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Remembering a past that never was

Agreed LaJolla. Some fans act like a 24-5 run is a disaster. They have already forgotten what it’s like to be embarrassed 63-14 by OSU.
 
He'll use what he can to discredit Paterno. This apparently is the agenda. The Big Ten in those days was certainly no juggernaut. And he conveniently leaves out from that period the Orange Bowl wins over two Big Eight champions, the pummeling of Texas in the Cotton Bowl, and a win over LSU, also in the Orange Bowl. Certainly a flawed resume there.
I’m not discrediting Paterno....I was a huge Paterno fan. I’m just saying playing an independent schedule is a lot easier than playing a conference schedule and I remember a lot of games against Boston College, Syracuse, Temple, WVU, Rutgers and quite a few other teams that weren’t exactly world beaters.
 
I’m not discrediting Paterno....I was a huge Paterno fan. I’m just saying playing an independent schedule is a lot easier than playing a conference schedule and I remember a lot of games against Boston College, Syracuse, Temple, WVU, Rutgers and quite a few other teams that weren’t exactly world beaters.
None of the conferences in the 60s, 70s, or 80s had a murderer's row of "world beaters." As someone accurately pointed out, for years the Big Ten was Michigan, Ohio State, and a bunch of nobodies. The Big 8 back then was Oklahoma and Nebraska, and a bunch of nobodies. The Pac 8 was USC, UCLA, and a bunch of nobodies. The Southwest was Texas, maybe Arkansas, and a bunch of nobodies. Etc., etc., etc.

Basically, the top 2 teams in those conferences beat up on patsies, and then the winner of "the game" in each conference got massive TV coverage and was pronounced "worthy." PSU's schedule was just as tough as their schedules but lacked a conference. Funny how Joe amassed such a great bowl game record during those years despite the alleged weakness of Eastern football and PSU's schedule . . .
 
None of the conferences in the 60s, 70s, or 80s had a murderer's row of "world beaters." As someone accurately pointed out, for years the Big Ten was Michigan, Ohio State, and a bunch of nobodies. The Big 8 back then was Oklahoma and Nebraska, and a bunch of nobodies. The Pac 8 was USC, UCLA, and a bunch of nobodies. The Southwest was Texas, maybe Arkansas, and a bunch of nobodies. Etc., etc., etc.

Basically, the top 2 teams in those conferences beat up on patsies, and then the winner of "the game" in each conference got massive TV coverage and was pronounced "worthy." PSU's schedule was just as tough as their schedules but lacked a conference. Funny how Joe amassed such a great bowl game record during those years despite the alleged weakness of Eastern football and PSU's schedule . . .
Sounds pretty similar to what fans of other conferences still think of the Big 10. Maybe it seemed easy because we weren’t playing in it. Funny how tough it got once we joined it. Playing in Conference is harder regardless of the Conference.
 
Agreed LaJolla. Some fans act like a 24-5 run is a disaster. They have already forgotten what it’s like to be embarrassed 63-14 by OSU.

And those same fans would prefer to lose by that type of score rather than be extremely competitive and have a chance to win games with the possibility of disappointment. I like this competitive version of Penn State. Sparty could be attributed to the OSU hangover. If we recover a couple of those fumbles by MSU and intercept a couple of those passes we probably blow them out. But we didn't and we'll move on to the rest of the season. The players and coaches on the other team are trying to win too..
 
Sounds pretty similar to what fans of other conferences still think of the Big 10. Maybe it seemed easy because we weren’t playing in it. Funny how tough it got once we joined it. Playing in Conference is harder regardless of the Conference.
Yeah, it was real tough. We ran the table and won the Rose Bowl in 1994. That hadn't been done by any team since 1968.
 
Yeah, it was real tough. We ran the table and won the Rose Bowl in 1994. That hadn't been done by any team since 1968.
We didn’t run the table in ‘93 or since ‘94....so it got better immediately after we went undefeated. Got it.
 
Well his schtick is overachieving with other people's players, so I guess now he's going to have to prove it wasn't a fluke. Like next year.
I didn’t realize Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley were someone else’s players. Almost the entire roster over the past two and a half seasons has been players that Franklin signed and developed. The only exceptions are Hamilton, Sickels, Gaia, Mahon, the Cothraens, and maybe one or two that I’m missing.
 
Believe what you want. Use Joe's declining years, the dark years, and the sanctions years as "proof" that the Big Ten was a tough conference in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I'll stick with PSU's bowl record in the ACTUAL years we're talking about, and the Big Ten's embarrassing record in the Rose Bowl, etc. during those ACTUAL years.
 
That Michigan '16 game was sickening. We had zero ability to win that game on that day. I don't want to lose like that again.
Exactly. Who wants to lose like that?

The "five losses" that we were winning in the 4th, all sucked. But that's how close this team is. You win them, and the record is up there with the best.

No matter what people think- they aren't back from the sanctions yet. There are gaping holes on both sides of the ball where there is no depth. When they are starting mostly Redshirt Sophs and above, they will be better off. Not Freshmen and Walk ons.
 
Believe what you want. Use Joe's declining years, the dark years, and the sanctions years as "proof" that the Big Ten was a tough conference in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I'll stick with PSU's bowl record in the ACTUAL years we're talking about, and the Big Ten's embarrassing record in the Rose Bowl, etc. during those ACTUAL years.
That's totally fair. I feel the same way, but it wouldn't have happened on an annual basis. That's all. Undefeated, untied seasons and victories over the PAC 10 champion would have been very difficult. PSU, on occasion, had the teams to do it though. Of course, we'll never know. What we do know is that PSU has played football in this conference since 1993 and as of the end of this season it will have only happened once for PSU. I realize the automatic tie-in with the Rose Bowl no longer exists, but the fact remains that PSU only has had one undefeated regular season since it joined the conference. PSU was oh so close twice more. In both cases, they lost to Big Ten teams.
 
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Meaning - I hate having my heart ripped out and sit here and blame stupid mistakes for losing a game that should have been won. When you get beat by 10 or more, you know you’re not better than that other team and you work to fix it. Some may think it’s delusional to think PSU should be on a 25+-game win streak but when you look at these 5 losses, it’s not as far-fetched.

Clarify it for ya?
 
Sounds pretty similar to what fans of other conferences still think of the Big 10. Maybe it seemed easy because we weren’t playing in it. Funny how tough it got once we joined it. Playing in Conference is harder regardless of the Conference.

Yea because OSU Michigan changing to younger coaches who were pretty great dudes had nothing to do with it. It wasn't Cooper and Moehler And Wisconsin with Barry Alvarez. Things change and they did.
I guess FSU schedule is tougher now in the ACC before they were just indy.

You are just wrong. It's ok to say that Paterno didnt live up to standards he set in the conference. It's also ok to say he and PSU were screwed over multiple times.
 
I'd rather get blown out like they did at Michigan in 2016 than lose the way they have in the 5 games since. When you have a lead with 5:00 to go in the 4th quarter of the 5 games you've lost since that Michigan debacle, it's a ton more frustrating than if a team just comes out and is better than they are for the majority of the game.
It's never ever good to get blown out like we did vs UM in 2016.
 
I felt that the biggest difference in the game was a dominant Michigan State defensive front 4, they were stopping the run and putting pressure on Trace all night. It would have been nice to see the TE's make a better effort at chip blocking the D-Ends which would have allowed the Tackle to fire out and block down on a running play giving Trace and Sanders a chance to pick up positive yards. But honestly, they were out working and out muscling the offensive line. After that big run by Sanders early in the game Mark Dantonio made a few adjustments which stifled the offense.

The other factors were mistakes and bad breaks. On at least 3 occasions the CB's had passes bounce off their numbers and on 2 additional occasions bounce off their hands. Trace running out of bounds and stopping the clock hurt and Sanders slipping on the 3 yard line was a killer.

Coach Franklin is a great Head Coach and must be given at least three more seasons to bring in his recruits. JMHO
 
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Some people here seem to remember a time when PSU was a perennial top 4-5 team, winning a natty every other year or so, and going undefeated on a regular basis. I was lucky enough to be an undergrad during what was probably the best four year run we EVER had, 1968-1972, and even THAT
wasn't as good as some of you seem to think things were-or should be.

Hell, Nick Saban's record wouldn't satisfy some of you. I suggest remembering where we were in 2012, and compare that to where we are now.

These kids and this staff are working their asses off- give them some support instead of throwing bags of flaming dogshit.

NO SCHOOL can claim to be a 'perennial contender' for a mythical NC! Every program has its ups and downs in its history. OSU happens to be on a high but it may not last terribly long because other schools are on the rise. I truly believe PSU is a TOP PROGRAM and will remain at or near the top for a long time because of its successful history.

College football today is very different from even 10 years ago let alone 50 years ago. AND it will be very different in ten more years. I remember when Pete Roselle said of the NFL, parity is achieved when all teams win and lose half the games. College football may never reach that 'parity' but the best teams will always be chased up the hill (or Mt. Nittany) won't they? PLUS, the college game is still played by true amateurs who employ professional abilities while still maturing emotionally from kids to adults!
 
I think the OP’s post is so over the top with the exaggerations of what others remember and/or desire that it is almost to the point of being insulting. Yes, this is much better than 2012, and good for him that he/she went to school in the 60s to 70s and got to experience those seasons. I was there in the 80s and remember back to the 70s fairly well. I consider the good old days to have ended with the Fiesta Bowl win over Texas following the ‘96 season.

I could be off, but with that timeframe, outside of ’92 ND and ’95 tOSU I don’t recall PSU giving up a lead on the other teams last possession to lose as has occurred so frequently these past few seasons. Maybe there was a lot of luck involved, but I recall the opposite with many close calls where the opponent was unable to score and negate a PSU victory.

With the many recent occurrences, one could lay blame to some excuse like the sanctions (’14 MD, ’14 Ill), pure talent (’16 USC, ’17 tOSU, ’18 tOSU), or even the scheduling/crazy delay (’17 MSU). But, with this past game, there is nothing other than absolutely blowing it. A fan has a right to be upset.

I don’t want Franklin gone and think very few do. I just want some improvement. Right now he is 12-12 in games decided by 7 points or less. During the good old days, the winning % was about .750.
 
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