BSD Mailbag 9.2.2022

Sep 2, 2022 - 3:45 PM

How long will it take to pick my jaw off the floor when I witness the JUGGERNAUT that is PSU Football 2022?—LocalYocal

Since this mailbag is coming out after the game this week (stupid Thursday night games), I’m wondering if you want to rethink this question? I’m glad we pulled out the win, and I’m sure that in hindsight at the end if the year we will look back and our defense’s performance last night will be pretty darn good in retrospect, but “juggernaut” is far from what I would call what we say last night. JPJ all day and every day, though.

B1G Referee John O’Neill has retired and taken a job with the NFL. How many extra wins a year is this worth for Penn State?— Smee

Probably just one or two, since (thankfully) he only typically refereed only a handful of games this year. But it’ll be a key one or two, so this makes my heart sing.

Will the O-line finally be a strength this year?— EagleLionSly

There’s a reason why I put coach Trautwein’s photo up top! While I’m not sure they’re at the “strength” designation just yet, the offensive line’s performance last night was head and shoulders what we’ve seen in more recent years. Only one sack, and few times where the QB had to dance around for his life (or his knee)? I’ll gladly take it.

Somebody (NCAA/B1G?) requires teams to return immediately after their games. PSU’s team plane is scheduled to land back in Happy Valley around 2:30 AM Friday morning. Since this is past last call, does CJF head out to the house for some shuteye, or just go straight to Lasch and start watching film?— Smee

His twitter seems to indicate he might have been awake. They do have practice today, so maybe a power nap sometime is in order?

Can we go back to paper tickets now? A process that over the decades I never gave more than 30 minutes of consideration all year (Did we get our tickets? Where do I store them? Did I remember to bring the tickets for this game?), has become an effin’ nightmare. And now they changed the app?!? OMG!!— Smee

I actually love the digital tickets. It’s easier for me to make sure that, if I need to transfer them to anyone, I can do it at any time even without seeing the person in advance.

And the new app has something called “Lion Lights” which, if the season opener in Rec for volleyball was any indication, will be freaking phenomenal in Beaver, especially during a night game and/or white out.

What are your guesses for beer choices at the Western Michigan game. Do you think there will be anything decent on tap/can or will it be Bud, Miller Lite, Blue Moon and Yeungling? Personally, they should reach out to the local breweries.— BMAN13

I’m assuming you mean CMU, not Wastern—and I think it will be the basic stadium beers of your Buds and Millers. I’m hoping there’ll be a few more local selections, though!

Are we rooting for Notre Dame this week? That’s a big ask. — 48-14

Nah. If OSU is undefeated when we play, that makes our win more impressive.

You can’t miss the amount of complaining about NIL and you also hear complaining about players leaving early for the NFL. Do you think a positive result of NIL might be that the projected/uncertain lower round draft prospects may stay for their last year if their NIL$ is good enough?— EagleLionSly

I hope so! I am all for these student-athletes doing what is best for their families financially, whatever that looks like (and every situation is different.

Your one-sentence thoughts on how things play out for the following PSU teams this year: men’s ice hockey, men’s b-ball, women’s b-ball, women’s volleyball, women’s soccer? (I’m assuming you’ll talk plenty about wrasslin’ when the time comes)

Secondarily... so the new AD hired (promoted) the head fencing guy, what’s the next sport he gets to hire a new head coach for? — Smee

I am not super familiar with the hockey or soccer teams’ prospects, so I’ll let more knowledgeable folks chime in in the comments. But here are my thoughts on the rest:
Men’s basketball: I think we’ll exceed expectations and be a bubble team this year, falling short but going to the NIT.
Women’s basketball: I think we’ll be better but still fall short of our hopes and dreams.
Women’s volleyball: preseason expectations were that we would finish around seventh in the Big Ten. I think we’ll exceed that, but not by much.

What’s up with this? https://i.imgur.com/dHeXqhn.jpeg — JayMPSU

My default is always thinking other teams are copying us (just ask PSUgirl) but in this case, I think it’s just ignorance and self-centeredness.

The contract ran out a month or two ago, so what will the new choice be? Stay with Pepsi (ugh!), or go with the winners and Coke?! (My bourbon mixes better with coke in the games!)— Smee

I super hope they go with Coke! But I’m not getting my hopes up. Pepsi state university, indeed. :(

OK... how soon until the LIV Tour gets a major network TV partner, and when that happens does the PGA Tour become the new Korn-Ferry Tour?—Smee

I’m honestly surprised it hasn’t happened yet.

What’s your favorite baked good that you’re good at making? Bonus points for a link to a recipe.— Succss With Honor Always

I’m good at baking a number of things, but the thing I’m most famous for in my family is probably pie. I can’t post a link to my favorite recipes because they’re not online - but something I discovered last year is if you sub sour cream in the pie crust dough for some of the water, the crust is way more fluffy and flaky. You’re welcome.

The mrsb23 and I are now in a position to move into our forever home and out of the postage stamp of a starter we bought in 2006. Jobs are great, and her small business is thriving and need the space. I also want some land, and my 0.20 acres isn’t sating my appetite. We haven’t started anything formal yet, and we’ve started a list of all the things that need to be done. It’s stupid! Paint this, fix that. I hate it! Now interest rates are going up and banks are turning off the free money faucet. How late is too late for me to cash in on the gigantic amount of money my house is now worth and then take then and buy a ridiculously overpriced house in the area north of Columbus, OH?— mrb23

I think the seller’s market is going to flip pretty soon - so you may want to sell now, rent for a year or so until the housing prices go down, and then snap up a new house when the prices have stabilized (or lowered). I’m not a financial expert so please take all of this with a grain of salt.

If you just retired, didn’t even get a retirement payment yet and you were having a discussion at a bar with someone that is the CEO of an 8A rated small business that wants to expand into something that is right up your line and then she offers you a job, pretty much on your terms, would you take that job? Also, it is part time and work from home....— BMAN13

1000%

What are three international cities you could have spent all four years in for college if you didn’t go to PSU?— PSU1979dude

Number one is definitely London - I studied in the south of England for a semester and I fell in love with the city.

Two is a more recent one - Brussels. I visited there five years ago when a friend of mine was stationed at the embassy, and I just loved the vibe there.

The third is probably Dublin, which I visited when PSU was there. It was pretty cool.

I still haven’t been to Germany or Italy, so I reserve the right to change my mind later on.