Trash Talk Proves Recent One-Sidedness of UI-PSU Series

8 out of the last 10: That's how many times Iowa has beaten Penn State in the last decade. 8-2: That's Kirk Ferentz's record against legendary coach Joe Paterno. Iowa has owned the historic football program of Penn State since Ferentz began his tenure as head coach of the Hawkeyes, and this seems to have gotten to the heads of the Nittany Lion players. As if this game was not already an upset alert (Penn State is a generous 4 point favorite), PSU linebacker Glenn Carson has added some bulletin board material to this Saturday's match-up at Beaver Stadium. Earlier this week, the senior linebacker said this about Iowa:

PSU LB Glenn Carson has
given Iowa some bulletin
 board material

“Iowa’s a wrestling school, Penn State is a football school. We have to take it to ’em.”

“They think they have this stranglehold on us,” Carson added. “We just have to humble them up a little bit.”

This statement is quite simply foolish for a number of reasons. It is adding fuel to Iowa's fire, something that JoePa cannot be too happy with. Second, Penn State won the NCAA wrestling championship last year, so that pretty much puts them in the category of a "wrestling school" right along with Iowa. Most importantly, the problem with Carson's statement is the last sentence is false. Iowa does not think they have a stranglehold on Penn State- THEY KNOW IT!! Did Carson not understand the statistics that have been thrown at him all week? 8 out of the last 10! 11 out of the last 13! Since Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1990, Iowa is 9-5 against them! I'd call that a stranglehold, wouldn't you? 

Carson even proved Iowa's point when he continued....

“I could hear the Iowa fans heckling us,” Carson added. “They were yelling, ‘Raise your hand if you’ve ever beaten Iowa.’ ”

That "heckling" (cry me a river) by Iowa fans is on point- hardly any current PSU players have beaten Iowa (2007 at State College was the last Nittany Lion win). Maybe Carson should stop talking and start showing up to play against Iowa. 

I don't think the Hawks are phased by the comments. They know they have the recent advantage, and this just adds motivation to an already hungry Hawkeye team. Kirk Ferentz isn't known to talk much, and Marvin Mcnutt agreed:

“I’m just going to play football,” said Iowa receiver Marvin McNutt,“We don’t talk much.”

That's the recipe that has helped Iowa beat up on teams like Penn State, and that's exactly what someone should tell Glenn Carson.