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Wisconsin depth chart, holy cow...

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.
Would also like to add that PSU has better depth than Wisky at most position groups and the recruiting rankings support it
 
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.
I'm with you Greg.
 
8 redshirt seniors on offense, all 5 o linemen, 7 redshirt seniors on defense.
Apparently some schools have kids who decide to come back! This is going to be one tough opener...

Unfortunately, we won’t win this game. Franklin never has his team prepared for the first few games of the season.
 
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
Not sure how hostile of an environment it will be at 11AM. Wisconsin students are worse than ours when it comes to showing up for kickoff. We need to jump on them early and get them out of the game before their fans even get seated. An early lead will be crucial, Wisconsin has never been well equipped to play catchup.

"The culprit of course, is pregame tailgate parties"
 
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.
Not as optimistic as you, but I do have high expectations for this year’s offensive line. If it is as good as I think it could be, this could be an old fashioned slugfest in Madison because we have some backs that can run north and south with low pad level.
 
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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......


Will be interesting, IU returens a ton of starters on Defense: ;-)
 
Not sure how hostile of an environment it will be at 11AM. Wisconsin students are worse than ours when it comes to showing up for kickoff. We need to jump on them early and get them out of the game before their fans even get seated. An early lead will be crucial, Wisconsin has never been well equipped to play catchup.

"The culprit of course, is pregame tailgate parties"
Agree. In recent memory ground and pound plays more to UW's strengths since it should in theory lead to a slower paced game with fewer explosive plays and points not coming in quick bunches. Wisconsin tends to struggle when they have to abandon their own ground and pound game, so I like the idea of being more explosive and trying to get bunches of points early to get them out of their typical game plan.
 
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.
One of My grandsons and granddaughters are making plans to travel to the game. I'll be getting the tickets but don't know their travel plans at this time.
 
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Not as optimistic as you, but I do have high expectations for this year’s offensive line. If it is as good as I think it could be, this could be an old fashioned slugfest in Madison because we have some backs that can run north and south with low pad level.
Yeah, and add in the Tight Ends -- Strange and Johnson blocked well last year, and can be even better this year with additional experience.
 
One of My grandsons and granddaughters are making plans to travel to the game. I'll be getting the tickets but don't know their travel plans at this time.
I'm hoping to go but have no idea if I'll be able to get reasonably priced tickets. I have some Wisconsin connections so I may end up in a home section since I doubt my relatively low NLC status will help me to get tickets.
 
I'm hoping to go but have no idea if I'll be able to get reasonably priced tickets. I have some Wisconsin connections so I may end up in a home section since I doubt my relatively low NLC status will help me to get tickets.
IIRC, FOR the away Michigan game a few yrs ago .. 2018 or 2019..I was able to get two for the kids. Do you think they will be phone tickets for away games?
 
I'm hoping to go but have no idea if I'll be able to get reasonably priced tickets. I have some Wisconsin connections so I may end up in a home section since I doubt my relatively low NLC status will help me to get tickets.
You’ll likely get a much better view in a home section.….Was way up in the corner in the visitor’s section the game Joe’s leg was broken. It was cold and windy. It got colder each time Bielema pulled the BS kickoff maneuver. Then again, I don’t expect there will be a weather issue in early September.
 
Will be interesting, IU returens a ton of starters on Defense: ;-)
I agree it could be a good game versus IU. But PSU dominated IU for 90% of last year's game, and having all a team's starters back from a defense that couldn't stop PSU last season is not a resume that should be getting all the accolades they are getting. Especially compared to a PSU offense that did very well against them last season, but will have an improved OL, Cain back, and an improved and more experienced WR corps.
 
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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.

National media sees one thing - Wisconsin has won the Big 10 West division numerous times over last decade. They need to pump up a foil for OSU. UW is a solid program but they are not better than us. Their OL recruiting is great but you need offensive sophistication to reach top. OSU dominates us because they have a very physical OL AND offensive skill, schemes and execution are superior. Badgers? Sorry, no way. Chryst plays ball control. We can hang with that. I feel we have solid chance in Madison. Our secondary might be best unit under Franklin's tenure. DL is worrisome but hoping Ebiketie can bring some heat off edge. We really need to clean up tackling at LB. Offensively, we have more experience and firepower. Getting Cain back along with Lee/Ford experience. Our stable seems better than Berger, who looks good but not elite. They don't have Dotson type playmaker at WR.
 


Get this kid back healthy. Watch the yards after first contact. Watch the hits in backfied/LOS that turn into positive yards. He is deceptively fast with great change in direction, along with being extremely strong. We lost alot in 2020, fire and thunder backfield with Brown and Cain. We get this back and team will move the chains which takes heat off Clifford. Lee was good but Cain can be a special player this year
 


Get this kid back healthy. Watch the yards after first contact. Watch the hits in backfied/LOS that turn into positive yards. He is deceptively fast with great change in direction, along with being extremely strong. We lost alot in 2020, fire and thunder backfield with Brown and Cain. We get this back and team will move the chains which takes heat off Clifford. Lee was good but Cain can be a special player this year
Don't discount Lovett. That #2 RB slot will be a battle. Unless Cain isn't fully ready to go, yet we still have 4 backs that can play and contribute.
 
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Don't discount Lovett. That #2 RB slot will be a battle. Unless Cain isn't fully ready to go, yet we still have 4 backs that can play and contribute.

Yep, some forget that talented college players usually get better. And the biggest jump in performance is between the FR and SO seasons. Which is why I believe Ford will never pass Lee on he depth chart, and that Ford will have a hard time keeping ahead of Holmes as well.

Cain
Lee OR Lovett
Holmes OR Ford

Just like my favorite old ball coach used to say, "the best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores...."
 
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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.
I think the biggest hurdle we need to overcome in game one is the fact we have our fourth offensive coordinator in 5 years. It may take a few games for the kids to get used to his system.
 
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You’ll likely get a much better view in a home section.….Was way up in the corner in the visitor’s section the game Joe’s leg was broken. It was cold and windy. It got colder each time Bielema pulled the BS kickoff maneuver. Then again, I don’t expect there will be a weather issue in early September.
Exactly why I'm trying to go this year. With them being in the West and that we never open with conference games we may never play in Camp Randall in September during my lifetime.
 
IIRC, FOR the away Michigan game a few yrs ago .. 2018 or 2019..I was able to get two for the kids. Do you think they will be phone tickets for away games?
Pretty much everything is mobile ticketing at this point. I consider paper tickets to be the exception, not the norm.
 
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Wisconsin is easily my favorite road trip. If anyone is thinking about going, just do it. Go to Mad-town. Wrote a detailed post on this very site maybe 20 years ago about the entire experience. Too bad that wasn't archived in the Wayback Machine.

This is going to be one heck of a season opener. Vegas will probably favor UW. Gives our guys something to focus on every day in the off-season. If you follow Jahan Dotson on social media, he looks extremely motivated and I hope he reflects the spirit of the entire team.

Mertz strikes me as a QB that will transform Wisconsin from being a one-dimensional team and make everyone pay for loading the box. Berger is already a quality RB. Assume they have the usual cast up front. Does anyone know if they have any weapons in the receiving game?

No idea how this game plays out. If Noah Cain is at full strength then I can see us winning which would be huge. Chryst has always been extremely productive as a play-caller and I think many are underestimating him and Mertz, but I'm relieved that we have a guy like Mike Yurcich who will be like Joe Moorhead in understanding how to use our athletes to put points on the board... only concern is that we're expecting this offense to be a finished product on Day 1.

We're going to need our defense to come up big, starting with a nasty DL backed by a run-stuffing MLB and a swarming secondary. We have more questions to answer than UW with the biggest ones being MLB and QB. Let's see who steps up. A win would plug us right into the conversation about fringe playoff contenders and serve as a warning shot to OSU.

 
Well, well, well....this from PHIL STEELE, who agrees with me...
"back on track with 4 VHT RBs running behind their usual mammoth Oline which is now experienced. QB Graham Mertz will be one of the nation’s best and I rate their LBs #6 and DBs #10 in the nation. They have 17 returning starters and like Washington, a schedule tailor-made for success. Wisconsin has 4 true road games this year in Illinois, Purdue, Rutgers and Minnesota and none had winning records last year. They do face Notre Dame in Chicago and pull Penn State out of the East but get them in Camp Randall. Six of my 9 sets of power rankings call for an unbeaten season but then they will have to knock off Ohio State in the Big Ten title game."
 
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Wisconsin is easily my favorite road trip. If anyone is thinking about going, just do it. Go to Mad-town. Wrote a detailed post on this very site maybe 20 years ago about the entire experience. Too bad that wasn't archived in the Wayback Machine.

This is going to be one heck of a season opener. Vegas will probably favor UW. Gives our guys something to focus on every day in the off-season. If you follow Jahan Dotson on social media, he looks extremely motivated and I hope he reflects the spirit of the entire team.

Mertz strikes me as a QB that will transform Wisconsin from being a one-dimensional team and make everyone pay for loading the box. Berger is already a quality RB. Assume they have the usual cast up front. Does anyone know if they have any weapons in the receiving game?

No idea how this game plays out. If Noah Cain is at full strength then I can see us winning which would be huge. Chryst has always been extremely productive as a play-caller and I think many are underestimating him and Mertz, but I'm relieved that we have a guy like Mike Yurcich who will be like Joe Moorhead in understanding how to use our athletes to put points on the board... only concern is that we're expecting this offense to be a finished product on Day 1.

We're going to need our defense to come up big, starting with a nasty DL backed by a run-stuffing MLB and a swarming secondary. We have more questions to answer than UW with the biggest ones being MLB and QB. Let's see who steps up. A win would plug us right into the conversation about fringe playoff contenders and serve as a warning shot to OSU.

And I think it's possible...after a loss to Wisconsin, I think they could run the table to 6-1 because Iowa may be down this year and the rest are at home with the best home field advantage in the game.
 
Well, well, well....this from PHIL STEELE, who agrees with me...
"back on track with 4 VHT RBs running behind their usual mammoth Oline which is now experienced. QB Graham Mertz will be one of the nation’s best and I rate their LBs #6 and DBs #10 in the nation. They have 17 returning starters and like Washington, a schedule tailor-made for success. Wisconsin has 4 true road games this year in Illinois, Purdue, Rutgers and Minnesota and none had winning records last year. They do face Notre Dame in Chicago and pull Penn State out of the East but get them in Camp Randall. Six of my 9 sets of power rankings call for an unbeaten season but then they will have to knock off Ohio State in the Big Ten title game."
Might as well cancel my plans to go to the game…. I’m not going to bother looking it up but I’ll bet PSU has as many VHT (very highly touted - yeah, I looked that up) players as Wisky.
 
Might as well cancel my plans to go to the game…. I’m not going to bother looking it up but I’ll bet PSU has as many VHT (very highly touted - yeah, I looked that up) players as Wisky.
Hey, the game is winnable. My point was, that Wisconsin has a ton of talent returning and that the conference psu plays in, treats it unfairly every year by scheduling a road opener in conference. I don't believe either of my points are refutable.
 
Hey, the game is winnable. My point was, that Wisconsin has a ton of talent returning and that the conference psu plays in, treats it unfairly every year by scheduling a road opener in conference. I don't believe either of my points are refutable.
If the game is winnable then why would you be satisfied with a moral victory?
 
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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.
Setting the bar low for Jimmy "no brains" early I see.
 
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If the game is winnable then why would you be satisfied with a moral victory?
It sets the tone for the season and tells this team it can play with anyone. As I said, I think Iowa will be down this year, and after Wisconsin, every game but Iowa is at home. Penn State can very easily be 6-1 heading to Columbus and if I told you that right now, would you take it?
I would...
 
It sets the tone for the season and tells this team it can play with anyone. As I said, I think Iowa will be down this year, and after Wisconsin, every game but Iowa is at home. Penn State can very easily be 6-1 heading to Columbus and if I told you that right now, would you take it?
I would...
So losing to Wisconsin in a respectable fashion sets the tone that PSU can play with anyone?

We're talking about Wisconsin, right? Not Alabama or Clemson or Ohio State.

That's a pretty weak ass moral victory.
 
So losing to Wisconsin in a respectable fashion sets the tone that PSU can play with anyone?

We're talking about Wisconsin, right? Not Alabama or Clemson or Ohio State.

That's a pretty weak ass moral victory.
Penn State will be 3 point underdogs at best, so a win will be a mild upset.
 
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