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Wisconsin depth chart, holy cow...

Only Wisconsin and OSU have more wins than Penn State over the past 10 years. With us being on the road against a veteran team like that with a new offensive coordinator it will be very difficult to get a win.
 
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Only Wisconsin and OSU have more wins than Penn State over the past 10 years. With us being on the road against a veteran team like that with a new offensive coordinator it will be very difficult to get a win.
It's a brutal opener, and this conference goes out of its way to make sure the opener is on the road, every season. Hey, to be honest, I have no problem with a "moral victory" for this game...If this team can go toe to toe in an obvious buzz saw opener on the road against the most experienced team in the conference...why can't this team come back home and beat Ball State and Auburn? If you offer me 2-1 after 3 games right now with a team that went 4-5 last year? I will take it.
 
It's a brutal opener, and this conference goes out of its way to make sure the opener is on the road, every season. Hey, to be honest, I have no problem with a "moral victory" for this game...If this team can go toe to toe in an obvious buzz saw opener on the road against the most experienced team in the conference...why can't this team come back home and beat Ball State and Auburn? If you offer me 2-1 after 3 games right now with a team that went 4-5 last year? I will take it.
I hope you’re not giving the pre game speech to the team. I’m not driving to Madison thinking I’ll be happy with a moral victory. State has the talent to go up early on these guys and make them play from behind. If we can do that, I like our chances.
 
It's a brutal opener, and this conference goes out of its way to make sure the opener is on the road, every season. Hey, to be honest, I have no problem with a "moral victory" for this game...If this team can go toe to toe in an obvious buzz saw opener on the road against the most experienced team in the conference...why can't this team come back home and beat Ball State and Auburn? If you offer me 2-1 after 3 games right now with a team that went 4-5 last year? I will take it.
15-0 or GTFO baby
 
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It's a brutal opener, and this conference goes out of its way to make sure the opener is on the road, every season. Hey, to be honest, I have no problem with a "moral victory" for this game...If this team can go toe to toe in an obvious buzz saw opener on the road against the most experienced team in the conference...why can't this team come back home and beat Ball State and Auburn? If you offer me 2-1 after 3 games right now with a team that went 4-5 last year? I will take it.

we have known it was a tough opener. it is a game of matchups. to me a couple key facts more important than the age of the teams would be = special teams especially punting, Wisky young 5* QB is he for real and can we have fire hydrants at DT. if we can be okay there then it is our QB play.

still makes no sense for the BIG to be having conference games day one.
 
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It's a brutal opener, and this conference goes out of its way to make sure the opener is on the road, every season. Hey, to be honest, I have no problem with a "moral victory" for this game...If this team can go toe to toe in an obvious buzz saw opener on the road against the most experienced team in the conference...why can't this team come back home and beat Ball State and Auburn? If you offer me 2-1 after 3 games right now with a team that went 4-5 last year? I will take it.
The ONLY way we lose to Indiana last year was to play them 1st game. They were loaded with seniors as well. It took several incorrect calls to ensure they won. But in the first game, on the road, yes, experience matters.
 
At the risk of dramatically oversimplifying things, this game will come down to which QB can make some plays and eliminate mistakes. The teams are likely fairly evenly matched. Wiscy has an inordinate number of 5th year guys but IMO that is not as meaningful as it once was. True freshmen and second year guys are no longer just role players in CFB, they are elite players. PSU also has a Iot of 4th and 5th year guys - Walker, Miranda, Holmes, Scruggs, the transfer from Harvard, Dotson, CSB, George, Clifford, Ekibite, Tangelo, Mustipher, Brooks, Luketa, Katshir, Brisker, Sutherland, TCF, Stoudt, Pinegar.... that's 20 by my count. If we lose this game it will not be due to a lack of experience.
PSU has the kind of team that should do well on the road in a big game - veteran experienced OL, deep talented RB corps, veteran QB, veteran K and P, veteran DL. No excuses this year.
 
At the risk of dramatically oversimplifying things, this game will come down to which QB can make some plays and eliminate mistakes. The teams are likely fairly evenly matched. Wiscy has an inordinate number of 5th year guys but IMO that is not as meaningful as it once was. True freshmen and second year guys are no longer just role players in CFB, they are elite players. PSU also has a Iot of 4th and 5th year guys - Walker, Miranda, Holmes, Scruggs, the transfer from Harvard, Dotson, CSB, George, Clifford, Ekibite, Tangelo, Mustipher, Brooks, Luketa, Katshir, Brisker, Sutherland, TCF, Stoudt, Pinegar.... that's 20 by my count. If we lose this game it will not be due to a lack of experience.
PSU has the kind of team that should do well on the road in a big game - veteran experienced OL, deep talented RB corps, veteran QB, veteran K and P, veteran DL. No excuses this year.
punting and short FGs may not be a strong suit.
 
How many did the NFL want? And how many are just older?

They weren't impressive as RS Jr's. Why so fearful of them now?
Yeah, I agree. One of the most misleading stats is the number of returning starters / seniors. Who gives a crap if they sucked the previous year.

An even bigger and more important stat is roster depth. Alabama and OSU usually have double digit players taken every year in the draft and have 4 to 6 returning starters on each side of the ball. But ask yourself, who would you want returning - their backup players or a bunch of slug starters from a lesser team ?
 
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IIRC a number of years back we played Wisky at the Beav and beat them something like 38-7. The following year, the "experts" had Wisky rated about 15 spots ahead of us. I asked, how can a team like PSU beat them so badly the year before and have 18 of 22 starters returning, yet, they had Wisky so far ahead of us. Well, we went up to Camp Randall that year and whipped them 48-7. Maybin, playing at about 235 lbs. had a field day against those 330 lb. OT's.
 
The ONLY way we lose to Indiana last year was to play them 1st game. They were loaded with seniors as well. It took several incorrect calls to ensure they won. But in the first game, on the road, yes, experience matters.

And then that propelled IU to some other wins. And now the media is caught up in euphoria that IU is a top B10 team, evidenced by IU players littering the preseason All B10 teams. When PSU hangs 40+ on them this year IU will be back as a middle of the road B10 team where they belong......
 
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I hope you’re not giving the pre game speech to the team. I’m not driving to Madison thinking I’ll be happy with a moral victory. State has the talent to go up early on these guys and make them play from behind. If we can do that, I like our chances.
May want to watch from couch. Good time in Madison though. Take your clubs.
 
We've done pretty good against Wisconsin for a long time. I hope the gameplan is ground and pound with our stable of running backs, at least for the first half. I don't trust Clifford, first game on the road in a hostile environment with a new OC. I can already see him sailing passes to a wide open free safety
 
IIRC a number of years back we played Wisky at the Beav and beat them something like 38-7. The following year, the "experts" had Wisky rated about 15 spots ahead of us. I asked, how can a team like PSU beat them so badly the year before and have 18 of 22 starters returning, yet, they had Wisky so far ahead of us. Well, we went up to Camp Randall that year and whipped them 48-7. Maybin, playing at about 235 lbs. had a field day against those 330 lb. OT's.
Huh? We knew we would win in Madison in 2008. After the first game exploding like we did with Clark and no not morelli at the helm. Great party that year and golf.
 
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And even with as much bitching here about Clifford, I doubt many would trade him for Graham Mertz the Wisky QB that made 4th team QB over Clifford.... :rolleyes:
If I put that on a national poll right now...Mertz or Clifford...do you honestly think Clifford takes the vote?
 
Yeah, I agree. One of the most misleading stats is the number of returning starters / seniors. Who gives a crap if they sucked the previous year.

An even bigger and more important stat is roster depth. Alabama and OSU usually have double digit players taken every year in the draft and have 4 to 6 returning starters on each side of the ball. But ask yourself, who would you want returning - their backup players or a bunch of slug starters from a lesser team ?
Let me ask you, who do you want at qb for your team, McCord or Clifford?
 
I have no problem with a "moral victory" for this game...If this team can go toe to toe in an obvious buzz saw opener on the road against the most experienced team in the conference...why can't this team come back home and beat Ball State and Auburn? If you offer me 2-1 after 3 games right now with a team that went 4-5 last year? I will take it.
Low expectations
 
If I put that on a national poll right now...Mertz or Clifford...do you honestly think Clifford takes the vote?
Couldn't care less what a "national poll" says. Same pollsters that will give Wisky credit for their 5th year OL that likely is not as good as what Trautwein will assemble this season.

We have seen Clifford play very well, and he has better skill players around him than Mertz. I'm saying that I would not trade Clifford for Mertz, and I don't believe most PSU fans on this board would either.
 
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