Big Ten roundup: Penn State

This quarterback deal at Penn State is wild.

It feels as though sophomore Rob Bolden has the edge. He started most of last season before being yanked in favor of junior Matt McGloin, who gave the Nittany Lions a bump before they faded into the team that they really were, fairly average.

Coach Joe Paterno remains political on the subject. He doesn't suggest anyone has the upper hand. The Nits have two capable fellas . . . blah, blah, blah.

Here's the catch, Bolden, a wonderful athlete who was made the starting QB in less than three months on the PSU campus, might bolt. The idea surfaced late last season, after he was replaced by McGloin, the consummate gritty, gutty competitor guy. Bolden did ask for his release after the Outback Bowl, but Paterno denied it.

Here it is the end of spring practice and the cusp summer workouts and the transfer idea still hangs over State College. 

"Am I closer? Yes. Final? No. I've still got three weeks in the semester,'' Bolden said after PSU's spring game last weekend. "There are a lot of things I have to think about other than football. Well, football is the main thing. But, my coaches, we have other things that maybe you guys don't know about that we have to go over.

"There's nothing really [else that can happen]. I just want to go over it with my dad and family and see where we're at.''

Bolden said he received "a fair shot" in the competition this spring. Paterno said he'll meet with Bolden this week.

Penn State's spring game was shortened by rain. McGloin completed 5 of 10 passes for 109 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Bolden went 0-for-5 with an interception. Kevin Newsome completed 3 of 7 passes for 22 yards, and Paul Jones failed to connect on his only attempt.

Penn State's offensive line also remains a concern. Tackles Quinn Barham (6-3, 290 Sr.) and Chima Okoli (6-4, 291 Sr.) will give PSU a start, but the Lions will have to rebuild the inside trio, with Johnnie Troutman in the doghouse after an offseason DUI. Penn State RB Silas Redd has the potential to be one of the league's best, but PSU is in building mode up front.

"I think we've made progress," Paterno said. "We've got a ways to go. But it's always you are never sure whether the defense is good and the offense line's bad or the offensive line is just bad, and defense is bad, too. I think we made a lot of progress. We're not home free. There's a lot of little things that we have not gotten into."

PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS

• Division: Leaders
• 2010 record: 7-6, 4-4 Big Ten 
• Returning offensive starters (8): QB Rob Bolden, QB Matt McGloin, FB Joe Suhey, WR Derek Moye, WR Justin Brown, WR Devon Smith, OT Quinn Barham, OG Johnnie Troutman, OT Chima Okoli
• Returning defensive starters (8): DE Pete Massaro (possibly out for '11 with knee injury), DT Jordan Hill, DT Devon Still, DE Jack Crawford, OLB Michael Mauti, CB D'Anton Lynn, CB Stephon Morris, SS Drew AstorinoFS Nick Sukay
• 2010 review: The big does of reality for the Nittany Lions came Oct. 9 at Beaver Stadium. Penn State had just come off a 24-3 loss at Kinnick Stadium, a game that was closer than the final score indicated. The Lions thought they would get well and set their Big Ten compass with a home game against Illinois. Um, no. Illinois stamped itself as a legit bowl team with a 33-13 victory over PSU that was more of a rout than the final score indicated. From there, the Lions did about what you would've expected. They snatched a shootout victory over defenseless (literally) Michigan. The bowl game, a 37-24 Outback defeat at the hands of Florida, ended up being a downer because the Lions had chances to be in it, but couldn't turnovers and special teams doomed their effort.
• 2011 schedule: S3 Indiana State; S10 Alabama; S17 at Temple; S24 Eastern Michigan; O1 at Indiana; O8 Iowa; O15 Purdue; O22 at Northwestern; O29 Illinois; N5 OPEN; N12 Nebraska; N19 at Ohio State; N26 at Wisconsin
• Noteworthy: The general vibe around the league is that Nebraska has the toughest Big Ten schedule in 2011, but Penn State isn't far behind. The closing stretch of Nebraska, at Ohio State and at Wisconsin will make or break Penn State's 2011 season. Oh yeah, here's the ubiquitous "will this be Joe Paterno's last season" mention.
• Quotable: “"That's a press game, politics, that's not my game. We'll play the guy that we think is the best guy." -- PSU coach Joe Paterno, on his quarterback situation