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It looked like a worst-case scenario when Michael Mauti had to be carted off the Beaver Stadium field with a left knee injury last Saturday.
It appears to be just that even though coach Bill O’Brien declined to talk about the extent of Mauti’s injury Tuesday out of respect for the senior outside linebacker and his family.
O’Brien did say something telling when asked about how Mauti is dealing with his second major knee injury in as many seasons. He referenced Tom Brady and Wes Welker, each of whom he coached in New England.
Brady and Welker suffered season-ending knee injuries while O’Brien was with the Patriots, and each tore his ACL and MCL (medial collateral ligament).
That is probably what Mauti did too after an Indiana running back chop blocked the fifth-year senior while he was engaged with another player.
“It’s a very difficult thing for him personally, and I’ve been around that,” O’Brien said of Mauti’s injury. “I’ve seen Tom Brady have that knee injury. I’ve seen Wes Welker. Guys that just live and breathe the game and it’s a very difficult thing to deal with.”
What may be most difficult for Mauti is trying to convince an NFL team to take him even though he almost certainly won’t be able to work out for teams before the draft in late April.
It’s hard to imagine the NCAA granting Mauti medical hardship and granting him a sixth season since he played most of this season. And that option may not even interest Mauti as much as he loves Penn State.
He has sustained three serious knee injuries in college. Another one would likely end any chances of him playing at the next level.
Plus, he has already given Penn State everything he has, and Mauti is probably anxious to start the next chapter of his life as murky as that looks right now.

– Scott Brown

If Bill O’Brien left Penn State after this season it would have Donovan Smith-sized ramifications on the football program.
It is not inconceivable that Penn State would experience a fall as precipitous as SMU did after the NCAA gave the latter the death penalty in the 1980s – and that it might take as long as a decade to recover.
That is how important O’Brien has been in holding the program together in the aftermath of draconian NCAA sanctions.
The Nittany Lions are 6-4 without a signature victory, but they have a good chance at an eight-win season.
That would have been unthinkable after an opportunistic hypocrite doubling as the NCAA president used a criminal matter to strafe the football program in some misguided attempt to flex his muscles (think Gilbert Gottfried admiring his biceps in a mirror) and destroy a culture that has consistently produced higher graduate rates among football players than regular students.
O’Brien, as when he was hired last January to replace Joe Paterno, has said and mostly done all of the right things during the most tumultuous period in Penn State football history. He seems to be made for the job of keeping Penn State competitive and relevant as it weathers sanctions that include a four-year ban on postseason play and a loss of scholarships.
The challenge is one he has embraced, and the only reason why there is a question of whether O’Brien will ultimately see it through is because of what he said earlier this week.
Or rather what he didn’t say.
O’Brien was twice asked about speculation that an NFL team will pursue him as a head coach in the offseason. Both times he said his focus is on Indiana, the team that gave up 564 rushing yards last week in a 48-point loss to visiting Wisconsin.
O’Brien’s non-answer in regard to the NFL heightened anxiety among Nittany Lions fans and with good reason. The former Patriots offensive coordinator left an opening, and if the right NFL opportunity presents itself O’Brien would be crazy not to at least listen.
This situation, it should be noted, is in no way comparable to what happened at Pitt last year where Todd Graham left after one season for Arizona State and cemented his reputation as a snake-oil salesman.
Graham never took to Pittsburgh.
He seemed irritated that the Panthers share a practice facility with the Steelers, something most coaches would see as a positive. He also resisted overtures from Steelers coach Mike Tomlin to help him become part of the fabric of a blue-collar city that is passionate about sports and especially football.
O’Brien is the complete opposite.
He and his wife have embraced State College and become involved in the community. O’Brien has also struck the proper balance between respecting (and keeping) longstanding football traditions while also creating new ones. He seems nothing but genuine when he talks about what a special place Penn State is, and there is absolutely no indication that O’Brien is eyeing a return to the NFL.
I would be really, really surprised if O’Brien left after this season.
Shocked? Not so much.
Look at what Greg Schiano has done in turning around Tampa Bay after experiencing moderate success at Rutgers and tell me O’Brien isn’t high on the radar of teams that are already resigned to make a coaching change in the offseason.
O’Brien has proven he can do more than coach a finished (and Hall of Fame) product at quarterback in Tom Brady. Matt McGloin’s transformation is proof of that.
O’Brien has also shown he is adept at crisis management, something that is a requirement of head coaches at the next level given the confluence of egos, money and immaturity in NFL locker rooms.
I’m not sure any team can offer the right package of money, authority an opportunity (i.e. a chance to win right away) to lure O’Brien away from what appears to be his dream job.
But all it takes is one.

Bill O’Brien chose his words carefully. He was also vague when asked about officiating at his weekly news conference, so as not to incur the wrath of the Big Ten.
But O’Brien made it clear that he will be seeking answers about some of the calls that have been made in his first season as head coach. He also plans to inquire about the conference’s process following the de facto appeals that are made in regard to disputed calls.
“I want defined what is this, what is that, what are we looking for here?” O’Brien said Wednesday. “If we have questions on certain calls that were made we do send it in, but that will be one of my question: OK, what happens when we send them in? We get a response, but what’s done after that?
“I have a lot of respect for the Big Ten officials, they’re good at communicating and I’m sure they haven’t had a lot of fun with me, certain crews haven’t had a lot of fun with me (but) I’m going to fight for my players, my staff, for Penn State and that’s the way I’m always going to be.”
O’Brien is already dealing with the same frustration that Joe Paterno experienced with Big Ten officiating, and it is easy to see why.
The holding call that gave Ohio State a first down when Penn State had a 7-0 lead and truckload of momentum was a crummy one, and it changed the complexion of the game. There also appeared to be a hold on Michael Mauti when the Penn State had Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller trapped in the backfield at a critical juncture in the third quarter.
Miller made like Houdini in evading several Penn State defenders, including Gerald Hodges, and diving into the end zone for the kind of touchdown that sucks the soul of out of a defense.
You won’t see a better 1-yard run, and the larger point when it comes to that play is this: Ohio State simply made more plays than Penn State last Saturday, and the Buckeyes were the better team at Beaver Stadium.
That reality is probably the other reason why O’Brien didn’t tee off on the officiating.
I liked the tone he struck, not making it so big of an issue that it looked like he was blaming the loss on officiating while also making it clear that he will stand up for his players and program.
At least someone at Penn State is still willing to do that.

– Scott Brown

Ron Vanderlinden has coached his share of standout linebacking corps since he has been at Penn State, and he indicated that this year’s group is as good as any he’d had.
“Athletically, I think they ran right near the top of the list,” Vanderlinden said Thursday during a conference call. “They’re all unique in their own way but I think they’re all talented and they share a passion for the game and the ability to make plays.”
This year has no been exception at “Linebacker U.”
Michael Mauti and Gerald Hodges are having All-American caliber seasons.
And Vanderlinden became the latest Penn State coach or player to talk up underrated inside linebacker Glenn Carson.
The veteran coach talked about a number of different subjects Thursday. Here are some excerpts from his conference call:

On if there is any downside to Mauti’s energy level
I don’t think there’s any downside at all. He’s got the right blend of enthusiasm, intensity, a lot of energy but he doesn’t go overboard where he loses his focus and I think that would always be a concern that somebody is revved up that they’re just kind of running around crazy and Mike doesn’t do that. He’s played a lot of football and that’s his personality to be amped up and I’m glad it is because every team needs two or three guys like that, and I think on the field he and Gerald Hodges both provide that kind of energy and yet you’ve got Glenn Carson in the middle who makes all of the calls and the adjustments, he’s a little bit more of the brain in terms of getting us set and (he’s) a real physical run-stopper inside. Sometimes he’s overlooked because of the big plays that Gerald and Mike make, but Glenn makes a lot of solid, inside the tackle plays for us.

On whether Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller compares with any other player he has faced
You’d have to compare the quarterback at Michigan. Pryor was a little different in terms of run style but boy he was big, strong, fast runner and also could beat you throwing the ball. Every year I think you’ve got a couple of players that are just tremendous challenges with their feet and their arm and certainly Braxton is right up there at the top of that list.

On his role in recruiting and the challenges he has faced this year
Coach O’Brien’s evaluation process is very thorough. We have the mantra here that we’re all one team and we’re all working together. I evaluate the players in my area as each coach does and I also evaluate all of the linebackers and each position coach evaluates his area and also the players that play at his position and ultimately coach O’Brien sees every player as well so it’s a pretty thorough evaluation process.

On how long he wants to keep coaching and whether he has head coaching aspirations
I think every assistant coach would love to be the head coach. However, I enjoy the role that I have and enjoy what I am doing. I hope to coach another 10 years. I feel like I’m still a young man.

– Scott Brown

Bill O’Brien coach of the year? No doubt.
The notion that Penn State wouldn’t field a competitive team after the NCAA hit the football team with severe sanctions? Absurd.
The difference between the two teams that will meet Saturday in the unofficial Probation Bowl? Penn State’s players had nothing to do with why the NCAA hammered the football program in July.
Those are the opinions of Penn State outside linebacker Michael Mauti, who can be just as direct off the football field as he is on it.
Mauti was asked Tuesday during a teleconference about so-called experts who said Penn State would have been better off had the NCAA just shut down the program for a year instead of handing down the crippling sanctions.
“To me that’s pretty much a joke and totally disrespectful in my opinion,” said Mauti, who will lead 5-2 Penn State against 8-0 Ohio State at Beaver Stadium. “I really don’t know who was making those kinds of decisions. I think it’s better for me to keep my mouth shut on that one.”
Mauti did offer his opinion when asked if he had any sympathy for Ohio State, which, like Penn State, is not eligible for postseason play this season.
“They’re both a little bit different,” Mauti said. “We didn’t do anything to get our sanctions as a team. We didn’t cheat. I’m not saying they’re cheaters and we have a lot of respect for Ohio State, it’s a great program. But we’re unrelated to the reasoning behind our program getting sanctioned.”
Mauti, who has played like a first-team All-American, said he does not pay attention to individual awards. He did say that O’Brien should get recognized as coach of the year even though there are still five games left in the season.
“There’s no question in my mind,” Mauti said.

– Scott Brown

Zach Zwinak has rushed for at least 100 yards in back-to-back games, but there is a reason why the redshirt sophomore is No. 2 on Penn State’s depth chart: the Nittany Lions have no plans to ditch the committee approach they have been using at running back.
“I like to rotate guys in and it’s really worked out well for us in the last few weeks,” Penn State running backs coach Charles London said. “We’ve had Zach and (Michael) Zordich come in and pound them, and we can bring Billy (Belton) and Billy’s more of an elusive type runner. We can bring different looks to defenses and I think it’s paid off. By the third, fourth quarter when it wears a defense down, so I really think it’s been to our advantage that we can roll a fresh back in and take advantage of the situation.”
Add Belton to the list of fresh backs.
London said the sophomore has fully recovered from the high-ankle sprain he sustained in the season opener. What the upcoming game at Iowa should reveal is whether Belton is No. 1 on the depth chart in name only.
Zwinak got 28 carries against Northwestern, and the Washington, D.C-area resident did a fair John Riggins impersonation in rushing for 121 yards and a touchdown. Belton got four carries early in the Northwestern game, but did not see the field in the second half.
London said Penn State has not lost faith in Belton, who played wide receiver as a true freshman and also logged some snaps at quarterback in the “Wildcat” formation late last season.
“The bye week really helped him a little bit to heal up, and he’s still developing as a player,” London said. “He hasn’t played the position for that long a period of time, but he still does a lot of things really well, and he’s going to be a big part of our game plan Saturday.”

– Scott Brown

Illinois coach Tim Beckman has one regret when it comes to the recruitment of Penn State players after the NCAA and President Culture allowed them to transfer without penalty.
But it has nothing to do with what stirred a considerable amount of anger and disgust among Bill O’Brien and Nittany Lions players such as Michael Mauti.
“I regret that it ended up being this much and that it’s still talked about,” Beckman said of one of the main subplots leading up to the Penn State-Illinois game Saturday. “But it did give a young man the opportunity to make his decision on what he wanted to do.”
Offensive tackle Ryan Nowicki, a redshirt freshman, is the only player that Illinois landed after the NCAA levied sanctions against Penn State — and then offered an escape hatch to anyone who wanted to leave the program.
But Illini coaches were among the most aggressive of the schools that recruited Penn State players. Beckman said Illinois merely told players they encountered that they could meet with Illini coaches off campus if they were interested in transferring.
“And if they didn’t (have interest) then we wouldn’t pursue them any further,” Beckman said. “We did not go and chase them.”
Beckman said he talked to O’Brien at Big Ten Media Days in late July about what happened. He was vague when asked Monday if the two resolved any differences they had over the recruitment of Penn State players.
“I hope so but this game’s about the players and playing it on the field,” Beckman said. “I know coach O’Brien does a great job of getting his players prepared and ready and I think he’s done a fabulous job with that program and it will be a 60-minute battle.”

– Scott Brown

Matt McGloin leads the Big Ten with eight touchdown passes, against just one interception, and he is fourth in the conference with 229.3 passing yards per game.
The senior, much maligned in past seasons, may also be Exhibit A as to juggling quarterbacks isn’t that much better of an idea than juggling knives.
“I haven’t been trying to force myself to make big plays because I’m the clear-cut starter and I don’t feel like I have to go out there and try and make big plays to stay in the football game,” McGloin said Wednesday. “I don’t consider myself to be playing safe or anything like that. I’ve been doing a good job of making the right reads and delivering the ball.”
McGloin isn’t playing safe as much as he is playing carefree since the Scranton native has the quarterback position all to himself. He won an open competition in the spring, and Bill O’Brien made one of his best moves as a coach when he scrapped the idea of having co-starters — or whatever the heck McGloin and the since-departed Rob Bolden were the previous two seasons.
The security that came with that decision isn’t the only reason why McGloin has thrived through the first three games of the season.
O’Brien, who worked with Tom Brady while with New England, spends time with the quarterbacks every day save for the players’ off day. McGloin has thrived under that tutelage as well what he has learned from quarterbacks coach Charlie Fisher.
“I had to put the time in and just take the coaching,” McGloin said.
O’Brien said recently that he wishes he had a couple of more seasons to work with McGloin. He isn’t the only one who wouldn’t mind turning back the clock.
“He made me better than I ever thought I was capable of being,” McGloin said of O’Brien. “He’s opened my eyes up to so many different things as a quarterback, seeing different things, slowing the game down, making the right decisions. I feel like one of the luckiest quarterbacks in the nation. I feel like I’m in a really good spot right now.”

– Scott Brown

Bill O’Brien is candid — particularly for someone who considers the ultra-secretive Bill Belichick a mentor — when it comes to his philosophy on punting.
Simply put, he doesn’t place a premium on playing for field position, something that makes the first-year Penn State coach Joe Paterno’s polar opposite in that regard.
“Once we get really close to the 50, I’m pretty much not going to punt it,” O’Brien said. “If it’s a manageable fourth down we’re going to go for it.”
What O’Brien defines as manageable will be become clearer as the season progresses. But his go-for-it mentality was apparent before O’Brien talked about it at his weekly news conference.
Penn State has already gone for it seven times in two games, compared to 18 fourth-down attempts in 13 games last season.
O’Brien’s players, naturally, love his aggressive approach to fourth down.
“In years past we never went for it on fourth and one,” senior cornerback Stephon Morris said. “Him having faith (in the defense) means a lot to us.”
“Some may not agree with that, saying you put your defense in a tough spot but we have a great defense,” quarterback Matt McGloin said.
So far O’Brien hasn’t put his defense in a bad spot as Penn State has converted five times on fourth down and also successfully executed a fake punt.
To those who think O’Brien’s propensity to go for it is a bit of a reckless, his approach is actually the opposite of that.
O’Brien is mindful that once the Nittany Lions get close to midfield he can call play with the idea that he has four downs to move the chains, not three. That makes what he is doing actually quite calculated.
“I’ve always been a big fan of the saying ‘We get four downs for a reason,’ ” McGloin said. “We’re not going to do it every time but we feel like when we have the right opportunity or the right play call then we’ll take advantage of it.”

– Scott Brown

A team that only throws when it has to may not seem like a get-well opponent for Penn State’s secondary, but that is exactly how senior cornerback Stephon Morris is viewing Navy.
“This Navy game is going to be a big confidence boost for us, especially if we get up on them early,” Morris said.
Translation: Navy, which averaged less than 90 passing yards last season when it had an experienced quarterback, could serve up a few interceptions if it falls behind early in the Saturday game at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State defensive backs have yet to make an interception this season, and they are on the spot due to the Nittany Lions’ inability to get off the field.
Penn State is allowing a third-down conversion rate of 61.1 percent, which is as astounding as it is abysmal, and Morris said that is all on the secondary.
“They’re pretty much throwing seam routes, going at the safeties, attacking the middle of the field,” Morris said. “That’s not the linebackers or d line’s problem. I would say it’s a secondary problem.”
One solution to the Nittany Lions’ woes on third down could be playing starting cornerback Adrian Amos at safety in passing situation. The sophomore has the size and physicality to match up with tight ends and bigger wide receivers that run seam routes, and Morris said he expects to see Amos shuttling between cornerback and safety in the coming weeks.
One player Penn State fans won’t see the rest of the season is wide receiver Shawney Kersey.
The redshirt junior left the team for personal reasons, and Morris said the two are close since they were in the same recruiting class. But with Penn State in what Morris called a “must-win opportunity,” he was in no mood to ponder what impact Kersey’s loss will have on the team.
“All I know is the train can’t stop rolling,” Morris said. “Whatever Shawney’s doing I wish him the best but he’s not a main focus at all. He’s not part of this team so it don’t even matter.”

– Scott Brown