My 2 cents on the Franklin era.

[Sooner Lion]

Pros
Definitely revived our program. I don't think many coaches could have won a conference title so quickly.
Solid recruiter. Getting Barkley to flip from Rutgers most likely saved his job.
All positive, all the time.

Cons
Enough with the starts and ends with love. These kids need a little fear in them.
Recruits the star athlete over the star football player. Lots and lots of 4 stars that play like 2 stars.
Offense is built around skill and the big play. Fine and dandy. However, football starts and ends with the line of scrimmage. This has been a problem every single year of his tenure. If Franklin built this team around being physically dominant up front and then added in his skill philosophy, there is no doubt in my mind we would have won 2 - 3 more B1G championships.
Revolving door at offensive coordinator, say what you want, but Clifford having three OC's in three years is not gonna win you championships.
He stays loyal to a defensive coordinator who has not build a consistently strong defense. I thought this year was different after the Wisconsin game. I was wrong. Illinois owned us on the ground. Way too weak up front. Way too many blitzes. Way too many star LBers that are consistently out of position.
Eye popping numbers at the NFL combine do not equate to wins. We need a Strength and Conditioning coach that can develop disruptive defensive linemen and offensive linemen who can move people off the ball. We look like an FCS team out there.

 

[lazydave841]

This situation is starting to look like FSU before Jimbo departed. High rated recruits who underachieve 2 years in a row.

Very disheartening. Maybe JF needs to borrow a page from BB. Talk about our underperforming OL. Can't believe we never subbed in a 5th DL at all. Ugh.

 

[PSU2UNC]

Pros
Definitely revived our program. I don't think many coaches could have won a conference title so quickly.
Solid recruiter. Getting Barkley to flip from Rutgers most likely saved his job.
All positive, all the time.

Cons
Enough with the starts and ends with love. These kids need a little fear in them.
Recruits the star athlete over the star football player. Lots and lots of 4 stars that play like 2 stars.
Offense is built around skill and the big play. Fine and dandy. However, football starts and ends with the line of scrimmage. This has been a problem every single year of his tenure. If Franklin built this team around being physically dominant up front and then added in his skill philosophy, there is no doubt in my mind we would have won 2 - 3 more B1G championships.
Revolving door at offensive coordinator, say what you want, but Clifford having three OC's in three years is not gonna win you championships.
He stays loyal to a defensive coordinator who has not build a consistently strong defense. I thought this year was different after the Wisconsin game. I was wrong. Illinois owned us on the ground. Way too weak up front. Way too many blitzes. Way too many star LBers that are consistently out of position.
Eye popping numbers at the NFL combine do not equate to wins. We need a Strength and Conditioning coach that can develop disruptive defensive linemen and offensive linemen who can move people off the ball. We look like an FCS team out there.

This is a terrible post that suggests you have no idea about college football.

 

[psupride1997]

This is a terrible post that suggests you have no idea about college football.

Nah, EF Hutton is 100% spot on.

 

[Sooner Lion]

This is a terrible post that suggests you have no idea about college football.

Dissent is welcomed. What is it that you disagree with?

 

[scrivener]

This is a terrible post that suggests you have no idea about college football.

How is what he wrote a terrible post? because it is critical and not wearing blinders?

 

[PSU2UNC]

Dissent is welcomed. What is it that you disagree with?

All of it.

 

[BW Lion]

I wouldn’t give $0.02 for Franklin.

 

[scrivener]

All of it.

LOL...you and AWS should get together and wear 'fanboys' hats. Like you literally disagreed with everything he posted? lol, of course u did...you are probably content with a 10-2 ceiling.

 

[PSU2UNC]

LOL...you and AWS should get together and wear 'fanboys' hats. Like you literally disagreed with everything he posted? lol, of course u did...you are probably content with a 10-2 ceiling.

I am content with 10-2, there Bartleby. Only a few teams win 10 games per year on a consistent basis.

I don't think that is the ceiling though.

 

[PSU2UNC]

yep, that is a good program. The problem here is Franklin is on the verge of taking us back to where he started in 2014.

Strongly disagree, but we will see.

 

[Texas Lion]

Pros
Definitely revived our program. I don't think many coaches could have won a conference title so quickly.
Solid recruiter. Getting Barkley to flip from Rutgers most likely saved his job.
All positive, all the time.

Cons
Enough with the starts and ends with love. These kids need a little fear in them.
Recruits the star athlete over the star football player. Lots and lots of 4 stars that play like 2 stars.
Offense is built around skill and the big play. Fine and dandy. However, football starts and ends with the line of scrimmage. This has been a problem every single year of his tenure. If Franklin built this team around being physically dominant up front and then added in his skill philosophy, there is no doubt in my mind we would have won 2 - 3 more B1G championships.
Revolving door at offensive coordinator, say what you want, but Clifford having three OC's in three years is not gonna win you championships.
He stays loyal to a defensive coordinator who has not build a consistently strong defense. I thought this year was different after the Wisconsin game. I was wrong. Illinois owned us on the ground. Way too weak up front. Way too many blitzes. Way too many star LBers that are consistently out of position.
Eye popping numbers at the NFL combine do not equate to wins. We need a Strength and Conditioning coach that can develop disruptive defensive linemen and offensive linemen who can move people off the ball. We look like an FCS team out there.

I honestly don’t mind Franklin and what he does and has done. But at what point does the school deserve him to stand up and say he is t interested in those other jobs.

 

[AWS1022]

LOL...you and AWS should get together and wear 'fanboys' hats. Like you literally disagreed with everything he posted? lol, of course u did...you are probably content with a 10-2 ceiling.

I love how you try to insult people who support the coach and the team by calling them fanboys….aren’t we supposed to be fans? I guess a fan’s job is to bitch and moan incessantly and just be a complete a$$hole…so you’re in the running for top fan.

 

[TangSoo]

Pros
Definitely revived our program. I don't think many coaches could have won a conference title so quickly.
Solid recruiter. Getting Barkley to flip from Rutgers most likely saved his job.
All positive, all the time.

Cons
Enough with the starts and ends with love. These kids need a little fear in them.
Recruits the star athlete over the star football player. Lots and lots of 4 stars that play like 2 stars.
Offense is built around skill and the big play. Fine and dandy. However, football starts and ends with the line of scrimmage. This has been a problem every single year of his tenure. If Franklin built this team around being physically dominant up front and then added in his skill philosophy, there is no doubt in my mind we would have won 2 - 3 more B1G championships.
Revolving door at offensive coordinator, say what you want, but Clifford having three OC's in three years is not gonna win you championships.
He stays loyal to a defensive coordinator who has not build a consistently strong defense. I thought this year was different after the Wisconsin game. I was wrong. Illinois owned us on the ground. Way too weak up front. Way too many blitzes. Way too many star LBers that are consistently out of position.
Eye popping numbers at the NFL combine do not equate to wins. We need a Strength and Conditioning coach that can develop disruptive defensive linemen and offensive linemen who can move people off the ball. We look like an FCS team out there.

I agree with the vast majority of what you wrote. But I think the defense was up to snuff until Mustipher went down. I don't focus on any one facet of the game anymore (I'm a washed up TE who used to focus on line play a bit more). But I have to conclude Mustipher was playing at a 1st team All American level and the backups aren't close to that. And in the 1st half especially, there was no adjustment to the type of run play they were running.

 

[AWS1022]

Pros
Definitely revived our program. I don't think many coaches could have won a conference title so quickly.
Solid recruiter. Getting Barkley to flip from Rutgers most likely saved his job.
All positive, all the time.

Cons
Enough with the starts and ends with love. These kids need a little fear in them.
Recruits the star athlete over the star football player. Lots and lots of 4 stars that play like 2 stars.
Offense is built around skill and the big play. Fine and dandy. However, football starts and ends with the line of scrimmage. This has been a problem every single year of his tenure. If Franklin built this team around being physically dominant up front and then added in his skill philosophy, there is no doubt in my mind we would have won 2 - 3 more B1G championships.
Revolving door at offensive coordinator, say what you want, but Clifford having three OC's in three years is not gonna win you championships.
He stays loyal to a defensive coordinator who has not build a consistently strong defense. I thought this year was different after the Wisconsin game. I was wrong. Illinois owned us on the ground. Way too weak up front. Way too many blitzes. Way too many star LBers that are consistently out of position.
Eye popping numbers at the NFL combine do not equate to wins. We need a Strength and Conditioning coach that can develop disruptive defensive linemen and offensive linemen who can move people off the ball. We look like an FCS team out there.

Your pros are pretty damn big pros, not just minor things.
I agree that he needs to get some hard nosed, football smart kids, especially at LB (like the kid at Indiana and the kid at Wiscy). Those are the type of LB’s we used to have. You lost me with your comments about the OC’s….this board calls for the OC to get fired every game, then when he gets rid of them the same posters criticize him for his revolving door. And your last sentence destroyed the whole post….they didn’t lose to an FCS team…as bad as people think Illinois is, they still have D-1 talent and they played really well, which D-1 athletes are able to do.

 

[fastlax16]

I agree with the vast majority of what you wrote. But I think the defense was up to snuff until Mustipher went down. I don't focus on any one facet of the game anymore (I'm a washed up TE who used to focus on line play a bit more). But I have to conclude Mustipher was playing at a 1st team All American level and the backups aren't close to that. And in the 1st half especially, there was no adjustment to the type of run play they were running.

One player shouldn’t be the difference against Illinois. If you want to say we aren’t beating OSU without someone like PJ, ok that’s fair. 5 teams have beaten Illinois without PJ Mustipher.

 

[psupride1997]

There’s no sane, rational defense of what occurred out on that football field today. It was worst loss of the Franklin regime.

 

[acg116]

I agree with the vast majority of what you wrote. But I think the defense was up to snuff until Mustipher went down. I don't focus on any one facet of the game anymore (I'm a washed up TE who used to focus on line play a bit more). But I have to conclude Mustipher was playing at a 1st team All American level and the backups aren't close to that. And in the 1st half especially, there was no adjustment to the type of run play they were running.

Agree. At this point in the franklin era however, the loss of one d lineman should not cause the whole unit to collapse like it did today.

 

[scrivener]

I love how you try to insult people who support the coach and the team by calling them fanboys….aren’t we supposed to be fans? I guess a fan’s job is to bitch and moan incessantly and just be a complete a$$hole…so you’re in the running for top fan.

I'm not the one who is an ahole to others...u resort to slurs...not me. And I am a fan too...that doesn't mean I have to be positive and sunshine & flowers either.

 

[TangSoo]

One player shouldn’t be the difference against Illinois. If you want to say we aren’t beating OSU without someone like PJ, ok that’s fair. 5 teams have beaten Illinois without PJ Mustipher.

Shouldn't be. But look at the results. What's different? Mustipher...............I was at the game and had a good seat. If I walked into that game with no context, Illinois was the better football team. Complete domination of line play. They were averaging like 4 yards on a handful of QB sneaks. I have to believe that doesn't happen with Mustipher in there.
It doesn't reflect well on depth, but I believe Iowa is a win with Clifford, and they win today with Mustipher. Next man up, yadda yadda. There's obviously a depth problem at certain positions. And RB appears to have 5 backups and no lead back. No speed. Well, Lovette has speed but he's built like Chaffee Fields. He needs actual holes to run through and that's not happening with this OL.

p.s. I'm not trying to dismiss it as "everything's OK, we're 7-0 without key injuries". The real trial by fire is coming, and the deficiencies would've been unearthed at some point.

 

[scrivener]

Shouldn't be. But look at the results. What's different? Mustipher...............I was at the game and had a good seat. If I walked into that game with no context, Illinois was the better football team. Complete domination of line play. They were averaging like 4 yards on a handful of QB sneaks. I have to believe that doesn't happen with Mustipher in there.
It doesn't reflect well on depth, but I believe Iowa is a win with Clifford, and they win today with Mustipher. Next man up, yadda yadda. There's obviously a depth problem at certain positions. And RB appears to have 5 backups and no lead back. No speed. Well, Lovette has speed but he's built like Chaffee Fields. He needs actual holes to run through and that's not happening with this OL.

We have had problems with the run most of the year...even with PJ. Illinois put up nearly 4 bills vs our defense...one DL isn't negating 200 of those. Our play on both fronts is MAC like, and has been for years under JF. We don't just struggle vs B1G opponents..but pedestrian teams like Nova and Ball State...or Buffalo in 2019. If a program that recruits the way we do falls apart at the seams because two guys are banged up...then this roster, structurally, is put together in a totally incorrect way.

 

[fastlax16]

Shouldn't be. But look at the results. What's different? Mustipher...............I was at the game and had a good seat. If I walked into that game with no context, Illinois was the better football team. Complete domination of line play. They were averaging like 4 yards on a handful of QB sneaks. I have to believe that doesn't happen with Mustipher in there.
It doesn't reflect well on depth, but I believe Iowa is a win with Clifford, and they win today with Mustipher. Next man up, yadda yadda. There's obviously a depth problem at certain positions. And RB appears to have 5 backups and no lead back. No speed. Well, Lovette has speed but he's built like Chaffee Fields. He needs actual holes to run through and that's not happening with this OL.

I don’t disagree that it made a difference. The fact that it did is inexcusable. The whole team should be embarrassed by what happened out there today. Franklin should be embarrassed by his record coming off of the first loss of the season.

 

[AWS1022]

I'm not the one who is an ahole to others...u resort to slurs...not me. And I am a fan too...that doesn't mean I have to be positive and sunshine & flowers either.

I’m not positive and sunshine and flowers either….we have a lot of areas that need improving. But I also try to be a little more realistic about what our program is and what is was. I also try to keep a little more perspective than many others….it’s a game. It doesn’t change my life in any way. I have far more important and concerning things in my life than whether we win a football game or not. It’s supposed to be fun and sometimes you lose….if a bunch of student athletes losing makes you angry and hateful, maybe you need a new hobby.

 

[scrivener]

I’m not positive and sunshine and flowers either….we have a lot of areas that need improving. But I also try to be a little more realistic about what our program is and what is was. I also try to keep a little more perspective than many others….it’s a game. It doesn’t change my life in any way. I have far more important and concerning things in my life than whether we win a football game or not. It’s supposed to be fun and sometimes you lose….if a bunch of student athletes losing makes you angry and hateful, maybe you need a new hobby.

This I agree with and well said...I don't need a new hobby. You and I have had this conversation before about what the program was vs what it is...I get your points...but why does what we were in the past mean that it has to stay that way? I mean, we had dominating decades under Joe, then some stretches in other decades, but mostly 9 or 10 win seasons. So that doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for more? There are many blue bloods on a similar title drought like PSU...i.e. ND, UGA, Washington, etc...yet all three have made the playoffs. That is all I'm asking. If JF gets us to a playoff every few yrs...awesome! He puts us in the mix and we have a shot. It's hard as heck to win a title...but for all the leverage games he plays and this annual back and forth to have no playoff appearances and head-scratching, mind numbing annual losses, at least to me, is just ridiculous. Make a playoff...then pay him all he wants.

 

[BW Lion]

I also try to keep a little more perspective than many others….it’s a game. It doesn’t change my life in any way. I have far more important and concerning things in my life…

28,743 posts would suggest otherwise

 

[scrivener]

I don’t disagree that it made a difference. The fact that it did is inexcusable. The whole team should be embarrassed by what happened out there today. Franklin should be embarrassed by his record coming off of the first loss of the season.

You bring up a really good point that I don't think the team feels...embarrassment. Someone had a stat that like 33% of JF's losses have been in like 3 game stretches, or something like that. Lol...it was trying to say that they don't recover well after an initial loss. THat is all about mental toughness, fortitude and resolve, which his team's just don't have. It just doesn't look like they are bothered when losing...which is a problem if true.

 

[AWS1022]

This I agree with and well said...I don't need a new hobby. You and I have had this conversation before about what the program was vs what it is...I get your points...but why does what we were in the past mean that it has to stay that way? I mean, we had dominating decades under Joe, then some stretches in other decades, but mostly 9 or 10 win seasons. So that doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for more? There are many blue bloods on a similar title drought like PSU...i.e. ND, UGA, Washington, etc...yet all three have made the playoffs. That is all I'm asking. If JF gets us to a playoff every few yrs...awesome! He puts us in the mix and we have a shot. It's hard as heck to win a title...but for all the leverage games he plays and this annual back and forth to have no playoff appearances and head-scratching, mind numbing annual losses, at least to me, is just ridiculous. Make a playoff...then pay him all he wants.

I would love to make the playoffs once in a while…but I’m still convinced it takes more than just a coach. Washington and ND have a big advantage over us in that they don’t have to deal with OSU in their division. I’m convinced if OSU was not in the Big, we’d have made the playoffs a couple of times. Any program that has to compete with OSU or Bama better be all in on making their university a football powerhouse and do whatever it takes….do you think PSU as a university is doing that? I don’t.

 

[scrivener]

I would love to make the playoffs once in a while…but I’m still convinced it takes more than just a coach. Washington and ND have a big advantage over us in that they don’t have to deal with OSU in their division. I’m convinced if OSU was not in the Big, we’d have made the playoffs a couple of times. Any program that has to compete with OSU or Bama better be all in on making their university a football powerhouse and do whatever it takes….do you think PSU as a university is doing that? I don’t.

No I don't...but Washington still has Oregon and USC (granted a down USC) to contend with in recruiting. But, yes, obviously without Ohio St in the conference, we make the playoffs. We can't remove them from the league, so why not overcome and actually beat them here and there. I mean it's a one team league to this point and our roster, based on recruiting rankings, is the best behind OSU...doesn't mean we shouldn't be able to win here and there. Overcoming is part of CFB and I just feel PSU rarely does that. Sure, we beat the Iowa's and Wisconsin's, system teams without many athletes. Those aren't our measuring stick games.

 

[AWS1022]

28,743 posts would suggest otherwise

That’s in 10 years. And believe me, with the news my wife got a couple weeks ago, a loss in a football game isn’t that big of a concern to me.

 

[AWS1022]

No I don't...but Washington still has Oregon and USC (granted a down USC) to contend with in recruiting. But, yes, obviously without Ohio St in the conference, we make the playoffs. We can't remove them from the league, so why not overcome and actually beat them here and there. I mean it's a one team league to this point and our roster, based on recruiting rankings, is the best behind OSU...doesn't mean we shouldn't be able to win here and there. Overcoming is part of CFB and I just feel PSU rarely does that. Sure, we beat the Iowa's and Wisconsin's, system teams without many athletes. Those aren't our measuring stick games.

Even though we might be second behind OSU in talent (and Michigan is right there with us) we are a long ways away from them. So beating them once in seven years is about what can be expected.

 

[scrivener]

Even though we might be second behind OSU in talent (and Michigan is right there with us) we are a long ways away from them. So beating them once in seven years is about what can be expected.

But, in your eyes, are we a long ways away because the talent gap between them at 1 in the conf, and us at 2, is actually much larger...or is it fairly close, but the program, coaching, development, (the whole operation so to speak), is vastly better at OSU? I think its the latter...look at the dudes we have had on offense now crushing it in the NFL the last 8 or so years that we had and we still couldn't get it done. Our 2017 team totally blew it and there were NFL guys all over.

 

[AWS1022]

But, in your eyes, are we a long ways away because the talent gap between them at 1 in the conf, and us at 2, is actually much larger...or is it fairly close, but the program, coaching, development, (the whole operation so to speak), is vastly better at OSU? I think its the latter...look at the dudes we have had on offense now crushing it in the NFL the last 8 or so years that we had and we still couldn't get it done. Our 2017 team totally blew it and there were NFL guys all over.

I watched five minutes of the OSU game tonight and they have a stud DT who is a monster and he’s a freshman. The talent gap is very large from top to bottom. Yes, we have some great players, but for every one we have, OSU has an equal or more. We have Dotson, they have Olave and a bunch more. Their whole RB room is likely better than anyone we have. They have at least three QB’s who are or will be better than our number one. They likely have freshmen OLinemen redshirting who could start for us. Their talent is much deeper than ours because their overall program is better than ours.

 

[MacNit07]

There’s no sane, rational defense of what occurred out on that football field today. It was worst loss of the Franklin regime.

One of the worst in the history of a storied program…just say’n

 

[bourbon n blues]

I watched five minutes of the OSU game tonight and they have a stud DT who is a monster and he’s a freshman. The talent gap is very large from top to bottom. Yes, we have some great players, but for every one we have, OSU has an equal or more. We have Dotson, they have Olave and a bunch more. Their whole RB room is likely better than anyone we have. They have at least three QB’s who are or will be better than our number one. They likely have freshmen OLinemen redshirting who could start for us. Their talent is much deeper than ours because their overall program is better than ours.

And that’s it. My friends don’t grasp it.

 

[maxoscar]

I honestly don’t mind Franklin and what he does and has done. But at what point does the school deserve him to stand up and say he is t interested in those other jobs.

Spot on. And the reason he won't is he is leaving PSU. I believe his players know it, are discouraged and their play reflected it.

 

[manilion]

Pathetic.

 

[Wallace Breen]

My pros are as follows,

1. Raised the graduation rate which is no small tasks
2. Players play very hard for him and don't quit (2020)
3. Recruits well enough to to get to 9/10 years most years
4. Players do not get in trouble

That is good enough for me. He can stay as long as he wants. I do think he is seriously overpaid because I came to the realization that he isn't good enough to win a national championship in State College because he will never get enough talent on hand to win one the way he wants to win.

 

[Paguy35]

Your pros are pretty damn big pros, not just minor things.
I agree that he needs to get some hard nosed, football smart kids, especially at LB (like the kid at Indiana and the kid at Wiscy). Those are the type of LB’s we used to have. You lost me with your comments about the OC’s….this board calls for the OC to get fired every game, then when he gets rid of them the same posters criticize him for his revolving door. And your last sentence destroyed the whole post….they didn’t lose to an FCS team…as bad as people think Illinois is, they still have D-1 talent and they played really well, which D-1 athletes are able to do.

He said we looked like an FCS Team, not Illinois.

 

[TDIrish27]

I would love to make the playoffs once in a while…but I’m still convinced it takes more than just a coach. Washington and ND have a big advantage over us in that they don’t have to deal with OSU in their division. I’m convinced if OSU was not in the Big, we’d have made the playoffs a couple of times. Any program that has to compete with OSU or Bama better be all in on making their university a football powerhouse and do whatever it takes….do you think PSU as a university is doing that? I don’t.

We've had to play Clemson who I would put in that group----especially when you consider they're 3-1 vs the Buckeyes . Interestingly enough we open with Ohio State next season.

 

[YYZ86]

I watched five minutes of the OSU game tonight and they have a stud DT who is a monster and he’s a freshman. The talent gap is very large from top to bottom. Yes, we have some great players, but for every one we have, OSU has an equal or more. We have Dotson, they have Olave and a bunch more. Their whole RB room is likely better than anyone we have. They have at least three QB’s who are or will be better than our number one. They likely have freshmen OLinemen redshirting who could start for us. Their talent is much deeper than ours because their overall program is better than ours.

The talent gap between PSU and Illinois is bigger than the gap between PSU and OSU.