It's 29 days since the Rose Bowl, 86 days until the Blue-White game and 217 days until the opener on Sept. 5. Does that mean it's too early to talk about next season's schedule? Nah.

Penn State released the 2009 schedule and while most hardcore Lions fans pretty much knew the slate by heart, yesterday marked the official announcement. Some had hoped that the opener -- rumored to be Akron -- would turn into a more attractive opponent. Say, one with a pulse. But it was not to be. Penn State's four non-conference foes all had losing records last season. Eastern Illinois managed a 5-7 mark at the Division I-AA level. Egad.

To put it bluntly, the schedule is pathetic. The Lions have eight home games against four on the road and only two Beaver Stadium tilts quicken the pulse. Ohio State visits on Nov. 7, Iowa on Sept. 26. The rest is dunk: Akron, Syracuse, Temple, Eastern Illinois, Minnesota and Indiana. I can't wait to hear Joe Paterno defend this schedule. Actually, I can hear him already. Here's a look at the first four games of the schedule (the final eight to come) along with an educated guess of what Paterno will say about the opposing team the Tuesday before:

Sept. 5 Akron: The Zips of the MAC have faced Penn State three times prior (all Lions' victories). They finished 5-7 last season and lost their final three to games to Buffalo, Ohio and Temple. Hey, at least it isn't Coastal Carolina. Joe's take: "People seem to forget Akron clobbered a decent Syracuse team last year and almost beat Cincinnati. Ahhhh, if we're not careful we can licked."

Sept. 12 Syracuse: The Orange come to Happy Valley for the first time since 1990. Will anyone care? The good news for Syracuse is Greg Robinson is out as the head coach. The bad news: the players he recruited are still there. Joe's take: [New coach] "Doug Marrone is from the Bronx. I'm from Brooklyn, ya know? It's gonna to be a Noo Yawk State of Mind."

Sept. 19 Temple: 0-25. That's the Owls' record against Paterno. Enough said. Joe's take: "You guys are underestimating Temple. If that DiMichele kid didn't get hurt early last year there's no way we would have won by 42. DiMichele ... yeah, we had him, but he wanted to play baseball. He was a tough Pittsburgh kid. I used to have a few girlfriends from Pittsburgh, ya know?"

Sept. 26 Iowa: Last season's debacle in Iowa City will get a replay in the build up to the Lions' first true test. By my estimation Penn State lost more than just a game and the national championship that day, it lost Pat Devlin, too. Joe's take: "I should have anticipated needing the wind in the fourth quarter. I should have burned at least one of my timeouts as Iowa marched down the field on Bradley's soft defense. I didn't do a good job that day. How come you guys didn't ask me these questions last year?" [Because us sportswriters were just as guilty of not doing our jobs. -- JM]

Back with more ...

Penn State has officially announced its football schedule for the coming season. It was essentially set in stone, but the first game against Akron was still up in the air. There was some talk that Fran Ganter, who handles the schedule, was looking to switch that game or the Eastern Illinois game for a more attractive opponent. North Carolina was one team discussed. But that idea has obviously been tabled.

Too bad. What remains is of the cupcake variety. If the Lions don't finish with at least nine wins, next season would have to be deemed a disaster. Here's the full schedule. Times are to be announced. I'll be back later to break it down game by game.

Sept. 5 Akron
Sept. 12 Syracuse
Sept. 19 Temple
Sept. 26 Iowa (1)
Oct. 3 at Illinois
Oct. 10 Eastern Illinois
Oct. 17 Minnesota (2)
Oct. 24 at Michigan
Oct. 31 at Northwestern
Nov. 7 Ohio State
Nov. 14 Indiana
Nov. 21 at Michigan State

(1) All-University/Varsity "S" Day
(2) Homecoming

At the risk of sounding like a pollyanna, Penn State has reason to puff out its chest this week and "Lion Eyes" figures it'll hop on the bandwagon and help spread the good news.

With National Signing Day a week away, Penn State's recruiting haul is looking like a solid group. The Lions have addressed many of their needs -- in the defensive secondary, at wideout and quarterback -- with some of the better prospects in the nation. Still, Penn State needs that cherry on the top and it could come in the form of Olney, Md. linebacker Jelani Jenkins. Ranked as the best outside linebacker in the nation by scout.com, Jenkins has reportedly narrowed his list to Penn State and Florida. My guess is the Gators, but stranger things have happened (see: Derrick Williams).

Off the gridiron -- yes! -- men's basketball is garnering some headlines. The Lions are 16-5 overall, 5-3 in the Big Ten and head to top-ranked Michigan State on Saturday and -- provided they pull off the upset -- the Lions could launch themselves into the NCAA Tournament picture. It's been a long time since those around the program have thought about March Madness -- eight years to be exact. There's still a lot of work to be done, however. Because of a weak non-conference schedule, the Lions have a not-so-impressive 72 RPI and need some help to get into the NCAA conversation. Let's put that aside for the moment and celebrate what has been.

Off the field, 55 members of the football team earned a 3.0 GPA or higher during the fall semester. That's eyebrow raising any way you slice it.

That's it. I'll be back to my negative self next week when Jenkins picks the Gators.

Penn State landed three recruits when two high school seniors and one junior committed to the Nittany Lions today during visits, according to the Web site fightonstate.com.

Shawney Kersey, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound wide receiver from Woodbury, N.J. gave Penn State his pledge earlier in the day. John Urschel, a 6-3, 263-pound guard from Buffalo, was the next Class of 2009 recruit to select the Lions.

With signing day a few weeks away, Penn State now has 25 commitments for next year’s class.

Sandwiched in between Kersey and Urschal was Paul Jones, a blue chip quarterback from McKees Rocks, Pa. The 6-3, 206-pound prospect is the Lions’ second recruit for the Class of 2010.

A month ago, Penn State was in serious need of scholarship quarterbacks. But with senior Kevin Newsome’s commitment last month and Jones now on board, the Lions have addressed an area that was once a concern.

In case there was any confusion, Penn State's Maurice Evans has officially declared for the NFL Draft. The junior defensive end had until yesterday to inform all pertinent parties that he was leaving college a year early. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson confirmed this last night and the team, through Director of Football Branding Guido D'Elia, announced he was gone today.

I'm not sure if Evans has hired an agent, though. If he refrains from accepting the services of a representative for 48 hours after declaring, he can rescind his decision and return to Penn State. I doubt if that's going to happen. According to many of the people I've spoken to, Evans is committed to leaving. In fact, I think he was gone before the season, even after the marijuana bust.

I'm not so sure it was the wisest move. Teams are really shying away from those types of transgressions and it wasn't like Evans blew everyone away with his play on the field last fall. I do think there is a lot of potential there. He's got the perfect build for an NFL defensive end and showed he had the motor as a sophomore.

On other note, I spoke to former Penn State defensive tackle Chris Baker and he's leaving college early, too. Baker tore it up at Hampton this past season and was a Division I-AA all-American. Some draft boards have him as high as a second round pick. Baker said the draft advisory committee gave him a fourth round grade.

In case you hadn't heard, Penn State defensive line coach Larry Johnson ain't goin' nowhere. You can scroll down to see my initial post. But I spoke to the man an hour ago so there's no further need for sourcing. Here's the transcript of my Q&A with LJ. The full story will be in tomorrow's newspaper or online for those too cheap (just kidding).

WILL YOU BE STAYING WITH PENN STATE?
That is true.

DID YOU SERIOUSLY ENTERTAIN ILLINOIS' OFFER?
I did. The offer came around the corner. I looked at it and it was a chance to move up to defensive coordinator and put your brand on it. I was intrigued by it and walked away impressed. It was flattering, to be honest. I said, 'I have to go think about it.' And I did. But when it came down to it, my love for my players, the university and the Penn State family kept me here.

DID YOU MEET WITH JOE PATERNO TO DISCUSS THE JOB OFFER?
We met on two occasions to talk about the process, the job and the offer. We met a couple of days ago and talked a little bit this morning. And then it was, I just had to figure out what I wanted to do and make sure I was sure I was doing the right thing and the best thing. The overriding factor, was the love for my players. It was the most important thing.

DID JOE [OR THE ATHLETIC DEPT.] OFFER A PROMOTION OR A RAISE?
No, that was not the case. I’ve never really been about money. ... I understand the lay of the land. I understand that there are people ahead of me that have been here longer and I have nowhere to go, but I’m happy where I’m at. There was no compromise. No deal. No anything. It was a 'Thank you,' 'You're welcome,' and 'Glad you're staying.' And that was enough for me.

ARE YOU STILL PASSIONATE ABOUT WANTING TO BE A HEAD COACH?
No question about it. I think that's in every assistant coach's mind -- to better himself. That’s why I went on to the interview to take a look at the possibility of doing that. In the future, maybe something else will come forward. But right now Penn State is the best place for me.

COULD YOU DESCRIBE THE BOND YOU HAVE WITH THE PLAYERS YOU COACH AND RECRUIT?
For me, it's always been about the players and the people you're involved with. It's tough for me because I'm a personal guy. It's real. Having to tell all of those families and all of those people that I was leaving, I knew it was going to be a tough process. It out-weighed anything else that I was looking at. It was unfair to do it to them at this particular time.

DID ILLINOIS ALSO OFFER AN ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH TAG?
No, that did not come up.

WERE YOU OFFERED MORE MONEY?
I was offered a negotiating fee, but we didn’t get that far. I don’t know where those [reported] numbers came from. But we never got that far because I hadn't accepted the job yet. There was never a number thrown out.

WHAT WAS PATERNO'S REACTION WHEN YOU TOLD HIM YOU WERE STAYING?
He was very happy that I was staying. He was very appreciative of the fact of what I’ve contributed to Penn State. I'm committed to bringing Penn State a national championship. That's my focus.

WITH AARON MAYBIN AND MAURICE EVANS LEAVING ARE YOU WORRIED?
Those are two great players that made decisions -- and we wish them well. They're going to be fine players. But I'm one of those guys, to be honest with you, the more you take the more you build. We have some young players that are going to step up and go to work. Aaron and Maurice were once unknown players that nobody knew about and there will be two other guys that come along that continue that. I don't worry about that.

Penn State defensive line coach Larry Johnson has decided not to accept a job offer from Illinois and will stay with the Nittany Lions, the Harrisburg Patriot-News reported this afternoon.

Inquirer sources confirmed the news.

This past weekend Johnson met with Illinois coach Ron Zook and was offered the defensive coordinator position along with a significant raise. According to a source close to Johnson, he mulled over the decision and seriously entertained the idea of leaving. The 57-year-old assistant then met with head coach Joe Paterno yesterday. Apparently, he chose to stay after that meeting.

The staff was informed of his staying today. It is not clear if Johnson was offered a promotion or a raise. A team source, though, said that Johnson's staying is not money related.

Johnson has become Penn State's best  recruiter and has had a hand in securing 11 of the Lions' 23 commitments for their incoming class.

Check tomorrow's newspaper or online for more on this breaking story.

I guess the information I got from the team about the three injured players in the Rose Bowl was incorrect. One of the three will miss spring practice and that person is running back Stephfon Green.

Green dislocated his right ankle and will miss 3-4 months, according to team doctor Wayne Sebastianelli. That should be enough time for the speedy tailback to be ready for the fall. It could impinge upon his development in the backfield. Green has lots of talent, but he has some learning still to do and could use the reps carrying to ball to cut down on his turnovers.

Evan Royster is expected to return as the starter at running back, but it's also nice to have a backup that can push a first teamer. Reserve Brent Carter is recovering from an ACL injury and should be close to 100 percent by the fall. Freshman Brandon Beachum is another option in the backfield.

Royster and tackle Dennis Landolt, both of whom injured their left knees in the Rose Bowl, are expected to healthy enough to participate in spring practice. Here's the team's official release on Green.

And then there were two.

Could Larry Johnson be next?

Penn State defensive end Maurice Evans is following in teammate Aaron Maybin's footsteps and is leaving college early to declare for the NFL Draft, according to team sources. The 6-foot-2, 265-pound junior had until Thursday to make a decision.

Maybin, a redshirt sophomore defensive end, officially announced his intentions today at a press conference at his high school in Ellicott City, Md. Some draft experts have Maybin going in the first round, but Evans' stock has dropped considerably since the beginning of the last season.

In September, Evans was arrested and charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was promptly suspended from the team for three games. In his place, Maybin had an all-American season with 12 sacks. As a sophomore, Evans recorded 21.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks. But this year his numbers dipped and he finished with just three sacks.

Defensive line coach Larry Johnson, meanwhile, is flirting with Illinois. Penn State's top recruiter, Johnson is reportedly being offered the defensive coordinator position with the Illini and a raise nearly double his current salary.

Right now, the ball appears to be in Penn State's court. Will the program be willing to offer Johnson a promotion and a raise? Stay tuned.