Is it just me or does the Big 33 game seem to to go in spurts where Ohio or Pennsylvania dominates for a stretch and then it switches to the other side. I don’t feel like looking it up to confirm or not. Just noting that Ohio has now won four straight.

The most important thing is that none of the incoming Pitt players were injured in the game or practices leading up to it. Though, Rushel Shell gave some a scare (check the 8:55 time stamp) when he was tackled during the game. Rushel Shell was contained most of the game. J.P. Holtz had a touchdown catch, and Mike Capara recovered a fumble on defense.

Before the game there was a selection of key college coaches in attendance that took part in the press conference. This included OSU’s Urban Meyer, PSU’s Bill O’Brien, Paul Chryst and Temple’s Steve Addazio. (Cinci continues to get no respect.) Amazingly it seems they got through it without a question about the Pitt-Penn State game.

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Two more games the previous couple of days. One more and the U18 USA squad gets to take home the Gold.

The USA squad faced Brazil and Argentina. Argentina was dispatched 107-72. Brazil, though, gave the USA team their toughest and closest game of the tournament as the USA squad won by only 19 points.

It is the Brazilians who the US team will face one more time for the gold. Since the tournament is being held in Brazil, there is that home team factor for the crowd. Still, the USA team is and should be favored to finish this tournament on top of the podium.

But, who cares about the entire USA team. How’s James Robinson doing?

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We have read and heard the cry for the NCAA to issue the “Death Penalty” to the Penn State football program due to a lack of institutional control because of the particulars of the Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal.   However, does what happened meet the NCAA’s own criteria and purpose of their rule regarding institutional control?

Perhaps the pertinent question is why the NCAA should even be involved in this?  Back on November 10, 2011 the NCAA President Mark Emmert’s public statement on this was as follows:

“Regarding the ongoing Penn State criminal investigation, the NCAA is actively monitoring developments and assessing appropriate steps moving forward. The NCAA will defer in the immediate term to law enforcement officials since this situation involved alleged crimes. As the facts are established through the justice system, we will determine whether Association bylaws have been violated and act accordingly. To be clear, civil and criminal law will always take precedence over Association rules.”

Emmert basically said that ‘we’ll wait until the dust settles then decide if we want to get involved’. Perhaps that was the right and legally correct thing to say.  I expect that it wasn’t nearly as forceful as some wanted it to be.  That last sentence -“To be clear, civil and criminal law will always take precedence over Association rules.” –  is the open door to not getting their hands dirty or having to deal with it at all.

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