7-5, with this schedule, is a disappointment.

[Louisville JD]

"Should have" is highly subjective opinion.

If we were to know in August that
- 3 teams (Temple, UM and NW) we figured to have an advantage over on paper would turn out to be legit top 20 teams with stout defenses and combine to lose 7 games out of 36, what should we have expected when we chalked those games up as sure W's?

- the D would lose Wartman for the year and Bell play hobbled much of the year, what should we have expected from LB corps? There was basically no depth there in terms of experience.

- the secondary would be made up almost entirely of underclassmen...what should we have expected in terms of consistency from their decision making and tackling?

- the OL would need to shuffle pretty much constantly, what should we have expected from them. The talent there is still young and whether correct decisions were made to redshirt better players is a determination to be made in another 2 years. Paterno never would have thrust a true or RS freshman into the starting lineup a day too early...why should we be giving Franklin a hard time because he decided to hold some of these kids back?

I'm as bummed about the record as any but also don't think there was much of a prayer for a team that was at 65 scholies a year ago to be sitting on the threshold of 8-9 sure wins given the quality of the 5 teams those losses came to.

Great points VaNit and if the B1G east bowl teams and Northwestern win their bowl games which I think will happen, then this year was a good improvement over last. On to the bowl and more practices. The B1G east is the best division in cfb with 3 great coaches and programs! The challenge is great, but the reward of winning is even greater. D'Antonio knows and will have Sparty focused next week.
If JF can get better in all aspects of the program, then we'll be there too

 

[TUVideoGuy]

In two years the present Temple staff will be gone and what will be there would be better equipped to coach in a men's flag football league.

..and you still will be clinging to sanctions as an excuse

 

[Blueblood4eva]

We need more good players and great players, plain and simple. When all 85 are as good as the other team's we can measure how competitive we are on game day.

 

[LafayetteBear]

The Lions will be better next year. You can take that one to the bank. Given the football tradition at PSU, I know 7-5 must seem a bit disappointing, but it's not terrible under the circumstances. It's not just the lingering effect of the sanctions. Consider how damn competitive the B1G has become! Clearly the best conference in football this season, with four teams in the Top 10 right now. Meyer, D'antonio and Harbaugh are elite head coaches. I put all of them up there with Saban..

I'm frickin' thrilled that Cal also finished a 7-5 regular season by beating ASU in tonight's late game. Go Bears!

 

[fairgambit]

..and you still will be clinging to sanctions as an excuse

Not me. I am not one who uses sanctions as an excuse. In fact, I have said losing to a pathetic program like Temple under any circumstances is inexcusable.

 

[Locolion]

I agree. I don't have the time or desire to go back to the preseason posts but it's funny that many who were saying 9- 10 wins this year are now suddenly throwing out excuses and getting upset when there are posts saying 7-5 is a disappointment. . To me it's not so much the wins/ losses but in how the team is playing and if they are improving. Losses to OSU, MSU and Michigan were expected by most I think but the team isn't even competitive in these games. 55-16. Ugghhhh. You know it's bad when even Blackledge is calling out the coaches and team on Twitter.

I predicted 7-5. Anyone that predicted 9 or more wins does not understand that it is nearly impossible to win with such a young team. Be positive, support the team and the recruits will come and we'll be good again in 2-3 years.

 

[Black Elmo 2]

I don't understand why anyone should be embarrassed by today's loss. Someone said MSU is "not that good." Really? The Spartans are a bad OOB call from being 12-0; they went into Columbus and, w/o their starting stud QB, defeated the nearly unbeatable Buckeyes. Not that good?

Yes, I'm dejected, disappointed, and a tad depressed that PSU couldn't score from another 1st and goal, but I see with maybe 3 upperclassmen with NFL talent: AJ, Zettel, and Nassib. Maybe Lucas, but he seems to lack speed for the NFL. Yes, I've read and heard thousands of times that Hack "has all the tools," but IMHO, he has yet to unlock the shed to use them. Before some posters get irate, I admire CH for his character and loyalty; I just don't think he is a super stud QB.

I saw a decided underdog team take on the #5 squad in the country on the road on senior day and move the ball pretty well on a great defense. Our QB who doesn't throw many interceptions threw 2 today, 1 an easy TD return. Our usually inept TE gave up another TD on a fumble, and for the 2nd straight week, a ST player fumbles inside our own 10. Maybe those guys are embarrassed, but I'm not. They didn't try to make those errors. Cook had a tipped pass, just as Hack had ... Ours safely hit the ground while theirs was caught and returned for an easy 6. So it goes.

When our current freshmen and sophomores are juniors and seniors, we will be much more competitive with MSU, et al. Franklin is recruiting more speed and athleticism, so I am hopeful that Penn State will be better soon.

 

[Black Elmo 2]

Some of these posts are laughable they are so absurd. Today the flavor of the day is "its not that we lost, its that we're not even competitive.". Yet after the Mich and NW games, posters were complaining that PSU should have won "If only they had made a play or two.". So, folks, which is it? Either you're not competitive or you are competitive and only a few plays away from 9-3, which you would have been happy with.

 

[Black Elmo 2]

Some of these posts are laughable they are so absurd. Today the flavor of the day is "its not that we lost, its that we're not even competitive.". Yet after the Mich and NW games, posters were complaining that PSU should have won "If only they had made a play or two.". So, folks, which is it? Either you're not competitive or you are competitive and only a few plays away from 9-3, which you would have been happy with.

 

[LaJolla Lion]

Not me. I am not one who uses sanctions as an excuse. In fact, I have said losing to a pathetic program like Temple under any circumstances is inexcusable.

So you can't deal with reality. You would have called for Dantanio's head after 2-3 years without sanctions if that is the case.

 

[dbsteel]

I am not a Franklin fan but you have to give him three more years. We need stability and players that fit his system. Obviously he is not a great x and o guy but given time, he might be able to get us competitive again. I'd be fine with 8-4/9-3 as long as we are able to compete with the Big Ten. Let's face it we are clearly outclassed by the Michigan, Michigan states and Ohio states. It will be a long time until we can beat all three in a year. Just comparing our staff with those three programs is not pretty. Even comparing them to any top twenty staff is challenging. Unfortunately, it looks like we need to be content with the capital one bowl an perhaps a top 25 as a good year.

The great JoePa wasn't a great X and O guy either.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

The sanctions were the worst ever handed down and they were UNJUST and CRIMINAL. Thanks Rod and BOT. You tried to bring down a once powerful program but the kids fought back and wouldn't let you kill football off at PSU

You actually believe this ?
Having 65 scholarships for a couple of years explains why you are poorly coached and not competitive against good teams ??

Please extend James Franklin.
Best $4mil a year spent and deserves a raise , am I right?

 

[NittPicker]

The great JoePa wasn't a great X and O guy either.

You must not know much about Joe's early years as a coach. As a head coach he delegated much more but saying he wasn't a great X's and O's guy is a total falsehood.

 

[psu1969a]

Just a reminder to all the friggin critics on this board who all have memory loss:

Former Miami (Fla.) coach Jimmy Johnson tweeted that Penn State will be "no better than (Division II) for many years." ESPNanalyst Kirk Herbstreit said it will take the school a decade to be competitive. Former Penn State standout Kyle Brady said his alma mater's program will be irrelevant for most of his 7-year-old son's teenage years.

"Had the death penalty been for one year, maybe it would not have been as bad as this …," Brady said by phone. "All teams have mountains to climb. This one is as big as any anyone has had to climb. There's still the stigma, the damage to the brand; to add this is going to be devastating for a long time."


Penn State will be limited to 15 scholarships for football recruits annually (reduced from the standard cap of 25) each season for four years. The team will be limited to an overall total of 65 scholarships during the four-year period.

The University of Southern California faced a two-year bowl ban as part of its 2010 penalties for recruiting violations, but athletic director Pat Haden said the loss of scholarships hurt the most.

"You have to be very judicious in recruiting," he said in a statement. "You have to be lucky with injuries, and you have to guard your roster from players being recruited by other schools. It is an inexact science, and you have to do the best you can."
Penn State will be limited to 15 scholarships for football recruits annually (reduced from the standard cap of 25) each season for four years. The team will be limited to an overall total of 65 scholarships during the four-year period.

The University of Southern California faced a two-year bowl ban as part of its 2010 penalties for recruiting violations, but athletic director Pat Haden said the loss of scholarships hurt the most.

Re-read that last line. So anyone who says don't blame sanctions is a fool.

UGH! wE GOT THE SCHLORSHIPS back!!!!

 

[rudedude]

UGH! wE GOT THE SCHLORSHIPS back!!!!

Yeah so we are a team loaded with underclass men who have no experience playing right now.

 

[Pittston-Lion]

UGH! wE GOT THE SCHLORSHIPS back!!!!

Yeah but the fact that we lost them and all that happened is effecting the present, the fact that we got them back will effect the future. Did you ever hear the quote that you recruit for three years down the road.

 

[PSJew]

Not me. I am not one who uses sanctions as an excuse. In fact, I have said losing to a pathetic program like Temple under any circumstances is inexcusable.

Yea, that pathetic, top 25 program, that's 10-2, and is playing for a conference championship that the winner will likely play OSU/Iowa/MSU/FSU/ND in the Fiesta or Peach bowl... Totally pathetic team, inexcusable to lose to them

 

[cop113]

Trust me, as a Pitt fan, I know plenty about coaching carousels. They suck, and handcuff any kind of progress, both on and off of the field. Recruits don't feel comfortable coming to your school, b/c chances are the coach that recruits them won't be there for his college career. With that said, Franklin gets 3 more years. Fairgambit, you're spot on, though. It's not that Penn State has lost, it's how they lost. I get the whole sanctions thing, but there have been a lot of times where the team has looked lost or plain disinterested. For PSU fans, that has to be troubling.

Wonder what the score would have been if Pitt played Michigan State yesterday?Pitt looked pathetic against an UNRANKED Miami team.

 

[fairgambit]

Yea, that pathetic, top 25 program, that's 10-2, and is playing for a conference championship that the winner will likely play OSU/Iowa/MSU/FSU/ND in the Fiesta or Peach bowl... Totally pathetic team, inexcusable to lose to them

You have a reading comprehension problem. I did not say Temple's team this year was pathetic. I said their program is pathetic and it is. Just look at their history. If you think Temple is a "top 25 program" (your words) you are delusional. Temple is simply not built for long term success. They lack facilities, fans, and the money to drive the program. I think there is a high probability that next year they will also lack the head coach that brought it all together. A one year finish in the top 25 (if it happens) does not make a "top 25 program"

 

[fairgambit]

So you can't deal with reality. You would have called for Dantanio's head after 2-3 years without sanctions if that is the case.

You are putting words in my mouth I did not say sanctions were not a reason for our record. I said I do not use them as an excuse which is different. No doubt sanctions have hurt this team, but I am not one to pull out the "sanctions card" at every loss. Sanctions may be a reason for our record this year, but it is not an excuse for the pathetic play yesterday.

 

[NittanyChris]

Honestly if we had defeated Northwestern and Temple, I would have been super happy. Those are two teams we should have defeated. and of course we should have kept it closer today. Total embarrassment.

Disagree. Temple, as it turns out it was far better than Penn State this year. Northwestern, however, was a winnable game.

 

[dawgduice]

I don't understand why anyone should be embarrassed by today's loss. Someone said MSU is "not that good." Really? The Spartans are a bad OOB call from being 12-0; they went into Columbus and, w/o their starting stud QB, defeated the nearly unbeatable Buckeyes. Not that good?

Yes, I'm dejected, disappointed, and a tad depressed that PSU couldn't score from another 1st and goal, but I see with maybe 3 upperclassmen with NFL talent: AJ, Zettel, and Nassib. Maybe Lucas, but he seems to lack speed for the NFL. Yes, I've read and heard thousands of times that Hack "has all the tools," but IMHO, he has yet to unlock the shed to use them. Before some posters get irate, I admire CH for his character and loyalty; I just don't think he is a super stud QB.

I saw a decided underdog team take on the #5 squad in the country on the road on senior day and move the ball pretty well on a great defense. Our QB who doesn't throw many interceptions threw 2 today, 1 an easy TD return. Our usually inept TE gave up another TD on a fumble, and for the 2nd straight week, a ST player fumbles inside our own 10. Maybe those guys are embarrassed, but I'm not. They didn't try to make those errors. Cook had a tipped pass, just as Hack had ... Ours safely hit the ground while theirs was caught and returned for an easy 6. So it goes.

When our current freshmen and sophomores are juniors and seniors, we will be much more competitive with MSU, et al. Franklin is recruiting more speed and athleticism, so I am hopeful that Penn State will be better soon.

What the heck is WRONG with you? How dare you post such dribble. We will NEVER EVER be good again UNTIL we find a way to dig up Joe and CLONE HIM !!!!!!! As a Joe-Bot that is my plan, anyone got a shovel ???

 

[ILLINOISLION]

you are totally correct here. these injuries to a team with no d1 depth were an enormous impact. with Nassib in at the end we win at NW. If Wartman does not go down we win Temple period. that one injury turned that entire game. I am not real impressed with NW and Temple = both smoke and mirrors teams. without the devastating injuries we go at least 9 wins and probably 10. Ruddock had all day without Nassib in there. even today would have looked different with all our players. every team has injuries but thanks to the illegal sanctions by the ncaa, we don't have the depth now to handle them.

this does not mean I thing JF is a good x-o game day guy. when I saw Vandy play Houston with Franklin, that OFF was very pathetic.

Respectfully, Hack's missing two gimme TDs in the first quarter, then his interception late in the third quarter that gave Temple the very short field, the tying TD and all the momentum in the world is what gave Temple the game.

 

[kgilbert78]

You are putting words in my mouth I did not say sanctions were not a reason for our record. I said I do not use them as an excuse which is different. No doubt sanctions have hurt this team, but I am not one to pull out the "sanctions card" at every loss. Sanctions may be a reason for our record this year, but it is not an excuse for the pathetic play yesterday.

It is to a certain extent. You have a physically beat up team without much in the way of experienced backups, with a fair amount of injuries (like both of our starting DE's, for example), and a team without much depth will simply get worn out late in the season and in the fourth quarter. Which is what happened.

 

[Katatonic]

Honestly if we had defeated Northwestern and Temple, I would have been super happy. Those are two teams we should have defeated. and of course we should have kept it closer today. Total embarrassment.

Should have?

As it turned out, those 2 were pretty decent teams.

That's a combined 51-9 for the teams which beat us. We won the games we should have won and lost the ones we should have lost with the exception of Northwestern which we gave away.

Or conversely, NU let PSU back in it w/ its inexperienced QB.

 

[EPC FAN]

..and you still will be clinging to sanctions as an excuse

Yeah, but we won't have you around being a smug asshole. Enjoy your "best season ever". You know, the one with 2 losses.