Nittany Line Plus: Penn State consistent with inconsistency

WIN ONE, lose one.

Win two, lose two.

Win three, lose three?

Notice a trend to the Penn State football season?

The Nittany Lions (6-4, 3-3 Big Ten) need only to lose their final two regular-season games to complete a symmetrical season of victories and defeats that would put them on track to nowhere - or an inconsequential bowl game.

But the schedule has been kind. Even after Saturday's 38-14 loss at Ohio State ended Penn State's three-game winning streak, the Nittany Lions will be favored to win one more game.

The next opponent is Indiana on Saturday at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., one of two Big Ten games played at neutral venues that day. (Illinois will play Northwestern at Wrigley Field.)

Indiana (4-6, 0-6) is in last place in the conference after an 83-20 loss at Wisconsin, a big winner even without its best player, running back John Clay. Using that logic, why can't Penn State win with a freshman or former walk-on at quarterback? Not that the Nittany Lions have a choice.

It will be Rob Bolden, who struggled most of the season before suffering a concussion, or Matt McGloin, who had two interceptions returned for touchdowns against Ohio State. But will the quarterback matter, especially in the regular-season finale Nov. 27 against Big Ten co-leader Michigan State?

Penn State's defense continues to have tackling issues that were illustrated graphically when it let Ohio State running back Dan Herron gain 190 yards and quarterback Terrelle Pryor rack up 17.3 yards per completion. Even during their three-game winning streak, the Nittany Lions gave up 73 points.

The trick for Penn State's coaching staff is to convince the players that their season isn't lost. Even while representing the program's worst season in 6 years, an 8-4 record would yield an attractive bowl bid. A 7-5 mark hardly seems worth all of the effort.

Co-captain and senior receiver Brett Brackett, a voice of optimism all season, said he believes Penn State will react positively.

"We have a great attitude on this team, and the coaching staff does an amazing job of letting us look forward and learn from things," he said.

Linebacker Nate Stupar, who replaced Michael Mauti (separated shoulder) on Saturday, said he set aside the defeat soon after the game ended.

"I don't think it will linger," he said. "When you get to college, you learn, '[Play] one game, you move on to the next.' Even when you win, when you are done - go to the next game."

With Penn State, no one knows what the next game will bring. This team has both scored and allowed 35 unanswered points in consecutive games.

"We tried to tell them to keep fighting," defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said, "and something good will happen." *