Coach Franklin has spoken. http://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefo...s_james_franklin_is_6.html#incart_river_index
No changes up front
- Thread starter BisbeeMike
- Start date
I think Big Bacon is hurt more than we (I) know. I think he is our best option at RT. I know why CJF doesnt want to make this change, as it involves 3 people to solve 1 issue, but if Big Bacon cant go at the level he played last year, then I would kick 70 out to RT, I would move 66 over to OG, (we need his push there as it seems most people play us with 2 DT either in a 3 or 1 technique) and I would play 64 (Simpson) at OC. If you worry about him making the calls, (which I dont) then have 66 continue making the calls.
Way too risky. On paper your moves make sense, but way too many moving parts and too much to do halfway into the season. The die is cast, I'm afraid, and we dance with the dates that brung us, as they say. If Bacon is playing hurt, then we play Fries and we accept what we are and try to do the best we can with what is out there. It's not like Fries played poorly vs NW: He held his own. Now, obviously, he'll be going against the likes of Gary in 11 days, which, lol, is not "optimal", but perhaps we can help the lad out somehow, by adjusting the game plan. It won't get any easier after that when Hubbard and his buddies show up. At this point it is what it is and we'll have to find a way to survive and adapt.
It's hard to believe that Wright won't at least get a LITTLE healed up in 2 weeks, but if it's that bad, then 2,3, or even 4 weeks won't really matter, and we won't have him until the post season I would have to say. No use playing him hurt like this.
I admit, there are alot of moving parts, and it all depends on Big Bacon (I love that name). So if he cant go, in my mind, where does the inexperienced guy go? On the edge or inside? That's why I like kicking everyone out, they have played there before, they have played there together before (66 , 70) and the inexperienced guy gets hidden among the other 4 that have PT. I doubt if it happens, just some thoughts. do you really like 71 vs 13?
Miles, you really should email Coach Franklin. I'm sure he'd find your "insight" valuable.
You're part Vince Lombardi, part Bill Belichick, part Bill Walsh, mostly Charlie Weis with whole lot of Nostradamus.
Well, counting 1-1000, 2-1000, 3-1000, then handing SB the ball at designated spot-x with a standing start, I think he's doing damn good!
From what I saw, the run issues are more scheme than players with Indiana and Northwestern attacking the mesh point with their ends. Pass pro on the right side hopefully can be solved with time to heal during the bye week.
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I think you are correct, and that will be the so called 'blueprint' on how to defeat PSU. The question now becomes, how do you counter this? Is there a way to make this an advantage for us? or do we just throw the run game out of the PB?
Makes no sense to me to move Connor over to guard. Frankly he didn't play well at guard last year.
looks pretty good in this series, but I dont have time to watch him the rest of the game.
Its not SB, its the OL again this year. I think the kid is amazing with what he has been able to accomplish.
From some reports, making the calls is a weakness of McGovern. So blitz pickup may improve if Simpson was playing OC.
This is the question. To be honest, I don't know how much is personnel vs how much is scheme. The O line is way too porous and does not appear to be improving. The players do not have a 'nasty' streak and the coaches haven't fixed the issues. Something has to change because if the O line plays the same the next 3 weeks it will end in 2 losses IMO.
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Won't happen. Franklin and the staff are not making changes, according to the article. Adapt and survive is now the theme.
I think what you have is this: IF you had Rutgers and Maryland coming up, then yes, I think you see the changes, but you got Hurst and Gary in 10 days, and then you have Tyquan and Hubbard and Bosa, and it's there instead of here, and then you have those two young studs from Flint after that. You start shuffling the deck and mistakes that cost you a loss of 5 yards, suddenly become scoop-and-score type things that FOR CERTAIN will lose you a game. That's how I see it.
Noticing also on this thread some "ignored content", lmao...."Old man yells at clouds". Love that stuff. But always good to talk O line with you Sluggo.
True. You never know, Franklin is very much like Dabo in that way: He keeps everything under his hat.
you keep saying this. it's sorta funny. 66 is not moving. he is the center and that's that
That's what they, (the Coaches), get paid for. The two back set with Stevens looked promising, although I would run it with Sanders or Robinson.
If it was anyone but freaking Gary that he is facing, I think he might have made a move or two, but you just cannot with that monster across the line of scrimmage: You gotta send in your guy who has played a little, and try to help him out a little, and gut it out.
At the end of the day, Michigan and OSU's defensive lines are matchup nightmares for just about every offensive line in the country. The weak links, as I see them, have been the situation at RT and, at times, Gonzalez at LG. Fries has shown a little something in spurts at RT, and some of his mistakes seem to be more of the inexperience variety than the inability variety.
I think that the best path going forward is to give Fries every rep over the next two weeks and hope that he continues to improve and get more consistent. Gonzalez was pretty good in limited run late in 2016, but he's a real big boy and I'm a little concerned that he might not be mobile enough to handle the Rashan Garys of the world that we'll face over the next few weeks. That said, I don't think we have any better or more proven options at that spot. Go to battle with the horses you have - this line improved quite a bit as the season progressed last year.
I think that the best path going forward is to give Fries every rep over the next two weeks and hope that he continues to improve and get more consistent. Gonzalez was pretty good in limited run late in 2016, but he's a real big boy and I'm a little concerned that he might not be mobile enough to handle the Rashan Garys of the world that we'll face over the next few weeks. That said, I don't think we have any better or more proven options at that spot. Go to battle with the horses you have - this line improved quite a bit as the season progressed last year.
Gary is one of those recruiting misses I wish we had on our side (along with Fitzpatrick), but Hurst is an absolute game wrecker and it benefits Gary tremendously.
Paging Gesicki, you are summoned to the middle of the field. It's going to be open there all day until we burn em.
Paging Gesicki, you are summoned to the middle of the field. It's going to be open there all day until we burn em.
Gesicki is a waste of a player when kept in to block because he can’t block a breeze. He is horrible and if he was decent, then some of those run losses would be gains. The guy does not appear to have any upper body strength when he blocks, either that or h is afraid to hit somebody.
I think using him on pulls to block DEs is insane, but it's part of the scheme. I would not be shocked if one of the current TE recruits doesn't have his RS burned as we will be replacing Gesicki. Going forward, I expect a lot of DE chip and fall off to the flat blocking in addition to the inside zone pulled out and hitting Gesicki in the seam plays.
I agree 110%! As much as I like him for his pass catching ability, Mike seems to avoid contact when on blocking duty. He will get in the way, and maybe put a hand on a guy, but that's about the extent of his blocking. Its infuriating to see in real-time, especially when you know if he at least pushes a guy for a second that gives Saquon or Trace that extra moment of time to make the play!
Gesicki isn't and probably won't ever be an elite drive-blocking tight end like Kyle Brady was. That said, Gesicki has a regular role in the running game and he does it pretty well - he usually lines up playside and moves across the formation at the snap to get a body on the backside defensive end. That defensive end is, in all likelihood, not going to catch Barkley if Gesicki gets a chip on him, so Gesicki's only job really is to disrupt his momentum.
Gesicki's blocking has certainly been below-average during his career - it's just not where he's going to be making his money - but I haven't really had many complaints about him this season, and he's appeared to be a pretty functional run blocker in the role that he's asked to do it.
Gesicki's blocking has certainly been below-average during his career - it's just not where he's going to be making his money - but I haven't really had many complaints about him this season, and he's appeared to be a pretty functional run blocker in the role that he's asked to do it.
I just don’t agree he is functional. I feel he is a liability in blocking.
Well, you would like to think we could give our RT some help, so maybe a new commitment to blocking?
James is just saving o lineman for the second half of the season. We are going to roll out all these new plays and block so much better now. He fooled everyone they have yet to play because he knew there was no chance we would lose any games in the first half of the season. Sure it took the last play against Iowa but we dominated the game theoretically and statistically. With the bye in the middle of the season this has been the plan all along. The real season begins Oct 21.
Plan A is stay the same.
But, just my uneducated eye tells me that Bates and Mahon are playing out of position and McGovern is still struggling with the OL Calls. McGovern is a guard, Bates is a guard and Mahon is a tackle. But Bates is their most athletic lineman and he needs to be on McSorley’s blind side. So he stays at LT because there is no alternative. Fries is not ready.
Plan B is to flip flop Mahon with Wright/Fries.
Plan C would be to move Mahon to RT which is where he was a top performer, bench Wright and slot Menet in at RG.
Plan D is move McGovern to RG and slot Simpson or Menet in at C. That’s the riskiest of the four options.
But, just my uneducated eye tells me that Bates and Mahon are playing out of position and McGovern is still struggling with the OL Calls. McGovern is a guard, Bates is a guard and Mahon is a tackle. But Bates is their most athletic lineman and he needs to be on McSorley’s blind side. So he stays at LT because there is no alternative. Fries is not ready.
Plan B is to flip flop Mahon with Wright/Fries.
Plan C would be to move Mahon to RT which is where he was a top performer, bench Wright and slot Menet in at RG.
Plan D is move McGovern to RG and slot Simpson or Menet in at C. That’s the riskiest of the four options.
Based off what we saw through 6 games, the OL was solidified from LT moving right to RG. Only change we saw here was the game Mahon missed and Fries filled in.
RT is the one question mark. Nelson had the job with Wright seeing some of the reps until Nelson disappeared. Fries then split time with Wright. If health is the issue, I'd rather see Wright sit until he's healthy. If it's speed off the edge, I'd rather go ahead and let Fries have the experience.
Either way, barring injuries forcing their hand, this is how it's going to be going forward. Nothing they have done suggests otherwise. Remember, they slowly replaced Dowrey last year until McGovern over took him. That's what it looks like with Fries, but I think coming into the season it wasn't expected.
Looks like CJF won't make any major changes to the OL during the remainder of this year. From what I read into this, about the only upside is the player development that comes from young players (McGovern at a new position, Fries, Bates, Gonzolez) continuing to progress with playing time, and the possibility that Wright will get healthier and regain the level of play he had at RT late last year. Or just the improved continuity the results in better OL play as an OL learns to play together.
Looking further ahead, would Miranda at OC next year possibly put McGovern back at OG?
As for OT, I just don't see how the OT's will make any dramatic steps upward in play as there will be the same players playing next year. High ceiling OT athletes won't arrive at PSU until the 2018 class arrives, unless there is a big surprise with a kid like Holmes, or a dramatic improvement for Fries and/or Gellerstedt. Hope I am wrong.
Looking further ahead, would Miranda at OC next year possibly put McGovern back at OG?
As for OT, I just don't see how the OT's will make any dramatic steps upward in play as there will be the same players playing next year. High ceiling OT athletes won't arrive at PSU until the 2018 class arrives, unless there is a big surprise with a kid like Holmes, or a dramatic improvement for Fries and/or Gellerstedt. Hope I am wrong.
