Seriously….how can we say the Penn State Football program is headed in the right direction to compete for Big Ten and National Championships? Forget about the 2022 recruiting class which has not signed nor stepped foot on campus. What else is going on that puts the Penn State Football program headed in the right direction?
Is Penn State Football headed in the right direction?
- Thread starter PSULionsDub
- Start date
Diversity within the PSU coaching ranks to start with, a major positive, it is a stated goal of the University. Major goals
Which is one reason why I’m finished spending money on Penn State, A.K.A., Berkeley East
Well I realize I am in the minority (at least on this board) but I do. The team lost 5 games by a total of 21 points. They also played one of the toughest schedules in the country. Franklin deserves the blame for not having the team ready for Illinois (although if Warren, who played some QB in high school merely lobs the pas to Clifford they still win). Penn State was boat racing a 10-2 Iowa team before Clifford got hurt Defense gave up a killer 47 yard TD late against Michigan to a TE on a simple crossing pattern thrown 5 yards beyond the LOS 4 of their 5 losses were to teams who figure to be in the Top 10 next week. As I said elsewhere, I think Penn State’s biggest issue is the lack of a truly great QB In case you haven’t noticed, Clemson playing in a weaker ACC has 3 losses this year now that Lawrence is playing in the NFL. Hopefully, they finally get one next year in Allar. If the team is playing like this 2 years from now and people want to move on from Franklin fine. If I recall correctly Harbaugh had a similar record a couple of years ago.
Plus the officiating in 4 of the 5 losses was unconscionable, going Independent should not be out of the question.
We are surviving but not feasting in our own fishbowl (The B10). If we go out of the fishbowl, we get eaten alive by the Great Whites and Orca's (Teams like Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma). We are a good football team but have a way to go to be a great one. Having a head coach who is more cheerleader than X's and O's guy doesn't help. We hold our own against the Indiana's Rutgers and Purdue's but look at our record against Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Iowa. When we start beating Michigan and Ohio State like we beat Indiana, things will get better.
The BIGGEST issue is not a great QB. It's not Clifford either. It's having a Solid OL, PERIOD......
While having a great QB certainly can't hurt, if the Big Boys upfront can't block, you could have Joe Montana back there and still look like a Pee Wee team. This team wins when they get studs on the OL and DL.
Well, just gave a 7-5 coach a ten year guaranteed contract. PSU is going to be a 9 win average type of team. Part of it is politics but also Joe his last decade was about that win wise. Once every 5 years maybe a really competitive team. Have to assume the admin is okay with that. Remember OSU fired a 10 win a year coach - John Cooper - for losing to MI regularly. They pull out all the stops and they win NC and almost always in the playoffs. If looking for an elite program, do not follow PSU too enthusiastically. Enjoy the tailgating and competitive teams but it will not be in that upper tier. It’s over.
Good coaches win close games
Bad coaches lose close games
As a fan you want to see improvement as the season progresses. Injuries can always change a direction of a team. The biggest flaw is Franklin wants to force a running game that has been horrible all year. Running the ball today was just idiotic, MSU could not do a thing on pass defense and with conditions the way it was created even more difficulties for defensive backs. Just plain stupid.
Barbour got played, no one was knocking on his door this year. He should of had next year as his prove it year.
Bad coaches lose close games
As a fan you want to see improvement as the season progresses. Injuries can always change a direction of a team. The biggest flaw is Franklin wants to force a running game that has been horrible all year. Running the ball today was just idiotic, MSU could not do a thing on pass defense and with conditions the way it was created even more difficulties for defensive backs. Just plain stupid.
Barbour got played, no one was knocking on his door this year. He should of had next year as his prove it year.
I saw PSU play an all time horrific 6-4 loss in 2004 against Iowa and we all know what happened the next year…am I concerned, yes, but we locked JF in…let’s see in 2-3 years…a lot of “supposed” high end recruits coming in and 2 more years to see what’s up with Trautwein and Yurcich…two very heralded coaches…maybe like Hack wasn’t a fit for JF’s offense, then Trace stepped in, maybe a big turnover will change things…but after 3 years at the most, if things stay the same…changes need to be made, ie: Head Coach
Not ready to call doom and gloom, but that contract extension made absolutely no sense. Do that when the guy is winning, build momentum and enthusiasm for a supposed long term football program plan. Instead you do it when the program craters and your coach refuses to kill the media narrative about him leaving. Just bonkers. I also wonder what message that sent to the players as CJF walks away with big money while the players fall to an embarrassing 7-5 record.
And….incidentally, if he improves in 2-3 years he CAN be bought out and WILL be back at the negotiating table.
Well, hopefully in 2 years, someone in the media (as he has asked) can articulate what exactly needs to be up-funded and renovated, because he cant find the words to say it, even with a 10 year contract. We've been sold up the river in a raft with a 200 lb dead weight anchor. Its childish and frankly, unbecoming, in the role of a head coach at a prominent university.
Somehow, where the players lay their heads at night, is a major factor in whether they win or lose. I'm all for renovating the dorms into something livable, but dont sell us that these ancillary things are a factor in the teams record.
Somehow, where the players lay their heads at night, is a major factor in whether they win or lose. I'm all for renovating the dorms into something livable, but dont sell us that these ancillary things are a factor in the teams record.
Everything you said is 100% spot on.
That said, points aside, we LOST 5 games. Um, so far. We have this HUUUUUUUUUGE 'IF" with regard to Allar and company arriving for 22. If they all do, the extension was likely well worth it... if they don't, this program is toast. As in helllllooooo indiana. Cue Rutgers as our new "rival."
I would have preferred a new coach who announced he wanted half step slow hard assed mfers who would break your face wide open rather than some squealing like a piglet 4+ star who runs fast and tackles like lassie on a lame leg.
The future I see is 8-4. If that's worth a 10 year extension... well, welcome to the new world order where mediocrity is rewarded if it puts on a pretty face. Trophies for everybody.. yaaaay!
I want the recruits to stick. I want Franklin to have the players he needs to be successful... then the outcome is 100% on him. I doubt it's going to happen now. And if it does, I seriously doubt he cashes in. I suspect the recruits see the same thing. But hey, I've been wrong before.... hoping i'm wrong now.
There is something missing on the player leadership since Trace left. Say what you want about OBrien's kids played tough and his ragtag OL played smash mouth football. A lumbering back like Zwinak ran over Wisconcin. There is no toughness on offense in this program lately. Our two tackles get abused by every team we play. Maybe it comes down to QB leadership. The team looked much better last week with Clifford out. If he wants to come back, I hope coach tells him no thanks.
No coaching staff did a worse job in the B1G, given the available talent
The team is not headed in the right direction. We are a mediocre football team. The problem is we just gave the problem another unearned contract extension. The previous one was foolish. This was was really foolish and will only serve to encourage Franklin's lesser qualities. Franklin's philosophy is the problem. It starts with recruiting where he is good not great. He is a volume recruiter. A talent accumulator. There is nothing wrong with that approach. A great many coaches win that way. The problem here is mixing it with his coaching hires. To win with this approach, you need coordinators that can and will make minor and major adjustments based on talent on a year to year basis. I have not seen any better than Joe Moorhead. MY on the other hand is a system guy. He needs the right players for it to work. He can't adapt what he does to match the talent on hand. He is bit in the same mold at Pry and Rahne. He inherited a system installed by The Mullet ran it fairly well but that is it. Rahne ran the system he inherited from JoeMo exactly as he received it despite the talent changing. Same story with Pry. He runs Shoop's 4-3 as is. It mostly works but we would be better served moving to a 3-4 where our talent is a better fit. He can't and he won't. It is a good thing we had weather in our favor yesterday because Walker was eating us alive running off tackle which is what Illinois did. It is a good thing Corrum was out when we played Michigan because they would have boat raced us.
I agree with everything you said except for the "lack of a truly great quarterback" comment. Other than Collins, Penn State has won without great quarterbacks, we won with good to very good college quarterbacks that managed the game and made plays. We won with great offensive lines, running backs and defense.
Our biggest problems the last few years has been poor offensive line play, only four of the 38 Penn State players currently on NFL roosters are offensive linemen and I don't believe any of them are stars. If we are going to be elite that has to be fixed.
Another problem is our defenses have been good but for some reason they have the maddening tendency to give up third and long in critical situations.
Despite our problems we were very close to this being a very good year and with better luck we would have had a great year. Just think of our prior great teams losing arguably their best defensive player for the season (think Clark in 78 or Conlan in 86) and having their quarterback hobbled for over half the season. When we had great teams in the past I don't think we had significant injuries. If Clifford and Mustipher don't get hurt we are likely 10-2 or perhaps 11-1 and waiting for the Big 10 Championship game.
