"We talked about Rip Engle and Coach Bob Higgins. We talked about all the former great players that played here. It was great to see that our guys were really into it."
The highly-anticipated Bill O'Brien conference call Thursday afternoon ended anticlimactically with the quarterback situation still uncertain at Penn State. O'Brien had previously said he would name a starting quarterback by the end of the week, and seeing as this was his last scheduled media availability this week, it seemed to fit that today would be the day. It was all for naught, however, as O'Brien wouldn't put the situation to rest.
Being known as "Linebacker U" is a long-standing Penn State tradition, and if Mike Hull has anything to say about it, that moniker won't end with him. Hull, a junior linebacker out of the Pittsburgh area, is stepping into some big shoes this season as he takes over as a starting linebacker on the Nittany Lions defensive unit.
Author and professor John Bacon turned some heads recently with his latest book: Fourth and Long: The Fight for the Soul of College Football. The book focused on his time with four Big Ten programs: Northwestern, Michigan, Ohio State, and of course, Penn State. We got a chance to catch up with Bacon and discuss his time in Happy Valley, his book, the NCAA sanctions, and dinosaurs.
For the 3rd year in a row, Penn State fans will hold a "Blue-Out" at Beaver Stadium-- an awareness campaign and fundraiser for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR). This year's game will be against Kent State on September 21.
In a 15-minute press conference this afternoon on the Lasch practice field, Bill O'Brien confirmed what he said earlier today on ESPN's Mike and Mike In The Morning regarding the team's quarterback battle. A starter for the season opener against Syracuse should be named by the end of the week.