Re: Franklin's comments regarding Tuesday's practice - "best ever"

[PSUFBFAN]

On Wed, CJF started that the prior day's practice was the best he had ever seen since he was at PSU. When I heard that, 75% of me thought "great, they have had more than a week to get over the OSU loss, they realize they are sitting pretty at #8 in the polls, they have a home game coming up against an injury-riddled team that they should run out of the stadium, and they have some payback due to last year's debacle in East Lansing". I thought we would see a great effort on Saturday.

However, there was 25% of me that was concerned with his remarks. Why? Because he is a master motivator and might have seen something with the team that he felt he needed to send a positive message. Most of us remember the extensive praise he heaped on Irvin Charles at one time - telling everyone that IC was the most physically talented wide receiver he had ever seen. He really went over the top with his praise of IC. In hindsight, it is clear that IC was never able to mentally master the challenges of college football. He may have been a great physical talent, but he was always making stupid mental errors, especially on special teams.

So, I wonder if Franklin saw something similar with the mindset of the team earlier this week (not sharp, not focused) and tried that approach to get them back on track. Clearly, the team wasn't mentally prepared to play a tough game yesterday and it bit them big time.

 

[CaryPSU]

Here’s a hint.....Franklin is alllllllllll talk, with absolutely ZERO results!
3-11 is ALL you need to know!

 

[Norm Petersin]

Trace commented about that practice as well

 

[MANASSASPSU]

Maybe the problem is that the practices are all scripted. The coaching staff does not have to make adjustments like they should in a game.

 

[canuckhal]

 

[PeetzPoolBoy]

One of Franklin's many shortcomings is that he "coddles" his players and doesn't really penalize poor/sloppy/lazy on-field play with reduced playing time. In short, he's "soft".

The players like him because he's only a disciplinarian for "off field" issues, but not "on field" issues.

Welcome to Snowflake Franklin Football. This team is nowhere "gritty" enough and that starts at the top of the organization. If you're not a gritty individual yourself, you'll never have a gritty team.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

One of Franklin's many shortcomings is that he "coddles" his players and doesn't really penalize poor on-field/in-game play with reduced playing time. In short, he's "soft".

The players like him because he's only a disciplinarian for "off field" issues, but not "on field" issues.

Welcome to Snowflake Franklin Football. This team is nowhere "gritty" enough and that starts at the top of the organization. If you're not a gritty individual yourself, you'll never have a gritty team.

See any of the Alabama game? One of their monster DT's (6'7" 315 lb. Raekwon Davis) threw three punches at a Missouri player - and wasn't ejected, even though everyone said he should have been. It was right in front of Saban - how much do you think he 'disciplined' him for that? Well, took him out for a play. Back in right after.

 

[81b&w]

One of Franklin's many shortcomings is that he "coddles" his players and doesn't really penalize poor on-field/in-game play with reduced playing time. In short, he's "soft".

The players like him because he's only a disciplinarian for "off field" issues, but not "on field" issues.

Welcome to Snowflake Franklin Football. This team is nowhere "gritty" enough and that starts at the top of the organization. If you're not a gritty individual yourself, you'll never have a gritty team.

How did you come up with this PossessedPoolBoy ?

 

[PeetzPoolBoy]

See any of the Alabama game? One of their monster DT's (6'7" 315 lb. Raekwon Davis) threw three punches at a Missouri player - and wasn't ejected, even though everyone said he should have been. It was right in front of Saban - how much do you think he 'disciplined' him for that? Well, took him out for a play. Back in right after.

It's Football. It's supposed to be a mean game. Did Joe Paterno ever really get mad at his players for intelligent, message-sending, intimidating late hits?

NO.

You can't be a "choir boy coach" and have your team succeed. Pat Fitzgerald attempts to pull this off, but his defense is as dirty as they come. PSU is going to face a very dirty team this next weekend, so we had better be prepared.

Read the linked article and then let me know what you think about Saban's lack of punishment for Raquon Davis' on-field actions.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1981/11/29/penn-state-stuns-no-1-pitt-48-14-bryant-wins-no-315/9311bc16-f358-4c03-9783-7bd3a19c9ead/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.a0d11d8358b4


Below are some interesting quotes from Chet himself.

It was an unsubtle late hit by Parlavecchio on Pitt's drive after the first Lion touchdown that seemed to turn this game. Parlavecchio hit Collins out of bounds so hard that Sherrill came running down the sideline to yell at him.

"That's one of the problems with their {Pitt's} schedule," said Penn State linebacker Chet Parlavecchio, who this week had called the Panthers' schedule "like going through a Bermuda sun shower. They've been crushing people early all year. They haven't had to come from behind. It's like not having something covered. They haven't had a chance to practice it. We have."

Most inspired perhaps was Parlavecchio, who had rapped Pitt and its schedule all week. "We came down here to beat Pitt and beat them bad," he said. "I just decided this wasn't going to be in the subtle bowl."

 

[djr4rebs]

I want to know why we neutered Ricky Slade. He hasn't seen a meaningful snap since his fumble.

Why hasn't one of the true freshman WRs been greenlit? Thompkins is a punt return guy at this point. We aren't even running outside for blocking to matter. Hippenhammer and CSB saw more snaps this week. Hamler got more breaks than usual.

 

[PeetzPoolBoy]

I want to know why we neutered Ricky Slade. He hasn't seen a meaningful snap since his fumble.

Why hasn't one of the true freshman WRs been greenlit? Thompkins is a punt return guy at this point. We aren't even running outside for blocking to matter. Hippenhammer and CSB saw more snaps this week. Hamler got more breaks than usual.

Slade and Hippenhammer are too small. It's okay to have a few of these types, but when you overpopulate your roster with undersized players, you're not going to do well in the B1G.

Welcome to the world of Franklin Smurf Football.

 

[Erial_Lion]

Here’s a hint.....Franklin is alllllllllll talk, with absolutely ZERO results!
3-11 is ALL you need to know!

Zero, you got that right! That Big Ten Championship trophy from 2016 means nothing, it’s all about the 2018 Land Grant Triphy baby!!!

 

[AWS1022]

Or maybe they had a really good practice but didn’t do it during the game. If any of you had ever coached a play of any type of sport, you know that happens.

 

[Erial_Lion]

Slade and Hippenhammer are too small. It's okay to have a few of these types, but when you overpopulate your roster with undersized players, you're not going to do well in the B1G.

Welcome to the world of Franklin Smurf Football.

The best offense we’ve ever seen had starting WRs that were 5’10” 192 and 5’11” 188, and a backup RB at 5’8” 204.

Hippenhammer is 5’11” 177 as a redshirt freshman, and Slade is 5’9” 201 as a true freshman.

Were people complaining about Engram, Scott, and Archie’s size 25 years ago?

 

[PeetzPoolBoy]

The best offense we’ve ever seen had starting WRs that were 5’10” 192 and 5’11” 188, and a backup RB at 5’8” 204.

Hippenhammer is 5’11” 177 as a redshirt freshman, and Slade is 5’9” 201 as a true freshman.

Were people complaining about Engram, Scott, and Archie’s size 25 years ago?

The game, and associated talent, have changed in the last 25 years.

You need tall and preferably large-framed receivers on the outside, one speedster and a tough, fearless, durable slot receiver coupled with some reliable tight ends.

Regardless, you still have to be a bit "edgy". At present, that's not PSU.

 

[mn78psu83]

The best offense we’ve ever seen had starting WRs that were 5’10” 192 and 5’11” 188, and a backup RB at 5’8” 204.

Hippenhammer is 5’11” 177 as a redshirt freshman, and Slade is 5’9” 201 as a true freshman.

Were people complaining about Engram, Scott, and Archie’s size 25 years ago?

People are prone to making silly generalizations. We all do it at times. There are so many examples of smaller players in CFB being highly productive and valuable to a team. In addition to the PSU players you cite, neither Norwood (5' 11' 180) nor Butler (5' 10" 180) were big guys. There are others. All five of the PSU players we mentioned played in the NFL too.

 

[lw37]

Here’s a hint.....Franklin is alllllllllll talk, with absolutely ZERO results!
3-11 is ALL you need to know!

Results? Two years ago, Coach Franklin lead the team to a victory in the Big Ten Championship game. Last year he lead the team to a New Year’s Six bowl game and won.

Results.

 

[PeetzPoolBoy]

Results? Two years ago, Coach Franklin lead the team to a victory in the Big Ten Championship game. Last year he lead the team to a New Year’s Six bowl game and won.

Results.

Let's get real. Franklin didn't do squat other than "get in the way".

Under Franklin, PSU will only ever be as good as the Coordinators and the other Assistant Coaches because PSU's Head Coach contributes very little other than unintelligently deciding to "go for it on 4th down", sometime on his side of the 50 yd line.

 

[Erial_Lion]

Let's get real. Franklin didn't do squat other than "get in the way".

Under Franklin, PSU will only ever be as good as the Coordinators and the other Assistant Coaches because the Head Coach contributes very little other than unintelligently deciding to "go for it on 4th down", sometime on his side of the 50 yd line.

So when we lose, it’s on Franklin. When we win, he had nothing to do with it.

That makes sense, got it.

 

[PeetzPoolBoy]

So when we lose, it’s on Franklin. When we win, he had nothing to do with it.

That makes sense, got it.

Allow me to break it down for you in digestible bits.

Franklin accepts mediocrity in practice and in live games because (a) he's clueless and careless about the actual X and O intricacies of the game, and (b) he delegates 99% of in-game decisions to his Coordinators (excepting his established trend of going for it on "4th and Stupid", but I digress).

Perhaps the following breakdown will clarify things for you. If you have any questions, feel free to respond.

• Decent PSU Offensive and Defensive Coordinators vs. Weaker Opponents = PSU Win

• Decent PSU Offensive and Defensive Coordinators vs. Equal Opponents = Toss Up

• Decent PSU Offensive and Defensive Coordinators vs. Stronger Opponents = PSU Loss

• Weak PSU Offensive and Defensive Coordinators vs. Weaker Opponents = PSU Win perhaps even a nail-biter

• Weak PSU Offensive and Defensive Coordinators vs. Equal Opponents = PSU Loss

• Weak PSU Offensive and Defensive Coordinators vs. Stronger Opponents = PSU Loss

I would include another breakdown including "Great" or even "Elite" Coordinators, but there's been no established basis for doing so under Franklin.

 

[richie83]

One of Franklin's many shortcomings is that he "coddles" his players and doesn't really penalize poor/sloppy/lazy on-field play with reduced playing time. In short, he's "soft".

The players like him because he's only a disciplinarian for "off field" issues, but not "on field" issues.

Welcome to Snowflake Franklin Football. This team is nowhere "gritty" enough and that starts at the top of the organization. If you're not a gritty individual yourself, you'll never have a gritty team.

Totally agree with you. We are soft. He’s more concerned with what’s on the outside than what’s on the inside.