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Sorting through the blue and white mailbag:
Neil:
I think the Big Ten football gods wanted to let Matt Campbell and all the Iowa State transfers to Penn State know that they are no longer in the Big 12 Conference.
Big Ten is arguably the toughest football conference in the nation.
This started with Wisconsin.
I thought Penn State had the game won. In the past, when playing Wisconsin, even if the offense played poorly, the defense would make some plays to win the game.
I think Matt Campbell and the team will remember this game for years to come.
David Greaser, Williamsburg
David:
Even if the Nits had finished the job vs. Wisconsin, I think they still would have lost at Northwestern.
Neil:
Big-time kudos to Nittany Nation and the crowd of 114,419 at the White Out. It looked great and sounded better.
Very proud and hope that support continues through this lean year.
Mitchell Naimark, Severna Park, Md.
Mitchell:
The crowd was the player of the game.
Neil:
Great atmosphere.
Entertaining, well-played game until Riley snookered Campbell into wasting two second-half timeouts -- the last one by keeping his offense on the field with fourth-and-4 from his own 13 with about four minutes left. And then the camera caught Riley winking (bush-league) when he knew it worked.
There are no moral victories in West Home Field at Beaver Stadium. This staff is learning that on the job.
Larry Eisman, Conshocken
Larry:
Isn't that what the Iowa State job was for?
Neil:
Help! Up in the boondocks of Sullivan County where we use antennas to watch our beloved Lions, a group of us country bumpkins argued that the Lions secondary were using flag football instead of real wrap around man-on-man tackling.
Please settle this debate since your opinion is what we value the most.
Dave Kule, Laporte
Dave:
Do you put foil on the antennas?
Neil:
I think we've learned that the Big 12 is not the Big Ten.
Matt Campbell is a good coach and seems like a good guy, but we don't have the roster to compete.
I blame that on Pat Kraft, who took 56 days to hire a coach after the early signing time. Campbell really had no option than to take all of the Iowa State players.
It's going to take a couple of years to get back. Frustrating.
Harvey Hanlan, Boalsburg
Harvey:
I've always liked Duffy's Tavern in Boalsburg.
Neil:
As I said two years ago, before firing a Franklin or a Tomlin, be sure you have somebody better in mind first. There was no shame in losing to OSU or Michigan. Eventually you beat down the door.
The honeymoon is over.
Alan Saltzman, Atlanta
Alan:
Though he threatened, Bum Phillips really never beat the Steelers' door down.
Neil:
Things seem to be going to go from bad to worse to worse.
Right now it looks like all the NIL money is yielding "nil." At least there will be no bowl game conflict for folks' holiday schedules.
Maybe we should just start talking 2027 now to feel optimistic again.
Terry Hisey, Blue Bell
Terry:
You're right. December is all clear.
Hello, Neil:
After suffering through the latest Nittany Lion football tragedy, going forward, I'm going to watch the Three Stooges that make me laugh, not the 123 stooges that make me cry.
John ("Nyuk, Nyuk") Raymond, Marshfield, Mass
Hello, John:
As Curly often said: "Oh, a wise guy, eh?"
Rudel vs. the Oddsmakers
Line: Michigan is a 6.5-point favorite.
Inside the line: Wolverines have won three straight vs. Nits and covered each time ... In last meeting, Michigan came to Beaver Stadium as 4-point favorite and won, 24-15. Jim Harbaugh was suspended and Sherrone Moore ran the team ... Over-under is just 42.5 ... In last 14, UM coach Kyle Whittingham is 11-3 vs. number after a bye. (Source: Phil Steele).
Prediction: Penn State 28, Michigan 21
Prediction record: 5-1
PSU record vs. spread: 2-4
Prediction record vs. spread: 2-4
Neil Rudel will respond to brief questions and comments in Gameday. You can email him at nrudel@altoonamirror.com and follow him on Twitter@neilrudel.