September 24, 2016, a 2-1 PSU team coached by James Franklin goes to #4 Michigan. The team had two young exciting running backs and a fresh-faced QB. They get completely shellacked, 49-10. It was 28 to 0 at halftime in that one (which felt like the real score yesterday at halftime). Michigan had over 500 yards of offense (PSU had about 190), including 326 yards rushing (with four backs gaining over 50 yards).
This board of course looked a lot like it does today. There were discussions about coaching changes, the strength training program, wide receiver separation, and quite a number of posters were done with the team.
But then the team scratched out a win in OT the following week at home against Minnesota, beat up on Maryland, and then beat OSU the following week in a major upset, and took off to the races. And, by the way, the team shellacked Michigan 42 to 13 the following year in Happy Valley.
Will lightening also strike in a bottle in 2022? It sure doesn't feel like it. Franklin believed that this team was ready to play "big boy ball" with Michigan yesterday, and it is clear that he was wrong. So he better prepare the team for another type of ball for the rest of the year or things could get ugly.
But the posts about how yesterday's loss is the worst loss in team history, or suggestions that these losses never happened in the "golden age" of PSU football, are just ridiculous. The team got blown out by Alabama in 1982 (42-21, PSU was ranked #3), blown out by Nebraska in 1983 (44-6, PSU was ranked #8), blown out by Notre Dame in 1984 (44-7), blown out by Miami in 2001 (33-7), blown out by Wisconsin in 2011 (45-7), as well as losses to Cincinnati in 1983 at home, and the loss to Toledo in 2000. And then there was 6 to 4 (although that was the dark years).
The beauty (and agonizing nature) of college football is that you never know what the next week will bring. This is a team with a lot of young talent, am I going to hope that they also have the resilience and pride to bounce back the rest of the year -- there is a roadmap, 2016.
Before everyone attacks me with suspicion and negativism, I'm just saying that there is a chance that the rest of the year could turn out OK.
This board of course looked a lot like it does today. There were discussions about coaching changes, the strength training program, wide receiver separation, and quite a number of posters were done with the team.
But then the team scratched out a win in OT the following week at home against Minnesota, beat up on Maryland, and then beat OSU the following week in a major upset, and took off to the races. And, by the way, the team shellacked Michigan 42 to 13 the following year in Happy Valley.
Will lightening also strike in a bottle in 2022? It sure doesn't feel like it. Franklin believed that this team was ready to play "big boy ball" with Michigan yesterday, and it is clear that he was wrong. So he better prepare the team for another type of ball for the rest of the year or things could get ugly.
But the posts about how yesterday's loss is the worst loss in team history, or suggestions that these losses never happened in the "golden age" of PSU football, are just ridiculous. The team got blown out by Alabama in 1982 (42-21, PSU was ranked #3), blown out by Nebraska in 1983 (44-6, PSU was ranked #8), blown out by Notre Dame in 1984 (44-7), blown out by Miami in 2001 (33-7), blown out by Wisconsin in 2011 (45-7), as well as losses to Cincinnati in 1983 at home, and the loss to Toledo in 2000. And then there was 6 to 4 (although that was the dark years).
The beauty (and agonizing nature) of college football is that you never know what the next week will bring. This is a team with a lot of young talent, am I going to hope that they also have the resilience and pride to bounce back the rest of the year -- there is a roadmap, 2016.
Before everyone attacks me with suspicion and negativism, I'm just saying that there is a chance that the rest of the year could turn out OK.
