WE ARE...8-2.

[PSU-Knocker]

When you throw away 2 games you should have won, you can use sanctions as an excuse if you want but others may choose not to. Whether you take them seriously or not is up to you, but to say they lack football smarts because they argue the other side is presumptuous.

Well if you watched those two games, we lost late in those contests. Logical fans know that is the sign of
depth - athletes tiring out. In fact we lost the USC game very late also. That's depth. Our offensive has been weak for two seasons. Our Staff has recruited well in skill positions but the offensive line will be the last to recover from sanctions. Very seldom does a Freshman or Sophomore come in and play as well as later class athletes on the offensive line. Our later year offensive linemen recruits should be getting close next year but we will still be deficient in depth relative to other teams not having had to deal with the bull-dump sanctions.

 

[PSU-Knocker]

We lost to OSU by one on their home field even after losing our starting DE on the first play from scrimmage and by far our best OL in the 3rd quarter. We beat them last season. Can we please stop this stupid meme that we had no shot at beating them and that they are so so much better than us?

Who the Hell said we had "no shot". We still had a "shot" but losing at the tail end of the game is a sign of losing because of depth. USC last year, OSU and MS games were lost very late in the game - in fact two of those games were lost on the last play of the contests.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Next year is further removed from sanctions. Do you expect more than 10 wins next year and most years beyond that?

I try not to look past whatever game we’re playing this weekend. People last year were happy to get to the Rose Bowl because this year was the year. Ok.

 

[marshall23]

FIRE. FRANKLIN.

There are at least 3 or 5 better coaches posting here....willing to coach for free

 

[LaJolla Lion]

10-2

 

[bluewhiteApos]

10-2

We should fire the entire coaching staff, and start the back up quarterback.

 

[marshall23]

We should fire the entire coaching staff, and start the back up quarterback.

At the very least.

 

[TheGLOV]

He's been on the hot seat since he took the job.

I think it is referred to now as a gender-neutral seat!

 

[psu2016]

Who the Hell said we had "no shot". We still had a "shot" but losing at the tail end of the game is a sign of losing because of depth. USC last year, OSU and MS games were lost very late in the game - in fact two of those games were lost on the last play of the contests.

There were a whole bunch of posters on here who went on and on about how much better and more talented OSU was after we lost. OSU then, of course, went out and lost by 30 to iowa the next week. Just think the "coaches can do no wrong" crowd is getting as tiresome as the "fire all the coaches" crowd. Didn't mean it as an attack on you.

 

[demlion]

I really am not interested in top 10 finishes, are you?

James Franklin seems like a good guy, and without question is a great recruiter. In game coaching...meh.

His use of the greatest running back in Penn State history, makes me miss SB before he's gone. And the sprint to turn Koa Farmer around was flat out bullshit, grandstanding.

Praise in public, corrections should occur out of public eye.

I am interested in top ten finishes. I find them quite preferable, indeed superior to, bottom 10 finishes. Every national title team has a top 10 finish, by definition. Teams don't go from 85th to first in one year.

In a sport involving maturing young people, this is how you do it. There is no other way.

You seem like a nice guy. You can spell pretty decently. But coming up with something halfway sensible to say? Meh.

 

[Marylovesthelions]

Hee

I really am not interested in top 10 finishes, are you?

James Franklin seems like a good guy, and without question is a great recruiter. In game coaching...meh.

His use of the greatest running back in Penn State history, makes me miss SB before he's gone. And the sprint to turn Koa Farmer around was flat out bullshit, grandstanding

Praise in public, corrections should occur out of public eye.[/QUOT
You are the type of whiner that I love to ignore. Bye bye.

 

[bdgan]

I try not to look past whatever game we’re playing this weekend. People last year were happy to get to the Rose Bowl because this year was the year. Ok.

IMO a lot of things have to fall in place in order to make the playoff unless you can consistently recruit like Alabama. It's not as simple as no sanctions. Next year we will be further removed from the sanctions but an improvement over 10-2 will be difficult.

 

[demlion]

Because PSU insists on academic progress, it will likely never be possible to recruit in such a way that you make the final 4 every year.

The notion, further, that the Koa Farmer rundown was a grandstanding stunt that should have been handled privately, betrays the poster as some kind of troll. Or an idiot.

He could be a troll because a troll would blithely ignore the setting. It waa an extremely PUBLIC display of poor sportsmanship that any little league coach would understand has to be challenged IN THE MOMENT to be effective. If you dont challenge it in the moment, he completes his display of unsportsmanlike conduct. Unacceptable. The only cure is "go get him."

It is also possible that he did not know what was said above, in which case he is a garden variety idiot, dumb as a hammer.

Both diagnoses are possible. He would not be the first idiot troll.

 

[BBrown]

If fans got into the games for free I would agree with you. They don't, and so they have every right to be critical. This is a business and if the patrons don't like the product they can complain, or stop buying. Most do the former before they do the latter. There is nothing childish about that.

No the way some fans and posters pout and stomp their feet is very much childish.

 

[demlion]

If fans got into the games for free I would agree with you. They don't, and so they have every right to be critical. This is a business and if the patrons don't like the product they can complain, or stop buying. Most do the former before they do the latter. There is nothing childish about that.

They have the right to be critical, but I paid to get in that game yesterday too. Every time, psu had to punt, some clown behind us would yell, "Real GOOD, Franklin!"

Finally my buddy and I responded by cheering every good play as though Franklin made the play: "Nice catch, Franklin! Franklin! Touchdown!" Double high 5s.

Pretty soon the guy STFU.

 

[BBrown]

They have the right to be critical, but I paid to get in that game yesterday too. Every time, psu had to punt, some clown behind us would yell, "Real GOOD, Franklin!"

Finally my buddy and I responded by cheering every good play as though Franklin made the play: "Nice catch, Franklin! Franklin! Touchdown!" Double high 5s.

Pretty soon the guy STFU.

LOL. Thats great.

 

[LurkerLazarus]

It's too easy to suggest, but I still believe that much of the short leash that Franklin has comes from racism. College football fans in general tend to have very short memories, but the nonsense that JF puts up with is over the top. Every single move he makes is put under the microscope to a far greater degree than it should be.

This is a program that has had to come back from a lot of serious setbacks, and we have people here who are going to complain about being 10-2 in the toughest division in college football. Did these people REALLY think we were going to win the national championship this year? That's absurd. Anyone with half a brain could look at our roster and see that at some point we were going to pay the piper.

 

[JosephNit]

I really am not interested in top 10 finishes, are you?

James Franklin seems like a good guy, and without question is a great recruiter. In game coaching...meh.

His use of the greatest running back in Penn State history, makes me miss SB before he's gone. And the sprint to turn Koa Farmer around was flat out bullshit, grandstanding.

Praise in public, corrections should occur out of public eye.

Personally, I’m very interested in top-10 finishes, and this team will get one if it wins out, to include the bowl game.

Alright, I understand, a lot of people – and I’m one of them – will always look at this as the season of What If. Fourth quarter leads in two huge games and just couldn’t make a play or two or three to nail down the W. The result being two of the toughest losses the program’s history in two successive weeks. Pretty tough to swallow.

But you’ve got to consider the Big Picture, which is: We’re Back, Baby! We’re a legit top-10 program again. We went into late October with a real shot to play for a national championship. OK, it’s not going to happen on the strength of four points and a handful of plays. But given where we were just a few years ago, it’s incredible that we’re even having this conversation.

So yeah, as disappointed as I am about Ohio State and Michigan State, I’ll happily take (if it happens) winning out, beating a good team in a good bowl game, finishing in the top-10, and looking forward to good things next year under the leadership of one of the best and most dynamic coaches in the country.

 

[Madsol]

It's too easy to suggest, but I still believe that much of the short leash that Franklin has comes from racism. College football fans in general tend to have very short memories, but the nonsense that JF puts up with is over the top. Every single move he makes is put under the microscope to a far greater degree than it should be.

This is a program that has had to come back from a lot of serious setbacks, and we have people here who are going to complain about being 10-2 in the toughest division in college football. Did these people REALLY think we were going to win the national championship this year? That's absurd. Anyone with half a brain could look at our roster and see that at some point we were going to pay the piper.

I don't know if it is racism or what but Franklin certainly gets more scrutiny than others IMHO. I think it was our last TD drive against Michigan when we were up 35-13. We ran a pass play and Fowler said "Penn State is STILL passing" (emphasis mine) as if throwing the ball up 22 in the 4th quarter on the #1 ranked defense was the height of unsportsmanlike conduct. Wonder if anything was said yesterday when OSU kicked FGs on two different occasions up 40+ on MSU? Maybe we are just hyper sensitive and notice the shots at Franklin but from the completely over the top reaction of some in the media to the Georgia State FG situation, it's clear to me that Franklin is getting judged by a different standard. Why that is is up for debate.

 

[Madsol]

Personally, I’m very interested in top-10 finishes, and this team will get one if it wins out, to include the bowl game.

Alright, I understand, a lot of people – and I’m one of them – will always look at this as the season of What If. Fourth quarter leads in two huge games and just couldn’t make a play or two or three to nail down the W. The result being two of the toughest losses the program’s history in two successive weeks. Pretty tough to swallow.

But you’ve got to consider the Big Picture, which is: We’re Back, Baby! We’re a legit top-10 program again. We went into late October with a real shot to play for a national championship. OK, it’s not going to happen on the strength of four points and a handful of plays. But given where we were just a few years ago, it’s incredible that we’re even having this conversation.

So yeah, as disappointed as I am about Ohio State and Michigan State, I’ll happily take (if it happens) winning out, beating a good team in a good bowl game, finishing in the top-10, and looking forward to good things next year under the leadership of one of the best and most dynamic coaches in the country.

Top 10 finishes matter. Anyone who says otherwise is simply being a troll.

 

[Mixolydian]

It's too easy to suggest, but I still believe that much of the short leash that Franklin has comes from racism. College football fans in general tend to have very short memories, but the nonsense that JF puts up with is over the top. Every single move he makes is put under the microscope to a far greater degree than it should be.

This is a program that has had to come back from a lot of serious setbacks, and we have people here who are going to complain about being 10-2 in the toughest division in college football. Did these people REALLY think we were going to win the national championship this year? That's absurd. Anyone with half a brain could look at our roster and see that at some point we were going to pay the piper.

Calling bullshit on your post. Every coach of every top team in America gets scrutinized and complained about after tough losses. And there’s always a couple of over the top, emotional morons who will call for firing. If you don’t believe that check around. What “nonsense” does CJF put up with that other coaches don’t?

 

[Lion84]

You seem very interested in being tool

Dell Griffith would agree with you and besides Mr. Paige is a Bears fan so what the does he know.

 

[Madsol]

Calling bullshit on your post. Every coach of every top team in America gets scrutinized and complained about after tough losses. And there’s always a couple of over the top, emotional morons who will call for firing. If you don’t believe that check around. What “nonsense” does CJF put up with that other coaches don’t?

Well, does every coach have a sports talk radio host in New York City attack him for days on whether he iced a kicker? That reaction was so outrageous that IMHO it fuels speculation that there might be something else going on.

 

[bdgan]

Calling bullshit on your post. Every coach of every top team in America gets scrutinized and complained about after tough losses. And there’s always a couple of over the top, emotional morons who will call for firing. If you don’t believe that check around. What “nonsense” does CJF put up with that other coaches don’t?

100,000 fans and a $5 million salary = open to criticism. It has ZERO to do with race. Are you telling me that Kelly doesn't get criticized at ND?

 

[Omar81]

Well, does every coach have a sports talk radio host in New York City attack him for days on whether he iced a kicker? That reaction was so outrageous that IMHO it fuels speculation that there might be something else going on.

The “something else going on” is that he coaches Penn State, and as the referee told McGloin and as much of America believes, we’re lucky to even be playing.

 

[NealPaige]

I think we are every bit as good as anyone except Alabama over the last 2 years. They are the outlier. They seemingly never have an off day.

The thing which makes college football so awesome is the fact home field advantage is so huge. Does anyone believe Ohio State is worse than Iowa on a neutral field or that we are worse than Michigan State? But any given day.... as they say.

Exactly. WE ARE as good as anyone. Last two losses are uneccaptablel.

Dell Griffith would agree with you and besides Mr. Paige is a Bears fan so what the does he know.

You're going the wrong way! How does he know where we're going, he's drunk!

I'm not a tool. I've coached a lot of sports in my life. I just feel that there was a better way to communicate his message. Its o.k. to offer a dissenting opinion. Doesn't make me a troll.

 

[Mixolydian]

Well, does every coach have a sports talk radio host in New York City attack him for days on whether he iced a kicker? That reaction was so outrageous that IMHO it fuels speculation that there might be something else going on.

A radio talk show host blasted Roy Halladay this week AFTER he sadly died in a plane crash. Those clowns don’t need a race motive to express outrage. Outrage is their business. Good grief.

 

[Madsol]

A radio talk show host blasted Roy Halladay this week AFTER he sadly died in a plane crash. Those clowns don’t need a race motive to express outrage. Outrage is their business. Good grief.

Good point.

 

[fairgambit]

No the way some fans and posters pout and stomp their feet is very much childish.

Agreed. There are childish boors on nearly every issue discussed here and it is one of the reasons I continue to post less frequently. There is a tendency among some in the "Franklin camp" to dismiss every critical post, regardless of merit, and there are some who will jump on the players or coaches at every opportunity. I have no problem with any post that is well reasoned and respectfully presented, regardless of whether I agree with it or not. Opposing views are the heart of any message board. Perhaps it is just my advancing years, but I find this community less courteous than it once was, with ad hominem attacks replacing substantive responses. It is unfortunate, but I see no end in sight.

 

[AWS1022]

There were a whole bunch of posters on here who went on and on about how much better and more talented OSU was after we lost. OSU then, of course, went out and lost by 30 to iowa the next week. Just think the "coaches can do no wrong" crowd is getting as tiresome as the "fire all the coaches" crowd. Didn't mean it as an attack on you.

Yeah, it's so much easier to blame the coaches than to expect the players to make plays.

 

[LurkerLazarus]

Calling bullshit on your post. Every coach of every top team in America gets scrutinized and complained about after tough losses. And there’s always a couple of over the top, emotional morons who will call for firing. If you don’t believe that check around. What “nonsense” does CJF put up with that other coaches don’t?

Everything the guy does get looked at with a jaundiced eye. The icing the kicker thing, while questionable, received way too much attention. The thing with Kia Farmer gets labeled as a grandstanding stunt. That's two things that were under the microscope too much. I'm not talking about national media, but rather, our own fanbase. Not everybody, not by a long shot, but certainly by some.

Hey, we've got some posters here who surely don't seem to be color-blind, and have been called on it.

 

[BobPSU92]

Are you telling me that Kelly doesn't get criticized at ND?

He does this morning, and that is a shame.

 

[AWS1022]

Calling bullshit on your post. Every coach of every top team in America gets scrutinized and complained about after tough losses. And there’s always a couple of over the top, emotional morons who will call for firing. If you don’t believe that check around. What “nonsense” does CJF put up with that other coaches don’t?

I listen to a lot of sports radio and I've heard discussions at great length about Franklin icing the kicker, running up the score on UM, being taken out of context about the Akron-Pitt comment, and chasing down a player showing poor sportsmanship as some type of "show". I have heard no such comments about Meyer (with many very lopsided scores), Saban, Swinney, or any other coach really. In fact, those guys usually get praised for running up the score because they "never stop coaching" and their guys "play hard til the end". Other than coaches like Sumlin and Butch Jones, no coach gets discussed as negatively as Franklin (and he gets it after wins).

 

[AWS1022]

Everything the guy does get looked at with a jaundiced eye. The icing the kicker thing, while questionable, received way too much attention. The thing with Kia Farmer gets labeled as a grandstanding stunt. That's two things that were under the microscope too much. I'm not talking about national media, but rather, our own fanbase. Not everybody, not by a long shot, but certainly by some.

Hey, we've got some posters here who surely don't seem to be color-blind, and have been called on it.

It happens on national media as well.

 

[BobPSU92]

Everything the guy does get looked at with a jaundiced eye. The icing the kicker thing, while questionable, received way too much attention. The thing with Kia Farmer gets labeled as a grandstanding stunt. That's two things that were under the microscope too much. I'm not talking about national media, but rather, our own fanbase. Not everybody, not by a long shot, but certainly by some.

Hey, we've got some posters here who surely don't seem to be color-blind, and have been called on it.

We even had a horse-ass blathering on here yesterday that Franklin pulling Farmer back to the field was just grandstanding.

It may not be racially motivated, but there is a lot of OUTRAGE. towards Franklin.

 

[AWS1022]

We even had a horse-ass blathering on here yesterday that Franklin pulling Farmer back to the field was just grandstanding.

It may not be racially motivated, but there is a lot of OUTRAGE. towards Franklin.

I understand it happening within our fan base because there will be some fans who will question anything a coach does that's not like Joe would have done it. Some folks just won't let go. But I don't get the criticism at the national level. The only thing it can be is that many don't want to see PSU back in the discussion due to their outrage and concern over the children.

 

[Mixolydian]

I listen to a lot of sports radio and I've heard discussions at great length about Franklin icing the kicker, running up the score on UM, being taken out of context about the Akron-Pitt comment, and chasing down a player showing poor sportsmanship as some type of "show". I have heard no such comments about Meyer (with many very lopsided scores), Saban, Swinney, or any other coach really. In fact, those guys usually get praised for running up the score because they "never stop coaching" and their guys "play hard til the end". Other than coaches like Sumlin and Butch Jones, no coach gets discussed as negatively as Franklin (and he gets it after wins).

Racism exists in America. No mystery there.

Some people don’t like Penn State. Some others don’t like James Franklin. In Pittsburgh you will hear anything PSU or Franklin related get bashed daily, just like it was when the white Italian guy was the coach. Not buying that racism toward James Franklin is a big story here at all. But make it a story if you need to.

 

[AWS1022]

Racism exists in America. No mystery there.

Some people don’t like Penn State. Some others don’t like James Franklin. In Pittsburgh you will hear anything PSU or Franklin related get bashed daily, just like it was when the white Italian guy was the coach. Not buying that racism toward James Franklin is a big story here at all. But make it a story if you need to.

I'm not saying it's racism, I am saying Franklin not only doesn't get the credit he deserves, he gets more than his share of criticism.

 

[KCLion]

Agreed. There are childish boors on nearly every issue discussed here and it is one of the reasons I continue to post less frequently. There is a tendency among some in the "Franklin camp" to dismiss every critical post, regardless of merit, and there are some who will jump on the players or coaches at every opportunity. I have no problem with any post that is well reasoned and respectfully presented, regardless of whether I agree with it or not. Opposing views are the heart of any message board. Perhaps it is just my advancing years, but I see this community as less courteous than it once was, with ad hominem attacks replacing substantive responses. It is unfortunate, but I see no end in sight.

I wish that I could have said it this precisely.

 

[Mixolydian]

I'm not saying it's racism, I am saying Franklin not only doesn't get the credit he deserves, he gets more than his share of criticism.

Oh sorry. Yeah that may be true. There are many reasons for it. A lot of people are absolutely sick to their stomachs that he brought PSU back to national prominence so quickly. Some out of jealousy, some out of faux outrage over JS, some because CJF is a big, somewhat brash personality and they don’t like him, etc.

Look I absolutely love the guy and would not trade him for any other coach in America right now. Having said that, he does feed the beast with some of his decisions and statements. So there is going to be a response. I actually think he likes and wants that.

Examples....Of course he got under the ASWPs skin with the Akron comment. Again, I think that was intentional to some if not a large degree. Most coaches don’t do that. I wouldn’t have done it, but didn’t have a big problem with it. I personally wasn’t a fan of the icing the Ga State kicker. His explanation made me feel better, but you can watch many hundreds of college football games and not see that happen in that situation so of course it got attention. I loved how he handled the Koa situation and do not believe he was grandstanding. Those who already dislike him see it differently. F them. Who cares.