Breaking down Lions' schedules
The next several Penn State football schedules have been released.
Well, at least, most of the next several schedules.
The Big Ten parts? They're all there from 2009-2012. And there's some interesting stuff in there.
Like how starting in 2010 the season-finale against Michigan State will move back to Thanksgiving weekend.
And how Michigan will rotate off the schedule again, in 2011 and 2012.
And how the Penn State will have a bye week each year, starting in 2010.
Interesting observations?
Start with 2009.
The Lions probably will open with six of their first seven games at home. The only question is the TBA opener, which almost certainly will become some cupcake in Beaver Stadium. The ensuing home games are against Syracuse, Temple and Iowa. A travel date at Illinois is then squeezed in front of two more home games against Eastern Illinois and Minnesota.
The 2010 season gets the long-awaited game against Alabama, which seems like it was schedule a decade ago.The first of two will be in Tuscaloosa.
The 2011 season ends with back-to-back road games at Minnesota and Michigan State and features home games against Alabama, Ohio State and Wisconsin.
And the 2012 season features Virginia returning to the schedule and three road games in four weeks, with visits to Ohio State, Iowa and Purdue fitted around a home contest with Northwestern.
