2004 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

Last updated

2004 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Penn State text logo.svg
Conference Big Ten Conference
Record4–7 (2–6 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Galen Hall (1st season)
Offensive scheme Pro-style
Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley (5th season)
Base defense 4–3
Home stadium Beaver Stadium
Seasons
  2003
2005  
2004 Big Ten Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 14 Michigan $+  7 1   9 3  
No. 8 Iowa +  7 1   10 2  
No. 17 Wisconsin  6 2   9 3  
Northwestern  5 3   6 6  
No. 20 Ohio State  4 4   8 4  
Purdue  4 4   7 5  
Michigan State  4 4   5 7  
Minnesota  3 5   7 5  
Penn State  2 6   4 7  
Illinois  1 7   3 8  
Indiana  1 7   3 8  
  • $ BCS representative as conference champion
  • + Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2004 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team's head coach was Joe Paterno. It played its home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.

Contents

Preseason

The spring saw some changes to the coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Fran Ganter was named the new Associate Athletic Director for Football Administration, after 37 years as a player and coach for Penn State. Former Penn State quarterback Galen Hall joined the coaching staff as the new offensive coordinator and running backs coach. Mike McQueary, another former Penn State quarterback, joins the staff as the wide receivers coach and will also serve as the recruiting coordinator. [1]

In addition to the coaching changes, head coach Joe Paterno had his contract extended through the 2008 football season, despite having had three losing seasons in the past four. [2]

Last season's second-leading receiver Maurice Humphrey was expelled from school and convicted of three counts of simple assault. He would not play another down for Penn State. Humphrey's expulsion created a void of experience at the wide receiver position. Senior Gerald Smith was the most experienced receiver, and he had only 15 catches in 2003.

Prior to the season, Zack Mills and Derek Wake were elected team co-captains by their teammates. [3]

Penn State started the season unranked in both the AP and the Coaches college football preseason polls.

Recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for recruits
NameHometownHigh school / collegeHeightWeight40Commit date
Wyatt Bowman
OL
Mechanicsburg, PennsylvaniaCumberland Valley HS6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)314 lb (142 kg)5.20Apr 26, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 3 stars.svg     Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Dontey Brown
LB
McKeesport, PennsylvaniaMcKeesport Area SHS6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)252 lb (114 kg)4.70May 2, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 3 stars.svg     Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Gerald Cadogan
OL
Portsmouth, OhioPortsmouth HS6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)310 lb (140 kg)5.10Aug 8, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 3 stars.svg     Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Paul Cianciolo
QB
St. George, South CarolinaDorchester Academy6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)228 lb (103 kg)4.75Dec 5, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 2 stars.svg     Rivals: 2 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Dan Connor
LB
Wallingford, PennsylvaniaStrath Haven HS6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)215 lb (98 kg)4.55Aug 5, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 5 stars.svg     Rivals: 5 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Tony Davis
CB
Warren, OhioHowland HS5 ft 11.5 in (1.82 m)180 lb (82 kg)4.40May 13, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 3 stars.svg     Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Josh Gaines
TE
Fort Wayne, IndianaNorthrop HS6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)253 lb (115 kg)4.80Aug 2, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 3 stars.svg     Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Matt Hahn
RB
Melville, New YorkSt. Anthony's HS6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)215 lb (98 kg)4.50Feb 20, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 3 stars.svg     Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Greg Harrison
OL
Shenandoah, PennsylvaniaShenandoah Valley JSHS6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)299 lb (136 kg)5.20Apr 26, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 5 stars.svg     Rivals: 4 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Jed Hill
TE
Struthers, OhioStruthers HS6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)247 lb (112 kg)4.60Jun 16, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 3 stars.svg     Rivals: 2 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Austin Hinton
OL
Secaucus, New JerseySecaucus HS6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)285 lb (129 kg)5.00Jul 1, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 2 stars.svg     Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Dan Lawlor
RB
Mechanicsburg, PennsylvaniaCumberland Valley HS6 ft 2.5 in (1.89 m)235 lb (107 kg)4.60Jun 24, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 3 stars.svg     Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Mike Lucian
TE
Frederick, MarylandLinganore HS6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)255 lb (116 kg)4.80Jun 18, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 3 stars.svg     Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Jordan Lyons
TE
College Park, GeorgiaWoodward Academy6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)225 lb (102 kg)4.70Jan 19, 2004 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 3 stars.svg     Rivals: 2 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Anthony Morelli
QB
Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPenn Hills SHS6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)216 lb (98 kg)4.70Feb 4, 2004 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 5 stars.svg     Rivals: 5 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Jordan Norwood
CB
State College, PennsylvaniaState College Area HS5 ft 8.5 in (1.74 m)143 lb (65 kg)NADec 20, 2003  Grayshirt.png
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 1 stars.svg     Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Rich Ohrnberger
OL
East Meadow, New YorkEast Meadow HS6 ft 3.5 in (1.92 m)282 lb (128 kg)4.90Jul 12, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 3 stars.svg     Rivals: 2 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Spencer Ridenhour
S
White Plains, New YorkWhite Plains SHS6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)212 lb (96 kg)4.47May 22, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 3 stars.svg     Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Elijah Robinson
DT
Camden, New JerseyWoodrow Wilson HS6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)290 lb (130 kg)NAJan 9, 2004 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 2 stars.svg     Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Mark Rubin
WR
Amherst, New YorkAmherst Central HS6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)205 lb (93 kg)4.50Jun 28, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 3 stars.svg     Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Tyrell Sales
LB
Butler, PennsylvaniaButler Area SHS6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)243 lb (110 kg)4.69Aug 10, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 4 stars.svg     Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
A.Q. Shipley
DT
Coraopolis, PennsylvaniaMoon SHS6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)285 lb (129 kg)4.96Jun 18, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 4 stars.svg     Rivals: 4 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Kevin Suhey
QB
State College, PennsylvaniaState College Area HS6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)195 lb (88 kg)4.68Dec 3, 2003  Grayshirt.png
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 2 stars.svg     Rivals: 2 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Trent Varva
OL
Lake Orion, MichiganLake Orion Community HS6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)310 lb (140 kg)5.00Jul 8, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: 3 stars.svg     Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 12   Rivals: 14
  • ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Penn State Commit List for 2004". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 8, 2007.
  • "Scout.com Football Recruiting: Penn State". Scout.com. Retrieved February 8, 2007.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved February 8, 2007.
  • "2004 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 8, 2007.

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 43:30 p.m. Akron * ESPN Plus W 48–1098,866
September 118:00 p.m.at Boston College * ABC L 7–2144,500
September 1812:00 p.m. UCF *
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ESPN PlusW 37–13101,715
September 255:45 p.m.at No. 20 Wisconsin ESPN L 3–1682,179
October 28:00 p.m.at No. 18 Minnesota ESPN PlusL 7–1650,386
October 94:30 p.m.No. 9 Purdue
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ESPNL 13–20108,183
October 2312:00 p.m.No. 25 Iowa Dagger-14-plain.png
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ESPN2 L 4–6108,062
October 3012:00 p.m.at Ohio State ABCL 10–21104,947
November 612:00 p.m. Northwestern
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ESPN+L 7–14100,353
November 1312:00 p.m.at Indiana ESPN PlusW 22–1824,092
November 2012:00 p.m. Michigan State
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry)
ESPN2W 37–13101,486
  • *Non-conference game
  • Dagger-14-plain.pngHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

Personnel

Roster

2004 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster
PlayersCoaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
WR 2Gio Vendemia Redshirt.svg  Jr
QB 3Chris Ganter Redshirt.svg  Jr
QB 6Mike Hart Redshirt.svg  Fr
QB 7 Zack Mills  (C)Sr
RB 8 Rodney Kinlaw Redshirt.svg  Fr
WR 9Terrance Phillips Redshirt.svg  Jr
WR 11Terrell Golden Redshirt.svg  Fr
QB 12 Michael Robinson Jr
WR 13Kinta Palmer Redshirt.svg  Jr
QB 14 Anthony Morelli Fr
QB 15Paul CiancioloFr
WR 16Dan Corrado Redshirt.svg  So
WR 17Mike Baird Redshirt.svg  Jr
TE 18Jordan LynonsFr
QB 19Tom Lundquist Redshirt.svg  Jr
WR 19Gerald Smith Redshirt.svg  Sr
TE 22Jed HillFr
WR 25Brendan Perretta Redshirt.svg  Fr
RB 26 Tony Hunt So
RB 28Chris Wilson Redshirt.svg  So
RB 33Austin ScottSo
RB 34Matt HahnFr
RB 36Nick Pinchek Redshirt.svg  Fr
FB 38Dan LawlorFr
FB 39Paul Jefferson Redshirt.svg  Sr
FB 42Adam Senk Redshirt.svg  Jr
FB 47Brian Gilmore Redshirt.svg  Jr
OT 50Andrew Richardson Redshirt.svg  Jr
OL 51Tim HarrisFr
G 54Scott Davis Redshirt.svg  Sr
OL 56Austin HintonFr
OT 58Greg HarrisonFr
G 59Charles Rush Redshirt.svg  Jr
C 60Patick Weber Redshirt.svg  Fr
OL 61Ross MuirFr
OL 63Joe TorielloFr
OL 64Wyatt BowmanFr
G 65Robert Price Redshirt.svg  So
C 66Lance Antolick Redshirt.svg  Jr
OT 67 Levi Brown Redshirt.svg  So
OT 68John Wilson Redshirt.svg  Jr
OL 69Tommy SchnellFr
G 70Nick Marmo Redshirt.svg  Sr
G 71Mark FarrisSo
OL 72Trent VarvaFr
OT 73Joel HollerFr
G 74 Tyler Reed Redshirt.svg  Jr
OT 76 Gerald Cadogan Fr
C 77E.Z. Smith Redshirt.svg  Jr
OT 79Chris Auletta Redshirt.svg  Fr
WR 80 Mark Rubin Fr
TE 81 Isaac Smolko Redshirt.svg  Jr
WR 82Vic Surma Redshirt.svg  So
WR 83Ryan Scott Redshirt.svg  Sr
TE 87 John Bronson Redshirt.svg  Sr
TE 88Kevin Darling Redshirt.svg  So
TE 98Mike Pawlikowski Redshirt.svg  Sr
Defense
Pos.#NameClass
CB 1 Anwar Phillips Redshirt.svg  Jr
DB 3 Deon Butler Fr
S 5Jim KanuchSo
S 6Donnie JohnsonSo
S 10 Calvin Lowry Redshirt.svg  Jr
S 11Jason Ganter Redshirt.svg  Fr
LB 14Andy KubicSo
CB 15Brent Wise Redshirt.svg  Fr
CB 16 Tony Davis Fr
DE 17Lavon Chisley Redshirt.svg  Jr
S 18Andrew Guman Redshirt.svg  Sr
CB 20Marcus Mills Redshirt.svg  Jr
LB 20 Tim Shaw Redshirt.svg  So
CB 21 Alan Zemaitis Jr
CB 22Darien HardySo
S 24Nolan McCreadySo
S 27 Chris Harrell Sr
S 29Paul Cronin Redshirt.svg  Jr
LB 30BranDon SnowSo
LB 31 Paul Posluszny So
CB 35John Royse Redshirt.svg  Jr
LB 35J.R. Zwierzynski Redshirt.svg  So
DB 37Spencer RidenhourFr
LB 40 Dan Connor Fr
DT 41 Scott Paxson Redshirt.svg  Jr
S 43Ethan Kilmer Redshirt.svg  Jr
DE 44Patrick HallSo
LB 45Pat BedicsFr
DB 46Curt Reese Redshirt.svg  Jr
DL 46 Tyrell Sales Fr
LB 48Matt Pavelic Redshirt.svg  So
LB 49Dorian Burton Redshirt.svg  Jr
LB 51Joe Cianciolo Redshirt.svg  Jr
LB 52Dontey BrownFr
DT 53Steve RoachSo
DE 54Amani Purcell Redshirt.svg  Fr
DE 55 Matthew Rice Redshirt.svg  Jr
LB 56Mike Sothern Redshirt.svg  Fr
DL 62Nick DaiseSo
DL 69Jason Robinson Redshirt.svg  Sr
DT 75Lee KuzemchakSo
DT 78John ShawSo
LB 84 Josh Gaines Fr
DT 85 Jay Alford So
DL 86Mike LucianFr
DL 91 Tamba Hali Redshirt.svg  Jr
DT 92Ed Johnson Redshirt.svg  So
DL 93 A.Q. Shipley Fr
LB 94 Derek Wake  (C) Redshirt.svg  Sr
DT 95Elijah RobinsonFr
DL 96 Rich Ohrnberger Fr
Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K 4 Robbie Gould Redshirt.svg  Sr
K 13Patrick HumesFr
K 21Joe ProkopikFr
K 23Tony BernatosFr
P 36 Jeremy Kapinos Redshirt.svg  So
P 49Brandon ReamSo
LS 57Chris Mauriello Redshirt.svg  Fr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured
  • Redshirt.svg Redshirt

Roster
Last update: August 13, 2004

Coaching staff

Game summaries

Akron

1234Total
Akron300710
Penn State21207048

The overwhelmed Zips find themselves behind 41–3 at halftime against Penn State, who subs in the backups, Penn State scores once in the third to make it 48–3, and Akron scores a late, meaningless touchdown against the Lions to bring the score to 48–10, with this being Galen Hall's first game as an offensive coordinator. This game gave Penn State fans false hope that their team was on the rebound from their 3–9 season last year. ESPN described the offense as "looking unstoppable", which led to the Lions being favored over Boston College the following week.

Boston College

1234Total
Penn State00707
Boston College777021

Boston College takes a 14–0 halftime lead at home over the Nittany Lions, and then takes a 21–7 lead after three for the game's final points. Sloppy play on offense ultimately doomed Penn State as Boston College becomes the first of three teams to score 20 or more points on a defense that didn't allow more than 21 points all year and the only team to score 21 offensive points on the Nittany Lions.

UCF

1234Total
UCF330713
Penn State0219737

Despite sloppy play and mistakes, the Golden Knights couldn't help but find themselves blown out by a much better Penn State team. After falling behind 3–0 in the first quarter, the Nittany Lions make it 21–6 at halftime and 30–6 after three thanks to a touchdown and a safety. The backups are subbed in for the fourth, both teams score, and it's 37–13 as the final score.

Wisconsin

1234Total
Penn State00303
Wisconsin763016

In a defensive game, three of Penn State's quarterbacks were injured. Zack Mills was knocked out for the game, sustained a concussion, and backup Michael Robinson was taken away in an ambulance after sustaining life-threatening injuries from a vicious hit. Third stringer Chris Ganter did little against the Badgers' defense with Penn State only managing a field goal in the third quarter, barely preserving their streak of games without being shut out. Wisconsin only scored 16 points, which was well below their average for the year.

Minnesota

1234Total
Penn State00707
Minnesota1006016

After the game, Minnesota players had said that they had not seen a defense of Penn State's caliber before, but won because of Penn State's offensive weaknesses, still, Penn State's defense kept them in the game for the majority of the game, which would be true for every game this season.

Purdue

1234Total
Purdue377320
Penn State0103013

Purdue managed only their second Big Ten win in history over Penn State by holding on for a 20–13 win at Beaver Stadium. It was a 10–10 tie and 17–13 after three, but Purdue's final field goal was enough to win it. Purdue's historic losses to Penn State include a loss in 2000 to a 5–7 Nittany Lions team while Purdue themselves were Big Ten champions, representing themselves at the Rose Bowl.

This game is also significant in the history of both Beaver Stadium and Penn State football for another reason not pertaining to the game itself. To try and draw extra excitement for the team, in what was a down year for the program, the athletic department asked the students to wear white to the game. Over 20,000 students participated in what would become the first ever White Out in school history. [4]

Iowa

1234Total
Iowa33006
Penn State20024

This is a game that by many Penn State fans was considered a low point for the football program because of the inept offenses and the fact that the only Penn State scores were defensive. The Penn State defense effectively shut down the Hawkeyes, forcing two first half field goals, but was unable to get anything going on offense. Penn State took a 2–0 lead on a safety early in the game, but the Hawkeyes had a field goal to make it 3–2, then another to make it 6–2 at halftime. The Hawkeyes barely gained any ground in the second half, and the Nittany Lions got their final two points from an elective safety in the fourth quarter because Iowa feared that Penn State would block the punt in the end zone, taking the lead on a touchdown, because they had already blocked a few punts that day. The strategy worked, Penn State coughed up the ball on their next drive and Iowa took a knee to kill the clock. While this game was a low point for Penn State, it was a big game for the Hawkeyes because head coach Kirk Ferentz's father died the week before.

While technically not an official White Out, students were encouraged to wear white again to this game. Participation was about the same as at the Purdue game and the loss resulted in a brief drop in the popularity of the event. [4]

Ohio State

1234Total
Penn State070310
Ohio State1470021

Ohio State scored a defensive and special teams touchdown, but Penn State's defense mostly kept them out of the end zone in a 21–10 loss, one of two times they scored double digits in the Horseshoe as a Big 10 team, the other time being in 2008 where they won 13–6 to take control of the Big Ten race. Penn State actually outscored the Buckeyes 10–7 offensively.

Northwestern

1234Total
Northwestern700714
Penn State07007

Penn State held the momentum and controlled the tempo of most of the game, but couldn't quite put the Wildcats away, despite having a few opportunities to, including a missed field goal and a drive that ended at the Northwestern 18, losing another close game 7–14.

Indiana

1234Total
Penn State707822
Indiana760518

This is the game that is said to have turned Penn State's fortunes around. In the same way that the 1999 upset loss to Minnesota was believed to begin a downward spiral called "The Dark Years" by Penn State fans, this close game that ended with a four down goal line stand very late in the game, with Penn State clinging to a 22–16 lead, is said to have been the game that started Penn State on the winning track again and springboarded the team towards the 2005 Big Ten championship. Indiana managed a 13–7 halftime lead, but late in the game found themselves down 22–16, only scoring a field goal but leading 16–14 until Penn State took the lead on a late touchdown and two-point conversion. Penn State stopped Indiana four straight times at the goal line, eventually conceding a safety on the final play of the game to prevent Indiana from having a chance to win. Penn State's goal line stand at Indiana as a result of the momentum it gave the team is considered one of the best Penn State games.

Michigan State

1234Total
Michigan State330713
Penn State0328637

The Spartans of Michigan State were 5–5, hoping to become bowl eligible, and the only thing standing in their way was a 3–7 Penn State team who only had one Big Ten win, but the goal line stand at Indiana that led to the Penn State victory the previous week gave them the momentum to win this game big. After a slow first half where Michigan State led 6–3, Penn State rolled off 28 third quarter points to put the game out of reach, going up 31–6 on the Spartans thanks to a plethora of interceptions. Penn State would kick two more field goals in the last quarter while the Spartans scored a late touchdown against backups.

Again, this game also sheds some light on the history of the White Out. After losses against Purdue and Iowa earlier in the season, the athletic department changed strategy with a "Code Blue" dress code. This time, it was extended to all fans in the stadium and students went from dorm to dorm to spread the word. Despite winning the game, the tradition did not stick and fans went back to wearing white the following season. [5]

Awards

Watchlists

Players

Post season

The offense did not get going until the third quarter of the final game, but the defense finished the season in the top 10 in four NCAA statistical categories and was the only team in the nation to not allow more than 21 points a game. The Nittany Lion defense ranked fifth in scoring defense (15.3 points per game), ranked tenth in total defense (291.55 yards per game), ranked sixth in pass defense (162.3 ypg), ranked fourth in pass efficiency defense (99.8 rating), and held all 11 opponents below their total offense average. [16]

Despite the losing record, Penn State ranked among the top four in attendance for the 14th consecutive year, averaging 103,111 in six home games, including attendances of 108,183 against Purdue and 108,062 against Iowa, the ninth and tenth largest crowds in Beaver Stadium history. [17]

None of the departing players were drafted in the 2005 NFL draft, but a number of players signed with NFL teams as free agents.

All-star games

GameDateSitePlayers
80th East–West Shrine Game January 15, 2005 SBC Park, San FranciscoAndrew Guman
7th Gridiron Classic January 15, 2005 The Villages Polo Stadium, The Villages, Florida Paul Jefferson
59th Hula Bowl January 22, 2005 War Memorial Stadium, Wailuku, Hawaii Derek Wake
2nd Las Vegas All-American Classic January 22, 2005 Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada Zack Mills

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The Ohio State–Penn State football rivalry is an American college football match between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions. Ohio State leads the series 24–14.

The 2010 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. They were members of the Big Ten Conference. Team captains for the season were wide receiver Brett Brackett and defensive tackle Ollie Ogbu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Ohio State Buckeyes football team</span> American college football season

The 2011 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented Ohio State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes were coached by Luke Fickell on an interim basis following the resignation of Jim Tressel as head coach. The Buckeyes played their home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio and are members of the Big Ten Conference in the Leaders Division.

The 2011 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno for the first nine games until he was fired in the wake of the Penn State sex abuse scandal, with defensive coordinator Tom Bradley taking over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The team played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, US. They were members of the Big Ten Conference in the newly formed Leaders Division. They finished the season 9–4, 6–2 in the Leaders Division to be co–division champions with Wisconsin. Due to their head-to-head loss to Wisconsin, they did not represent the division in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game. They were invited to the TicketCity Bowl where they lost to Houston 14–30.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Ohio State Buckeyes football team</span> American college football season

The 2012 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented Ohio State University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Buckeye's 123rd season overall, the 100th as a member of the Big Ten Conference and the second as a members of the Big Ten Leaders Division. The team was led by head coach Urban Meyer in his return to coaching after retiring from Florida in 2010 due to health concerns. The Buckeyes played their home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes finished the season undefeated with 12 wins, Big Ten Leaders Division champions and ranked third in the AP Poll. Due to findings of an investigation conducted by the NCAA during the previous season, Ohio State was ineligible for both the Big Ten Championship Game and an appearance in a bowl game for the 2012 season.

The 2012 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Bill O'Brien in his first season and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, US. It was a member of the Big Ten Conference and played in the Leaders Division. Penn State was ineligible to play in a bowl game for the 2012 season due to sanctions imposed in wake of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal.

The 2013 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Bill O'Brien and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. They were a member of the Big Ten Conference and its Leaders Division. Penn State was ineligible to play in a bowl game for the 2013 season, the second season of a four-year ban, due to NCAA sanctions imposed in the wake of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal.

The 2014 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by first year head-coach James Franklin and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. It was a member of the Big Ten Conference and played in the newly organized East Division. Penn State was ineligible to play in a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions imposed in wake of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal. However, on September 8, 2014, the NCAA announced that Penn State would again be eligible for post-season games, effective immediately. Penn State had a 7–6 overall record for the season with a 2–6 conference mark, placing sixth in the Big Ten East Division. The Nittany Lions concluded the season with a victory in the Pinstripe Bowl over Boston College.

References

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  12. 1 2 3 "2004 Academic All-District Football Team" (PDF). College Sports Information Directors of America. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 11, 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2008.
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  14. "Michigan's Edwards, NU's McGarigle and PSU's Kapinos Named Big Ten Football Players of the Week". Big Ten Conference. November 1, 2004. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2007.
  15. "MSU's Poole Becomes Second O-Lineman in Big Ten History to Win Weekly Award". Big Ten Conference. November 15, 2004. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2007.
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  17. "Penn State Earns 14th Consecutive Top Four Finish in NCAA Football Attendance". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. February 9, 2005. Archived from the original on April 2, 2005. Retrieved January 23, 2007.