Penn State hopes to move to 2-0 with a victory tomorrow over Syracuse, but maybe this win won’t be as easy as we previously thought.  Syracuse has a couple nice pieces and looked like a much improved team even in a Week 1 loss to Minnesota a week ago.  Here’s a run-down of some of the key storylines to watch heading into tomorrow’s matchup.

A Year Ago: It was the Greg Robinson farewell tour a year ago, as a 3-9 season, Robinson’s second-best at the helm of the Orange, wasn’t nearly enough to save his job.  It was a year that featured almost unanimously bad performances on all fronts.  Syracuse passers completed less than 50 percent of their passes, and the defense broke down in allowing 30 or more points in all but 3 games.  The nadir of the season might have been in just its second week, when Syracuse fell 42-28 to a weak Akron team.  However, they did beat Notre Dame, in South Bend, in Robinson’s second to last game.

Last Week: Syracuse started off their 2009 season with a loss to Minnesota, but they actually looked competent, even in defeat.  Battling back from an early 14-3 hole, Syracuse took the game into the half leading 20-14 before Minnesota came back to tie the game up and force overtime.  In overtime, Greg Paulus made his first big mistake, throwing a damaging interception that allowed Minnesota to kick the game winning field goal and emerge victorious.

Out With the Old, In With the Older: The Greg Robinson era at Syracuse can’t be described as anything less than a massive and utter failure.  With a 10-37 record in 4 seasons, highlighted by a 3-25 conference record in that time, Robinson’s tenure might be the most destructive ever at a major program.  Not only is it a stain in the annals of Syracuse football, which boasts a proud history, but it was a giant step backwards from the Paul Pasqualoni era.  Pasqualoni led Syracuse to a 107-59-1 record in 14 years, with just one losing season.  Coaching future stars like Donovan McNabb and Dwight Freeney, under Pasqualoni, Syracuse was a constant competitor for the Big East crown, and had just one losing season under Coach P.

Now, Doug Marrone has returned to his alma mater, and has tried to reinstate some of the old traditions.  Marrone played tackle at Syracuse in the late 80′s, and then in the NFL, before embarking on a coaching career that took him around the country, from Cortland (N.Y.) State to Georgia Tech to the New York Jets and for the past three seasons as the offensive coordinator of a potent New Orleans Saints attack.  Now, he’s returned to his alma mater in hopes of distancing himself from Robinson, who’s since moved on to work as the defensive coordinator under Rich Rodriguez at Michigan.

Not Just Paulus: The infusion of Greg Paulus into his hometown program has brough significant media attention to Syracuse, but he’s far from the only weapon on the offensive side for the Orange.  The former Gatorade player of the year and #1 football prospect didn’t go deep too much last week, but led a short passing game, completing 19 of 31 passes for 167 passes with a touchdown and an interception.  Despite his heralded status, Paulus isn’t close to the most dangerous piece on the Syracuse offense.

That honor would go to Mike Williams who, despite sitting out the 2008 season with academic issues, made a triumphant return to the Syracuse lineup, with 7 catches for 91 yards, and continued his NCAA-leading touchdown streak, which now stands at 10 games.  He’s as talented as any wide receiver that Penn State will face this year, and could play a big part in challenging a still untested Penn State secondary.  Unfortunately for Syracuse, he’s the only dynamic option in the passing game, and was the only Orangeman with over 18 yards receiving last week.  Lastly, Delone Carter is a solid running back, though he’s no Curtis Brinkley, who was the lone bright spot in Syracuse’s 2008 season, with over 1200 yards and 7 touchdowns.  Like so many other schools, Syracuse also runs a variation of the Wildcat offense, which they call the “Stallion” and features scatback Antwon Bailey along with Carter in the backfield.  Last week, the two combined for 119 yards on 28 carries.

Defending the Spread HD: For Syracuse, the defense all starts in the middle, with huge nosetackle Arthur Jones, who might be the best defensive tackle in the country.  Frankly, that’s the big matchup, how Penn State’s guards will be able to handle the massive Jones, and whether Jones can outshine a defensive tackle as Jared Odrick.  From his nosetackle position, Jones led the Orange with 3.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for a loss, which is as much an indictment on the rest of the defense as it is a celebration of Jones.  Safety Mike Holmes is another player to watch.  Last week, he led the Orange with 8 tackles and had an interception of Adam Weber.  In his third year as a starter, Holmes has emerged as a dependable, if not flashy, option for Syracuse.

Last week, Syracuse mostly held in check the potent passing attack of Minnesota, holding Adam Weber to just 19 completions of his 42 attempts, though Eric Decker went off, with 9 catches and 183 yards receiving.  Still, it was a tale of two halves for the Syracuse defense, as they struggled to contain Decker in the second half after limiting to just 1 catch in the first.  Still, it was a triumph for the Syracuse defense compared to a year ago, as they held Minnesota to just 5 of 17 on third down conversion attempts.  Though it wasn’t a tremendous defensive effort, it was still a major step in the right direction for Syracuse.

Prediction: I feel like Syracuse will pose some difficult matchup problems for Penn State, and keep the game close, especially early on.  Though the running game will have difficulty establishing itself against the Nittany Lion defense, Greg Paulus’ short-pass, west-coast-style offense will force Tom Bradley to adjust from his usual soft coverage schemes, and Mike Williams will keep a safety over the top, because there isn’t a cornerback on the roster who’s good enough to match up 1-on-1 with Williams.  There’s also no rest for the weary, as after the offensive line struggled to matchup with Akron’s 3-3-5 defense, they get a date with one of the best tackles in the country who’s a pro when it comes to closing up holes before the line can even open them up.  Still, it’s hard to imagine Syracuse’s defense playing as effectively against Penn State’s offense as they did against that of Minnesota.  There are simply too many weapons in the Spread HD.  I’ll say Syracuse keeps it close, early, but Penn State wins going away, 48-20.

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