Not to pick on you, Obli, but how many times have we heard that we are positioning for future years?
You must be one disappointed dude since 1994. Obli’s post is great, as he notes the potential of this team, which is filled with talent, and he notes the exciting new schools entering the conference as well. I also feel it’s going to be one of the more interesting seasons in a very long time. There’s so many elite programs in this conference now that I seriously doubt we’ll ever see another undefeated team.
OK...I do agree that Franklin's in-game prep is bad. But over the last few years, UM and tOSU have simply been better. To be honest, I am not sure PSU wants to be those programs. Regardless, PSU has provided a lot of good games and fun. The frustration makes the good games even better.
PSU doesn't want to be those programs...like in what way...on field success? That runs counter to everything Kraft has mentioned as his goals for championships. And, maybe those two programs have been better b/c of coaching (i.e. player development) and making winning plays when it matters. Not to mention, the structure of building the trenches -- fortifying the LOS, especially for Michigan's case, nullifies any deficiencies they might have in the skill position area. They have dominated the trenches and established a tough attitude....PSU plays soft.
LOL...I'm not shocked at all by your response....one of the many apologists who tells other people to root elsewhere b/c they aspire for better. Must be content with beating nobody most years.
UM just got caught cheating, fired three assistant coaches and chased off their HC. Yep, they won a natty, but soiled the brand. tOSU is a football factory that really doesn't give a crap about their player's education. tOSU fans will say that is not correct but I know a lot of people associated with the program. Internally, they know their key to success is to get kids into the NFL to fuel their recruiting and portal pipeline. Lastly, they've gotten caught cheating several times.
Here we go with academics....might want to look how far we have plunged (unfortunately) in the rankings. Also, most of the blue-bloods pack the house, and a handful get great tv ratings. That has little to do with us not being a playoff contender most years. Actually, it makes us look worse that we have great attendance and numbers, and still can't get over the hump.
OK. Fair enough. But I'll stack Franklin's work for the kids against tOSUs and UM's any day and anytime. We car argue that until the cows come home but it is clear, to me, where priorities lie. I live in Ohio. My son went to Ohio State. Trust me, there is almost no conversation about the kid's majors and grades (nor their college experience outside football) other than "are they eligible?"
No question...JF from that standpoint does a notable job in advocating for student-athletes and creating relationships beyond their football abilities. For sure.
Agreed. I think PSU is adjusting this year. The portal has forced our hand. In the old days, if you offered a kid a 'ship, he was there for four to five years. Today, if the kid doesn't live up to his press clippings, he'll be told to portal out. He can play at Kent or Ohio U or whatever but he won't play for PSU. He's taking up a valuable roster spot that could be given to that Kent or Ohio U undergrad star who wants an opportunity to move up and get drafted in the early rounds by the NFL. What was once seen as "dirty" is now seen as "business as usual". That will force us to be more tOSU-like.
Manny was an excellent hire and had such a palpable energy and passion for his side of the ball -- which I think easily resonated with the players. By all accounts, they loved Manny.
And I’m not surprised by your endless whiny posts about how it’s unfair to you that Penn State hasn’t won a National Championship under Franklin. Poor baby. Since you obviously live under a rock, it may come as a shock to you that Franklin does aspire to winning a National Championship and is working his butt off to try to get there. However, unlike you apparently I recognize that there are other teams working for the same objective and have some advantages in recruiting with NIL, etc. With respect to your original post, Michigan did better recently with comparable recruiting classes as PSU because they cheated (check out Harbaugh’s record before and after he sent someone to do on campus sign stealing it’s quite stunning). Maybe you could pony up some NIL money to help out if the current state of the program offends you so much.
Lets look at the last ten years of national champions:
LOL u are such a clown. Nobody is saying that unless you win a title, the season is a wash. But, making the playoffs should be and has to be expected. That is the only way to have a chance to win a title. If by now, you don't expect to make the playoffs, then fine. You have every right to have whatever expectations you want. I know you are thrilled with being an annual pretender in big games, but many aren't. Moving forward, making the playoffs, hosting a game at the Beav, etc., would be huge steps towards getting to where JF et al says they want to go. If he can't even make a playoff, the job ultimately is a fail. Sorry if that offends you.
I also know and have known people associated with the program, as well as lived in Columbus for 18 years and have numerous family members who went to OSU. All they care about is “Win Baby Win.” They don’t care and never cared if players didn’t come to play school. As long as OSU won and sanctions were kept to a minimum, they were fine with all the corruption in the program. That’s why they hired a former NCAA executive to be their AD. He knew and was familiar with the people at the NCAA and could minimize or stop dead in the tracks anything coming OSU’s way.
Joe Paterno said in his book, and I'm paraphrasing, that his Grand Experiment wouldn't have meant anything if the program had not been so successful. In the end, when you're at a OSU or PSU, while it's great to be sucessful both on the field and in the classroom, the on-field success is much more important than the off-field success, and I'm not ashamed to say that, especially considering that now you're dealing basically with di facto employees. I don't even know why they need to class any more. In this respect, OSU was way ahead of the times.
Obviously not...I wouldn't. But, it's not as simple as that. If we go the next 10-20 years sans a playoff appearance, that comparison doesn't make me feel any better that we aren't (fill in the blank). It's not like a deal with the devil...i.e. playoffs and then you suck. Playoffs here and there + regular success isn't a herculean task for a program like ours.
