College Football: Penn State and Rutgers

Earlier today, (10) Penn State lost 14-9 to Michigan. From what I saw today and from what I've seen in the past, I've come to the conclusion that Anthony Morelli simply cannot step up to the plate when it really counts. And despite the Nittany Lions' solid defense, Morelli's inability to pull out the close games will hold Penn State to a mediocre season in the Big Ten.

So let's get real: Penn State was highly overrated at #10. I mean, c'mon, the first three wins (all home games for PSU) were against Florida International, Notre Dame, and Buffalo. Let's break that down. Florida International has an 0-4 record. Notre Dame likewise has an 0-4 record. And Buffalo -- whose lone win in a 1-3 record was against the perennially winless Temple Owls (who have only 1 win in the past 27 consecutive games) -- was no powerhouse either.

I look for Penn State to finish fourth in the Big Ten this season -- behind Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio State. And watch out for the Iowa Hawkeyes, who put up a great fight against the Wisconsin Badgers earlier tonight.

Let's see if (11) Rutgers can avoid a similar characterization after their game next Saturday at home against Maryland. Although Maryland is sitting at .500 after winning 2 and dropping 2, let's consider that the Terps only lost to West Virginia by a count of 31-14. With a strong running game in Ray Rice, though, and more consistent play -- as compared to Morelli -- by Mike Teel, and weapons at the WR position (Tiquan Underwood and Tim Brown), Rutgers is a more balanced team than Penn State.

Look for Rutgers to steadily move up about three spots in the rankings until their meeting against West Virginia on Saturday, October 27th. Meanwhile, over the same course of time, look for Penn State to settle into a high-teen/near-twenty ranking in the AP poll, as they have to face tough battles against Iowa and Wisconsin before their October 27th match-up against Ohio State.