Random Thoughts Post OSU, No Franklin

[NewEra 2014]

What I don't get is why the game plan against USC (at USC) was so wide open and innovative, especially with Tyler Warren, yet against OSU Warren was mostly invisible. Pucker factor? Fleming is ex-OSU, you'd think he'd be chomping at the bit to one-up Will Howard. Clifford has been pretty good. Gotta open things up to open up the running game.

It just seemed to me that Penn State got up by 10 and then played not to lose, and got bit.

I think that once PSU got up 10 and we couldn't get a stop, it really took the air out of the stadium. Then the offense couldn't sustain a drive to counter OSU's score and it became what it became. Once we went up 10, we needed either the defense or offense to make a statement, and neither happened.

 

[PSUSignore]

What I don't get is why the game plan against USC (at USC) was so wide open and innovative, especially with Tyler Warren, yet against OSU Warren was mostly invisible. Pucker factor? Fleming is ex-OSU, you'd think he'd be chomping at the bit to one-up Will Howard. Clifford has been pretty good. Gotta open things up to open up the running game.

It just seemed to me that Penn State got up by 10 and then played not to lose, and got bit.

Because OSU actually knows how to play defense and has excellent DBs.

 

[Georgia Peach]

Because OSU actually knows how to play defense and has excellent DBs.

Hmmm. Oregon would not be a case in point. You have to have playmakers on offense in order to challenge a defense like tOSU, Georgia, Ala. They are who they are and we are who we are because of the lack of playmakers.

 

[ChandlerPearce58]

Anyone else flash back to 1979 vs. Alabama? Three straight into middle of the the line and no score from the one yard line! Where was the imaginative play calling?

 

[OptionBob]

Anyone else flash back to 1979 vs. Alabama? Three straight into middle of the the line and no score from the one yard line! Where was the imaginative play calling?

Geez. When will Penn State fans stop this ridiculous assertion that the Lions ran "[t]hree straight into the middle of the line ..."?

Scott Fitzkee's catch to the one was on SECOND down. Matt Suhey actually scored on THIRD down, but was marked short. Then Mike Guman failed on the leap on FOURTH down.

Hence, there were only TWO dive plays, not three.

 

[ChandlerPearce58]

Because OSU actually knows how to play defense and has excellent DBs.

Well....tOSU is a very talented team....however once again PSU appeared to turtle up....I saw few throws to get the ball out quick. One thing we learned is DA can run. Tom Brady made a living utilizing short throws to Wes Welker and Julian Edleman. Urban Meyer did it to us in 2017 while losing switched to small ball. As much as I like CJF he seems to have "his" views concerning offense and they haven't evolved.

 

[ChandlerPearce58]

Geez. When will Penn State fans stop this ridiculous assertion that the Lions ran "[t]hree straight into the middle of the line ..."?

Scott Fitzkee's catch to the one was on SECOND down. Matt Suhey actually scored on THIRD down, but was marked short. Then Mike Guman failed on the leap on FOURTH down.

Hence, there were only TWO dive plays, not three.

Well excuse me for the memory loss....thanks for reprimand.

 

[ChandlerPearce58]

Thoughtful replies - thank you. I was in this camp and gave up my season tickets and stopped donating to the University. Over time, my stance has softened. I now find myself in the middle, seeing both sides of the argument.

You are definitely right about a divided fan base. I’m not sure any program is as divided as we are. I read these boards often and the polarization of opinion is extreme. It’s also disheartening to read the venom spewed here between PSU fans - but hey, it’s the internet. But we sure do seem to hate our own.

I totally agree....you forgot to include the "Joe allowed a pedifile to rape children" ignorant faction. Yet PSU refuses to adjust nor refute these claims....I believe because we have a laisse faire BOT. Nothing will change, they will continue to lose lawsuits with zero retribution from the school administration. Yes, PSU is my alma mater but it is very difficult for me to support the current administration. The school has declined since Graham was falsely accused...amazingly i have heard young alumni berate Graham as the evil along with Joe for all PSU's problems...

 

[ChandlerPearce58]

Funny but I agree with you Ro. Things I saw:

OSU db held too much, but our receivers are not of the type that can get open. This didn’t allow us to run, and really cannot continue against good teams

PSU did move the ball better than last year, and should have tied it at 4 minutes or so.

The first half d couldn’t get off the field. The unsportsmanlike foul was unacceptable in that type of game

Second half was 6-3. I’m more optimistic than I was before the game, as long as we end the scenario of OSU beating us twice. Need a dominant game agsinst washington

( joining you to cower)

Yes the unsportsmanlike penalty was a disgrace...but not to CJF as #9 remained on the field. I expected his butt to be sitting but our coach didn't...yet a lack of disipline cost PSU dearly on numerous plays.....there is zero concern of losing playing time due to stupid penalties.

 

[razpsu]

I’m not so sure about the comparable talent. Yes it’s close but I think the Buckeyes still have better linemen on both sides of the ball. No not profoundly better but enough to give them an edge. Michigan & Harbaugh made it a point to out recruit OSU and beat them. End result, a National Championship. Do you agree?

Michigan had the same avg stars thaf we did. They just designed an offense that beat them 3 years straight. He figured this out after he had gattis with Moorhead basic rpo and it didn’t work.

 

[MacNit]

What I don't get is why the game plan against USC (at USC) was so wide open and innovative, especially with Tyler Warren, yet against OSU Warren was mostly invisible. Pucker factor? Fleming is ex-OSU, you'd think he'd be chomping at the bit to one-up Will Howard. Clifford has been pretty good. Gotta open things up to open up the running game.

It just seemed to me that Penn State got up by 10 and then played not to lose, and got bit.

Just don’t have the WRs to match up
With O$U secondary.

 

[MacNit]

I think that once PSU got up 10 and we couldn't get a stop, it really took the air out of the stadium. Then the offense couldn't sustain a drive to counter OSU's score and it became what it became. Once we went up 10, we needed either the defense or offense to make a statement, and neither happened.

Official giving O$U a new set of downs and 7 points on bogus unsportsmanlike call is what really killed the momentum.

 

[NewEra 2014]

Official giving O$U a new set of downs and 7 points on bogus unsportsmanlike call is what really killed the momentum.

There have been plenty of bogus calls against Penn State when they have played OSU. That call wasn’t bogus. It was just a really dumb play by our player.

 

[olelion]

The Drew Allar era is coming to an end. If he makes it in the NFL, awesome for him. But it isn't going to happen here, not under these circumstances. He either has to go the Levis route for next year and portal or just make the jump to the League now and take his chances there.

If I had a time machine, I would stop 2018 5 star WR Justin Shorter from coming here. Our WR recruiting never fully recovered from whatever happened with him not working out here. Despite NFL success for a number of players at the position, it hasn't translated back to the program.

The Fleming revenge game netted us 1 catch for 4 yards. Warren has as many receptions (47) as the next three WRs combined (Wallace (22), Clifford (14), and Evans (11)).

Tom Allen (who I still think was an odd hire), does enough to win games. Diaz's defenses were the same. You held OSU to 20 points. $20 million dollar team, 20 points. The defense even chipped in 7 points for good measure. Still not enough. Diaz ran into the same problems. It's the offense, always has been unless Saquon was running around.

For as much as we think our two RBs are great and our o-line has evolved into a good run blocking team: longest rush for Singleton, 41 yards; Allen, 26 yards. Add all of their rushing yardage up, and we still haven't crossed the 1,000 yard mark yet (992 yards). Are they good? Yeah. Great? No. Starting to wonder if the reason one of them never emerged as "the guy" is because neither of them really is.

Yes, that was a $20+ million dollar roster built with NIL, the portal, and recruiting across the country. Yes, Chip Kelly is the OC and they have other coaches who could probably be head coaches somewhere else. And yes, they have out recruited us for the past decade. But 111,000 people showed up and hoped. This school believes and wants to win. It can be done here.

at no point in that game did I think they would win. The first goal line failure in the first half I said to my cat, "If they throw the fade, hide the bricks or this TV is a gone johnson". When Warren was marked out at the three instead of the one late in the game, I never thought they'd score a touchdown. I personally don't feel that the score reflected a game that PSU was never in.

 

[Nitt1300]

There have been plenty of bogus calls against Penn State when they have played OSU. That call wasn’t bogus. It was just a really dumb play by our player.

I frequently defend CJF, but the lack of discipline really bothers me.