Penn State is focused on the Michigan film, not the Wolverines' sign-stealing scandal, James Franklin says
Penn State coach James Franklin had no interest in discussing the ongoing Michigan sign-stealing scandal during his Monday news conference ahead of Saturday’s top-10 matchup with the Wolverines. The 10th-year leader of the Nittany Lions was asked a pair of questions about the topic. The first came early in the news conference. Franklin was asked if Penn State had to change its signs this week with the Big Ten East team coming to town.
“I know these questions are going to come this week,” Franklin said. “I’m going to focus on the things that we can control. We always have to have a plan. And, I think I’ve already kind of covered this and talked about this in terms of what we do, and how we communicate to our players and how we communicate to our team, during games. But I’m going to leave it at that. Because, less is more.”
The second question focused on whether he’s given any thought to the possibility that Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh could be suspended over the situation.
“I’m focused on all the stuff I see on film,” Franklin said. “That’s what we’re focused on is, all the stuff that we see on film. Their players, their scheme, all the stuff that we see on the coaches copy, or the stuff that is going on between the sidelines, the 53 and a third, that’s what we’re focused on.”
How does Penn State disguise its signs?
Two weeks ago, Franklin received his first sign-stealing-related question of the season. He was asked about changing signs and how teams like Penn State hide them.
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“You’ve got to have a way to disguise your signals,” Franklin said. Everybody does it, whether they do it with sheets or boards or whatever it may be. We made some changes after the bye week as well in how we operate on offense and defense. Specific to that, I probably won’t get into what’s going on at that other school and the things that are going on. I probably won’t get into that. But, I think in general, we’re always aware of how we signal, are we disguising it?
“What happens is, you get to after games, and you feel like you called a very unpredictable call in a certain situation, and they’re in the perfect defense for it. You are sitting there saying, well, how is that? What would ever make you play cover two on fourth and one, and we’re in the heavy personnel group? But they’re in it, and you have a shot called there. Those things kind of make you second guess. And, you kind of go back and look at those things and what you need to do to disguise it. If it happens once, that’s one thing, but if it happens over and over, then you’re aware of it.
“For us that’s something that we always are looking at. But, obviously, with some of the things that are going on right now, it magnifies it.”
