it will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good.”
As much as I hate losing, I never want to be like any aspect of Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan.
As much as I hate losing, I never want to be like any aspect of Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan.
“Success without honor is an unseasoned dish …
- Thread starter Zenophile
- Start date
Losing sucks.
But we don’t have a coach who (allegedly) cheated & lied to become elite nor do we have (for the most part) a fanbase of outspoken, spoiled, overprivileged children. I count those as victories.
Like I said. For the most part.
I get what you’re saying, and don’t disagree, but grifting an entire university community doesn’t exactly scream “honor” either.
How about failure with honor? Not sure it tastes any better.
I am old and don’t have the memory I once had, but wasn’t this the same criticism of Joe. He played the big games conservatively hoping to be in it and win at the end. He didn’t win many times and the fans were angry. They weren’t as angry as today’s fan.
The greatest coach on and off the field was JVP. That Michigan coach doesn't deserve to be in the same sentence with Joe
Joe was the top guy in the game late 60s through the mid 90s, after that things started to go downhill. Long before the actual end, many around here wanted him to be forcefully retired. The best coach we could have is never the one that we do have, it seems.
I am always deeply disappointed whenever we lose a football game. It really hurts for a few hours, then I remember that it was a football game.
Before the season began there was a thread of predictions for the season record. Very few had us going undefeated. I and others stated that a 19 YO, rookie QB and a weak WR room would have us going 9-3. Looks like we will top that if we pull ourselves together and take out Ruskers. If we go into self-pity mode, a la Indiana, my prediction will be spot on. I'm a regular Nostradumass.
I am always deeply disappointed whenever we lose a football game. It really hurts for a few hours, then I remember that it was a football game.
Before the season began there was a thread of predictions for the season record. Very few had us going undefeated. I and others stated that a 19 YO, rookie QB and a weak WR room would have us going 9-3. Looks like we will top that if we pull ourselves together and take out Ruskers. If we go into self-pity mode, a la Indiana, my prediction will be spot on. I'm a regular Nostradumass.
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Just a snippet: In the 1980s, Paterno went 5-5 against teams ranked #1 or #2. Please don't try to pretend this is remotely similar.
Your memory is flawed…Joe won tons of big games…more in some single seasons than Franklin has in his entire tenure.
Joe won his first Natty in 1982- his 16th season as HC. Some of you people probably would have been screaming for his head too.
I'm completely open to a change myself- but have yet to see the name, because it seems that nobody has one.
I'm completely open to a change myself- but have yet to see the name, because it seems that nobody has one.
The sting for me is that these big 2 games this year were winnable. In CJF I see a coach who cares about his players and the University. However, to me, when ticket prices are becoming outrageous and add on seat licenses and all the other costs, fans are expecting perfection…they feel entitled with good reason. Once the playoffs came into being, the 9-3, 10-2 seasons and a great bowl game have become bad consolation prizes to many. We should expect to win every game and definitely at least go 1-1 against the big 2, otherwise, why play? Just my musings this morning.
Paterno was 13-33 vs Top 5 teams in his tenure at PSU. He was 1-9 vs top 5 teams in his first 13 years at PSU. It took him 13 years to get a second win vs a top 5 opponent. His last win vs a top 5 team was Arizona in 1999. After that he didn’t win another game against a top 5 opponent. I wish people would take off their blue and white glasses and realize it wasn’t rainbows and unicorns for the entire 46 yrs of his tenure. The 80’s and early/mid 90’s were very good but he coached a lot more games than during that time frame.
I believe the issues PSU started to have were directly related to the scholarship rules being changed. Once it was an 85 limit PSU wasn't the same program IMO. I always caught grief from family, but I was one who thought it would have been best for Joe to retire at an earlier age and devote his time to fund raising for the university, or something along those lines.
Agree. By the criteria of some on here, Joe would have been fired during his first 10 yrs and never got a chance to bring PSU to relevance.
How about the fact Joe had undefeated seasons in 68 and 69 and 73. It wasn't Joe's fault there was no playoff and the Natl Champion was voted on.
Why would people want him fired in his first ten years when he had 3 undefeated teams after 1973?
If Franklin had as many undefeated or 1 loss years as Paterno in his first 10 years, no, no they wouldn’t.
But he only beat one top 5 team while feasting on the likes of MD, WVU, Syracuse, Rutgers, BC, etc. There’s a reason why nobody took east coast football seriously until he got PSU rolling in the 80’s.
Paterno went 4-8 against top 10 teams in his first decade. If you remove his very first year on the job, he went 4-5 against top 10 teams in his first decade.
Franklin is now 3-17 against top 10 teams, including 1-12 starting with the 2017 Rose Bowl. So the trend is the wrong direction as well, which was the opposite with Paterno.
It's not comparable.
This was published last year after the loss to Michigan. Plus, I see you moved the goalpost to Top 10 (still a losing record) vs Top 5, which is what OSU and Michigan are most years recently.
Penn State Football: a look back at the Nittany Lions’ struggles against top 5 opponents over the years
After the loss at Michigan, we took a look back at Penn State Football's (mostly) unsuccessful history against top five competition.
victorybellrings.com
Coach Paterno would have kicked the extra point after both touchdowns yesterday. End of story.
Probably. But the offense wouldn’t have moved the ball much better than it did yesterday either and they still would have lost.
But with the second 2 point try Franklin afterwards didn't even realize that the extra point kept them in a one score game. That is completely unacceptable.
This was published last year after the loss to Michigan. Plus, I see you moved the goalpost to Top 10 (still a losing record) vs Top 5, which is what OSU and Michigan are most years recently.
Penn State Football: a look back at the Nittany Lions’ struggles against top 5 opponents over the years
After the loss at Michigan, we took a look back at Penn State Football's (mostly) unsuccessful history against top five competition.
I've never heard anyone making the "top 5" argument about Franklin. You chose that goalpost because you had a ready-made article and it makes it appear much more similar than it really is.
His only top 10 win in his last 13 attempts was a game where both teams had players sitting our, and their QB missed the second half. So even the lone victory was not an ordinary win. Again, just not similar to what Paterno was doing by this point, and that was while building a program, not at an established blue blood (I'll give Franklin a pass on the first few years given what he inherited).
Established blue blood? In 2014 when he took over? You’re delusional. Look, you’re entitled to your opinion. So am I. If PSU moved on, I’d be fine with it. If they don’t (and it is highly unlikely), I will still watch and cheer just the same without letting a football game ruin my whole weekend. Life’s too short for that nonsense. With that said, it’s a beautiful November day, I’m going to move on and make the most of it. Have a good weekend.
I specifically said I give him a pass on his first few years because of what he inherited. But the fact that Penn State has its blue blood history at this point remains. He didn't go to Northwestern, he went to a school top 10 all time in wins with a 107,000 seat stadium, etc.
My discussion with you isn't heated, if that's how it appears, and I haven't let any game impact me beyond 10 minutes after it was over in many years. Just enjoy the debate. Have a good weekend.
All good. I didn’t take it that way. Just a discussion.
Not so sure about the honor thing either. If one considers players' relative overall academic performance, that is.
Yeah, the academic thing is a concern, but we also haven't had any players doing anything to make us alums ashamed either. Generally seem like decent contributing members of society.
Academics? Are we talking academics? Who gives a care? Players are paid mercenaries now. The quaint idea of student/athlete is dead.
Thankfully they didn't know our signals yesterday or we might have lost that game.
Eh, I get every player won't be, but I still like it to be part of it. That's part of the tie we alums have to these kids, so when it's gone completely, they might as well just be the State College Nittany Lions. I know I'm naive, but I'll hang on to that naivety as long as I can.
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