Don't worry everyone; I have made my triumphant return! It's been almost a month since I last posted, but there just hasn't been much happening in the world of Penn State football. More on that in a second. Before we get started I'd like to give a gigantic shout out and congratulations to all of the students involved in THON 2015, which raised an astounding $13,026,653.23 For The Kids! The only disappointment (and I use the term loosely) was that after 10 consecutive years of breaking the record, the streak has ended and this year's total went down by $300,000. I guess all good things must come to an end. $13 million is still $13 million, though, and that's nothing to scoff at. Everyone involved should be extremely proud of what they accomplished! If you want to help start a new streak and see THON 2016 break the record again, be sure to head on over to www.THON.org and donate. Remember, this is a YEAR LONG fundraising effort! So don't wait until next February to help support the fight against pediatric cancer.
Bringing it back to football, there just hasn't been a lot to report on. That's the bad news. However, the good news is that the overall stability of the program is mostly to blame for the lack of stories. During Bill O'Brien's first season, we had plenty to talk about as the first time head coach attempted to get acclimated to his new role and a new environment, all while trying to keep an entire community together following the Jerry Sandusky scandal and the death of Joe Paterno. In O'Brien's second year, he was busy dealing with a few changes on his coaching staff while trying to find a QB between a JUCO transfer and a highly touted, yet unproven, true freshman. Obviously, last season there were a plethora of storylines surrounding new head coach James Franklin coming to town and whispers of an impending end to the bowl ban (which turned out to be correct). This season, though? Nothing. No coaching changes, no QB controversy, no NCAA nonsense. And yet, that's probably a good thing. Let's just say, after years of being in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, I think most fans are perfectly fine with having a quiet offseason for a change.
With all of that said, there are still a few things going on, so let's get right into them. Probably the biggest event of 2015 so far was Junior Day which was held two weekends ago. Most of Penn State's current commits for the 2016 class were on hand, along with a bevy of targets for both the 2016 and 2017 classes. Although a number of offers were handed out, there were unfortunately no new commitments to report. I'll keep you posted if that changes.
Otherwise, it's winter workout time, which is a weird time for most college programs. Coaches are primarily focused on recruiting because, for the most part, NCAA rules prevent them from even associating with their players. The only members of the staff allowed to be around the team are members of the training staff, led by Dwight Galt. Now, if you're into sweaty guys lifting weights and/or running sprints, might I suggest checking out www.PennLive.com, www.BlackShoeDiaries.com, or www.PennState.247sports.com for their various coverage of the workouts. In the meantime, I'll continue to post links that I find relevant or interesting on Twitter and Facebook.
Finally, I want to talk about the next big event on the Penn State football calendar, Blue/White Weekend, which is scheduled for the weekend of April 17th. As always there will be plenty to do all weekend long, with the highlight being the annual Spring Game on Saturday afternoon. Once again, parking and admission to the game are free, so fans can get the same gameday atmosphere they've grown to know and love without taking a big hit to their wallets. The biggest note about this year's event is that James Franklin has moved the game back to 4pm. I personally applaud him for this! In the past, noon kickoffs have prevented any kind of meaningful tailgating prior to the game. Now, I understand that most fans don't even make it to halftime before they head back to their tailgates (this is a scrimmage after all). But I just always thought it was such a headache setting up my tailgate just to run off to Beaver Stadium before things even got started. And since the weather for Blue/White tends to only come in two varieties - blistering heat or monsoon - by the time I make it back to my spot I'm either too hot and tired, or soaking wet, and I just don't feel like tailgating anymore. This year we'll get the 12-4 timeslot to party with friends and family before heading over to get a glimpse of this year's squad. That should provide the "family reunion" feel that James Franklin has been looking for.
Alright, that will do it for today. I'll keep posting all offseason long, but only as interesting news arises. In the meantime head on over to my Facebook page and give it a Like or a Share. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State!
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