Presto's Picks... from under the rubble at State College.

I grew up liking and following Penn State. In the northeast during the 70's and 80's, the Nittany Lions were the only major football program who consistently mattered on the national stage. Yes, Pitt won a national title and Boston College had a Heisman Trophy winner... but Penn State every year took on the bullies from the big conferences (this was the era of the Independent)- beating the USC's, Alabama's and Nebraska's. They did things the right way-- in an era of everybody in the SWC going on probation, never a whiff of impropriety in the program. The team was always more than the sum of its parts: there was a stretch where they beat Marcus Allen, Herschel Walker, Doug Flutie and Vinnie Testaverde the year each won the Heisman. And Joe Paterno represented what was good-- steering the ship through the unseemly waters of college athletics. Even when I didn't attend Penn State (going to a rival Eastern Independent), I still respected what the program stood for and what it meant to college athletics.

And now it's gone. Paterno fired? For off the field issues? Surely you mean some renegade coach paying players? Something so far off base that it possibly couldn't be true-- you mean Paterno's former longtime assistant coach was molesting kids while running a children's charity? If you haven't read the Grand Jury transcript, sit down before you do.

But it's not what Jerry Sandusky did... as much as what Joe Paterno didn't do that caused everything to tumble down. The famed quote: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing". For at least 12 years, a lot of good men in and around State College did nothing-- or not enough. One wonders how long Paterno knew of this behavior. If there was one thing you felt you knew about Joe Paterno-- whether his team was 11-1 or 7-5 he was always doing the right thing. Somewhere the right thing was replaced by the bare minimum.

We like to think the best of people... and give people the benefit of the doubt. We can't imagine the horrors evil men do... because you ask yourself, how can a heart be that dark? You curse Sandusky for his ruining the lives of at least 8 young people... and setting in motion the toppling of all Paterno created. You look at what the people in charge did and didn't do-- and hope that you would have done the right thing if you were in that spot. You feel for the at least 8 people irreparably harmed by a predator-- and hope that they are in some way able to cobble together a decent life... even as those buried traumas come back to haunt them.

I work in the "toy department" of journalism. The Maryland-Notre Dame game is important to some but not as crucial as a jobs bill or hurricane or election. Sports is supposed to give people refuge from the ills of the day. Unfortunately at State College, it's going to be a while before Happy Valley has reason to be happy again.



Maryland meets Notre Dame-- the Terrrapins are in a tailspin... having dropped five straight. They've put together drives and quarters here and there-- but not the consistency they need to beat a team like the Fighting Irish. Terps come up short, 38-16.

Virginia faces Duke-- November begins like a Lamb and ends like a Lion for the Cavaliers (Florida State and Virginia Tech conclude the UVa slate). One more W for Kippy and Buffy, 29-17.

Navy comes up short against SMU, Georgetown slips at Lehigh, Howard defeats Delaware State, James Madison edges Rhode Island, William & Mary falls to Old Dominion, Richmond loses to Delaware.

Last Week: 6-1.
Overall: 53-24.