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2017 Preseason Practice Articles/Discussion

royboy said:
Good to hear about freshmen Brooks and Gross-Matos, and have seen some other very positive comments about Gross-Matos from Coach Franklin.

Seems like a fortunate match that LB and DE are two positions that may present an opportunity for a true frosh to see the field.
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YGM has too high of a ceiling imo to waste a year of eligibility now, imo. He'd be third string. Unless we have a run of injuries, of course.
 
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Judge Smails said:
YGM has too high of a ceiling imo to waste a year of eligibility now, imo. He'd be third string. Unless we have a run of injuries, of course.
Click to expand...
With YGM, and redshirt frosh Shane Simmons and Daniel Joseph as good looking DE prospects, just how critical are the recruitment of Oweh and Parsons? This talented depth thing -- it's a new development, but not a bad thing. ;)
 
Bobpsu said:
NCAA says Passing Yds. 66@ 171.9
Rush Yds. 36@ 260.7
Total Yds. 49@ 432.6
Click to expand...
Good find. Couldn't believe Saquon's team would rank No. 126 in rushing.

Rank Team G W-L Rush Rush Yds Yds/Rush Rush TD YPG
66 Penn St. 14 11-3 540 2,406 4.46 34 171.9
ncaa link​

Still, even No. 66 seems low (behind MSU?).

Worst part about looking up those stats at the NCAA website was seeing their propaganda about their so-called commitment to student athletes.

OPPORTUNITY
It’s what everyone wants – and what college sports provide.

More than 1,100 member schools are united around one goal: creating opportunities for college athletes.

How do we do that? By prioritizing academics, well-being and fairness.​
 
royboy said:
With YGM, and redshirt frosh Shane Simmons and Daniel Joseph as good looking DE prospects, just how critical are the recruitment of Oweh and Parsons? This talented depth thing -- it's a new development, but not a bad thing. ;)
Click to expand...

Parsons is in our own back yard and is rated .9938, #1 at his position, # 1 in PA. He only weighs 235 lbs so there is a chance he could also play LB. There would be no way to sugar coat losing him to O$U.
 
bdgan said:
Parsons is in our own back yard and is rated .9938, #1 at his position, # 1 in PA. He only weighs 235 lbs so there is a chance he could also play LB. There would be no way to sugar coat losing him to O$U.
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no way to sugar coat if he's lost to tOSU?

Parsons has demonstrated plenty of me-first behavior; no doubt about his talent, but plenty of reasonable people have misgivings about him
Just my opinion; I'm in favor of PSU continuing to recruit him, but would not be heart-broken to see him go elsewhere
 
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royboy said:
no way to sugar coat if he's lost to tOSU?

Parsons has demonstrated plenty of me-first behavior; no doubt about his talent, but plenty of reasonable people have misgivings about him
Just my opinion; I'm in favor of PSU continuing to recruit him, but would not be heart-broken to see him go elsewhere
Click to expand...

Losing him is one thing. Losing him to O$U is another thing. I'm no sure how anybody could view that as a positive.
 
royboy said:
no way to sugar coat if he's lost to tOSU?

Parsons has demonstrated plenty of me-first behavior; no doubt about his talent, but plenty of reasonable people have misgivings about him
Just my opinion; I'm in favor of PSU continuing to recruit him, but would not be heart-broken to see him go elsewhere
Click to expand...

yeah...and there is also a downside of being the first to recruit a kid, Fields and Parsons case in point.....if they commit early, which is what you hope for, then open it up later, faith is broken and it leads to a diminished opportunity. Secondly, and I am not making claims here, one does wonder what may have been offered for these 5 star kids to turn down their gut on where they wanted to go to school before the bright lights hit their eyes.
 
Yeah look I want someone of this talent level to stick with us, I just don't think MP is excited about PSU. I'm not a hater, just don't think he will sign with us. I'm just hoping we get Oweh so that OSU can't get both of these future stars. Would be delighted with a DL haul of Oweh, Hardy, Culpepper, Hawkins, and Mustipher.

I know the talk is that OSU has cooled on Hawkins, but he certainly a talented guy with a lot of offers. Could be one of those situations where the cold shoulder from the in-state school spurs a kid on - nothing like an extra chip on the shoulder for motivation.
 
Penn State ranked #6 in ESPN's preseason poll they just released...

http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...reseason-top-25-loaded-traditional-powers-top

580c4f70c698a.image.jpg


i
6. Penn State Nittany Lions: There should be zero surprise if Penn State follows last year's Big Ten championship with another league title push, and perhaps more. Fourth-year coach James Franklin has recruited most of the roster, including one of the nation's best backfield tandems in Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley. Penn State still must improve along the line of scrimmage. If the Lions defend Beaver Stadium, the Big Ten again might come down to the Penn State-Ohio State game.
 
Which RB had these crazy stats?

2015:
91 att for 16 Yd
91 att for 1059 Yd, 11.6 YPC

2016:
136 att for -24 Yd
136 att for 1519 Yd, 11.2 YPC

-----
Yep, those are Barkley's stats. A little less than 1/4 of his carries went for a loss or no gain. He needed a little more than another 1/4 of his carries to get that lost yardage back. That was pretty consistent in both 2015 and 2016.

Judge Smails said:
View embedded media
Click to expand...

So yeah, Gorney's comment about "averaging 5.5 yards per carry behind a questionable offensive line" is appropriate. How much the O-line improves is perhaps the biggest key behind a potential Heisman run.

PSU also has to make teams that sell out to stop the run pay for it in the passing game. I thinks that's the other key. Last year, Minnesota (20 att, 63 yds ), Indiana (33 att, 58 yds), and Michigan State (12 att, 14 yds) all had success slowing down Barkley's rushing. In those 3 games Barkley had just 5 rec for 42 yds. So while Barkley didn't necessarily make them pay in those games, McSorley did make them pay with 1043 total passing yds and 7 TDs.

----
Regarding those earlier Barkley stats, you might wonder how they changed during the last half of 2016, or even during the 9-game winning streak. The answer is - not much.

2016, 9-game winning streak:
103 att for 13 Yd
103 att for 972 Yd, 9.4 YPC

2016, last 7 games:
72 att for -10 Yd
71 att for 825 Yd, 11.6 YPC
 
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JmmyW said:
Which RB had these crazy stats?

2015:
91 att for 16 Yd
91 att for 1059 Yd, 11.6 YPC

2016:
136 att for -24 Yd
136 att for 1519 Yd, 11.2 YPC

-----
Yep, those are Barkley's stats. A little less than 1/4 of his carries went for a loss or no gain. He needed a little more than another 1/4 of his carries to get that lost yardage back. That was pretty consistent in both 2015 and 2016.



So yeah, Gorney's comment about "averaging 5.5 yards per carry behind a questionable offensive line" is appropriate. How much the O-line improves is perhaps the biggest key behind a potential Heisman run.

PSU also has to make teams that sell out to stop the run pay for it in the passing game. I thinks that's the other key. Last year, Minnesota (20 att, 63 yds ), Indiana (33 att, 58 yds), and Michigan State (12 att, 14 yds) all had success slowing down Barkley's rushing. In those 3 games Barkley had just 5 rec for 42 yds. So while Barkley didn't necessarily make them pay in those games, McSorley did make them pay with 1043 total passing yds and 7 TDs.

----
Regarding those earlier Barkley stats, you might wonder how they changed during the last half of 2016, or even during the 9-game winning streak. The answer is - not much.

2016, 9-game winning streak:
103 att for 13 Yd
103 att for 972 Yd, 9.4 YPC

2016, last 7 games:
72 att for -10 Yd
71 att for 825 Yd, 11.6 YPC
Click to expand...
That's unreal. I realize that of course these stats make perfect sense given that we've watched the games, but I'm trying to wrap my head around what this means going forward with a real offensive line.
 
LionJim said:
That's unreal. I realize that of course these stats make perfect sense given that we've watched the games, but I'm trying to wrap my head around what this means going forward with a real offensive line.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've been trying to wrap my head around these stats for the last couple weeks after I pulled the numbers. It's interesting his freshman & sophomore years are so similar considering the new scheme and success with it last year. (Perhaps the oddest stat I stumbled on was this. In 2015 he had 182 carries for 1075 yards. And in his first 182 carries of 2016, he had the exact same yardage, 1075 yards.)

Here's some more 2016 stats I put together just to break down negative, no gain, and positive gain numbers. Plus what might happen if those negative and/or no gain attempts were eliminated. (Just to project what could happen if the O-line has significant improvement.)

In 2016 he totaled 272 carries for 1495 yards (5.50 YPC)
44 carries were negative, for -138 yards
19 carries were for no gain
81 carries got back the lost yardage, for +138 yards
So that's 144 carries (53% of his total) for a net 0 yards
His remaining 128 carries averaged 11.68 YPC

If you take away just the negative plays, it's 228 carries for 1633 yards (7.16 YPC)

If you take away negative & zero gain plays, it's 209 carries for 1633 yards (7.81 YPC)

Just for reference, in 1994 Ki-Jana had 198 carries for 1539 yards (7.77 YPC). I was unable to find any data on how many of his carries went for a loss or no gain.
 
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TheGLOV said:
True, so you hire their ex-coaches to work for you in the hope that you can stay ahead of them. Right Urbey?
Click to expand...
That's the name of the game, if you can get those hires. JoePa was a great teacher of players and coaches. With all the draws on a HC's time and attention and the thin margins between great and good, a roster of solid coaches is nearly as important as a roster of solid players. On this point, I go back and forth as to whether PSU v Georgia in the bowl a few years ago cuts for or against my point. Probably too simple to say their deeper talent without coaches edged our coaches with a thin roster because their players were coached all season and there wasn't much need for them to be coached up in bowl practices. They basically just called plays from the existing playbook the players already had down.

But recruiting great coaches is huge! I don't fault CUM or Harbaugh or others for getting them where they can. If CJF can hold onto JoMo and a few others, with adequate replacements for natural moves, the B1G east will be sold for a long time...
 
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JmmyW said:
Yeah, I've been trying to wrap my head around these stats for the last couple weeks after I pulled the numbers. It's interesting his freshman & sophomore years are so similar considering the new scheme and success with it last year. (Perhaps the oddest stat I stumbled on was this. In 2015 he had 182 carries for 1075 yards. And in his first 182 carries of 2016, he had the exact same yardage, 1075 yards.)

Here's some more 2016 stats I put together just to break down negative, no gain, and positive gain numbers. Plus what might happen if those negative and/or no gain attempts were eliminated. (Just to project what could happen if the O-line has significant improvement.)

In 2016 he totaled 272 carries for 1495 yards (5.50 YPC)
44 carries were negative, for -138 yards
19 carries were for no gain
81 carries got back the lost yardage, for +138 yards
So that's 144 carries (53% of his total) for a net 0 yards
His remaining 128 carries averaged 11.68 YPC

If you take away just the negative plays, it's 228 carries for 1633 yards (7.16 YPC)

If you take away negative & zero gain plays, it's 209 carries for 1633 yards (7.81 YPC)

Just for reference, in 1994 Ki-Jana had 198 carries for 1539 yards (7.77 YPC). I was unable to find any data on how many of his carries went for a loss or no gain.
Click to expand...

Saquon is not over rated by any means. He did have a tendency to try and make something of nothing which led to a lot of those negative yards. His main problem was the offensive line, period. if the OLine is as good as Franklin thinks it will be, Saquon and Trace should both have great years and the negative yardage should come down considerably.
 
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step.eng69 said:
According to this yardbird 'We Are' to be disappointed this season!
A win/loss numbers game doesn’t entirely define my measurement of the season.

Don't believe the hype: 3 teams most likely to disappoint in 2017
sports 15 hours ago theScore
by Taboola

The offseason is a time for fans and pundits to hype up teams heading into the upcoming campaign based on a number of factors.

Whether it's the way it closed out the previous year, excitement about new roster additions, or the anticipation of young players reaching their potential, it's easy to buy into a program's chances.

Often, though, that belief doesn't translate into success on the field.

Here are three teams likely to disappoint in 2017:
h=462,w=820,crop=top-20

Penn State

The Nittany Lions took a major step forward under James Franklin last season, capturing the Big Ten championship thanks to some improbable heroics.

Those heroics included a narrow overtime win over Minnesota, a stunning upset against Ohio State thanks to a blocked field goal for a touchdown, and overcoming a 21-point deficit in the Big Ten title game against Wisconsin. Let's first give Penn State credit for pulling out those victories, but the likelihood of Franklin and Co. being on the right side of that many close games two years in a row seems highly unlikely.

Even with those wins and an 11-2 record, the Nittany Lions still fell short of reaching the College Football Playoff.

Penn State may very well be improved this season, but the odds of it winning more than 11 games and securing a spot in the playoff seem too much to overcome.

Oklahoma State


After back-to-back 10-win seasons for the Cowboys, and with Texas in a rebuilding phase and Oklahoma transitioning to a new head coach, it would appear 2017 might be time for Oklahoma State to win the Big 12 and challenge for a playoff spot.

Not so fast. Although Mike Gundy and Co. are stellar on offense, averaging more than 38 points per game last season, their defense isn't anywhere near good enough to compete for a playoff spot. The Cowboys conceded an average of 457 yards per game in 2016, good enough for 108th in the country.

A quick glance at Oklahoma State's schedule sees the Cowboys face a stretch where they meet Texas Tech, Baylor, Texas, West Virginia, and Oklahoma in succession, with three of those coming on the road - not to mention a tough early season showdown at Pitt.

Given their dismal defense, it would be hard to imagine Oklahoma State escaping that gauntlet without two losses, likely ending any hopes of a playoff spot.

Louisville


Louisville was in the playoff conversation for a large portion of last season, before a late-season collapse ended those hopes. The Cardinals suffered a trio of disappointing losses, perhaps signaling things to come in 2017.

There's no question Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson carried the team, and when his play dropped slightly, the team went with him. Jackson torched defenses last season to the tune of 51 total touchdowns, but fell back down to earth in his final four contests, compiling just two rushing scores and four through the air over that span.

It's unrealistic to think he can match last season's pace in 2017, especially with the opposition now having hours of video at their disposal to study him.
Click to expand...

Penn State may very well be improved this season, but the odds of it winning more than 11 games and securing a spot in the playoff seem too much to overcome.​

So the standard of disappointment is not improving on an 11 win record? That's his standard?

While the goal is the national title, 11 wins would be a level most teams would do anything to achieve.

Pretty lame comments imho.
 
Last edited:
Judge Smails said:
View embedded media


View embedded media
Click to expand...

For many years, the western plains and some mountain state areas were huge Nebraska areas. Still probably a ton of Nebraska fans in those areas. Their fan loyalty level to Nebraska was very high for many years.

The new recruiting rules will help teams like Nebraska a lot. In recent years, Neb could not pay for official visits until the fall of the senior year.

So teams that had good recruits closer to their schools could get kids in on unofficial visits early and often lock them up.

Now schools like Neb will be able to pay for visits earlier, so they can compete better for top talent around the country.

Will be interesting to see if Neb can tap back into the vast western plains area again for talent and fans, while also going into recruiting hotbeds to compete for studs, on a more competitive basis.
 
JmmyW said:
Which RB had these crazy stats?

2015:
91 att for 16 Yd
91 att for 1059 Yd, 11.6 YPC

2016:
136 att for -24 Yd
136 att for 1519 Yd, 11.2 YPC

-----
Yep, those are Barkley's stats. A little less than 1/4 of his carries went for a loss or no gain. He needed a little more than another 1/4 of his carries to get that lost yardage back. That was pretty consistent in both 2015 and 2016.



So yeah, Gorney's comment about "averaging 5.5 yards per carry behind a questionable offensive line" is appropriate. How much the O-line improves is perhaps the biggest key behind a potential Heisman run.

PSU also has to make teams that sell out to stop the run pay for it in the passing game. I thinks that's the other key. Last year, Minnesota (20 att, 63 yds ), Indiana (33 att, 58 yds), and Michigan State (12 att, 14 yds) all had success slowing down Barkley's rushing. In those 3 games Barkley had just 5 rec for 42 yds. So while Barkley didn't necessarily make them pay in those games, McSorley did make them pay with 1043 total passing yds and 7 TDs.

----
Regarding those earlier Barkley stats, you might wonder how they changed during the last half of 2016, or even during the 9-game winning streak. The answer is - not much.

2016, 9-game winning streak:
103 att for 13 Yd
103 att for 972 Yd, 9.4 YPC

2016, last 7 games:
72 att for -10 Yd
71 att for 825 Yd, 11.6 YPC
Click to expand...
Very interesting analysis... I wonder how this would compare to Kijana Carter in 94, LJ Jr. in 2002, or some recent RB superstars?
 
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