Last call for a Big Ten win? Going once, going twice... - Penn State @ Minnesota

Another long week for Gopher Bandanna Guy, and I didn't get to write as much as I would have liked.  I watched the Purdue game through bloodshot eyes last Saturday, badly hungover from celebrating my first ever PTP (Pursue the Pennant) Title.  The details of the game barely registered with me outside of the fact that we lost and let Dan Dierking run all over us.  Unacceptable.  A team on its 3rd-string QB, and second tier RBs and WRs, shouldn't be able to score that many points on even our youthfully bad defense.  And yet it happened.  And even when things seemed to look like they might swing in our direction, they turn on us.  'Hacksaw' Gary Tinsley (love that nickname from FBT), epitomized our season by stepping into the passing lane early in the 3rd quarter and picking off an errant Rob Henry pass, returning it down inside the five.  But not before fumbling it out of the back of the endzone.  This play felt like our entire season in a nutshell.  One step forward, two steps back.  The mid-season firing of Brew?  I certainly didn't expect it so soon (I figured right before Iowa was the time), but let's hope this jumpstart's the search for the next coach and will be considered a strong step forward down the line.

And Weber, our all-time leading passer - continues to pile up garbage time numbers, and ascend up the Big Ten All-Time passing charts in what is becoming the most meaningless compilation of career numbers in recent memory.  All those yards and TD, for so few wins.  To be fair, this season's horrific slide is really Web's fault.  He's played fairly well, and minimized his turnovers.  His accuracy is still awful on the short throws, and that's what hurts us from time to time.  But the defense can't stop anybody, and so the offense is under all the pressure to win games. 

And wait, what's this?  A Patrick Reusse column I ACTUALLY AGREE WITH?  Wow.  For a long while I didn't think this would happen, and in this one, Fat Pat actually shows a sliver of positivity that the right guy IS out there to turn the Gophers into a winning program.

But enough about the Purdue loss, and our search for the next head coach.  We've got Penn State and that most milquetoast of trophies coming in - The Governor's Bell.

The Nittany Lions are probably our last, best chance to get a win in the Big Ten this season (and for the remainder of the season for that matter).  They are not good.  Unfortunately, neither are we.  Both squads are winless in the Big Ten, and both have senior that are no doubt disappointed in how things have gone (Adam Weber and Evan Royster). 

Penn State has had an extra week to prepare for this game, coming of a bye week, and have already faced two of the tougher Big Ten defenses (Iowa and Illinois), with little offense to show.  But now they face the polar opposite in defensive prowess.  Their QB, freshman Robert Bolden has struggled with accuracy tossing only 4 TDs to 7 picks, and Royster has not enjoyed the season many expected.  Conventional wisdon would say that the prescription for these woes are to play the Gophers. 

But now the Gophs are truly at rock bottom.  And have nothing to play for but pride and a little personal glory.  The boo-birds at TCF mean nothing now, and Brewster is gone. They know that Ohio State is looming next week, ready to beat them into submission, and they know Penn State is vulnerable.  Question is, can they muster a complete effort one more time this year, and get at least 1 Big Ten win?

I think they can and will.  Horton and Weber will manage to motivate these kids to play with the talent they have (pretty decent on offense), keep the game plan simple, and just play football.  This game also marks my last chance of the season to make a fun 'homer' pick and take the Gophs, because I see them being double-digit 'dogs the rest of the way (maybe not at Illinois, we'll see).  The PSU defense is still a bit dinged up, and that combined with a shakey starting QB on the road seems like a reasonable recipe for a decent Gopher performance.  The one nagging thought in the back of my head though is Royster.  He's yet to really go off this season, and this could be the game.  Royster is a quality and experienced Big Ten back, and could easily gash the Gopher defense for 200 yards and multiple scores if we don't commit to stopping him. 

That said, I think the defense will do just enough to keep him from taking the game completely over, and the offense will put up 30 points, mostly through the air.

Prediction:  Minnesota 31, Penn State 27

Gopher Player of the Game:  Adam Weber - 18-27 for 265 yards and 3 TDs

Nittany Lion Player of the Game: Evan Royster  22 carries for 135 yards and 2 TDs