FC: Blue-Chip Ratio 2023 - Is Franklin recruiting as well as we think?

[LB99]

Yes it does because every one of those teams plays a schedule with more quality opponents on it other than Miami and Texas is about a tie. Actually Miami in this particular season could argue will play more quality opponents.

That’s sort of a subjective evaluation. I don’t necessarily think the bottom dwellers of the B1G are worse than those in the SEC, ACC, and PAC 12. There’s some struggling teams in all those conferences. Further, look at TX A&M for comparison. In their last four recruiting classes, their worst recruiting class was ranked #10. In 2022, they had the #1 recruiting class in the country. This was the year that Saban complained about them paying for recruits. That class included eight 5 star rated players per 24/7. Their blue chip ratio is much higher than Penn State. Yet, it hasn’t translated onto the field. Their last four season records were 9-1, 8-4, 5-7, 4-3 (so far). The 2022 season, just after having landed a stellar recruiting class with 5 star recruits, they finished 5-7 which included a home loss to Appalachian State. The rest of their nonconference schedule included Sam Houston State and UMass. These two were part of their five wins. If Franklin would have landed the top recruiting class in 2022 and then followed that up with a dud season of 5-7 and a home loss to Appy State, the collective fan base would have spontaneously combusted. So, I said my comment TIC but, at the end of the day, it’s a fair question. Does Franklin do more with less compared to teams like A&M with regards to blue chip recruiting?

 

[Mr. Nickels 11]

That’s sort of a subjective evaluation. I don’t necessarily think the bottom dwellers of the B1G are worse than those in the SEC, ACC, and PAC 12. There’s some struggling teams in all those conferences. Further, look at TX A&M for comparison. In their last four recruiting classes, their worst recruiting class was ranked #10. In 2022, they had the #1 recruiting class in the country. This was the year that Saban complained about them paying for recruits. That class included eight 5 star rated players per 24/7. Their blue chip ratio is much higher than Penn State. Yet, it hasn’t translated onto the field. Their last four season records were 9-1, 8-4, 5-7, 4-3 (so far). The 2022 season, just after having landed a stellar recruiting class with 5 star recruits, they finished 5-7 which included a home loss to Appalachian State. The rest of their nonconference schedule included Sam Houston State and UMass. These two were part of their five wins. If Franklin would have landed the top recruiting class in 2022 and then followed that up with a dud season of 5-7 and a home loss to Appy State, the collective fan base would have spontaneously combusted. So, I said my comment TIC but, at the end of the day, it’s a fair question. Does Franklin do more with less compared to teams like A&M with regards to blue chip recruiting?

I'm not arguing that there aren't some other underachievers out there. I'm not arguing that Franklin is underachieving. In fact I believe he is overachieving when you view everything on the whole. I am arguing that being ranked 10th with our schedule with losses to the Big 2 is a hollow existence. It remains to be seen whether or not we can continue to achieve 10-2 when the conference expands. AND Im also arguing that we've seen repeat problems from Franklin coached teams on the field. Star ratings and NIL and all that other stuff aside... when you actually coach and your team plays a good game, but then you call 4th & 5 run instead of leaving the ball in McSorley's hands, or you go for it with 8 minutes left in the game, or you fake a punt from your own 35 against Kentucky on the first possession of the game when the over under line on the game is 34 and Kentucky goes on to attempt 5 passes more than 5 yards downfield in an entire game there are some issues that people are glossing over.

 

[LB99]

I'm not arguing that there aren't some other underachievers out there. I'm not arguing that Franklin is underachieving. In fact I believe he is overachieving when you view everything on the whole. I am arguing that being ranked 10th with our schedule with losses to the Big 2 is a hollow existence. It remains to be seen whether or not we can continue to achieve 10-2 when the conference expands. AND Im also arguing that we've seen repeat problems from Franklin coached teams on the field. Star ratings and NIL and all that other stuff aside... when you actually coach and your team plays a good game, but then you call 4th & 5 run instead of leaving the ball in McSorley's hands, or you go for it with 8 minutes left in the game, or you fake a punt from your own 35 against Kentucky on the first possession of the game when the over under line on the game is 34 and Kentucky goes on to attempt 5 passes more than 5 yards downfield in an entire game there are some issues that people are glossing over.

But, this isn’t the argument you made to my comment. You insinuated that Franklin’s record is due to a weak B1G as is relates to the other school’s blue chip ratio in comparison. A&M lost to App St last year. Miami lost to Middle Tennessee State and finished 5-7 last year. ND had 4 losses including a home loss to Marshall and a really bad loss to a 1 win Stanford team. LSU was 6-7 in 2021. All those schools were ranked ahead of PSU in the blue chip recruiting rankings. I’m saying it’s all relative. Those schools are sh*ting the bed against bad teams despite really good recruiting classes and none of them went to NY6 bowls. Our fan base would be livid at those results. Yet, somehow we think we are going to find lighting in a bottle by hiring someone else? I don’t think it is that easy. Franklin’s kryptonite is the B1G two. We know that, he knows that, everyone knows that. He needs to change something to get the results we all want.

 

[MacNit2.0]

Matt Rhule’s comments on this were fantastic. He basically said coaches at the college level are too lazy to coach up QBs and as a result they consistently vote down putting mics in QB helmets in favor of ridiculous sideline signals. He said if you coach up your QBs and put mics in helmets, there are no sideline signals to steal. I’ll see if I can find the clip…

Should have pursued him instead of Sandy’s insane extension .

 

[LB99]

Should have pursued him instead of Sandy’s insane extension .

I like Matt. I really do. He has done a great job turning programs around, but I’m still curious how he would handle a team that is already largely successful and has huge expectations? He’s never walked into that situation and I think it would be a completely different scenario for him. I wish him luck at Nebraska. They’ve been down for a long time.

 

[PSUSignore]

Matt Rhule’s comments on this were fantastic. He basically said coaches at the college level are too lazy to coach up QBs and as a result they consistently vote down putting mics in QB helmets in favor of ridiculous sideline signals. He said if you coach up your QBs and put mics in helmets, there are no sideline signals to steal. I’ll see if I can find the clip…

Headsets in the helmets still doesn't solve the issue that Franklin pointed out which is getting play calls to WRs and TEs when running a no huddle offense. I'm not sure how the NFL coaches handle that but they probably also don't run as much no huddle as many uptempo college offenses. Having every player wear play call wristbands which can easily be changed up is the only solution I've been able to think of.

 

[LB99]

Headsets in the helmets still doesn't solve the issue that Franklin pointed out which is getting play calls to WRs and TEs when running a no huddle offense. I'm not sure how the NFL coaches handle that but they probably also don't run as much no huddle as many uptempo college offenses. Having every player wear play call wristbands which can easily be changed up is the only solution I've been able to think of.

In Foxboro, they just turn off the opposing team’s headsets anyway, so we would get hosed in Ann Arbor regardless.

 

[J.E.B]

Well, how many have a shot thru 8 weeks?

The 8 remaining BCR teams with no more than 1 loss are Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, and Michigan.

We are still in it and if they can upend Michigan (karma will catch up with scUM on 11/12) then only two B1G teams will be in the chase and if Michigan beats O$U???

You will have two B1G teams, Georgia/Ala, and Tex/Okl left with probably FSU and Washington to pick from.

Can HillBilly Napier beat either Georgia or FSU?

 

[Got GSPs]

Found this to be a bit eye-opening; the whole article is worth reading but below is a graphic of the top rated blue-chip ratio (BCR) teams for 2023 (recruits signed over a four year cycle). The BCR is a measure of the amount of blue-chip talent on a roster (the article discusses JUCO, transfers, etc.). I thought PSU (and Michigan) would be higher. Think going forward you'll see the talent spread out a bit more. Anyway, read the whole thing if you can. Here is an excerpt noting BCR's for previous teams who won the National Championship:

• In 2022, Georgia took home the title in dominant fashion with a 77% ratio.
• In 2021, Georgia had an 80 percent BCR and won it all, beating the No. 1 BCR team Alabama in the title game. Three of the four playoff teams were BCR teams as Cincinnati was the first crasher since 2017.
• In 2020, Alabama had an 83 percent BCR and won it all. All four Playoff teams were BCR schools.
• In 2019, LSU won it with a 64 percent BCR, and all four Playoff teams were BCR schools.
• Clemson, with a 61 percent mark, took it home in 2018. And all four Playoff teams were BCR schools.
• Alabama won it all in 2017 with an incredible 80 percent mark.
• Clemson took home the title in 2016 after signing 52 percent blue chips in the 2013-16 classes.
• In 2015, Alabama had a 77 percent mark.
• In 2014, it was Ohio State at 68 percent.
• In 2013, Florida State was at 53 percent.
• In 2012, Alabama was at 71 percent
• ... just as Bama was in 2011.

Blue-Chip Ratio 2023: The 16 teams who can actually win a national title

How much talent does it take to win the national championship in college football? And which of the teams in 2023 are most set to deliver on that promise? Unveiling the 2023 Blue-Chip Ratio.

247sports.com

We definitely need to recruit better to win a natty. We are probably in the area where if the ball bounced our way we could get the the four team playoff (down year by tOSU). I think we are talented enough to make the 12 team playoff. Once (if) we start making the playoffs then the perception of Penn State will be closer to tOSU, Bama, Georgia, etc. and that will help recruiting.