LITTLE ROCK — Penn State preparing White Out
Top-ranked Ohio State is prepared for another White Out at Penn State on Saturday night.
The Buckeyes' memory is still vivid from two years ago: about 21,000 fans in the Nittany Lions' student section wearing blindingly white shirts, stomping their feet and screaming.
"The craziest thing was that they had fans lined up from our locker room to the field," cornerback Malcolm Jenkins said.
"That's probably the first time - the only time - that's ever happened. ... People cursing you and spitting at you, and things like that."
Tyler Whaley, a backup fullback, said: "They're going to be right in your face and they're going to be tempting you. You might get a smack on the helmet or on the back. You have to keep your cool right then and there. You don'tever want to give your focus up to somebody by the concession stand as you go out to prepare for such a big game."
That first White Out proved successful in 2005 when the Nittany Lions won 17-10 and dropped the Buckeyes to 2-5 at Happy Valley.
Tonight, to get things revved up for the second White Out, Penn State will have a "Rally in the Valley" pep rally with Coach Joe Paterno, members of the footballteam, cheerleaders, Lionettes dance team, the Blue Band and the Nittany Lions mascot.
Hot seat
Former UCLA Coach Terry Donahue says getting blasted by critics is part of the college football coaching business - only it's harsher now than during his days.
"With the Internet, blogs, chat rooms, talk radio, all that stuff, as a coach you are just gonna get it if you're not near perfect," said Donahue, who was 151-74-8 in 20 years at UCLA, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. "When I was coaching, the world wasn't as complicated. Now, anybody could put up a Web site and there you go. Coaches are certainly susceptible to being hammered."Irish stew
Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Brady Quinn reached into the back of his locker, pulled out the cardinal-and-gold No. 10 jersey and gritted his teeth.
"This," he said, "is going to hurt."
Quinn, the former Notre Dame star, then slipped the SouthernCalifornia jersey over his head and felt his skin crawl.
"That's why I've got extra layers on," he said. "So it doesn't actuallytouch any part of my body."
Quinn had to wear USC's colors after losing a bet with former Trojans quarterback Rodney Peete over Saturday's game.
USC beat Notre Dame 38-0.
Quinn and Peetemet last year at an awards banquet and have kept in touch since.
"We made a little friendly bet," Quinn said. "We [Notre Dame] didn't pull it out last Saturday, so I'm owning up to it." Friendly foes
No one is going to have to introduce Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh and Oregon State Coach Mike Riley when their football teams meet Saturday at Corvallis, Ore.
Harbaugh was the starting quarterback of the San Diego Chargers for parts of two seasons, in 1999 and 2000, when Riley was the head coach.
Quote of the day
"I think people should focus their time on
other things rather than
trying to maybe tear a
university apart or tear
a team apart during the middle of a season." Weston Dacus on fans expressing discontent with Arkansas' football program
Sports, Pages 26 on 10/26/2007