PSU point-counter: Going to miss Michigan, Ohio State (Giger)

October 12, 2023

This week's question: What's your take on the new Big Ten schedule? By Cory Giger For the Mirror Penn State, and James Franklin in particular, certainly love that both Ohio State and Michigan will no longer be on the schedule every year, beginning in 2024. Without a doubt, not having to play the Buckeyes and Wolverines each season will help the Nittany Lions’ chances of making the 12-team College Football Playoff. That’s a given. But it still stinks, if you ask me. Games against Ohio State and Michigan have always been a blast. Everybody looks forward to them, they are usually ...

Expectations big again in ’23-’24

October 10, 2023

The Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS — The Big Ten is again expected to be one of the toughest conferences in the country this season, after a league-record-tying seven teams made the NCAA Tournament last year with three reaching the regional finals and Iowa finishing as the national runner-up. There doesn’t appear to be any dropoff this season. That will make for a difficult transition for new head coaches Robyn Fralick of Michigan State and Dawn Plitzuweit of Minnesota. “It’s really, really challenging,” Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff said. “The conference has never ...

Sooners win gets them huge jump

October 9, 2023

By Ralph D. Russo The Associated Press Oklahoma moved up to No. 5 in The Associated Press college football poll Sunday, Miami’s late-game gaffe nearly cost the 25th-ranked Hurricanes a spot in rankings and six basketball blue bloods made some history. No. 1 Georgia, coming off its best game of the season, a rout of Kentucky, regained some of the first-place votes it lost in the AP Top 25 last week when it needed a late rally to stay unbeaten at Auburn. The Bulldogs got 50 first-place votes after 35 last week. No. 2 Michigan received 11 first-place votes as the Wolverines roll ...

What does new schedule mean for Nits?

October 6, 2023

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State’s Big Ten opponents are set for the next five years. The Big Ten on Thursday announced conference games for all 18 of its schools, including USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington, beginning in 2024. It previously announced the opponents for the 2024 and ’25, but has now updated that with more-recent additions of Oregon and Washington. The Big Ten will move away from divisions next year, and the teams with the best records will play for the conference title. It will continue with nine conference games, alternating four home and five away, each year. Game ...

Lady Lions defeat SC

October 5, 2023

STATE COLLEGE — Altoona defeated State College, 2-0, with Aubrey Dietzel keeping the Lady Little Lions off the board in high school girls soccer action on Wednesday. Sophia O’Dea and Hailey Kravetz scored for Altoona, which improved to 9-5. SCORE BY HALVES Altoona 0 2 -- 2 State College 0 0 -- 0 First Half: none. Second Half: A–O’Dea (Alexander), 49:19; A–Kravetz (Sankey), 57:08. Records: Altoona (9-5); State College (1-9). JV: Altoona, 2-0. Spikers topped CHAMBERSBURG — Chambersburg defeated Altoona, 25-13, 21-25, 25-20, 25-20, to drop the Lady Spikers ...

Franklin: Lions longing for deep threats on offense

September 27, 2023

Following are the highlights of James Franklin’s Tuesday press conference: Saturday’s game: at Northwestern (noon, BTN) Records: Penn State is 4-0. Northwestern is 2-2. Odds: Penn State is a 26.5-point favorite. Rankings: Penn State is ranked No. 6 by the Associated Press. SUBHD: Main storyline Penn State used 97 plays to dominate Iowa, 31-0, on Saturday night. In doing so, the Lions inflicted a slow death on the Hawkeyes. Franklin has been talking about PSU’s lack of explosive plays all season, and though the Nits beat Iowa the way he wanted them to, he still sees ...