Thoughts From The Valley

The Hangover

How I am feeling: Tired, though content. A wonderful weekend in the Poconos was highlighted by good times and good friends, a Penn State win (59-0, thank you, and the defense looked damn good), and the greatest upset in the history of all sports. For more on that, see below.

What I am drinking: Victory Hop Devil. Because it is hoppy but not too much so, potent but not too much so, and because it tastes like Autumn.

What I am listening to: The Old 97s, Too Far Too Care. Listened to it for the first time Friday night, playing billiards with Young Jack. Listened again on the drive to Happy Valley on Saturday morning. Have been listening ever since. Few albums are as consistent, powerful, witty and catchy as this one. Between "Timebomb," "Barrier Reef," "Big Brown Eyes" and "Melt Show," there's barely enough time to catch your breath. Folks, go buy this album.

My thoughts on the weekend: Maybe it's a coincidence that the man running the Big Ten Network, Mark Silverman, is a Michigan grad.

Or maybe Silverman knew all along that Appalachian State was going to beat his Wolverines, as they did on Saturday, pulling off the greatest upset in the history of all sports. In which case you have to wonder if Silverman failed to get his network on the air for 99 percent of Big Ten country on purpose. Just to save his alma mater the embarrassment.

Or maybe Big Blue Nation has had a bad enough weekend, and so maybe I shouldn't pile on.

So I won't.

In the aftermath of this kind of event--an event that, literally, has changed the landscape of college football forever (and was enjoyed by Buckeyes and Nittany Lions everywhere (sorry Michigan Bob)--it's hard to know what to say. Certainly, Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press said plenty in his Sunday column, when he wrote, quite simply: "Can a season end the day it begins? It just did."

That may be going a bit too far, I think. Fact is, Appalachian State was a pretty damn good football team. Anyone who saw that game knows it. Certainly, they are better than, oh, Florida International. Or Youngstown State. Or Temple.

And know what? Michigan's a pretty darn good team, too. Pay no need to what happened on Saturday. They're gonna win some games this year. Don't you worry.

See, what happened on Saturday has happened, at least once, to just about every alleged "powerhouse" in college football. And it's gonna happen a lot more often in years to come.

Why? Simple.

Football is now, by far, America's most popular sport. We fans can't get enough of it. And kids love playing it.

More kids are playing football today than at any point in our history, which means that there are more talented kids playing football than at any point in our history. Which means that more schools have more opportunity to sign up better football players. Which explains why Toledo can beat Penn State in Happy Valley. Why Boise State can beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. Why Appalachian State--a school I thought was in Kentucky, but is actually in North Carolina--can walk into the Big House and beat a Top 10-quality Michigan team.

It's a brave new world, folks.

So enjoy.

Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust

Three ...: Because my good friend and Poconos host Brian M. Schleter is a die-hard Dawgs fan, I tend to be skeptical of his all-to-usual glowing reports about the Dawgs. But after seeing quarterback Matt Stafford dominate Oklahoma State on Saturday night, I have to give Brian credit: Just as he promised, Stafford does look thinner, quicker and better in the pocket. He also has an absolute cannon. With able assistance from redshirt freshman tailback Knowshon Moreno (who is really, really fast), Stafford figures to lead an imposing Georgia attack this year.

Two ...: Have you wondered, as have I, who is next up on Appalachian State's schedule? If so, here's the answer: Lenoir-Rhyne College. It is located in Hickory, North Carolina. It's home field, Moretz Stadium, holds 8,500 people. There are still tickets available.

One ...: I think my position on uniform changes is pretty clear. Generally speaking, they are almost always a bad idea. Never was that more obvious than on Friday night, when Syracuse opened their season with a horrendous performance against the University of Washington. On this horrible night, on which that stupid dome was half-empty, the Orange made things worse by debuting quite possibly the worst uniforms I have ever seen. Those guys looked like bright orange Crayola crayons out there.

Touchdown ...: I am sure many of you are already aware, but next weekend brings us Penn State vs. Notre Dame. It's a game for which we in the Nittany Nation have been waiting since the Irish smoked us last year in South Bend, and the first trip the Irish have made to Happy Valley (the teams used to play quite consistently in Penn State's glorious pre-Big Ten existence) since the early 1990s. The game is a 6 p.m. start, so you know Beaver Stadium will be rocking. In fact, the game will mark the first-ever attempt at a stadium-wide White Out. Which would be wonderful. But what about the game? As you know, I am generally inclined toward pessimism, and believe me, as this game approaches, I harbor serious concerns about the Nittany Lions' running game. But I tend to agree with the Penn State insiders in one point: This is probably the fastest defense that Penn State has ever fielded. So I have to think Tom Bradley is saving some special treats for Charlie Weis. And they will be delivered by Dan Connor and/or Sean Lee. Look for an impressive defensive performance from the Nittany Lions this week--and an Irish team leaving Happy Valley in an 0-2 hole.