Game 11: Rutgers, Nov. 18, 12:00 pm EST, FS1
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
- Start date
This week’s game with Rutgers has not been discussed much. Wondering if there will be a let down by the team. And if Rutgers has enough talent to take advantage. It’s the next win needed toward a 10-2 season.
If you go by the corollary of not betting PSU to cover after OSU week, you might want to consider the same for this week too. It's pretty crappy for the seniors that their last game is a noon start coming off last week's loss and you know the student section will be about 40% full at kickoff. Given the factors, I think PSU will start slow again on offense but they won't let Rutgers's one-dimensional offense (their one dimension being a running QB) get too much. I see this as a pretty boring slog of a game that PSU wins 31-6 but despite the score prediction beating the spread, I likely won't be betting PSU to cover.
(Past predictions/results -- WVU 38-10 (38-15), UD 52-6 (63-7), Ill 38-13 (30-13), Iowa 27-10 (31-0), NW 44-9 (41-13), UMASS 58-13 (63-0) OSU 17-13 (12-20), IU 45-7 (33-24), MD 31-16 (51-15), Mich 13-19 (15-24))
(Past predictions/results -- WVU 38-10 (38-15), UD 52-6 (63-7), Ill 38-13 (30-13), Iowa 27-10 (31-0), NW 44-9 (41-13), UMASS 58-13 (63-0) OSU 17-13 (12-20), IU 45-7 (33-24), MD 31-16 (51-15), Mich 13-19 (15-24))
Not saying PSU will lose but areas of concern:
1) hangover after a loss
2) I suspect Schiano will have a decent game plan, he's a solid coach.
3) a decent ? Rutgers defense against a struggling PSU offense
4) didnt a Ciarrocca offense at Minnesota give PSU a tough game a few years back? I'd expect more heavy and unbalanced line packages.
1) hangover after a loss
2) I suspect Schiano will have a decent game plan, he's a solid coach.
3) a decent ? Rutgers defense against a struggling PSU offense
4) didnt a Ciarrocca offense at Minnesota give PSU a tough game a few years back? I'd expect more heavy and unbalanced line packages.
I may be way, way off, but I'm very confident about this game. Yes, Rutgers does have a good D. But Iowa's O, which nobody thinks of as stellar, wore out Rutgers' D.
For any team, it can be tough to rebound after a game you've circled for a long time, and still end up losing. That said, I think that the firing of MY on Sunday kind of alters that dynamic a bit. MY not being in the picture may not be a total panacea for the problems PSU has experienced (in some games) at O, but it kind of rallies the players and coaches on O, and may also cause Rutgers' D some problems in terms of knowing how to gameplan.
This is the game that Franklin circled on the calendar back in the summer. He’s been holding back Allar for this game. You can’t give rutgres nine games of high-octane offense on film. Allar will be raining his balls deep all day long for an A$$. BEATING. 
that will scratch right where I itch. 
that will scratch right where I itch.
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#4 -- KC was the OC on that Minnesota team that beat us in Minny in the battle of the undefeateds (another shining example of a 'Franklin Game' along with Dotson tripping over the 20 yard line) but he benefited from having a good ball-control QB with a decent offensive line and good RB's. But if you also remember, he and Fleck went ultra-conservative after they built a big lead mid 3rd qtr and that nearly (should have...damn 20 yard line monster) bit them. KC doesn't have the horses at Rutgers that he did at Minny.
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