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By Neil Rudel
nrudel@altoonamirror.com
Some nitpicking as the Nittany Lions hit the road to Northwestern:
n Talk about going from the best atmosphere in the Big Ten to the worst.
Penn State enjoyed the White Out last week, drawing 110,830, nearly setting a Beaver Stadium attendance record and creating a spectacle that is admired throughout not only college football but in all of sports.
The Lions responded accordingly by treating their fans to a 31-0 domination of Iowa.
It will be a total comedown today (noon, BTN) at Ryan Field, which seats 47,000 and will be lucky to have half of that for Penn State's visit.
And most of those will probably be wearing blue and white.
The Nits are 27-point favorites, and their biggest challenge will be to avoid playing down to the competition.
n There's no good time for a scandal, but the hazing investigation that resulted in the firing of Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald totally jeopardizes the Wildcats' future in the Big Ten.
Even in its best days, Northwestern struggled to be a winning program in part because of its facilities and more rigid academic standards.
The Wildcats were always well coached with Gary Barnett and then Fitzgerald, and they needed to be because they typically could not match up physically, although they were good at developing quarterbacks.
Now they're in the midst of an $800 million -- all privately funded -- renovation, and they'll sure need the right person to get the program back on its feet.
By a minor miracle (Bill O'Brien, James Franklin, great facilities and tradition), Penn State recovered quickly from its scandal.
Especially in an NIL era where the rich are getting richer, Michigan State and Northwestern won't be as fortunate.
n In seeking needed guidance to the leaderless NCAA, outgoing Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith made a plea to Congress for help unify regulations for college sports.
In his testimony, Smith said recruits are now asking for $5,000 just to visit.
James Franklin admitted Penn State has gotten the same requests. (He didn't say whether the Lions are paying but he felt strongly that Penn State needed the same NIL war chest as Ohio State, which estimated $13 million last year to keep its roster together, so draw your own conclusions.)
People scoff that Congress -- presuming it's still working -- has more important things to do than govern college sports, and that's true. But it's totally clear the NCAA is not capable and needs a higher power.
n Lou Holtz stepping out last week to say he favored Notre Dame against Ohio State because, he believes, the Buckeyes "aren't physical enough" infuriated the normally composed Ryan Day to the point where you could see the pressure Day is under. That probably comes from losing two straight to Michigan.
n Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz got kudos last week for using smaller, quicker ends and linebackers in place of interior tackles against Iowa. Considering Michigan ran for 418 yards and jammed the ball right up the Lions' nose last year in Ann Arbor - and Franklin complaining afterward that the Nits' tackles weren't big enough - I don't see how the strategy will work vs. UM.
n Franklin likes to poke the Big Ten schedule maker, but his three weeks leading into Ohio State are at Northwestern, Open and vs. Massachusetts. Michigan's two-week leadup to Ohio State are at Penn State and at Maryland prior to hosting the Buckeyes.
n Today's USC at Colorado matchup starts at noon on Fox and is opposite PSU at Northwestern. But it kicks off at 10 a.m. Mountain time, the earliest start involving a name team in memory and not exactly "prime" time.
Rudel can be reached at nrudel@altoonamirror.com.