Tag: Penn State

Is it time to hit the panic button on Joey Porter Jr.?

As Joey Porter Jr. continues to shows signs of regression after a strong rookie year with the Steelers, is it time to panic?

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., the Steelers’ second-year cornerback from Penn State, entered his rookie season in 2023 with high expectations and ultimately earned the respect of both his peers and fans. However, his second NFL season has been disappointing, to say the least.

Through nine games in the 2024 season, Porter has allowed 26 receptions for 365 yards and a quarterback passer rating of 94.5. At this rate, he is on pace to allow 689 yards by the season’s end. This marks a noticeable decline from his 2023 rookie season, where he allowed just 25 receptions for 385 yards and a QB passer rating of 68.8 over 17 games.

Though Porter has shown inconsistency throughout the season, his worst performance came in Week 10 against the Washington Commanders. He allowed 131 yards on six receptions, which accounted for 71% of Washington’s 182 total receiving yards.

Pittsburgh may need to evaluate its options moving forward, perhaps by giving Porter additional practice reps or placing a safety over him during man-coverage plays, as the Steelers defense need to keep his inefficiency under control heading into a difficult second half stretch of the 2024 season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Ohio State football set season records with viewership in win vs. Penn State

Ohio State football had almost eight figures worth of people watching its win over Penn State on Saturday.

The Ohio State Buckeyes played in front of a record crowd at Beaver Stadium Saturday in their win over then-No. 3 Penn State. Over six figures worth of people filled the crowded stadium.

Many more than that tuned in on the television. In another FOX Big Noon Kickoff, the Buckeyes put on a show, and they did so in front of 9.94 million viewers, the network has announced.

There are only so many games in a season that feature two top-five teams. Alabama-Georgia, Ohio State-Oregon and Penn State-Ohio State are just the few that come to mind, and there haven’t been many, if any, others.

As the playoffs get closer, conference championship games should provide some dramatic finishes between top teams, but Ohio State vs. Penn State was among the most promoted games of the season.

The Buckeyes put on a show, winning 20-13, and they did so in far more dominant fashion than the scoreboard showed. Ohio State allowed just 150 passing yards, and the Nittany Lions didn’t have a single rusher total more than 50 yards on the ground.

The defensive effort from Ohio State was impeccable, and it certainly seemed like a main factor in the Buckeyes landing No. 2 in the College Football Playoffs ranking Tuesday.

That said, Ohio State is a big name, and big names get high viewership numbers, as FOX saw on Saturday. Expect Ohio State vs. Michigan to potentially shatter even that number later in the season.

Notre Dame projected as College Football Playoff quarterfinalist

Minds are starting to change about the Irish.

For much of the time after Notre Dame lost to Northern Illinois, the Action Network’s Brett McMurphy was not empathetic. He consistently had the Irish in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, thus rendering their first season in the expanded College Football Playoff era a failure.

McMurphy has changed his tune about the Irish however. A week ago, he projected the Irish as the No. 10 seed in the playoff. While he had them losing to Penn State, it still was a sign of progress.

Now, McMurphy has flipped the seeds for the Irish and Nittany Lions, meaning the Irish now would host the first-round game. What’s more, he has the Irish winning the game, which would give them a New Year’s Day date with Georgia at the Sugar Bowl. Regrettably, that’s where he has the Irish’s run ending, but this still is a nice projection.

A lot has to go right for the Irish to get as far as McMurphy thinks they will, but that he even made this projection shows how much the narrative surrounding the Irish has changed for the better.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

Jason Kelce smashes a fans phone after comments about Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift

An agitated Jason Kelce smashes a Penn State fans cell phone after deplorable comment about his brother Travis Kelce

Jason Kelce is his brother’s keeper and the only person capable of bullying All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce. The retired former Eagles star was in State College for ESPN’s College GameDay and, after missing a field goal, found himself on the end of disrespect from a Nittany Lions student or phone.

While briskly walking around campus, Kelce became agitated when he heard a fan or student make a derogatory statement about his brother, Travis Kelce.

Angered, Kelce smashed the kid’s cell phone and kept it moving.

The cancel culture will undoubtedly come for Kelce, and there will be think pieces about controlling his temper and how Kelce’s salary means he can’t do things like he did on Saturday. Still, we live in a new day where cell phone footage and viral moments are all some people care about.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Ravens among NFL teams in attendance for Penn State vs. Ohio State matchup

Baltimore Ravens among NFL teams in attendance for Penn State vs. Ohio State matchup

No. 3 ranked Penn State (7-0) is hosting the No. 4 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1) on Saturday at Beaver Stadium, and the NFL scouts and executives are out and taking in the star power on both squads.

The Nittany Lions’ top draft prospects include defensive end Abdul Carter — a potential top-10 pick — as well as quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kayton Allen, tight end Tyler Warren, defensive tackle Zane Durant, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and safety Jaylen Reed.

For Ohio State, Will Howard (QB), TreVeyon Henderson (RB), Quinshon Judkins (RB), Emeka Egbuka (WR), and Donovan Jackson (OL) are among the players to watch.

‘College GameDay’ announces Week 10 location

ESPN’s College GameDay is headed to Big Ten country in Week 10

ESPN’s “College GameDay” released the location it will set up shop for Week 10. Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, Desmond Howard and the rest of the GameDay crew will be in Happy Valley to see the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes take on the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions.

The Nittany Lions, who Kirk Herbstreit praised earlier this week, are undefeated, although they have close wins against USC and Bowling Green. Meanwhile, Herbstreit’s alma mater has just the one-point loss against the No. 1 Oregon Ducks, so this one is seen by many as a tossup.

Penn State could be without starting quarterback Drew Allar. He is tending to a left knee injury. He and backup Beau Pribula shared snaps in Tuesday’s practice.

“That timeline will go all the way up to the game,” coach James Franklin said, according to ESPN.

If Allar is out, it would be a blow for a Nittany Lions team that is trying to beat Ohio State for the first time in seven years. The game has massive College Football Playoff implications. If one of these teams wins convincingly, it could jump Georgia in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

Speaking of Georgia, the Bulldogs’ games at Ole Miss (Nov. 9) and against Tennessee (Nov. 16) could be in the mix for potential GameDay sites. It is understandable GameDay passed on the Georgia-Florida game in favor of a top-five matchup.

GameDay will begin coverage at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 2.

Wisconsin plummets in ESPN SP+ after loss to Penn State

Wisconsin plummets in ESPN SP+ after loss to Penn State

Wisconsin dropped significantly in ESPN SP+ after its 28-13 loss to Penn State on Saturday.

The Badgers entered the week ranked No. 20 in the metric with a 12.0 overall rating, plus the nation’s No. 63-ranked offense and No. 11-ranked defense.

Those updated numbers: No. 30 overall ranking (9.7) with the nation’s No. 73-ranked offense and No. 14-ranked defense.

Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 9: Penn State makes a statement

The drop comes after Penn State outgained Wisconsin 419-298 in its Week 9 victory. The Nittany Lions held the Badgers to only 81 rushing yards on 27 carries (three yards per carry), plus tallied 173 rushing yards of their own.

The loss was a reality check for Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin program. While it has made clear forward steps after Fickell’s rocky debut season in 2023, it remains far from the Big Ten’s elite.

ESPN SP+ reflects that. The Badgers are now the eighth highest-ranked Big Ten team, behind Ohio State (No. 2), Oregon (No. 4), Penn State (No. 8), Indiana (No. 13), Iowa (No. 18), USC (No. 19) and Michigan (No. 27).

The Badgers still have remaining games against Iowa (No. 18), Oregon (No. 1), Nebraska (No. 41) and Minnesota (No. 35). They need one more win for bowl eligibility, and several more to maintain a strong standing in the conference.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Photo gallery from Wisconsin’s loss to No. 3 Penn State

Photo gallery from Wisconsin’s loss to No. 3 Penn State

Wisconsin fell to No. 3 Penn State 28-13 on Saturday.

The loss halts the Badgers’ momentum after it entered the contest riding a three-game winning streak. The Nittany Lions were favored in the game and picked by many to win, but the loss still delivers a deflating blow to the Badgers’ rest-of-season outlook.

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin’s tough loss to Penn State

A big part of that deflating impact was the context surrounding the loss. Wisconsin led 10-7 at halftime before the scales tipped in the opposite direction. Saturday will feel like a significant missed opportunity for a Wisconsin program badly in need of a signature win to kickstart the Luke Fickell era.

The Badgers are now 0-5 against ranked opponents since Fickell took over in 2023. That mark tells the story.

Before the team changes attention to its Week 10 trip to rival Iowa, here is a look at some of the best photos from the tough primetime loss:

Former Badger quarterback plays big role in Penn State 28-13 win over Wisconsin

Former Badger QB plays big role in Penn State 28-13 win over Wisconsin

A former Badger was at the center of Penn State’s 28-13 win over Wisconsin on Saturday night.

It was not necessarily Penn State OT Nolan Rucci, who transferred over from Wisconsin after the 2023 season. He saw limited action at right tackle in the Nittany Lions win and was far from the game’s deciding force.

The big reason that Penn State improved to 7-0 with the win over Wisconsin: Nittany Lions quarterbacks coach and former Badgers quarterback Danny O’Brien.

Related: Badgers fans dejected after hard-fought loss to No. 3 Penn State

O’Brien captains the Penn State quarterback room, which was arguably the biggest contributing factor to Saturday’s result.

Penn State star QB Drew Allar and backup Beau Pribula, each who played exactly one half, combined to go 25 of 31 passing (80% completion) for 246 yards,  two touchdowns and zero interceptions. The two also added 36 rushing yards on 10 total carries.

Allar’s injury in the closing moments before halftime appeared to tip the matchup further toward the Badgers’ sideline. Instead, Pribula was terrific in relief. He led the Nittany Lions on two critical late-game scoring drives to seal the victory.

O’Brien’s work with the room deserves credit. Not many top programs don’t miss a beat, let alone improve, when their starter goes down with an injury.

The rising coach played for the Badgers back in 2012. He transferred in after two years at Maryland, and actually entered that season as Wisconsin’s starter. Former Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema wound moving to Joel Stave early in the season after O’Brien struggled with turnovers. Stave later suffered an injury, though O’Brien remained on the sideline to backup to Curt Phillips.

O’Brien played only seven total games for Wisconsin in 2012, completing 52 of 86 passes for 523 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

He recently entered the coaching ranks following an abbreviated professional career, mostly in the CFL (2014-19).

The former Badger signal-caller joined the Penn State staff as an offensive analyst in 2021. He was recently elevated to the program’s quarterbacks coach entering the 2024 season after the team hired new OC Andy Kotelnicki.

His work with Allar and Pribula cannot be overlooked as Penn State inches closer to a possible trip to the Big Ten title game, and the expanded College Football Playoff.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

RECAP: Wisconsin blanked in second half, falls to Penn State 28-13

Quick reaction to Wisconsin’s loss to Penn State

The No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions rode a 21-3 second-half margin to a 28-13 win over the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday night.

The halftime break served as a clear turning point in the game. Wisconsin led 10-7 thanks to a strong defensive effort and a timely touchdown drive in the first half’s closing moments. Penn State star QB Drew Allar also exited the end of the first half with an injury, one that he did not return from.

Related: Badgers fans dejected after hard-fought loss to No. 3 Penn State

All signs were pointing toward a season-defining victory for the Badgers.

Then Penn State flat-out dominated after the halftime break. Backup quarterback Beau Pribula went 11 of 13 passing for 98 yards and a touchdown, plus added 28 yards on six carries. He led the Nittany Lions to several decisive touchdown drives. The offense barely missed a beat with him under center.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, held strong until another Braedyn Locke turnover shifted momentum — this one a pick-six to Penn State star linebacker Jaylen Reed. That pushed the Nittany Lions in front 14-10. The game only tilted further in their direction as it continued.

The drives following Locke’s pick-six:

  • Wisconsin: Eight plays, 51 yards — Field goal (14-13)
  • Penn State: 13 plays, 81 yards — Touchdown (21-13)
  • Wisconsin: Three plays, three yards — Punt
  • Penn State: Nine plays, 78 yards — Touchdown (28-13)

Penn State out-gained Wisconsin 419-298 in total. That balanced attack included 173 yards on the ground and 246 through the air. The running back duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen combined for 135 rushing yards, 59 receiving yards and two total touchdowns, driving Penn State’s balanced success.

The Nittany Lions improve to 7-0 on the season and 4-0 in Big Ten play with the win. Wisconsin, meanwhile, drops to 5-3 on the season and 3-2 in Big Ten play.

The Badgers are back in action next weekend on the road at rival Iowa.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.