Said by Joe Paterno in 1968. I may be reading too much into Joe's statement, but I don't think he would have wanted us to ever become the kind of place where a close win over Army, or any team, is considered a tragedy either.
"I don’t want us ever to become the kind of place where an 8-2 season is a tragedy."
- Thread starter fairgambit
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We live in a social media world where every knucklehead voices their opinion no matter how deranged it is. This is the problem with college football because it's predicated more on how you win versus if you win. It is driven more by opinion vs. wins and losses. Just imagine the NFL operating in the same way.
That was almost 50 years ago. Times are a lot different now. College football is the same as pro football now. Certainly the cost of attending a college football game is the same as an NFL game. If coaches are being paid millions a year and it costs hundreds of dollars to take a family to a game, we have every right to expect more.
Like us, fans tonight are upset in Nebraska, Georgia, Miami, Wisconsin, Texas, Ohio State and Virginia Tech. Of that list, only Ohio State and Penn State won. Just win baby. I'll take an ugly win over a moral victory loss anytime.
But you already get more. In 1968, only a handful of games were on TV every week. If you didn't go to the game, you had to listen on the radio. Today, every single Penn State game is on TV. Hundreds of thousands of Penn State fans pay nothing at all, other than cable TV fees, to see the games. That aside, I think the thrust of Joe's point is that Penn State was not, is not, and likely never will be, a football factory. That's why I believe that fans who think we will be annual contenders for a National Championship will likely be disappointed. That 8-2 in 1968 would equate to 9-3, or 10-2, today. I can see Franklin, and any coach that follows him, having a lot of those 9-3, 10-2 type seasons. Every 5-10 years we may go 11-1 or even 12-0 and be in the title hunt, but I doubt we will ever be an Ohio State, or Alabama. If our fans consider that tragic, I think they are in for a lot of heartbreak. They may expect more, but I doubt they will get more.
8-2 would never be seen as a tragedy at Penn State. It would be seen as a flipping miracle and cause for celebration! (I'm kidding!! Sorry Fairgambit but I couldn't resist.).
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And I would add that none of those other programs are 9 months removed from a 65 scholarship roster.
I don't know if you can remember in 1971 PSU was 7 - 3 and Joe Pa didn't want PSU in a bowl game we didn't go to one. So know matter what you are trying to say Joe Pa wanted to win and he was disappointed when PSU lost.
I don't know if you can remember in 1971 PSU was 7 - 3 and Joe Pa didn't want PSU in a bowl game we didn't go to one. So know matter what you are trying to say Joe Pa wanted to win and he was disappointed when PSU lost.
People here have short memories. Or maybe I'm getting old. Joe's teams often barely won against inferior talented teams. While blowouts happened, they didn't happen every game. We would gnash our teeth over our inept offense that barely could move the ball, lack of a passing game, superior defense that kept us in games, and relying on turnovers and some luck to get us enough points to win. Sound familiar? Go back and look at some of the scores in the '80's, including the 11-1 '84 season.
I'm not glossing over the obvious problems we have. However, people need to get a grip. We found a way to win. I seem to recall hearing that a lot about Joe's teams too.
Oh, and all those people saying before the year started how if the O line was at least serviceable this year, we'd be fine... well, I'm not the type to say I told you so.
I'm not glossing over the obvious problems we have. However, people need to get a grip. We found a way to win. I seem to recall hearing that a lot about Joe's teams too.
Oh, and all those people saying before the year started how if the O line was at least serviceable this year, we'd be fine... well, I'm not the type to say I told you so.
This. Sanity. For me, the breathless "we suck" contingent is the fringe with a bull horn. At least I'm hoping so. Penn State was and never will be a "win at all costs" football factory but I do think CJF will need to do so some special things with a few teams before he gets the leash that Joepa had, or the respect for that matter. He's a big boy though and so far his metal is pretty pure despite the criticism. I like his demeanor.
He's in control of his own destiny, not the press and not the Debbie Downers, he's starting to shut them down by shutting them out which is exactly what he needs to do.
That was not the point. There is no doubt Joe wanted to win, but he also didn't consider it a catastrophe if we lost. Today we won and people are unhappy because the margin of victory was not big enough. Ah well. So be it.
I'm not unhappy because we didn't win by a lot. I'm unhappy because we don't look good offensively. I'm not one of the people pissing and moaning but I'm not going to be happy with wins where we look like crap on one side of the ball for most of the game. Especially when we have a third year qb that is supposed to be an early round NFL draft pick.
At this point in our development I would rather have a 34-31 loss to a good P5 team than a win like we had today. That would at least show progression and getting better. We're not playing for a NC by any means but we have to show we are getting better and we didn't show that at all today. I would rather miss a bowl game with a bunch of close and competitive games against good competition than make one with ugly wins over really bad competition.
Yea, this is why you aren't a D1-A coach being paid millions of $$$s per year (by multiple schools) to coach football and win games. This is the most classic of examples of the delusional inanities posted on this board by comical self-deluded know-nothing irrelevant idiots. As my granddad was fond of saying....Coach Franklin will forget more about football than a silly self-impressed imbecile such as yourself will ever know.
Seriously, who cares what you "would rather have" and what relevance does your absurd inanities have to do with PSU football?
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This team has battled a lot of obstacles offensively this year that have hampered the ability of find any consistency.
- The OL was already thin, but we go on to lose Nelson during our second game and now Mangiro today at a point where we needed to sustain a running game
- As if the OL injuries and depth issues weren't a problem, we lost our top 2 running backs for today. Some would say it shouldn't matter but when we're playing Army but to do so would basically discount the factor that Barkley has become in this offense and his role in our 3 previous wins.
- Three of our five games have been played in conditions that are less than ideal for the passing game, which in turn trickles down to the running game. Scores all over the east coast in this cold wet rain were down. Side note - In those other 2 games where we had better conditions, Hack has passed for 400 yds and 3 TDs. Not stellar, but certainly enough to keep the critics of the offense fairly calm.
- Our offense has scored 115 points this year. 80 of those have been scored by players with freshman eligibility. Experience (or lack thereof) is an excuse but it's also reality with this team. People say "Play the best players, period." Fine, but also know it's inevitable that playing with that youth will bring on growing pains.
Add it all up and you have an offense that is going to struggle.
Huh? Mind telling me how this inanity has any relevance to actuality and reality troll-boy? You clearly must have flunked your math class with this gem BOT-bot PBK.
As my grandad would have said "blow me". My opinion means nothing but I didn't know I wasn't allowed to post it on a message board. You take your crap squeak out wins all you want. At this point I would rather play well regardless of win or lose than play like crap and barely beat a horrible team. But it's all about you.
And if I was a D-1 coach making millions of dollars and I put this garbage on the field, I would voluntarily take a pay cut out of a sense of honor.
And if I was a D-1 coach making millions of dollars and I put this garbage on the field, I would voluntarily take a pay cut out of a sense of honor.
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