As surreal as it seemed not to have Joe Paterno on the side-line in any capacity for the first time since 1949, the atmosphere surrounding Saturday’s Nebraska- Penn State game was even more bizarre.
Two to three times the usual number of fans greeted the Penn State buses as they arrived at Beaver Stadium. One seat was left vacant — the one Paterno sits in on every bus ride.
Near their arrival, 20 mounted police lined the walkway behind the media entrance. Fans held up obscene anti-media signs for their role in the university trustees firing Paterno for not doing enough to stop what a grand jury report says was systematic child abuse by former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.
Another sign said, “Fire the Trustees.”
Walking out of the bus was quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno, Joe’s son, wearing his dad’s white Penn State jacket.
“It was in the closet,” Jay told . “It was a little symbolic.”
It wasn’t all pro-Paterno, however. Most of it was pro-victims. Two Penn State seniors sold blue bracelets for $2 with proceeds going to the anti-sex assault organization RAINN. Donations raised a total of $22,584.
A girl held up a sign reading, “Free Hugs.” The Penn State glee club sang three songs, including the alma mater, which includes one stanza that reads:
“May no act of ours bring shame
To one heart that loves thy name.”
Meanwhile, inside Penn State’s locker room, former player Tim Sweeney read a short letter from Paterno telling the players how much he wished he could be there and to focus on the game.
“You could hear a pin drop,” quarterback Matt McGloin told reporters afterward. “A lot of tears. It was just an emotional time. Even though it was only a few sentences, they were strong sentences.”
Oh, if anyone cares, Nebraska won 17-14.
Oregon makes its case.
In the less surreal world on the field, the BCS rankings are shaking out into a potential rematch. If Oklahoma, No. 5 in the BCS, wins at Oklahoma State in the regular-season finale Dec. 3, who will play top-ranked LSU in the BCS championship if everyone wins out, now that Boise State stumbled again?
Certainly the No. 4 Ducks have a strong case. Yes, LSU waxed them 40-27, but that will have been three months ago. Anyone else see how they ran past the nation’s No. 3 rush defense for 232 yards in their 53-30 rout at Stanford? How many people would prefer to see them test LSU again rather than a rematch from nine days ago when LSU beat Alabama 9-6 in The Game of the 19th Century?
Said Andrew Luck after the game: “They were fast on film, and they were fast on the field. They forced me into some bad decisions.”
BCS analyst Jerry Palm of thinks voters will take Oklahoma over any LSU rematch even considering the Sooners’ collapse against tailspinning Texas Tech.
“If (voters) have a chance to go away from it,” Palm said, “they’ll go away from it.”
Sweet revenge for Halliday.
Washington State coach Paul Wulff couldn’t have picked a better team than Arizona State to insert redshirt freshman Conner Halliday, who blitzed the Sun Devils for 494 yards, a school record in a win, and four touchdowns in a 37-27 upset.
He was a modest three-star recruit out of Ferris High up the road in Spokane, making only Associated Press honorable mention all-state after throwing for 4,198 yards and 43 TDs his senior year.
ASU coach Dennis Erickson recruited him, but after he threw the ball during a visit, Erickson said they would offer the scholarship to another QB. Turns out, the QB declined, and Erickson went back to Halliday.
“I’m not going to go anywhere where I’m not their first option,” Halliday told reporters after the game. “It goes to show you, maybe Mr. Erickson made a mistake.”
Fourth and short.
Colorado tailback Rodney Stewart is seventh nationally in all-purpose yards at 169.8 yards per game. . . . ASU receiver Gerell Robinson on a second straight loss: “It’s been like this for the past three or four years, and it’s getting old.” . . . Oregon State has been outrushed 596-60 the last two weeks by Cal and Stanford. . . . Washington has lost all four of its games against ranked teams by an average score of 48-23.
