By Kyle Soppe
Wow. After a great week in college football, here is your Pickin Splinters Top 15. We had a season high 6 teams get votes but not qualify in our Top 15. The Crimson Tide fell to fifth in our poll, but are third in the BCS. Stanford and Oklahoma State are in a battle for that second spot, and Stanford showdown with Oregon this weekend has the potential to clear up the confusion at the 2 spot. Houston had the greatest variety as far as placement on polls, they were ranked as high as fifth and as low as 13th.
| Teams | Points |
| LSU (6) | 90 |
| Oklahoma State | 81 |
| Stanford | 79 |
| Boise State | 74 |
| Alabama | 65 |
| Oregon | 56 |
| Oklahoma | 53 |
| Arkansas | 51 |
| Houston | 39 |
| Clemson | 36 |
| Virgina Tech | 26 |
| Wisconsin | 14 |
| Penn State | 13 |
| Georgia | 13 |
| USC | 6 |
Really like the way the poll looks this week. Some quick thoughts from the weekend:
OK State is trying to become the first team I can remember to play for a National Title by only playing 11 players in a game. As far as I could tell, they forgot to send a defensive unit on to the field on Saturday.
Watch out for Arkansas. Assuming they win out to the last game of the regular season, they get LSU in Baton Rouge to end the year. They look very, very impressive.
My alumni bias may be showing here but if Penn State beats Nebraska this weekend, they will certainly jump into the Top10 for me. That would be 9-1 with a loss to Bama. They haven’t been very impressive in the eye test, but first place in the B1G with only one loss is pretty impressive.
I think Oklahoma is the better 1-loss team despite the argument that Oregon’s only loss is to the #1 team. But, this is also coming from the guy who put Houston 5th 🙂
Nice to see the Badgers back in. Unfortunate losses for them, but losses nonetheless. Still think they are a great team.
We let Mark Richt in our top-15? Oh boy…
Drew – hate to bring this up. What is the deal with JoePa? Is his legacy going to be tarnished because of what is happening? If so, is it deserved? Did he do “enough” in reporting the incident he heard about?
My personal opinion is that he needs to shoulder some of the blame. By law, I suppose he did the right thing, A GA (McQueary, who is currently an assistant coach) told JoePa that he saw Sandusky performing a sexual act in the shower with a boy. JoePa immediately told his AD. By rule, that was the correct thing to do.
However, as a person who works with children every day, in that instance you need to do more than tell your AD. The authorities should have been involved immediately. I’m disgusted by the fact that the amount of children molested could have been greatly reduced if Curley, Schultz and Paterno had acted.
Curley and Schultz deserve to be locked up for many years. As for Sandusky, it probably isn’t appropriate for me to post what I think he deserves.
So Rey– I may have given you a little more than you bargained for but as you can imagine this is a scandal that has a impact on all PSU graduates. I do not believe that JoePa did enough in reporting the incident. I believe that his age, coupled with this incident will result in this being the last season JoePa coaches. It’s a HUGE stain on a University that has otherwise been very honorable.
Disgusting acts that were made even more sickening by cowards like Curley, Schultz and to an extent, Paterno.
Thanks for your candid response, Drew. I kind of side with you on JoePa (and obviously I definitely side with you on the others).
I’m working my way through the 23-page grand jury findings right now. I was surprised to hear the GA is McQueary. The Patriot News in central Pennsylvania reported that, but his name is not in the grand jury report.
I don’t disagree with Drew, but I’m waiting until I’ve learned as much as possible about Paterno’s involvement with Victim #2 to pass judgment. Schultz is essentially in charge of the University Police, so if Paterno reported it to Curley and Curley to Schultz, it’s possible you could make the argument that what more was Paterno supposed to do, believing the proper authorities had been notified. Would he then be kept in the loop of an investigation (I doubt it), or would he possibly be under the assumption that one is ongoing. Remember that Sandusky was no longer working for him at this point.
I’m sure this sounds like blind allegiance, but to the extent that I’m going to give Paterno the benefit of the doubt for now, I guess that’s what it is. That said, I certainly wish he had done more, and am realistic that there’s a reasonable chance he’s at least somewhat culpable. I also wish McQueary had kicked Sandusky’s butt right then and there.
I guess I’m going to have to burn the photo I took of Sandusky at the parade celebrating the ’86 national championship. It’s hard not to feel that this incident is a black mark on an institution that I’m otherwise proud to consider myself a part of. But, more importantly, it’s really sad to think of the kids involved.
Chas, I commend you for withholding judgement, that’s the correct thing to do. I 100% understand your line of thought. However, I believe that even if Paterno did follow the mandated steps, knowing of child abuse and not going directly to the police still seems questionable to me. I’ve always had a great deal of respect for the University and Paterno but this is such a black mark on a school that otherwise had a squeaky clean reputation.
I hope that more information comes out to make me believe JoePa is not at fault, but until that info comes out, it is hard for me not to give him a portion of the blame.
Stanford/Oregon… Thoughts??
JoePa is not a “mandated reporter” by law and he is not an eyewitness. He is simply getting some info second hand about someone who is no longer under his supervision. I can see no wrongdoing on his part, but I bet I will be in the minority on this one. Maybe he should have questioned authorities more about what they were doing to adequately resolve this matter, but it seems to me that it was out of his hands. And this comes from a 35 year veteran of education who was on many occasions a “mandated reporter”.
I am on the fence with this one. Part of me feels like JoePa could have done more considering the nature of crimes. But like any company/institution there are chains of command, and if JoePa brought it to Curley’s attention – then he probably felt like he was going through the appropriate channels.
I also heard yesterday that this has been a 3 year investigation, so I don’t think this was a surprise for Penn State brass. That being said, I am shocked that it this story has been so quiet and never leaked.
I started to hear a guy on the radio justify JoePa’s involvement, by saying, ” well at least he didn’t do what Jim Tressel did” and then followed up by saying, ” of course the nature of the situation is far worse”. So if everything going to be compared to Jim Tressel from now on?
Bottom line is that this is a sad time for Penn State students/alumni and college football fans. A program that for years has been the epitome of class, now has a black eye that won’t go away for a very long time.
Thanks Pete. Of course, Paterno should and will be held to a higher standard, and that does cause me to wonder if he could have done more. But, if I thought my superiors reported something to the proper authorities, what more could I do after that? Call the police and ask about the investigation, so they could tell me to butt out?
That said, I realize Paterno would not be treated like that by the university police, so maybe the questioning of his “inaction” is warranted. Hopefully we’ll learn more as time passes, but I’m afraid Smitty’s black eye comment may be right.
Sorry I got so indignant in my opinion. Having had to report many incidents myself, I realize how touchy it can be and how second hand info is seldom good enough. JoePa did the best that he could do given his position in this matter. Like Smitty said, there is a chain of command in these matters. Other authorities may have failed, but not Joe (IMO). Because of his fame however, he will be held to that higher standard to which Chas refers for sure, mostly by overly righteous journalists who wouldn’t handle such a situation half as well as Paterno did and who make morally/ethically destructive decisions on a daily basis.
I don’t believe JoePa did the best he could by any stretch. He is the strongest figure in all of State College, and his authority stretches far beyond Penn State football. Joe Paterno has done so much good for that borough and that university. He is obviously not near as at fault as Schultz or Curley. However, he couldn’t have went to someone and asked why this investigation wasn’t going further? I understand he did the correct thing by reporting it to Curley, but he never followed up on it whatsoever. He KNEW for a fact that there was a child molester with private access to that campus. Paterno knew that Sandusky was alone with children.
Paterno did the absolute bare minimum. I cannot bring myself to say that what he did was okay. It isn’t, and because of it, a disgusting predator was free to roam that campus with whatever children he wanted.
JoePa has always been the epitome of honor and doing the right thing. This wasn’t the right thing. I hope more information comes out saying that Joe pressed this investigation and that he did everything he could. But until that information comes out, which I doubt it will, I cannot stand behind JoePa.
Drew, I realize innocent until proven guilty doesn’t apply to the court of public opinion, but your last sentence was the exact opposite of that.
Drew, I stand as adamantly on the OTHER side as you do on yours. Having been in Paterno’s position many times I have come to understand the significance of “chain of command”, friendship, moral responsibility, and job security. I once challenged administration in a way similar to that which you expect Paterno should have done, and it nearly cost me my job. Where does my “moral responsibility” lie; to my family and myself or to a victim. JoePa is an “authority” at PSU because of the eminence and respect he has generated, but he is not an administrator. He was vulnerable if he went beyond his supposed actions. I back him 100%. It’s easy for journalists or outsiders to be righteous in situations like this, but I have walked in his shoes. He did what he could.
Drew, I stand as adamantly on the OTHER side as you do on yours. Having been in Paterno’s position many times I have come to understand the significance of “chain of command”, friendship, moral responsibility, and job security. I once challenged administration in a way similar to that which you expect Paterno should have done, and it nearly cost me my job. Where does my “moral responsibility” lie; to my family and myself or to a victim? JoePa is an “authority” at PSU because of the eminence and respect he has generated, but he is not an administrator. He was vulnerable if he went beyond his supposed actions. I back him 100%. It’s easy for journalists or outsiders to be righteous in situations like this, but I have walked in his shoes. He did what he could. I wonder what most people would do put in similar circumstances? I have known only too many people who didn’t even meet the first level of responsibility.
I made some changes/additions to the first post. Sorry.
Has anyone who’s rushed to judgment in this case (which is almost everyone) even considered what Paterno should have done if he doubted McQueary’s claims?
I, honestly, want to know why McQueary didn’t deal with the situation right then and there. A 28-year old is an adult, right?
McQueary is just one of several who shirked their responsibilities. Paterno is just one of one who is taking the public whipping! And I still believe he did all that he could/should. I too have jumped to a conclusion; it’s just different than the one most journalists (and that’s who we depend on to report this matter to us) have formed. I wonder how forthright and brave they have been or would be in similar circumstances. It’s human nature to THINK we would do the right thing. Joe Paterno actually went BEYOND human nature when he did what he did. Most of us wouldn’t have made it THAT far, despite what we THINK we would have done.
Pete, absolutely no disrespect intended, because I am glad that we’re having a reasonable discussion about a very serious issue. However, Joe Paterno is much more of an administrator than his title lets on. Yes, his title is football coach, but anyone who has spent any amount of time in State College knows that Joe Paterno doesn’t answer to anyone. I do not think he would have been remotely vulnerable if he went beyond his supposed actions. If Joe Paterno pressed about the investigation, the investigation would have been much more thorough.
Paterno had direct knowledge, he had no zero reason to doubt McQueary, of child molestation going on in his own football building. It is fair to ask who’s interest he had in mind, his football program or a victim of rape. Maybe he just didn’t think it through enough, I don’t know. Maybe I am assuming too much, but I read those 23 pages and it sure seemed obvious to me that he knew exactly what happened. The most high profile employees at the university did not have their priorities straight. How many kids could have been saved if JoePa would have exercised his moral obligation to get a child molester off the streets and out of his football buildings? Maybe it just looks bad but it LOOKS like Curley, Schultz and sadly, Paterno, were thinking of the interest of their football program first, themselves second, and the safety and well-being of innocent, vulnerable children third. I can’t forgive anyone for that. If that makes me judgmental or a bad alum, then so be it. I’ve always respected the hell out of Paterno but I find it hard to believe he is not at least partially to blame.
I understand what you are saying about chain of command, friendship, moral responsibility and job security. But I think you are underestimating how high up Joe is in the chain of command at PSU. I also think friendship should be thrown out the window if that friend is molesting children. His moral responsibility, as anyone’s is, was to protect the children. And I really doubt his job security was ever in doubt.
All that being said, this is beyond disturbing for the victims and their families. I can’t imagine what they’re going through right now. I don’t know if anyone caught the article of the mother’s of two victims thoughts, but it is really disturbing stuff.
I also have to think that at one point Sandusky and Paterno were good friends or had a very good working relationship. So imagine when someone comes to you and says that a person close to you is taking advantage of young boys or girls. I can’t even begin to think about emotional torment that Paterno had to go through to report the situation to proper chain of command at Penn State.
Also think about the potential kickback if you report something that isn’t true. Imagine if Paterno reported something this to the chain of command at Penn State or other authorities and it wasn’t true? Would these reporters be then blasting Paterno for not backing his people?
Don’t get me wrong. This is an awful situation, and lost in the Paterno witch hunt is the fact that there are human beings that are victims this situation and Sandusky is the alleged criminal in all of this.
Like Pete and Chas have said; how many of these people who are calling Paterno despicable and saying, he should resign – how many of them would have done what he did? If what he did was the minimum, how many people would do the minimum. I work at a company who requires every employee to read and acknowledge a Code of Ethics. In that Ethics it states that if you see people doing anything against this code, you should report it. I have seen many times, people not blatantly, but certainly “stretch” that code. I have yet to see anyone call them out. Now I want to see them in this situation.
It is sad that this season will be last for Joe Paterno. Hopefully they have the decency to let him finish this year, after everything he has done for Penn State. I also think Penn State will have a lot of turnover in its athletic department after this year. But after being there for so long, was this ever going to end well?
I’m with ya Smitty, but all reports seem to indicate an early departure for the icon. He represents Penn State Football, so this is going to sting for years to come. It’ll be a tough spot for the new coach. Just hate to see a man who devoted so much time and effort to a program go out this way. This may end up being his legacy, and thats a shame.
Drew, I respect all that you say especially because you are a Penn State insider, which I am not. The only fault I am finding with Paterno is that he allowed Sandusky continued use of the football facilities, but then I don’t know what monitoring went on and what discussions were had between JoePa and Sandusky. I think Smitty re-assessed my main points pretty accurately; Sandusky was a friend, and ANY action must have been courageous beyond imagination. And, what would any of the rest of the world do in similar situations. Kyle, I think you hit the nail on the head; regardless of any of OUR opinions, the press has made this JoePa’s legacy. How sad.
News reports are Paterno’s doing an interview with ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi this afternoon at 1, and he’ll announce he’s retiring at the end of the season. Not sure if he’s going to explain his side of the story.
In the very least, I’d like to hear him say he should have handled the situation differently and he regrets that (unless there’s some extenuating circumstance that we’re not aware of).
Unfortunately, I suspect there’s still the possibility Paterno could be the target of a lawsuit, and his son is a lawyer, so that’s probably the reason we’ll never hear him speak as candidly as we’d like on the subject.
He announced that in hindsight he wishes he would have handled it differently. It is a shame that a remarkable coaching career will be be defined by this one instance. There were riots and marches late last night in SC for JoePa, going well into the morning. The students there seem to be behind him 100%. Blind loyalty or just a genuine belief in his innocence, I don’t know.
Despite everything I said above, I think that JoePa is becoming too much of the focus in the scandal. Sandusky is the sick, sick predator who needs to be the focal point of all the hate. With Curley and Schultz not far behind.
Sad to think about Paterno’s last game at Beaver coming up in a few days. That place might set records for sound. Rumors of a 5 minute “We Are” chant, a blue out, and refusal to leave the stadium after the game. Gonna be interesting from a football standpoint.
https://www.blackshoediaries.com/2011/11/9/2549356/joe-paterno-announces-retirement-from-penn-state
On a football note, Toledo won last night 66-63 (in regulation) just 1 week after losing 63-60! Is that good offense or no defense?
Remember when I said Brandon Weeden was a legit Heisman candidate?? And no one believed me then, but look now, Oklahoma State is #2 in the BCS. The Cowboys are on the road to a National Championship.
@Weeden4Heisman on Twitter
brandonweeden4heisman.wordpress.com
I think Luck is still the frontrunner, but Weeden has to be the next guy, right? Kellen Moore is right there with him. Weeden’s numbers are just so good. I think that my top five would look like this:
Luck, Weeden, Moore, Richardson, Keenum.
I have to think that Richardson is there before Weeden. I think that Weeden gets a knock ( no fault to his own) for being in a pass-happy conference. Richardson is probably the best back in college football, and that is going to score some points with the voters.
Travis – I don’t recall anyone disagreeing with you, at least vehemently in any way. It was/is a good call.