The anxiety that always seems to heighten just prior to playing Michigan is in full bloom with Penn State fans. And what happened to the Nittany Lions’ defense in the fourth quarter against Buffalo didn’t help matters.

Ranked 118th out of 119 major college teams heading into the season by Sports Illustrated, the Bulls scored three touchdowns in the final 12 minutes on Saturday to toss another kernel of doubt into the mix. The first two scores came against PSU’s No. 1 defense, a unit that had not surrendered a TD in the preceding 11 quarters of the 2007 season.

The last time a Penn State defense surrendered three touchdowns in a single quarter, the opponent was Boston College and the year was 2003. It was the second game of the infamous season in which the Lions finished 3-9.

That certainly isn’t a comparison anybody in Happy Valley wants to make, especially a week before a trip to Ann Arbor. But I don’t believe what happened at the end of the Buffalo game is necessarily a bad sign.

Keep in mind that this was a game sandwiched between Notre Dame and Michigan. And don’t forget that when the final quarter started, PSU comfortably ahead 31-3. Sure, the defensive unit suffered a late letdown, but it was understandable under the circumstances.

The feeling here is that with an important conference game on the line in the fourth quarter, the Lions will be much more focused, determined and effective.
-- NEIL GEOGHEGAN