James_Taipei: With Clark and Royster returning next year, will Penn State have enough returning defensive players to compete for a Big Ten title again next year?

Ron Musselman: James, it's hard to believe you are already thinking about next year. I am busy following this year's team and have not had any time to look ahead. This team is ranked No. 3, 7-0 and in the national championship chase. Not even the players are thinking about next year, except for perhaps injured linebacker Sean Lee, and I doubt even he is. The players are only focused on beating Michigan Saturday and making a run at the Big Ten title and a possible berth in the national championship game.

Phil: Jay Paterno has received heavy criticism over the past years for his work with the quarterbacks and the play calling . Is it time to give him some props for his work with Clarke?

Ron Musselman: I think Jay Paterno has kind of been an unsung hero in Penn State's rise to prominence as a offense. He has taken a lot of criticism over the years for being Joe's son, but I haven't heard much JayPa-bashing this year. It's fun to watch Clark and Royster play and the Lions have a really good offensive line and receivers. Jay and offensive coordinator Galen Hall deserve the credit.

badabing: IF, and this is a big IF, Penn State wins the next 2 weeks, does Daryll Clark enter the Heisman talk?

Ron Musselman: He may enter the Heisman talk but I don't think he has a remote chance of winning the award. As I told a reader yesterday who posed the same question, Clark has been one of the best players in the Big Ten through the first seven games. He is one of the main reasons why Penn State's offense has been so successful. Florida's Tim Tebow won the award last year as a sophomore and he is in the running again, along with a bunch of other good quarterbacks: Missouri's Chase Daniel, Texas' Colt McCoy, Oklahoma's Sam Bradford and BYU's Max Young. Keep in mind -- Penn State has only had one Heisman winner in its long history, running back John Cappelletti, and that was 35 years ago.

JohnSchaffer: Ron, Assuming PSU wins out, could you see the possibility of Penn State getting jumped by playing their last game so early and the Big 12 and SEC still going?

Ron Musselman: Anything is possible. it does hurt that the Big Ten does not have a championship game. Penn State needs to win its last five games and hope either Texas or Alabama loses. Back in 2005, Penn State would not have played for the national title evn if it had not lost to Michigan and finished undefeated. There is no way the Lions would have jumped USC or Texas.

JohnSchaffer: Ron, Please Handicap Michigan's Offense.

Ron Musselman: I think its handicapped enough with injuries to quarterback Steven Threet and backup tailback Brandon Minor.

obama_08: Realizing that Michigan is in the midst of their worst season ... probably ever ... they're still Michigan. This team has to be dangerous in some respects, right? Or have they just quit playing altogether

Ron Musselman: No, Michigan has that hex against Penn State, winning nine in a row. The Lions are double-digit favorites, but they must be wary of the Wolverines. This program has a lot of tradition. Remember in 2005, Michigan spoiled Penn State's undefetadd season and ended up with five losses. That team wasn't very good either.

JohnSchaffer: Ron, How long do you expect Michigan to be down? Are they one good recruiting class away?

Ron Musselman: Rich Rodriguez is a very good coach and he proved that at West Virginia. it will take another year or two before he gets the players to fit his system and then I think it will be the same old Michigan program again.

JohnSchaffer: Do you think Justin King wishes he would have stayed another year?

Ron Musselman: I think Justin King just wishes he weren't hurt and was playing for the St. Louis Rams. He suffered a season-ending injury in his first preseason game.

No_Indiana_in__08: I never thought a two-headed offensive coordinator could work. The play calling has been very good this year though. Are Galen Hall and JayPa still sharing the play calling duties or has there been a change?

Ron Musselman: They split the play calling. I think it's helped, too, that Joe has kind of trusted his offensive talent and let go a little with that. His assistants are doing a lot more of the work now that he's been injured and has been sitting in the coaches' booth the last two weeks.

obama_08: Who do you see surviving the Buckeyes-Spartans fray this weekend?

Ron Musselman: My gut thinks Ohio State will win that game. Michigan State has made great progress but it's been a while since the Spartans have had a signature win in the Big Ten. I also think the Buckeyes are a little better.

JohnSchaffer: Does last week's win at Wisconsin give hope to finally winning in the horseshoe?

Ron Musselman: I think that will be Penn State's toughest game the rest of the year, although the game at Iowa in early Novemeber won't be easy, either. The Lions are 0-7 in Columbus since joining the Big Ten, but I would not rule out the fact that they can finally win there. To win the next two weeks, they will have to end the Michigan jinx -- nine losses in a row -- and the Ohio State jinx at the Horseshoe.

No_Indiana_in__08: I think a once beaten SEC or Big 12 team with several wins over top 10 teams is going to be tough to keep out of the championship game. Will PSU not only have to win, but win big to have a chance at the championship game?

Ron Musselman: I think Penn State needs to keep winning big. I also think if the Lions finish the year unbeaten, there will be a big national push to get Joe Paterno in the national championship game.

obama_08: This team seems to be so much more disciplined than any Penn State team I can remember in the past. Their execution is flawless and they commit almost no penalties. Is the staff stressing the little things more? Punishments for errors more severe? Better caliber players? Or all the above?

Ron Musselman: Penn State has been playing with precision since the first game. They have committed very few penalties and you're right, the Lions' execution has been error-free. But they really haven't been tested a whole lot, and it's hard to tell what might happen in that situation since we have not seen it yet, other than trailing twice against Illinois in the first quarter.

JohnSchaffer: Has the team's performance elevated Tom Bradley in the admin's eyes as Joe's successor? He seems to have complete control on the sidelines while acting as the de facto.

Ron Musselman: Bradley is the guy running the show on the sideline when Joe is up in the coaches' booth. He has been a loyal assistant and has been getting a lot of face time on TV. Will he best the next coach? Hard to tell at this point, but I think he should get strong consideration.

bern: I am a big fan of only thinking about one team at a time, being that team next on the schedule. Any chance PSU is getting caught up in BCS, OSU, or other things rather than Mich?

Ron Musselman: No. When you have lost to a team nine consecutive times and haven't beaten the Wolvervines since 1996, I think it would be hard to look past them.

obama_08: What can you tell us about Mr. Maybin? That guy has been out of his mind on the field. Would you have predicted this good of a season for him?

Ron Musselman: Aaron Maybin has been one of the biggest surprises. He began the season as Maurice Evans' backup and now he may be better than Evans. Maybin, who i will profile in the paper Friday, has nine sacks and 12.5 tackles for losses, which are tops in the country. He needs four more sacks to pass Gaines' total of 12.5 last year and 6 1/2 more to break the single-season school record of 15.

obama_08: Where should I plan to celebrate the end of the Michigan streak? The Skeller? Or the Cafe?

Ron Musselman: If it happens, you could dance the night away at the Shandygaff?

obama_08: Perhaps it's the Penn State monkey-off-the-back season -- a win in Camp Randall, a win over Michigan, a win at the Horseshoe ... a guy can hope, right?

Ron Musselman: There's nothing wrong with hoping and dreaming. When the season began, none of this looked possible. Now it very well could happen, although the Ohio State game won't be easy.

JohnSchaffer: Do you expect the PSU offense to keep it close to the vest this week or add more wrinkles to the offense?

Ron Musselman: I think you will see more and more wrinkles each week. Some thing work against certain teams and others do not. So it's an evolving process.

bubs: Do you think R. Rod has a mutiny on his hands up there? Has he lost that team?

Ron Musselman: Honestly, I think he has a team that doesn't fit his system. He needs time to get the right players in place in order to be successful.

bubs: What do you make of the JoePa in the press box? Is it really that big of a deal?

Ron Musselman: Not really. he has really been struggling with the sore right leg and hip in recent weeks. And now he has been walking with the aid of a cane and watching practice froma golf cart. It has to be painful for him, but play of his team has to be making him feel a little bit better.