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Our Opinion: Praise those who display a ‘giving’ spirit at Thanksgiving – and all year through

Turkey dinners to be served Nov. 22 at St. Ignatius Church

<p>Only six of them made it through five full years. In hindsight, it&#8217;s amazing the number is even that high.</p><p>Penn State will honor a total of 19 players before Saturday&#8217;s game against Michigan, all of whom will be in their final game at Beaver Stadium. But it&#8217;s those six that stand out.</p><p>Co-captains Anthony Zettel and Angelo Mangiro. Kyle Carter. Ben Kline. Matt Zanellato. And the lone former walk-on of the group, national sack leader Carl Nassib.</p><p>Those are the only players on the roster who were there before everything went to hell in 2011. Those are the only ones who signed with and were coached by Joe Paterno, though they all redshirted that first year on campus.</p><p>They saw things collapse that November as Jerry Sandusky was indicted, followed not 24 hours later by Tim Curley and Gary Schultz. Paterno was ousted by the board of trustees four days after that.</p><p>Eight months later, the NCAA hammered the program. None of them had any reason to believe they would get to play in a bowl game if they stayed. Heck, in those first 48 hours after the sanctions were announced, there was very real concern if enough guys would stick around to field a remotely competitive team.</p><p>But in November 2015, here they still are, ready to face a top-15 Michigan team. And yes, play in a second straight bowl game before leaving for good.</p><p>The rest will be left to Zettel to describe.</p><p>&#8220;We came to Penn State because this was the most solidified program in the country,&#8221; Zettel said of his 2011 signing class. &#8220;You knew what you were going to get when you came here. Things happened, you know. I didn&#8217;t come here because Coach Paterno strictly. It was a little bit of an extra. I knew he was 80-some years old when he came here and wasn&#8217;t going to be here my whole career. It wasn&#8217;t surprising.</p><p>&#8220;At the same time, I came here for the guys in the locker room, the guys on the team, the guys that you go to battle with everyday. So when the sanctions and stuff hit and everybody had a choice to leave, it really was a point where there&#8217;s very few teams in the country that could have done what we did, and most of the guys stayed.</p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;s just the kind of guys that came from that locker room, and that basically made my decision coming here, just made it more real, just those guys are the type of guys that stayed.</p><p>&#8220;It was everything I thought. I wouldn&#8217;t change anything going back the last five years. I wouldn&#8217;t change a thing just because it made our program stronger. The guys, the coaches and everybody tougher, too.&#8221;<hr/><table style="width: 100%;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td><img style="float: left;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/michigan-76-_zps32cecc4c.gif" height="113" width="150"/></td><td style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"></p><p><strong>No. 12 MICHIGAN (8-2, 5-1 Big Ten)</strong></p><p><strong>vs. PENN STATE (7-3, 4-2 Big Ten)</strong></p><p>Noon, Saturday, ABC</td><td><img style="float: right;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/Penn_State-1.gif" height="113" width="150"/></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 100%; border: 2px solid black; border-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: separate;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"><strong>QUARTERBACK</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 10px;" colspan="3"><img style="float: right;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/Penn_State-1.gif" height="113" width="150"/>He won&#8217;t be introduced before the game with the seniors, but it sure feels like it will be Christian Hackenberg&#8217;s final game at Beaver Stadium as well. It was two years ago against Michigan that Hackenberg really jumped on the national scene with an improbable last-minute touchdown drive that preceded a four-overtime win. The Lions will need another big-time performance to pull this one out. Iowa transfer Jake Rudock played arguably the best game of his career last week as the fifth-year senior set a Michigan record with six TD passes. <strong>EDGE: PSU</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 100%; border: 2px solid black; border-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: separate;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"><strong>RUNNING BACK</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 10px;" colspan="3"><img style="float: right;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/Penn_State-1.gif" height="113" width="150"/>James Franklin said this week that Saquon Barkley still wasn&#8217;t 100 percent recovered from his ankle injury before the bye week. Which is a little scary considering the true freshman racked up 170 total yards and scored two touchdowns against a solid Northwestern defense. Barkley will remain the focal point of the offense, especially now that his role as a receiver has increased. Michigan will counter with some power running and a fullback lined up in front of leading rusher De&#8217;Veon Smith, who has been dependable this year. <strong>EDGE: PSU</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 100%; border: 2px solid black; border-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: separate;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"><strong>RECEIVER</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 10px;" colspan="3"><img style="float: left;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/michigan-76-_zps32cecc4c.gif" height="113" width="150"/>Both of the Wolverines&#8217; starting wideouts &#8212; Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson &#8212; had huge games against Indiana last week with Chesson hauling in an amazing 10 catches for 207 yards and four touchdowns. But the biggest threat to the Lions this week is 6-foot-6 All-America tight end candidate Jake Butt. With Penn State&#8217;s linebackers still a work in progress and strong safety Jordan Lucas out, Butt could be in line for some big numbers. Penn State is still waiting for its first big performance from a TE, though WR Chris Godwin remains solid. <strong>EDGE: UM</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 100%; border: 2px solid black; border-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: separate;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"><strong>OFFENSIVE LINE</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 10px;" colspan="3"><img style="float: left;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/michigan-76-_zps32cecc4c.gif" height="113" width="150"/>Penn State is optimistic that right tackle Andrew Nelson will be good to go once again after getting to rest up over the bye week. Even with the Wolverines banged up on the defensive line, Penn State&#8217;s big men are going to have their hands full against one of the nation&#8217;s best run defenses &#8212; last week&#8217;s letdown against Indiana notwithstanding. Michigan has a veteran group on the O-line and the lone underclassman, true sophomore Mason Cole, has more than held his own at left tackle. Both units will be under siege against tough defenses on Saturday. <strong>EDGE: UM</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 100%; border: 2px solid black; border-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: separate;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"><strong>DEFENSIVE LINE</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 10px;" colspan="3"><img style="float: right;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/Penn_State-1.gif" height="113" width="150"/>Hasn&#8217;t been much news on the Carl Nassib front, but Penn State&#8217;s new sack king has been battling an upper-body injury (injuries?) since training camp. Though he was forced to the sideline at the end of the Northwestern game, it would be a surprise to not see him out there Saturday. Watch out for Michigan native Anthony Zettel, who has an interception in both of his first two games against the Wolverines. Michigan lost NT Ryan Glasgow to injury and likely won&#8217;t burn Bryan Mone&#8217;s redshirt, meaning UM is a bit vulnerable up the middle now. <strong>EDGE: PSU</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 100%; border: 2px solid black; border-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: separate;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"><strong>LINEBACKER</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 10px;" colspan="3"><img style="float: left;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/michigan-76-_zps32cecc4c.gif" height="113" width="150"/>The drop-off from Mike Hull and Nyeem Wartman-White to Jason Cabinda and Troy Reeder at the second level was very apparent in the loss to Northwestern. Not to say that Cabinda and Reeder have been poor &#8212; far from it &#8212; but runs that would have gone for 10 yards a year ago are now starting to go for 30 or 40 against quality opponents. How well the Lions LBs rebound could determine who wins here. Michigan has talented veterans across the board in Joe Bolden, Desmond Morgan and James Ross, all of whom have anchored the defense. <strong>EDGE: UM</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 100%; border: 2px solid black; border-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: separate;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"><strong>SECONDARY</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 10px;" colspan="3"><img style="float: left;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/michigan-76-_zps32cecc4c.gif" height="113" width="150"/>There are some metrics that have junior corner Jourdan Lewis as one of the country&#8217;s very best quarterbacks. The numbers alone are impressive &#8212; a nation-leading 18 passes defended with two interceptions on top of that. Look for him to be matched up on Chris Godwin most of the day. The Wolverines also have one of the Big Ten&#8217;s most exciting players in Jabrill Peppers, who will line up at safety and corner on defense and take handoffs on offense. Penn State will be without Jordan Lucas, meaning more snaps for Malik Golden and John Reid. <strong>EDGE: UM</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 100%; border: 2px solid black; border-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: separate;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"><strong>SPECIAL TEAMS</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 10px;" colspan="3"><img style="float: left;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/michigan-76-_zps32cecc4c.gif" height="113" width="150"/>James Franklin had to make an embarrassing admission after the last game, which saw Tyler Davis squib all four of his kickoffs, including one that was returned for a touchdown in a two-point loss. The problem was that none of them were supposed to be squibs. Oof. Joey Julius will be back after a one-game hiatus and he should again handle kickoffs, though field goals may still go to Davis. Despite having the special teams gaffe of the year against rival Michigan State, the Wolverines&#8217; unit has notably improved from the Brady Hoke days. <strong>EDGE: UM</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 100%; border: 2px solid black; border-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: separate;" class="mceItemTable"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-size: x-large; background-color: #c00c00; color: white; border: 2px solid black;" colspan="3"><strong>PREDICTION</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: justify; font-size: small; border: 2px solid black; padding: 10px;" colspan="3"></p><p><img style="float: left;" alt="" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/dlevarse/michigan-76-_zps32cecc4c.gif" height="113" width="150"/>Michigan certainly seems to be ripe for an upset, coming off an exhausting double-overtime win over Indiana while Penn State was resting up on its bye week. The Wolverines&#8217; vaunted defense is finally showing some cracks, surrendering 307 yards rushing to the Hoosiers, more than triple their season average. But Penn State still has to take advantage of all of this on what should be an emotional afternoon. And the Nittany Lions are still prone to making big mistakes against the toughest opponents on the schedule. <strong>MICHIGAN 20, PENN STATE 17.</strong></td></tr></tbody></table></p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Derek Levarse</p><p>dlevarse@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Derek Levarse at 570-991-6396 or on Twitter @TLdlevarse</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Prediction time: Penn State-Michigan breakdown