ESPN.com: NCF - JoePa no longer a lock to break Bryant's record

Because the records the Nittany Lions are establishing these days are more likely to tear down Paterno's reputation rather than elevate him above Bear Bryant for the most victories among Division I-A coaches.

Consider the evidence from the Nittany Lions' 18-6 loss to Wisconsin (Penn State fans are advised to cover their eyes for the next few minutes):

Joe Paterno1
Joe Paterno says "I'm going to have to step back and look at this whole football team."
The Nittany Lions were held to a total of 131 yards, the lowest mark ever under Paterno. For those of you keeping score at home, Paterno has been the team's head coach for 417 games.

The Nittany Lions rushed for just 23 yards, on 25 carries, the fourth-lowest total during Paterno's tenure.

The Nittany Lions are 0-2 for the second consecutive season. The last time that happened was 1964 and '65, Rip Engle's final two seasons as head coach.

Paterno (322-90-3) needs one victory to tie Bryant's record and two to take over the No. 1 spot. But considering his team's plight and the fact there are no sure victories on the schedule, the possibility exists that Paterno may not pass Bryant this season.

Paterno, as he has throughout the hubbub surrounding his pursuit of Bryant's mark, insists he doesn't care about such records. But just two games into the season, it is clear his team's ineptitude is getting under his 74-year-old skin. Longtime Penn State followers were stunned at the level of anger Paterno displayed after the loss to Wisconsin.

"The only thing I feel like doing right now is punching a wall," he said. "I'm angry."

Will Paterno start junior Matt Senneca or redshirt Zack Mills, both of whom struggled Saturday, at Iowa this week?

"I haven't got the slightest idea," Paterno said.

Paterno cleared up the mystery on Tuesday when he named Senneca as the starter. Nonetheless, no one seems to be able to unravel the mystery behind the Nittany Lions' sudden collapse over the last two-plus seasons.

There is a growing debate over whether the Nittany Lions still have sufficient talent on their roster. Though Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez sees gifted players throughout the team, Penn State's lack of playmakers on offense, particularly at quarterback, is startling.

"Any coach that watches the film realizes the quality of player," Alvarez said. "Most of us saw those kids as high school players. A lot of us tried to recruit them."

There does, however, seem to be a consensus that the downward spiral began on Nov. 6, 1999.

The Nittany Lions were 9-0 and ranked No. 2 in the nation when they were stunned at home by Minnesota, 24-23. They lost at home to Michigan the following week and then were beaten at Michigan State in the regular-season finale.

A victory over Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl helped ease the pain but a 5-7 record last season sparked whispers that perhaps the game had passed by Paterno.

The 0-2 start has turned those whispers into roars.

"You could almost do a stock-market chart from the day when they were No. 2 in the country and lost to Minnesota," said ABC-TV analyst Gary Danielson, who covered the Wisconsin-Penn State game. "It has been like the tech drop on the Nasdaq since that day.

"And I don't think it has anything to do with how old Joe Paterno is. I am completely flabbergasted."

So, too, are Paterno's players.

"I think we're kind of confused right now," defensive back Shawn Mayer said. "I just can't explain what happened."

Senneca added: "I don't know if there's any one things you can put your finger on."

Nor can the fans. But they are voicing their displeasure with increasing frequency and voracity.

When Senneca threw an incompletion on third down with 11:24 left in the first half Saturday, Beaver Stadium erupted in boos. The Nittany Lions had 13 total yards at that point, on three possessions.

Fans have a tendency to turn quickly on their teams and coaches but numbers do not lie.

After two weeks, Penn State is last or 10th in the Big Ten in 17 statistical categories.

Amazing.

That includes; last in scoring offense (6.5 points), rushing offense (52.5 yards per game), total offense (227.0 yards per game), rushing defense (289.0) yards per game), total defense (518.0 yards per game), first downs (27) and third-down conversions (4 of 23 for 17.4%).

No wonder Paterno can't find the words to explain what has gone wrong and can't find the solution to fix the problems.

"We played like a bunch of scared rabbits again in the first half," he said. "We have to find some people who have enough poise in a tough football game and make some plays happen.

"I'm going to have to step back and look at this whole football team."

Around the Big Ten

Illinois
Illinois coach Ron Turner is working diligently to downplay the hype surrounding the Illini's Big Ten opener at Michigan this week. Good luck, coach. "We definitely look at this as a game that could set the tone for the rest of the season," receiver Walter Young told reporters this week. Young, a junior, remembers how the outcome of this budding rivalry affected the Illini's fortunes in each of the last two seasons. Two years ago, Illinois was 0-3 in the Big Ten when it rallied to stun Michigan, 35-29, in Ann Arbor. The Illini won four of their next five games, including a 63-21 rout of Virginia in the Micronpc.com Bowl to finish 8-4. Last season, the Illini were 3-0 but lost at home to the Wolverines, 35-31. They were never the same team afterward and finished 2-6 in the Big Ten. "We weren't the same team emotionally after that," Turner said. "We lost our confidence and our swagger." ... Illinois leads the nation in turnover margin with a plus-10, thanks largely to 12 turnovers forced by a rejuvenated defense. That defense forced five turnovers in a 34-10 rout over Louisville last week. ... Illinois is trying to open the season with four consecutive victories for the first time since 1951. That team went on to win the Big Ten title and rout Stanford, 40-7, in the Rose Bowl to finish 9-0-1 and No. 3 in the UPI poll and No. 4 in the AP poll.

Indiana
Antwaan Randle El's days as a college wide receiver appear to be over. After a disastrous offensive performance in the opener at North Carolina State, when Tommy Jones started at quarterback, Randle El returned to his usual spot in the 28-26 loss to Utah last week. He had 226 total yards, 157 passing and 69 rushing, and is there to stay. "A lot of things, going back to December and January, led us in the direction we went initially," said Indiana coach Cam Cameron, whose team plays host to Ohio State on Saturday. "All indications were we were going to be successful. But you get an opportunity in a game situation and it doesn't work out the way you would like, you owe it to your football team to go in another direction." ... With his 226 total yards against Utah, Randle El moved past Ohio State's Art Schlichter (8,850 yards, 1978-'81) and into fourth place on the Big Ten's total offense list with 9,006 yards. He needs 129 total yards to pass Purdue's Mark Hermann (9,134 yards, 1977-'80) and move into third place on the Big Ten's all-time list. ... The Hoosiers have met Ohio State 23 times in Bloomington. Their record in those games is 2-20-1.

Iowa
After sitting idle for two weeks, the Hawkeyes (2-0) open their Big Ten schedule at home against winless Penn State. You might think Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz would be giddy to take on the Nittany Lions, who have been manhandled by Miami (Fla.) and Wisconsin. Ferentz, though, is worried because of the way in which the Nittany Lions have performed. "They've got a proud, proud program," he said. "I happened to be at Penn State this past weekend and I know coach Paterno was not happy and was outspoken about that. So I've got to think that we're going to get their best shot. There is no doubt about that." ... Including their two non-conference victories this season, the Hawkeyes have won four of their final five regular-season games. The streak began with a 26-23 double-overtime victory at Penn State last season. "That was undoubtedly a big win for us," Ferentz said. "To go into Penn State and win, in a real tough environment, was a major boost to our confidence." The Hawkeyes have scored on 11 of 12 drives into the red zone this season, with eight touchdowns and three field goals.

Michigan
Lloyd Carr doesn't seem to be as enthusiastic about his team's level of preparedness for the Big Ten opener against Illinois as are his players. Why? Because Carr looks at the stat sheet and sees his defense surrendered 374 passing yards in the victory over Western Michigan. In addition, the Wolverines were penalized 13 times, two off the school record, for 111 yards. "We've always been a team that takes pride in not beating itself," Carr said, "so 13 penalties is not acceptable. Either we learn that, or we'll learn it the hard way. ... Prior to the season, the Michigan coaches weren't quite sure whether junior B.J. Askew would be a better fit at fullback or tailback. Askew showed in the victory over Western Michigan he can do both. With tailback Chris Perry out for most of the game with a minor knee injury, Askew ran 15 times for a career-high 112 yards and two scores, and caught five passes for 66 yards and another score. "You don't know exactly what I'm going to do back there," Askew said, "run, block or catch a screen pass." ... Michigan sold 6,000 special-edition programs for $10 each and donated half of the proceeds to a relief fund and student-athletes from other sports collected over $5,000 in donations.

Michigan State
As long as the Spartans keep winning, coach Bobby Williams has no intention of tinkering with his quarterback rotation. So even though Ryan Van Dyke threw a pair of second-half touchdown passes to rally the Spartans to a 17-10 victory over Notre Dame last week, sophomore Jeff Smoker will start this week at Northwestern. Van Dyke, who completed 9 of 15 passes for 149 yards, will come off the bench. "So far," Williams said, "using two quarterbacks has continued to work for us. Both continue to play well and we will continue to use both." ... Anyone who watched the Michigan State-Notre Dame game saw a frightening scene in the final quarter. Junior left guard Paul Harker collapsed on the sideline during the final quarter after suffering complications from a severe stinger in his neck. Harker was kept overnight for testing at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in South Bend and was released Sunday. However, he is out indefinitely. "I was just praying to myself," left guard William Whittaker said of Harker's situation. "I just wanted him to be fine. He is one of us. We are all brothers." Unfortunately for the Spartans, Whittaker suffered a severely sprained ankle on the fifth play of the game and didn't return. He may not be able to play Saturday. ... Senior punter Craig Jarrett bounced back from a disastrous performance against Central Michigan to average 49.8 yards on nine punts in the victory over Notre Dame. Jarrett twice boomed 71-yarders, the second time coming with less than 2 minutes to play to pin the Irish at their 26-yard line.

Minnesota
Coach Glen Mason faces two significant obstacles on Saturday. His team plays host to Purdue, a team the Gophers have never beaten in Mason's four seasons. And the Gophers have been off for three weeks. As a result, Mason has no idea how his players will respond. "I don't think anybody enjoys a 21-day layoff," Mason said. "It doesn't feel like you're normal year because of all the things that have taken place. I don't really like it but you have to deal with the hand that was dealt to you." ... Senior Travis Cole will start at quarterback against the Boilermakers. Cole had been splitting time with sophomore Asad Abdul-Khaliq, who is expected to play Saturday. "I think he gives us the best chance to win," Mason said of Cole. "But both of them will play and unless something unforeseen happens that is the way we'll go for the remainder of the year." ... Cole won the starting job last season by coming off the bench at Purdue after the Gophers had fallen behind by 24-0. He completed 17 of 27 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the 38-24 loss.

Northwestern
After a quiet 113-yard performance in the opener against UNLV, senior tailback Damien Anderson reminded Heisman voters not to dismiss his chances so quickly. Anderson rushed for 189 yards and tied a school record with four touchdowns in the Wildcats' 44-7 victory over Duke. The normally quiet Anderson admitted he had something to prove. "Two weeks ago we weren't as consistent as we normally are in the running game," he said. "But (this) was a great day to showcase our ability and prove to everyone that we can still run the ball." ... Senior wide receiver Sam Simmons, who has 13 catches for 226 yards, suffered a broken right ring finger in the victory over Duke. However, he might be able to play Saturday when the Wildcats play host to Michigan State in the teams' Big Ten opener. ... Even with Simmons knocked out of the game, the Wildcats still generated 335 passing yards as Zak Kustok spread the ball around. Simmons had 65 receiving yards before leaving but Patrick Kunle (64 yards), Anderson (61) and Roger Jordan (54) all contributed. ... Northwestern's showdown Saturday shapes up as the classic battle between a powerful offense and a stingy defense. Northwestern leads the Big Ten in total offense (524.5 yards per game) and Michigan State leads the conference in total defense (283.5 yards per game).

Ohio State
As the Buckeyes prepare for a road game against winless Indiana, the most pressing question being asked by OSU fans is this: Is our offense really that bad? Listen to the words of first-year coach Jim Tressel, when asked where the unit needed to improve. "If we are more consistent up front, grow a little bit out wide, get better at the quarterback position and come up with plays at the tailback," he said, "we're obviously going to be a much better offensive football team." Let's see, Tressel mentioned the line, wide receivers, quarterback and running backs. Did he miss anyone?. ... No player on the offensive unit will be under more scrutiny this week than quarterback Steve Bellisari, who completed 5 of 23 passes for 45 yards with two interceptions in the 13-6 loss to UCLA last week. His longest completion covered 11 yards and he was just 1 for 17 for nine yards after the opening quarter. Despite those numbers, Tressel didn't pull Bellisari in favor of Scott McMullen against the Bruins and plans to start Bellisari against the Hoosiers. "Do I wish we had a guy who was 16 for 25 for 248 yards last week and no interceptions?" Tressel asked at his weekly news conference. "Absolutely. We didn't have that, so we have to go to work." ... If Ohio State's offense doesn't start carrying the load soon, the members of the defense might stage a mutiny. They said all the right things after the loss to the Bruins but no one should blame them for getting a bit surly if the offense continues to struggle. Ohio State started four drives inside UCLA territory but failed to score a single point. One of the possessions started at the UCLA nine and another at the 15. Overall, the Buckeyes converted only 1 of 14 third-down chances.

Purdue
Redshirt freshman Brandon Hance is maturing rather rapidly. In the opener against Cincinnati, he completed 14 of 25 attempts for only 117 yards, the fewest passing yards of any starter under Joe Tiller. Hance showed far more poise and knowledge of the system last week in a 33-14 victory over Akron. He led the Boilermakers on four scoring drives in the second half and finished 21 for 37 for 252 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. "I think I felt more comfortable out there," Hance said. "There was a lot more to work with. The coaches opened up the game plan a little bit more. Nothing compares with experience. Every time I'm out there, I feel more comfortable." ... Hance could face a formidable challenge from the Gophers, though. Minnesota is No. 2 in the Big Ten in pass defense, allowing 137.5 yards per game. On the flip side, the Gophers are 10th in rushing defense, allowing an average of 196.5 yards per game. ... In eight meetings since 1993, the teams have combined for 637 points, an average of 79.6 per game, and 7,820 yards, an average of 977.5 per game. Purdue has won six of the eight meetings.

Wisconsin
After missing the last 10 quarters with a bruised liver, junior quarterback Brooks Bollinger returned to the lineup in an 18-6 victory at Penn State and reasserted his status as the team's starting quarterback. Although the Badgers failed to capitalize on several scoring chances, Bollinger's running ability and guile provided the offense with a versatility it had been lacking this season. Bollinger accounted for 173 of the team's 434 yards, rushing 12 times for 123 yards and a touchdown and completing 7 of 12 passes for 61 yards and another score. As a result, the Badgers possessed the ball an incredible 41 minutes 53 seconds compared to just 18:07 for Penn State. The Badgers entered the day converting just 24.4% of their third down chances (11 of 45) but converted 10 of 18 third-down chances (55.6%) against the Nittany Lions. ... Freshman kicker Mike Allen will have to fight in practice this week to keep his starting job for the team's home game against Western Kentucky. Allen missed two field goals, one of which was blocked, and an extra point. He didn't appeared to be as poised as he had been in the team's first three games, when he made four of five field goals and eight of nine extra points. ... Redshirt freshman tailback Anthony Davis' 200-yard rushing performance against Penn State marked just the seventh 200-yard effort by a Wisconsin freshman. Ron Dayne had five games of 200 yards or more in 1996 and Alan Ameche had one in 1951.