Thoughts from the couch….

[VaDave4PSU]

Well yes, a win is a win. But that was the #3 QB on their depth chart at the beginning of the season (not sure if Kramer is injured) and had virtually zero experience as he gets literally thrown to the lions in a whiteout. So personally, I'm pleased we played well and got the michigan game out of our system... but Tanner Morgan would have made it much more competitive. IMO, of course.

I agree with you. Just like a healthy Clifford wins more games last year.

 

[NB4PSU]

I agree with you. Just like a healthy Clifford wins more games last year.

100% agree. Really was a shame how last year played out.

 

[PSUSignore]

Nice take....however, the BWICAC is omnipotent and omniscient.....they dictate "the standard" and 10-2 is "expected." Because "WE" always deserve better.
I do enjoy winning, if only to see the "loyal" fans contort themselves in an effort to accentuate the negative.

I've started to equate it to the stock market analysts... a company can have an amazing quarter but if the "experts" expectations were higher than actuals the stock can still go down despite the good performance. A ridiculous number of our fans apparently have annual expectations of being Bama or OSU therefore a 9-10 win season means you should fire the coach.

 

[NB4PSU]

Just an observation, but do a lot of the posters above think most psu fans revel in losses just so they can bust on the coach(es) and sometimes the players? I'd agree there are a couple who maybe just want to get rid of CJF and any loss allows them to vent, but even those guys would probably prefer to see us win 10+ every year and be competitive in our losses (something that has not happened at UM in 3 straight outings).

The absence of people venting about yesterday is that there was no reason for it. The team played well (and short handed) and we got a much needed win while utilizing the TE's and seeing nice performances from many different people. The approach was solid and there was a sense that "WE GOT THIS" from early on (even when we were going 3 and out to open).

If we show up and play well and stay with osu next week, there will be people venting for sure, but it won't be as full of vitriol as last week's postings and we'll all feel pretty good about finishing 10-2 (and i haven't written us off vs osu... we have a fighter's chance playing at home with some kids who are pretty tough buggers). For now, i'm pretty content that the coaches and players have squared away gthee ship and believe in themselves. Onward.

 

[psuro]

I've started to equate it to the stock market analysts... a company can have an amazing quarter but if the "experts" expectations were higher than actuals the stock can still go down despite the good performance. A ridiculous number of our fans apparently have annual expectations of being Bama or OSU therefore a 9-10 win season means you should fire the coach.

Yeah but the differences between those experts and the college football “experts” is that those experts consume actual data and knowledge to set their expectations.

The football experts consume pork rinds and beer to set their expectations.

 

[Nitt1300]

Just an observation, but do a lot of the posters above think most psu fans revel in losses just so they can bust on the coach(es) and sometimes the players?

most? no.

too many? absolutely.

 

[Karl_Havok]

I don't think Clifford is holding the program back, he just can't beat the better teams by himself. I don't fault the guy, OSU and Michigan have out recruited us at key spots for years and then they exploit that advantage when they play us. With our current recruiting and development state, Allar isn't beating OSU next week either. But after OSU are four very good opportunities to get your #1 HS recruit on the field and let him show the world why PSU is the place to be for the next three years. Allar beats Michigan and OSU two years from now because we use this year to start to lure better recruits here over that time period, close the gap and give him a chance over the next few seasons. Only one team each year can claim they got the #1 HS QB recruit; when someone hands you a hammer, you use it. Unless you are posters on this board, then you hide the hammer in the shed, call people names, and then get all hot and bothered over beating an unranked QB-less Minnesota. Whatever floats your boat I guess.

What would have to happen for you to give the staff credit for a win?

 

[Midnighter]

Great win over a good team and will have the team very confident going into OSU (who I think we match up well with - their strength is their WRs, ours the secondary). That will be a tough game but not a ‘must win’ if we are able to handle everyone else (and we should). Happy for the Franklin Fan Club especially since they couldn’t chirp much last week when we were throttled by a team we consider a peer. Hope the recruits loved it too.

 

[PSUSignore]

Just an observation, but do a lot of the posters above think most psu fans revel in losses just so they can bust on the coach(es) and sometimes the players? I'd agree there are a couple who maybe just want to get rid of CJF and any loss allows them to vent, but even those guys would probably prefer to see us win 10+ every year and be competitive in our losses (something that has not happened at UM in 3 straight outings).

The absence of people venting about yesterday is that there was no reason for it. The team played well (and short handed) and we got a much needed win while utilizing the TE's and seeing nice performances from many different people. The approach was solid and there was a sense that "WE GOT THIS" from early on (even when we were going 3 and out to open).

If we show up and play well and stay with osu next week, there will be people venting for sure, but it won't be as full of vitriol as last week's postings and we'll all feel pretty good about finishing 10-2 (and i haven't written us off vs osu... we have a fighter's chance playing at home with some kids who are pretty tough buggers). For now, i'm pretty content that the coaches and players have squared away gthee ship and believe in themselves. Onward.

If my family from PA is any indication, many people aren't satisfied unless they are complaining and miserable about something.

 

[CVLion]

I thought the same things regarding possible PI during Brown’s INT. Live, it seemed like our defender crashed into the would-be receiver and knocked him down. I was reluctant to celebrate at all, expecting a flag. But seeing the replay, it did seem to me like it was either a mutual tangling or the receiver just outright stumbled right in front of our guy.

 

[1995PSUGrad]

Nice take....however, the BWICAC is omnipotent and omniscient.....they dictate "the standard" and 10-2 is "expected." Because "WE" always deserve better.
I do enjoy winning, if only to see the "loyal" fans contort themselves in an effort to accentuate the negative.

Actually, I believe someone responded to a post last week about a 10-2 finish with something about settling for mediocrity.

 

[oldpsubear]

I am not sure how to react when everyone says we should be happy at a 10-2 record . Yes it has a nice sound and will get us a good bowl but to be satisfied that we will lose to the only 2 GOOD teams on the schedule strikes me as odd. Esp since the first loss wasnt even close . But like I said its just me

 

[blion72]

Great win over a good team and will have the team very confident going into OSU (who I think we match up well with - their strength is their WRs, ours the secondary). That will be a tough game but not a ‘must win’ if we are able to handle everyone else (and we should). Happy for the Franklin Fan Club especially since they couldn’t chirp much last week when we were throttled by a team we consider a peer. Hope the recruits loved it too.

we absolutely have to give the staff credit for some solid adjustments (i.e. TE's all have mentioned, #11 and #23 at LB sub-package, better gap control, etc). also, much has been mentioned about Morgan not being available, but their QB made plays with his feet that Morgan does not. We also were playing injured and less than full strength all over the field.

The only place where the staff decisions bother me are situational football (i.e. 4th down calls, clock management, etc). Those things bother me even when I watch teams I am not a fan of. The line between aggressive and stupid sometimes is very small (a quote from analysts commenting about Saban's management of the final minute in Tenn game).

 

[Midnighter]

we absolutely have to give the staff credit for some solid adjustments (i.e. TE's all have mentioned, #11 and #23 at LB sub-package, better gap control, etc). also, much has been mentioned about Morgan not being available, but their QB made plays with his feet that Morgan does not. We also were playing injured and less than full strength all over the field.

The only place where the staff decisions bother me are situational football (i.e. 4th down calls, clock management, etc). Those things bother me even when I watch teams I am not a fan of. The line between aggressive and stupid sometimes is very small (a quote from analysts commenting about Saban's management of the final minute in Tenn game).

Staff gets an A; great effort all around. Felt like MY was calling the shots and found his groove. Clifford responded well and made mostly very good decisions. Allen and Singleton are solid and run hard. Great team effort and crowd helped a ton. Hope they show up next week but louder.

 

[LionJim]

Actually, I believe someone responded to a post last week about a 10-2 finish with something about settling for mediocrity.

We need to wait until after Ohio State to figure exactly how good a 6-2 or 7-1 team we are. We weren’t competitive against Michigan. I’d feel a lot better about this team if we’d lost the Michigan game by only 2 TDs. How well we play against OSU will tell this team’s story.

 

[Waaaaaaaany]

You left out the part about the streaker.

He had clothes on....was tackled by a photographer while the popo watched with their thumbs up their asses. Only moved in after the photographer got him to the ground. Back the blue....lol...back the photographers who get things done

 

[BiochemPSU]

What would have to happen for you to give the staff credit for a win?

Huh? I didn't put down the staff anywhere in that post. If you think I am a closeted CJF hater, think again. I only have a few gripes about him.
1. He gets out recruited by OSU and now Michigan.
2. The offense he wants to run looked great with a generational talent like Saquon, but he isn't coming through that door. Adapt or die.
3. Clock management in-game is infuriating.

 

[Paruffus]

1. Good win. This was needed for the squad, the staff, and most importantly for the BWI Legion of Coaching Excellence.

2. Minnesota‘s Tight End (88) is a freaking monster. If MInny would have targeted him more, he could have had a phenomenal game.

3. Not sure if there was any kind of wind issue inside the stadium - it seemed that Minny’s punts and the INT thrown by Clifford seemed to sail. Caused some probable trying to catch the ball.

4. One difference for this game is it looked like the WRs were going up for the 50/50 ballls. Since CJF has been here, he has WRs who would go up for the 50/50s - Blacknall, Godwin and Dotson come to mind right away-not so much this year, before this game.

5. I was actually excited that Minny got called for false starts. Crowd was energetic.

6. Good pass blocking by the OL - and Clifford stayed in the pocket, which gave him the opportunity to hit he receives, especially TEs. That is not been a luxury at times this year.

7. Speaking of TEs - WOW! Finally!! Got all three TEs involved and it’ss nice to see a breakout by Theo Johnson.

8. I was impressed with the mechanics of how Minny’s OL blocks for the running backs - They do a great job of sealing off the defenders and creating a lane between the tackles. Penn State does not seem to do that.

9. The relationship between Sean Clifford and the fans is at best….complicated.

10. Defense really played well and with a couple of minor exceptions, pretty much controlled Minny. On the Minny TD drive at the end of the first half, you have to give the QB and WR credit for the great catch along the sideline. Perfectly placed.

11. Conversely, Clifford’s pass and catch by Tinsley along the PSU sideline was also great placement and great catch.

12. Someone mentioned no PI on the PSU int. I thought it was going to get called, but watching the replay it did not seem like it - the recivver seemed to slip down on his own. However, in the first drive after Minny got their FG, the Minny defender interfered with the WR - and nothing called. So….to whomever mntioned PI calls - II think PSU got hosed more than Minny.

13. Nice to hear the commentators gush abou the White OUt. As usual, it looked greeat on TV.

14. Anyone thinking that CJF should have put Allar in for “highlight” is an idiot. Clifford had one of his better outings, was moving the ball and leading the team. It was his game.

15. So ultimately, the squad, the staff and most importantly the BWI Legion of Coaching Exellence got a good win over a team they should have gotten a good win against. I don’t gamble, but I saw the line was minus 5 and obviously (LOL) PSU exceeded whatever expectations were out there for this game.

16. We all know who is coming to the Beav next week. I hope the crowd is as loud next week as they were this week. I also echo something CJF said in his post game - don’t sell your tickets to OSU fans.

17. Ultimately, PSU is 6-1 will move up in the polls, and 10-2 is not out of the realm of possibility for the program this year. Those who feel like they get to decide what the ”standard” is, can decide whether that is an acceptable aspiration or not.

FTG

 

[Paruffus]

1. Good win. This was needed for the squad, the staff, and most importantly for the BWI Legion of Coaching Excellence.

2. Minnesota‘s Tight End (88) is a freaking monster. If MInny would have targeted him more, he could have had a phenomenal game.

3. Not sure if there was any kind of wind issue inside the stadium - it seemed that Minny’s punts and the INT thrown by Clifford seemed to sail. Caused some probable trying to catch the ball.

4. One difference for this game is it looked like the WRs were going up for the 50/50 ballls. Since CJF has been here, he has WRs who would go up for the 50/50s - Blacknall, Godwin and Dotson come to mind right away-not so much this year, before this game.

5. I was actually excited that Minny got called for false starts. Crowd was energetic.

6. Good pass blocking by the OL - and Clifford stayed in the pocket, which gave him the opportunity to hit he receives, especially TEs. That is not been a luxury at times this year.

7. Speaking of TEs - WOW! Finally!! Got all three TEs involved and it’ss nice to see a breakout by Theo Johnson.

8. I was impressed with the mechanics of how Minny’s OL blocks for the running backs - They do a great job of sealing off the defenders and creating a lane between the tackles. Penn State does not seem to do that.

9. The relationship between Sean Clifford and the fans is at best….complicated.

10. Defense really played well and with a couple of minor exceptions, pretty much controlled Minny. On the Minny TD drive at the end of the first half, you have to give the QB and WR credit for the great catch along the sideline. Perfectly placed.

11. Conversely, Clifford’s pass and catch by Tinsley along the PSU sideline was also great placement and great catch.

12. Someone mentioned no PI on the PSU int. I thought it was going to get called, but watching the replay it did not seem like it - the recivver seemed to slip down on his own. However, in the first drive after Minny got their FG, the Minny defender interfered with the WR - and nothing called. So….to whomever mntioned PI calls - II think PSU got hosed more than Minny.

13. Nice to hear the commentators gush abou the White OUt. As usual, it looked greeat on TV.

14. Anyone thinking that CJF should have put Allar in for “highlight” is an idiot. Clifford had one of his better outings, was moving the ball and leading the team. It was his game.

15. So ultimately, the squad, the staff and most importantly the BWI Legion of Coaching Exellence got a good win over a team they should have gotten a good win against. I don’t gamble, but I saw the line was minus 5 and obviously (LOL) PSU exceeded whatever expectations were out there for this game.

16. We all know who is coming to the Beav next week. I hope the crowd is as loud next week as they were this week. I also echo something CJF said in his post game - don’t sell your tickets to OSU fans.

17. Ultimately, PSU is 6-1 will move up in the polls, and 10-2 is not out of the realm of possibility for the program this year. Those who feel like they get to decide what the ”standard” is, can decide whether that is an acceptable aspiration or not.

FTG

You wrote: " 13. Nice to hear the commentators gush abou the White OUt. As usual, it looked greeat on TV." Yes! This is why it must always be a night game. So very impressive!

 

[republion]

Excellent points all. In regards to the fans’ relationship with Clifford, if the general consensus is similar to mine, we really like the kid, but he’s holding the program back at this point. He’s had his time, and the future is stuck behind him on the depth chart. He’s never going to be better than he is now…it’s Allan’s time.

I was at the game and was amazed at the negative things people were saying about Cliff. I really liked the fat chicks behind me and the fat dude in front of me giving him hell. Every time he’d throw a TD, I made sure to loudly cheer for Cliff once the crowd noise dropped.

 

[WyomingLion]

Well yes, a win is a win. But that was the #3 QB on their depth chart at the beginning of the season (not sure if Kramer is injured) and had virtually zero experience as he gets literally thrown to the lions in a whiteout. So personally, I'm pleased we played well and got the michigan game out of our system... but Tanner Morgan would have made it much more competitive. IMO, of course.

I don’t believe Tanner has played very well this year, not like previous years. I think he lost some WR talent? I don’t think the outcome would be different, just the score.

 

[blion72]

Huh? I didn't put down the staff anywhere in that post. If you think I am a closeted CJF hater, think again. I only have a few gripes about him.
1. He gets out recruited by OSU and now Michigan.
2. The offense he wants to run looked great with a generational talent like Saquon, but he isn't coming through that door. Adapt or die.
3. Clock management in-game is infuriating.

I think it has been said that our recruiting v UMich is pretty even over the years. They are not out recruiting us, but instead they prioritize different positions than JF does. The current PS recruiting did not recruit as well at OT or DT vs UM, and UM prefers size at front 7 vs JF prefers speed. We generally recruit better RBs, QBs, WRs, TE's and DBs that UM. If you go to where we were in August, our roster had avg * ratings for those positions than UMich. Our 5 RBs avg 4* would be an elite room.

Our weakness - true big body DTs and OT. Our interior OL might actually be similar to UM in terms of * ratings.

if we are talking recruiting, * rating is all we can go on, because that is what they were when we recruited.

 

[Karl_Havok]

Huh? I didn't put down the staff anywhere in that post. If you think I am a closeted CJF hater, think again. I only have a few gripes about him.
1. He gets out recruited by OSU and now Michigan.
2. The offense he wants to run looked great with a generational talent like Saquon, but he isn't coming through that door. Adapt or die.
3. Clock management in-game is infuriating.

The reason it seems like you don’t want to give any credit for the win is because you’re qualifying it. You qualified it in a previous post that we won how we did because Tanner Morgan was out. Franklin went out and beat a team like you’d expect him to given the circumstances. They dominated a team they should have. That deserves credit without qualifying it

 

[Player2BNamedL8r]

Yeah-I don’t agree. You want to move out the QB who has the team at 6-1 and has accounted for 17 TDs including 4 rushing TDS (and 3 picks) - just because you want to see what a freshman can do? You want to risk the rest of this season for the hope that it may mean something two years from now? And you want to do this with the #2 team coming to the Beav?

Ridiculous

To be fair, I wanted to make the switch long before tosu week. Again, I don’t dislike 14, but we know he’s streaky, and I’d rather take those bumps in the road with a freshman who is a potential superstar, so that he’s better seasoned for next year.

 

[Player2BNamedL8r]

I was at the game and was amazed at the negative things people were saying about Cliff. I really liked the fat chicks behind me and the fat dude in front of me giving him hell. Every time he’d throw a TD, I made sure to loudly cheer for Cliff once the crowd noise dropped.

Yep, he’s a likable kid…hard worker…good leader. It’s really hard to not cheer for him, even though he has clear limitations.

 

[Nitt1300]

To be fair, I wanted to make the switch long before tosu week. Again, I don’t dislike 14, but we know he’s streaky, and I’d rather take those bumps in the road with a freshman who is a potential superstar, so that he’s better seasoned for next year.

I'd be all for making the switch if we were 1-6

 

[Moogy]

Just an observation, but do a lot of the posters above think most psu fans revel in losses just so they can bust on the coach(es) and sometimes the players?

Yes. You can't stop those posters from spewing when there's a loss. They not only complain about the obvious problems in that game, but then they'll just make crap up to complain about, and go on to complain about all sorts of historical stuff. There will be many posts to make sure we know just how displeased they are. And then when there's a win, they'll either stay silent, give the ole "good game ... glad to see it" or, worse yet (cough, cough), go out of their way to "yeah, but ..." Like, they'll give a sentence or two about how it was a good game, but, you know, if Tanner Morgan was in there, things may have been different. Those posters are insufferable. Because there was no "yeah, but" following a loss, that's for sure. There was just piling on and taking the criticism to an extreme.

 

[marshall23]

Not me I thought this was an 8 win team.....perhaps 9 after a bowl. 10 before or after a bowl and I would consider it a pretty good season. Didn't Vegas say 8 or 8.5?

Actually, I believe someone responded to a post last week about a 10-2 finish with something about settling for mediocrity.t

 

[marshall23]

I've started to equate it to the stock market analysts... a company can have an amazing quarter but if the "experts" expectations were higher than actuals the stock can still go down despite the good performance. A ridiculous number of our fans apparently have annual expectations of being Bama or OSU therefore a 9-10 win season means you should fire the coach.

Often wonder if these super fans live up to those high expectations and standards in their daily lives.

 

[marshall23]

Loved the win and everything about it, but going to be honest it's an entirely different gm if Morgan is playing. I'll take the dub and move on though gladly.

No it isn't. Morgan was not a difference maker last week....in fact ...like our brilliant fans, many Minny fans claimed it was time for this change.

 

[marshall23]

Perhaps it's time to let the Michigan game go? The team has moved on....that's what competitors do.
If your fanboy sensibilities were hurt, that's your problem.

 

[PSUMichFan]

Never realized how much I missed the "Yards for First Down" on the TV screen. During the 3rd quarter the network must of had a problem and were unable to display that.

 

[marshall23]

I agree with you. Just like a healthy Clifford wins more games last year.

But....but....he's been here six years. For some reason that chaps some fanboys.
They act like he's been convicted of loitering.

 

[CDLionFL]

It was a very nice *** whipping. The thing I noticed most is that this board has been pretty silent since the win. People love to complain and call for Franklin’s head after a bad loss but keep their mouth’s shut after a win like last night on national TV.

Where are all of you negative Nancy’s this morning? I guess you didn’t watch last night?

I’m a big critic of Franklin’s game management. Here was my comment from the game thread:

Nice work by the offense making some adjustments at halftime (surprise!) and laying the wood in that 3rd quarter. Now let's see what they have up their sleeve for the Suckeyes next week.

This should happen in games vs teams like Minnesota. But as we know, they don’t happen in big games. Just once, I’d like to lose a game and be like ‘that team was better than us’ and not ‘well, they were unprepared’ or ‘Franklin failed scoreboard math again’ or ‘they let off the gas pedal again and the defense couldn’t hold it’. There have been very few losses since the 2016 Big Ten championship game where I thought the opponent was the better team.

So, this critic is always here, win or lose. Last night, they played to win and made the right adjustments to overwhelm an undermanned Minnesota team.

 

[FTLPSU]

I've started to equate it to the stock market analysts... a company can have an amazing quarter but if the "experts" expectations were higher than actuals the stock can still go down despite the good performance. A ridiculous number of our fans apparently have annual expectations of being Bama or OSU therefore a 9-10 win season means you should fire the coach.

I expect 10-2 based on obvious factors…we will loose two more games this year and hopefully win bowl game.

 

[FTLPSU]

I thought the same things regarding possible PI during Brown’s INT. Live, it seemed like our defender crashed into the would-be receiver and knocked him down. I was reluctant to celebrate at all, expecting a flag. But seeing the replay, it did seem to me like it was either a mutual tangling or the receiver just outright stumbled right in front of our guy.

Sigh..it was at a dinner party partially watching and realized the receiver tripped in his route…not sure why anyone thinks it’s PI SMH

 

[FTLPSU]

I am not sure how to react when everyone says we should be happy at a 10-2 record . Yes it has a nice sound and will get us a good bowl but to be satisfied that we will lose to the only 2 GOOD teams on the schedule strikes me as odd. Esp since the first loss wasnt even close . But like I said its just me

10-2 is a great year for any team in the BigTen less OSU…I thought after 9 years and figuring things out we would be more consistent to those standards which I feel are More than fair standards.

 

[FTLPSU]

I think it has been said that our recruiting v UMich is pretty even over the years. They are not out recruiting us, but instead they prioritize different positions than JF does. The current PS recruiting did not recruit as well at OT or DT vs UM, and UM prefers size at front 7 vs JF prefers speed. We generally recruit better RBs, QBs, WRs, TE's and DBs that UM. If you go to where we were in August, our roster had avg * ratings for those positions than UMich. Our 5 RBs avg 4* would be an elite room.

Our weakness - true big body DTs and OT. Our interior OL might actually be similar to UM in terms of * ratings.

if we are talking recruiting, * rating is all we can go on, because that is what they were when we recruited.

100

 

[FTLPSU]

The reason it seems like you don’t want to give any credit for the win is because you’re qualifying it. You qualified it in a previous post that we won how we did because Tanner Morgan was out. Franklin went out and beat a team like you’d expect him to given the circumstances. They dominated a team they should have. That deserves credit without qualifying it

100

 

[FTLPSU]

We need to wait until after Ohio State to figure exactly how good a 6-2 or 7-1 team we are. We weren’t competitive against Michigan. I’d feel a lot better about this team if we’d lost the Michigan game by only 2 TDs. How well we play against OSU will tell this team’s story.

100