Penn State
6th Big Ten7-5
Alabama
5th SEC9-3
Penn State @ Alabama preview
Bryant-Denny Stadium
The long-dormant rivalry of two of college football's historical powers will be renewed Saturday, when No. 14 Penn State travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to take on top-ranked Alabama.
And the rebirth of a series that has been quiet since 1990 seems sure to be an intriguing matchup.
Alabama leads the series 8-5, and the defending national champion Crimson Tide is the favorite again; though, perhaps that's less clear-cut with reigning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram likely to miss a second consecutive game with a knee injury and star defensive end Marcell Dareus serving the second game of a two-game NCAA suspension for receiving improper agent benefits.
Ingram had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after he injured it in practice Aug. 30, and he had not returned to practice through Wednesday, making it unlikely he will be available against the Nittany Lions.
The Crimson Tide hardly missed Ingram last week, rolling up 591 total yards while pounding San Jose State 48-3. Redshirt freshman Eddie Lacy led the ground game with 111 yards and two touchdowns, and starter Trent Richardson and reserve Demetrius Goode added 66 yards apiece. Richardson, who took on a starring role in the national title game against Texas, scored two first-half touchdowns.
Quarterback Greg McElroy remained unbeaten as a starter, completing 13 of 15 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown before giving way to backup A.J. McCarron. Star wide out Julio Jones caught six passes for 93 yards and a touchdown.
With so many weapons on Alabama's offense, Penn State's defense will have to get off to a better start than last week, when it surrendered a first-quarter touchdown that gave Youngstown State an early lead. The unit rounded into form after that and held the Penguins to 264 total yards in a 44-14 victory.
Without Dareus, who led the team with 6 1/2 sacks last year, the Crimson Tide had seven new starters on defense last week, and the young unit held its own, limiting San Jose State to 175 total yards.
Alabama's secondary is particularly inexperienced -- but so is Penn State's quarterback. Robert Bolden last week became the first freshman quarterback to start a season opener in Joe Paterno's 45 years coaching the Nittany Lions. His debut was a solid one. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns but also threw an interception. Bolden beat out returning sophomores Kevin Newsome and Matt McGloin for the starting job, and his performance last week ensured he will hold onto the job for at least one more game.
The Nittany Lions will try to take some pressure off Bolden by improving a running game that managed a mediocre 132 yards on 29 carries last week. Senior running back Evan Royster -- who is 441 yards shy of Curt Warner's school rushing record -- was particularly disappointing, gaining 40 yards on 11 carries.
The rivalry was kicked into high gear when Alabama beat Penn State in the 1979 Sugar Bowl to win its 10th national championship. The teams met every year from 1981 to 1990, with Alabama winning six meetings. The Nittany Lions won the most recent meeting, though, winning 9-0 in 1990.
Penn State hasn't beaten a top-ranked team since taking down Notre Dame on Nov. 17, 1990, three weeks after its last meeting with the Crimson Tide.
And the rebirth of a series that has been quiet since 1990 seems sure to be an intriguing matchup.
Alabama leads the series 8-5, and the defending national champion Crimson Tide is the favorite again; though, perhaps that's less clear-cut with reigning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram likely to miss a second consecutive game with a knee injury and star defensive end Marcell Dareus serving the second game of a two-game NCAA suspension for receiving improper agent benefits.
Ingram had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after he injured it in practice Aug. 30, and he had not returned to practice through Wednesday, making it unlikely he will be available against the Nittany Lions.
The Crimson Tide hardly missed Ingram last week, rolling up 591 total yards while pounding San Jose State 48-3. Redshirt freshman Eddie Lacy led the ground game with 111 yards and two touchdowns, and starter Trent Richardson and reserve Demetrius Goode added 66 yards apiece. Richardson, who took on a starring role in the national title game against Texas, scored two first-half touchdowns.
Quarterback Greg McElroy remained unbeaten as a starter, completing 13 of 15 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown before giving way to backup A.J. McCarron. Star wide out Julio Jones caught six passes for 93 yards and a touchdown.
With so many weapons on Alabama's offense, Penn State's defense will have to get off to a better start than last week, when it surrendered a first-quarter touchdown that gave Youngstown State an early lead. The unit rounded into form after that and held the Penguins to 264 total yards in a 44-14 victory.
Without Dareus, who led the team with 6 1/2 sacks last year, the Crimson Tide had seven new starters on defense last week, and the young unit held its own, limiting San Jose State to 175 total yards.
Alabama's secondary is particularly inexperienced -- but so is Penn State's quarterback. Robert Bolden last week became the first freshman quarterback to start a season opener in Joe Paterno's 45 years coaching the Nittany Lions. His debut was a solid one. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns but also threw an interception. Bolden beat out returning sophomores Kevin Newsome and Matt McGloin for the starting job, and his performance last week ensured he will hold onto the job for at least one more game.
The Nittany Lions will try to take some pressure off Bolden by improving a running game that managed a mediocre 132 yards on 29 carries last week. Senior running back Evan Royster -- who is 441 yards shy of Curt Warner's school rushing record -- was particularly disappointing, gaining 40 yards on 11 carries.
The rivalry was kicked into high gear when Alabama beat Penn State in the 1979 Sugar Bowl to win its 10th national championship. The teams met every year from 1981 to 1990, with Alabama winning six meetings. The Nittany Lions won the most recent meeting, though, winning 9-0 in 1990.
Penn State hasn't beaten a top-ranked team since taking down Notre Dame on Nov. 17, 1990, three weeks after its last meeting with the Crimson Tide.