James Franklin

Bvillebaron

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Not sure why this team can't start fast (side note that OPI was a f-in joke so that plays a part), but I saw one area where CJF improved yesterday. He got aggressive near the end on those 4th downs. He still had some crap clock management and I don't like the way they are using Pribula right now. Yes it worked on the Warren play but ONLY because Warren is god and made an insane play. My issue with the Pribula plays are that Allar is (save that one insane catch) taken out of the play on almost all the others so you are playing 10 vs 11. Put them both in the backfield for f--ks sake. Then he goes with 09 on the first play of overtime? Why? If you are going to play for the FG just use Nicky and Kaytron.

So overall, one big step in the right direction, but still some stuff to sort out. Continue to seem to be bringing the sloppiness down which is also a good sign.
Actually Penn State scored on its first position albeit having to settle for a FG after a penalty negated a Warren TD. It was the defense which started slow on Saturday.
 
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LaJollaCreek

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And I still think the call on Fleming was BS, especially considering how they called the rest of the game.
I have heard 2 different national podcasts say it was a BS call. SVP being one of them. Flemming went vertical and ran into the DB, but wasn't blocking him. The DB also had a hold of Flemming jersey IIRC. The thing is in OT Tracey had a good hold of that USC WR's jersey on that first play so you can just take the good with the bad.
 
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leinbacker

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I have heard 2 different national podcasts say it was a BS call. SVP being one of them. Flemming went vertical and ran into the DB, but wasn't blocking him. The DB also had a hold of Flemming jersey IIRC. The thing is in OT Tracey had a good hold of that USC WR's jersey on that first play so you can just take the good with the bad.

Two podcast, pfft, Gary Daniels called it and like Herby, he is the gold standard.
 
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bbrown

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I have heard 2 different national podcasts say it was a BS call. SVP being one of them. Flemming went vertical and ran into the DB, but wasn't blocking him. The DB also had a hold of Flemming jersey IIRC. The thing is in OT Tracey had a good hold of that USC WR's jersey on that first play so you can just take the good with the bad.
Agree. I thought both teams DB's were pretty grabby and they let them get away with it.
 
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Player2BNamedL8r

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Please tell me a coach who hasn’t “Franklined” a loss from a winnable game…I’ll wait.
Excellent point…I supposed then it would be interesting to compare the frequency with which he and others do so.
 
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Player2BNamedL8r

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Typical negative nabob. Every time the team loses it’s because Franklin “doesn’t have it on the sidelines”. I challenged this board to tell me what strategic decision Franklin made which cost them the Michigan game two years ago (the one where a Michigan TE took a simple crossing pattern 5 yards beyond the line of scrimmage for the determine TD late in the game) and never received a response. My favorite was the reporter who said Franklin’s decision to punt on 4th and short after being down 7-0 early in the MSU game a few years ago in the snow “led” to MSU then driving 99 1/2 yards to make it 14-0 after the punt was downed on the 1/2 yard line. Like all coaches, Franklin makes strategic mistakes but sometimes things don’t work out due to lack of execution or because someone on the other team made a good play.
Of course, you’re right. Maybe my issue is more about modern football coaches in general, though, I think specific concerns with Franklin are how slow his teams start and how he tends to outthink himself in big games. Plus, Allar is a 3rd year starter and seems to just now be hitting his stride for meeting the 5-star pedigree he arrived with. I won’t lump that all onto Franklin because each kid develops at his own pace, but his offensive staff prior to this year hasn’t exactly been top notch to help the kid out.
 
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Midnighter

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Agree. I thought both teams DB's were pretty grabby and they let them get away with it.

The two on USC at the end were really, really egregious. We lucked out. But we have been on the other side of those many, many times. And while they may have made a difference in the outcome, USC had its chances to win (and probably should have) but didn’t.
 
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Erial_Lion

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I was surprised that two different people complained to me today about the Offensive Pass Interference penalty on our first drive. I thought it was a pretty obvious call. One questioned how they could call it on our touchdown but not on USC’s TD…easy, because theirs was a legal play.

And then I see it here too.

Warren was across the line, Flemming went into the DB and freed up Warren. That’s a pretty easy call.
 

bbrown

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The two on USC at the end were really, really egregious. We lucked out. But we have been on the other side of those many, many times. And while they may have made a difference in the outcome, USC had its chances to win (and probably should have) but didn’t.
Agree to disagree. I think one was pretty obvious the other was a good no call.
 

LaJollaCreek

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I was surprised that two different people complained to me today about the Offensive Pass Interference penalty on our first drive. I thought it was a pretty obvious call. One questioned how they could call it on our touchdown but not on USC’s TD…easy, because theirs was a legal play.

And then I see it here too.

Warren was across the line, Flemming went into the DB and freed up Warren. That’s a pretty easy call.
Maybe not was easy as you thought. The DB initiated the contact and was also holding Flemming's jersey.

"The problem that many had with the play was that it was not Fleming who initiated the contact. Replays showed clearly that it was Smith who reached out and put his hands on Fleming."

 
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LaJollaCreek

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What you described is Pass Interference.
What occurred is he ran vertical and the DB grabbed him/extended his arms and initiated the contact. It's a bang bang play, but I wouldn't call that an easy call. The replay is out there and you can see clearly who initiated the contact...wasn't Flemming.
 
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bbrown

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the one on our #5 probably was but then there was some massive holding going on before that pass was even attempted.
On the other was the ball catchable?
Either way it depends on which side of the church you sit on.
 

Midnighter

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the one on our #5 probably was but then there was some massive holding going on before that pass was even attempted.
On the other was the ball catchable?
Either way it depends on which side of the church you sit on.

Can probably call holding every play. Just taking these on their own I believe both should have been called. That said, we’ve had our share of blown calls go against us so not gonna complain. Their INT in the 4th and missed FG in OT killed them.
 

Erial_Lion

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What occurred is he ran vertical and the DB grabbed him/extended his arms and initiated the contact. It's a bang bang play, but I wouldn't call that an easy call. The replay is out there and you can see clearly who initiated the contact...wasn't Flemming.
But Fleming engaged with him and drove him back 5 yards. It’s on Flemming to avoid the contact on that play. Instead, he blocked him.
 
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bbrown

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Can probably call holding every play. Just taking these on their own I believe both should have been called. That said, we’ve had our share of blown calls go against us so not gonna complain. Their INT in the 4th and missed FG in OT killed them.
Definitely agree about holding but when its been as egregious as some, I mean arm around neck in front of the refs obvious, then yea it needs to be called.
Also and maybe it was just me but I thought Riley's clock management at the end was supremely bad.
 
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Midnighter

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Definitely agree about holding but when its been as egregious as some, I mean arm around neck in front of the refs obvious, then yea it needs to be called.
Also and maybe it was just me but I thought Riley's clock management at the end was supremely bad.

They were playing for the last second FG to win (and leave nothing for PSU to work with). Good plan but didn’t work out.
 

CbusLion

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the one on our #5 probably was but then there was some massive holding going on before that pass was even attempted.
On the other was the ball catchable?
Either way it depends on which side of the church you sit on.
I thought both were close. Tracy snagged the WRs jersey (on a nasty route) but it wasn't terrible. And the throw was way off.

Cam Miller had great coverage, got there a little early but seemed to mostly keep his body off the receiver, who was barely affected from the one replay angle I saw.
 
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LaJollaCreek

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But Fleming engaged with him and drove him back 5 yards. It’s on Flemming to avoid the contact on that play. Instead, he blocked him.
Except Flemming didn't engage the DB, the DB engaged Flemming. I'd agree with your take if it was Flemming who hit the DB and was blocking him, but that isn't what occurred. It was the opposite of that and about the only thing JF could have done is make a dead stop and try to shake off the DB who was holding on to him. The play was already made in the first 2 steps as soon as the DB engaged him it was already going to be a TD.

1:20 in. Slow it down to half speed. I see why the refs made the call, but I also see why people questioned that call.
 
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BiochemPSU

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Tyra Banks Mic Drop GIF by Allure
Oh please. Oregon just beat OSU at home. The blueprint is there. We get them at home. No excuses now, right?
 

YonkersLion

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How would people have felt about Franklin if PSU would have lost yesterday? Especially when we won 1st downs 28-16 and total yards 518-409? It shouldn't have taken two no calls on PI or a bad pass by Moss at the end of regulation.

How will people feel about Franklin if we lose @ Wisconsin in 2 weeks?
OK Let's be negative You are an idiot!!
 

Paruffus

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Happy with the win, and proud of the team and the staff, but he’s still the same coach who will inevitably “Franklin” a loss from a winnable game down the road. I’ve never had any problems with him as a leader and role model for young men. The dude just doesn’t have “it” on the sidelines in a lot of key situations. That said, credit where it is due this weekend.
I know. It's really hard to digest a great win.
 

PSUQbKeeper

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ok that is the first time that I have seen the Warren touchdown that was called back for opi and that's a tough call, the db puts his arms out and his hands on him immediately and is not trying to get away from him or towards Warren, it looks like pass route/coverage at the goal line to me
 
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