Penn State's 21-10 collapse in the Big Ten Conference opener against Iowa was disappointing on a variety of levels. But the situation along the offensive line has to be up near the top of the lengthy list of concerns. If anything, the Lions' status up front is now in more disarray than it was prior to the season opener.

PSU ran for a lackluster 109 yards on 33 carries on Saturday evening, which is a mediocre 3.3 yards per attempt. Tailback Evan Royster failed to top the 70-yard plateau for the third time in four contests this season. And for the first time, he did not score a touchdown, but did contribute two turnovers down the stretch (a tipped pass that was intercepted and a fumble).

Starting right tackle, DeOn'tae Powell was so ineffective in the first half that he was benched in favor of senior Nerraw McCormack, who is a junior college transfer. Powell is the second starter so far along the line to lose his spot this season: guard Matt Stankiewitch was the other, replaced by Johnnie Troutman for in game three.

Granted, Penn State's ground game struggles came against an excellent Iowa defense. But the Hawkeyes managed to roll up 163 yards on 37 runs against Penn State's rock-solid defense, which averages out to 4.4 yards per attempt. And keep in mind that Royster was the top returning running back in the Big Ten, while Iowa's top performer is redshirt freshman Adam Robinson, who gained 88 rushing yards and a TD at Beaver Stadium.

And here is a sobering thought: since joining the Big Ten in 1993, PSU has never been able to make a run at a conference crown when it has had similar question marks along the offensive line. -- NEIL GEOGHEGAN.