The Rome report

Everyone who watches or participates in sports knows that you shouldn’t count wins on the schedule before the games are played.

Well, I am about to do just that. With a 13-6 win over Ohio State Saturday night, Penn State locked up a berth in the national championship game. I know that the Nittany Lions have three games remaining and they are still looking up at Texas and Alabama in the rankings, but if you look at the schedules of each team, you can understand why I am putting Penn State in the title game.

Penn State’s three remaining games are relatively easy. It has a road game at Iowa and home games with Indiana and Michigan State. The only game that might present a problem for the Nittany Lions is Michigan State. Penn State will have to contain tailback Javon Ringer-and I think the Lions will after holding Ohio State tailback Chris Wells to 55 yards on 22 carries.

Texas has four games remaining. The Longhorns should have their way with Baylor and Texas A&M but their toughest games will be at Texas Tech and Kansas. Oklahoma showed that you can score points on Texas. Texas Tech and Kansas just happen to be two of the most explosive scoring offenses in the country. The Longhorn defense will need more defensive efforts like they had this past Saturday in a 28-24 victory over Oklahoma State, another good scoring offense. The Longhorns probably will have one more game-the Big 12 Championship Game. If Texas makes it to this game, it could be looking at a rematch with Missouri.

Alabama has three games remaining. The Crimson Tide’s next game will be at Death Valley against LSU. Then it has home games versus Mississippi State and Auburn. It should win the game against Mississippi State but the games against LSU and Auburn will be tough. LSU is very tough to beat at home. Auburn has a tough defense and is a rival. Auburn isn’t playing well right now but anything can happen in a rivalry game. Alabama will probably be playing in the SEC Championship Game. If the Crimson Tide makes it, which it should, it is looking at playing either Florida or a rematch with Georgia.

After looking at these teams’ remaining schedules, it’s hard for me to see both Texas and Alabama staying undefeated and locking Penn State out of the national title game. The schedules of the Longhorns and the Crimson Tide are just too difficult. Both teams have two games remaining in the regular season that will give them trouble and then they have the conference championship, another tough game. Penn State doesn’t have a conference championship game to worry about. The blue and white should remain undefeated and jump up in the rankings once Texas or Alabama loses a game. A couple of seasons ago, some of the media and fans were trying to run head coach Joe Paterno out of Penn State. In a little more than two months, they will be rooting him on in the national championship game.