Nittany Lions

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - No matter how many times he was asked about the disheartening Ohio State loss during the past week in every form of question imaginable, Penn State coach Bill O'Brien always steered his answers toward preparing for Purdue. O'Brien's methods were on clear display Saturday on a cold, dreary day at Ross-Ade Stadium when the Nittany Lions got two touchdown passes by Matt McGloin and two scoring runs from Michael Zordich plus a terrific defensive effort in a 34-9 beating of uninspired Purdue.

STATE COLLEGE - Over and over again, Penn State just could not capitalize against Ohio State on Saturday. Whether it was failing to take advantage of penalties, making sloppy plays or simply letting Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller run everywhere he wanted, it culminated in a 35-23 loss that snapped the Nittany Lions' five-game winning streak and put them at a disadvantage in the Big Ten Leaders Division race. "I honestly feel like this was a team that we definitely could have beaten," wide receiver Allen Robinson said.

The white-clad Penn State fans filed quietly out of Beaver Stadium, shocked that the game of the year to date in the Big Ten turned out so one-sided in Ohio State's favor. In the locker room, the players for the Nittany Lions were quiet as well, disappointed that they let a big chance slip through their fingers against Braxton Miller and a Buckeyes defense that carried the visitors to a 35-23 victory Saturday night. "Those guys are hurting in there right now," Penn State coach Bill O'Brien said.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - On a night when Beaver Stadium was filled with fans wearing white and hoping there was magic in the air, Bill O'Brien reached into his bag of tricks and came up empty. The things that worked for Penn State's first-year coach during his team's five-game winning streak - fourth-down gambles and a fake punt - together with the ability of the Nittany Lions not to beat themselves with penalties, were not to be seen against ninth-ranked Ohio State. Sophomore quarterback Braxton Miller lived up to the hype of a Heisman Trophy candidate, and a 17-yard interception return by linebacker Ryan Shazier touched off a 21-point third quarter that gave the Buckeyes the momentum needed to defeat the Lions, 35-23, Saturday night before a crowd of 107,818.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin laughed when he was asked this week to list the similarities between coach Bill O'Brien and himself. "How are we similar? I don't know," McGloin said. "We're Irishmen. We have a bit of angriness about us. We're competitive guys. I guess we can both fly off the handle at any second. " That may be true. But the fifth-year quarterback and the first-year coach have kept their cool enough in the heat of battle to lead the Nittany Lions on a five-game winning streak heading into Saturday night's Big Ten Conference showdown against No. 9 Ohio State before a "whiteout" crowd at Beaver Stadium.

The clean, crisp air of an autumn evening in Happy Valley could be stirred this weekend by the smell of exhaust fumes wafting through Beaver Stadium. OK, not really. But Penn State's increasingly effective no-huddle offense, dubbed "NASCAR" by head coach Bill O'Brien, has sped past tired defenses during its first three Big Ten games and could have an impact on Saturday night's showdown against undefeated Ohio State. O'Brien said before the season that he wanted to use the no-huddle on occasion to change the pace of the game.

STATE COLLEGE - One could almost have a conversation with the excitement itself on Monday night outside of Beaver Stadium. Nittanyville, the student encampment in the shadow of the mammoth stadium at the intersection of Curtin and Porter Rds., is overflowing with anticipation for Penn State's Saturday Whiteout game against No. 9 Ohio State. This week's camp of 144 groups and 1,200 members is the largest crowd in the history of the organization. "I think I've held back on saying , but I think you could absolutely make an argument," Nittanyville president Troy Weller said at Gate A on Monday night.

TICKETS SOON will be available for the first Philadelphia College Hockey Faceoff game between Penn State and Vermont. The game will be played Jan. 19, at the Wells Fargo Center. Tickets will be on sale at 10 a.m. Nov. 2 through ComcastTIX. This is Penn State's first year as a Division I program. The Nittany Lions are playing as an independent this season before joining the new Big Ten hockey league next season. Several local players are at Penn State: defensemen Rich O'Brien, of Central Bucks East High; Brian Dolan (Bonner)

STATE COLLEGE - Bill O'Brien's Penn State team made a major statement in Iowa City on Saturday with a 38-14 hammering of Iowa. The Nittany Lions ran all over the Hawkeyes, and the statistics showed it. * Penn State outgained Iowa, 504-209; the Nits led, 24-0, at the half and scored their fourth touchdown 27 seconds into the second half; Penn State had 28 first downs, Iowa had 14; quarterback Matt McGloin had more rushing yards (26) than the entire Hawkeyes team (20). McGloin also threw quite a bit, collecting 289 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while running back Bill Belton rushed for three scores and 103 yards on 16 carries.