"I haven't got the slightest idea."
That was Penn State coach Joe Paterno's response at his weekly press conference on Tuesday when asked who will start at quarterback for the Nittany Lions when they host Illinois on Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
Matthew McGloin appeared to make a strong case for the job this past weekend in Penn State's 34-24 win against Northwestern in Evanston when he racked up 192 yards and two touchdowns on 17-26 passing and played the entire game. It sounds like Paterno wants to leave the door open for sophomore Rob Bolden, however, who didn't see any action against the Wildcats and has seen his role reduced consistently over the last couple of weeks.
Bolden was Penn State's starter last season against the Fighting Illini. He completed just 8-21 passes for 142 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the Lions' 33-13 Homecoming loss. That marked his last full game as a starter. He was injured the following week against Minnesota and has yet to recover the starting job in full.
With that, the quarterback competition rolls into week nine.
In other quarterback news, Paterno said he thinks sophomore Paul Jones, ruled academically ineligible for this season, will have a bright future once he fixes his study habits.