life to score a touchdown due to Bolden's efforts. But this kid took a few knockout blows, which buckled his legs and probably left him with a good headache.
Coach Paterno spent the entire game up in the coaches box and not on the sidelines. I know he will take the blame for not calling a good game. Again, Joe and his staff were outcoached, and the players were outhustled.
Since 2006 at Wisconsin, Joe's injuries are mounting, and his rebounding from those injuries are getting slower and slower. The man is nearly 85 years old and doesn't bounce back like he used to. The doctors know he isn't fluid as he once was, which leaves him open to more risk than ever.
For you ardent loyalists of JoePa, the only reason he is still coaching is this Paul Bear Bryant connection of dying shortly after his retirement from Alabama. This is haunting Joe. The short of it is he feels he will die once he retires from coaching and hasn't the courage to face it.
Joe, we are all going to die some day! It is in the hands of the man upstairs and not you. But go ahead and be your selfish self, and let the people who pay the freight as members of the Nittany Lion Club and season ticket holders get the shaft.
Les Hart
Duncansville
Offensive staff needs new direction
I think Neil Rudel's report card was way too kind in the grading of the offensive coaches and our special teams.
The dysfunction with playcalling has been around for at least a decade, and there seems to be only one solution. Find an offensive coordinator and staff worthy of Division I playcalling and coaching.
Matt McGloin is what he is - an effective leader with a sub-par arm. Rob Bolden is the one I was most disappointed with, and that comes from an obvious lack of coaching from Jay Paterno. Too often Bolden found himself in a collapsing pocket and didn't know what to do with the ball.
The playcalling was horrible. After the scripted first 10 plays, they were horrible at making adjustments. How about rolling Bolden out of a pocket and where were the tight ends?
Until the offensive coaching staff is cleaned out, we will have nothing but problems on this side of the ball.
Special teams continues to get worse and worse. Who else was sitting on the edge of their seats when Evan Lewis kicked that 43-yarder? I actually thought to myself, if I cross my fingers on both hands, does that mean bad luck?
This is not a contending program anymore.
Lance Ranck
Seven Valleys
'Bold leadership needed'
I watched in amazement as the ESPN/ABC camera zeroed in on JoePa in the press box. He wasn't wearing glasses. Perhaps he just didn't want to see the sorry display on the turf. Remember Watergate: plausible deniability?
Yes, there were dropped balls. Yes, no question: Rob Bolden must be the one and only first-string QB. Yes the O-line needs improvement and fast.
And yes, defense, too. A.J. McCarron didn't hit the Beaver Stadium turf until midway through the third quarter.
Bold leadership is needed. It might come from a coach, a player, a group of players, but someone has got to step up and say we are better than OK. And demonstrate it.
Watching the dysfunction with Galen Hall and JoePa in the press box and the confusion on the sideline trying to call plays looked like the dysfunction/gridlock here in Washington.
Sadly, the results are the same.
Greg Guise
Falls Church, Va.
Players fine, coaches not
I saw a PSU team that did match up last Saturday.
I saw a coaching staff that did not.
Game plans were very weak on both sides of the ball, and the new quarterback musical chairs game did nothing but give the Tide an advantage.
Hats off to the players, shame on the coaches. It's been a familiar theme against Top 5 competition.
Barry Rex
Hampton, Va.
