Penn State Nittany Lions 2019 Record Predictions // B1G 2019, Potluck #4

What a Penn State Week. You’re welcome.

As we’ve reached Thursday, MNW tells me I have to give us something sweet for dessert and talk about record predictions. And I say, what could be sweeter than another Big Ten Championship for Penn State?

All the haters disagree.

Question #1: How Penn State created the AmeriCone Dream...

When Ben and Jerry wanted to learn how to make ice cream, they didn’t go to Madison. They didn’t go to East Lansing either…

They went to Penn State. Here’ s a quote:

It all began in 1977 with a $5 University correspondence course.

Two chubby young men split the course’s registration fee and received a spiral bound textbook on ice cream education. Today they own one of the nation’s most popular ice cream franchises.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, founders of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream franchise, originally opened a homemade ice cream parlor in an abandoned gas station in Burlington,Vt. The business has now grown to about 45 franchises nationwide, Greenfield said.

Through a joint effort, Ben and Jerry started out knowing nothing about the ice cream business and finished the University course as experts. Tests were given at the end of every chapter and they worked together to receive perfect scores on every exam, Jerry said.

”I think Ben and I have a very warm spot in our hearts for Penn State ... they know their ice cream,” he added.

Ben and Jerry learned how to make ice cream from Penn State. And they do it well.

Here are the top ten flavors of Ben and Jerry’s from 2018:

1. Half Baked
2. Cherry Garcia
3. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
4. Chocolate Fudge Brownie
5. The Tonight Dough
6. Phish Food
7. Americone Dream
8. Strawberry Cheesecake
9. Chunky Monkey
10. Peanut Butter Cup

Personally, if I had to pick from that list, my favorite would be Peanut Butter Cup. But I’d really like them to revive Ethan Almond. It was around for just 1988.

So our last food question for the week - what’s your favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor? Could be current, could be in their flavor graveyard...

Aaron Yorke: Ah, geez. It’s been way too long since I’ve enjoyed Ben & Jerry’s. Since I love coffee-flavored anything, I’d love to try Coffee, Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz! Espresso bean fudge chunks sound amazing.

Boilerman: Umm, Is this where I admit I don’t ever remember eating Ben and Jerry’s?

Jesse: I worked in a frozen department in a Super Target when I was in high school. Just an absurd place where you had the worst instincts come into play around break time. I ate so many terrible frozen snacks.

Anyhow, I became a huge fan of all the fancy ice cream and remember when they had the crazy core ones. In the end Karmel Sutra was my favorite, but most all of them were good.

BrianB2: Like Boiler, if I’ve had Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream at any point in my life, I cannot recall it. Just give me some mint chocolate chip and call it a day.

The University of Maryland has the “Maryland Dairy” that undeniably serves up better ice cream than the Penn State Creamery. I am basing this on a bevy of factual evidence and intensive research that I am simply choosing not to share with y’all, and my intent with mentioning it is certainly, not at all, just to trigger Penn State people.

Beez: Phish Food is the only correct answer to this question.

MNW: I’ve gotta say Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream here, in part because it’s the only one I can name besides Cherry Garcia or whatever that one’s called. (lol, I didn’t even look and see that Townie had made a list. I have OTE’d properly for the day.)

I had it, though, and it was pretty good. Waffle cone pieces in ice cream are excellent.

Question #2: Still competitive in the East?

Great defense, unknown offense. The yin and the yang of Penn State’s 2019 campaign. Take a look at this schedule and tell us all…

How will the Blue and White do this year?

Aaron Yorke: Penn State will go 8-4 in 2019.

There is a lot of room to grow on offense with youth at quarterback and the “skill” positions. The defense should keep the Lions in most of their games, but you have to worry about a first-year starting quarterback going into Iowa City, East Lansing, and Columbus. The non-conference slate shouldn’t be too much trouble with the Pitt game coming at home this year.

Boilerman: Vegas has Penn State pegged at 8.5 wins. The thing is, I’m not seeing a path there. They should start at worst 4-1. But then a road trip to Iowa City, Michigan calling, and then Michigan State and Columbus. Just not seeing it. 8-4 it is.

Jesse: I don’t love the schedule with a new QB. I realize that doesn’t have to matter but it’s not a cakewalk. Give me 8-4 with an amazing home record and a bad road record.

Townie: Ugh. I hate doing this for Penn State. My conservative case looks like this: I think we have four definite wins here—the non-con plus rutger. I think we take three of the four games against Indiana, Maryland, Iowa, and Minnesota. And I think we lose to the big three in the B1G East of OSU, UM, and MSU. That puts us at 7-5 with a crappy bowl game.

My optimistic case looks like this: We have seven definite wins in the non-con, rutger, Maryland, Indiana, and Minnesota. We have two toss up games in Iowa and Michigan State. And we win one of two vs UM and OSU. That puts us at 9-3/10-2.

I’d take 6-6 with a win over Michigan though...

BrianB2: Optimistic me thinks Penn State fans will be riding high, screaming “WE ARE” up and down Route 1 in College Park when they start the season 4-0 after a close ugly win against Maryland on a Friday night, only to lose 6 of their final 8 games, finishing 6-7.

Losses to Purdue, Iowa, Michigan, MSU, Minnesota and Ohio State in the regular season and a 48 point loss to Fresno State in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. Realistically they probably go 9-3, with losses to Michigan and Ohio State and one of Iowa, MSU or Minny.

I see James Franklin goes to the school of Mark Turgeon OOC Scheduling.

Beez: 7-5. 8-4 is the obvious answer, and it makes a lot of sense, but I’m hopeful that the season will be worse than expected for PSU.

MNW: I can’t believe I’m about to say that it feels like we’re being too harsh on Penn State for going 11-3, 11-2, and 9-4 over the last three seasons.

Assuming that this is an offensive reset season for the Nittany Lions, though, I’d give them 1-2 on the B1G East’s best, a home-away split on their crossovers, and easily handling the rest of the East. So let’s put ‘em at 5-4 in the Big Ten.

In the non-conference? Count me as those intrigued by, as sellout Bill Connelly notes in his Pitt preview, Pat Narduzzi’s addition of former two-time UMass HC Mark Whipple could spice up a Panthers passing game and push State to more 52-49 than they’d care for. I’ll give the Nittany Lions 3-0 in the non-conference, but I’ll have the popcorn if I see that Pitt’s making it a game.

Math makes it 8-4. A bowl win would make it 9-4. That’s not regression, is it?