2023 Penn State Football Thread

[RonnieFranchise]

This one will be useful for years

[count2infinity]

I think ntp is a gif maker… perhaps he’ll give it a go? @NTP66

[Orlando Penguin]

This was another Franklin Special. Not quite a masterpiece. He'll save that for the first round of the CFP next year when they get blown off the field. The nation saw today why PSU rarely wins the big games in conference. Yes, the defense was a dumpster fire because Kiffin correctly picked on the 2 new corners and saw in film study just how awful PSU is at covering the TE. When you get outcoached by Lane Kiffin, that's saying a lot for how bloated your contract is. But let's look at the offensive side of the ball, somewhere PSU should have had an edge given that the Rebs D was worse statistically than Rutgers and Sparty:

--1st drive, gash the hell out of them with the run and then once you get into the RZ, let's start chucking it. Players talked in the lead-up about keeping it simple and sticking with what worked. This was the first sign of trouble.
--End of 1st half -- has all 3 timeouts left but is backed up after the punt. Runs the JoePa trademarked draw play to Potts for 15 yards and goes into hurry up. Remember, all 3 timeouts remaining. Next play is another draw to Potts. Still in hurry-up, the next play is a missed swing pass to Potts that would have gone nowhere if completed. 3rd down play is an Allar QB draw. Ole Miss calls TO with :45 left and gets the ball back. Had Kiffin been smart (and he's not strategically), Rebs could have easily gotten into FG position. But if you're gonna go hurry-up, why not chuck the ball and get another score before getting the ball to start 2nd half? Or, you can just say screw it and take a knee and go in at half. Mystifying logic there.
--Start of 2nd half -- a pair of 3 and outs. Great adjustments.
--4th qtr, down 31-17 -- get a couple of positive plays and put the ball to the 27. Maybe this is the opportunity to get it within 7. I know, let's try that Pribula to Allar lateral and Allar can toss it. Except Pribula launches it over Allar's head for a 12-yard loss. Now there's 11 minutes left and it's 4th and 17. I know, let's try a FG to cut it to a...2-score game!! Kick is blocked and that's all she wrote for PSU's chances.

The biggest thing that needs to change is in the WR room. Anyone see #3 Dante Cephas today? I don't remember ever seeing him. Anyone find #1 Keandre Lambert-Smith? Last I saw, he was on the side of a milk carton at the local 7-11. Oh wait, he did have one go through his hands in the 4th quarter. Whatever the reason for Franklin firing last year's WR coach couldn't have been that egregious (the guy is at Air Force now and they have some high moral standards there). The guy they brought in did ZERO to make that position group better.

I'm just glad I didn't have any inkling to go to this game.

[mac5155]

I think whatever is ailing Allar is all mental and/or scheme. But it is certainly concerning that we've had these high end recruit pocket passer QBs fail and these Joe schmo dual threat QBs that succeed.

[tifosi77]

Turned the TV on this morning and saw this game on the guide. Tuned it in, the Bad Guys immediately scored a TD, and so I checked out.

#pride

[RonnieFranchise]

This was another Franklin Special. Not quite a masterpiece. He'll save that for the first round of the CFP next year when they get blown off the field. The nation saw today why PSU rarely wins the big games in conference. Yes, the defense was a dumpster fire because Kiffin correctly picked on the 2 new corners and saw in film study just how awful PSU is at covering the TE. When you get outcoached by Lane Kiffin, that's saying a lot for how bloated your contract is. But let's look at the offensive side of the ball, somewhere PSU should have had an edge given that the Rebs D was worse statistically than Rutgers and Sparty:

--1st drive, gash the hell out of them with the run and then once you get into the RZ, let's start chucking it. Players talked in the lead-up about keeping it simple and sticking with what worked. This was the first sign of trouble.
--End of 1st half -- has all 3 timeouts left but is backed up after the punt. Runs the JoePa trademarked draw play to Potts for 15 yards and goes into hurry up. Remember, all 3 timeouts remaining. Next play is another draw to Potts. Still in hurry-up, the next play is a missed swing pass to Potts that would have gone nowhere if completed. 3rd down play is an Allar QB draw. Ole Miss calls TO with :45 left and gets the ball back. Had Kiffin been smart (and he's not strategically), Rebs could have easily gotten into FG position. But if you're gonna go hurry-up, why not chuck the ball and get another score before getting the ball to start 2nd half? Or, you can just say screw it and take a knee and go in at half. Mystifying logic there.
--Start of 2nd half -- a pair of 3 and outs. Great adjustments.
--4th qtr, down 31-17 -- get a couple of positive plays and put the ball to the 27. Maybe this is the opportunity to get it within 7. I know, let's try that Pribula to Allar lateral and Allar can toss it. Except Pribula launches it over Allar's head for a 12-yard loss. Now there's 11 minutes left and it's 4th and 17. I know, let's try a FG to cut it to a...2-score game!! Kick is blocked and that's all she wrote for PSU's chances.

The biggest thing that needs to change is in the WR room. Anyone see #3 Dante Cephas today? I don't remember ever seeing him. Anyone find #1 Keandre Lambert-Smith? Last I saw, he was on the side of a milk carton at the local 7-11. Oh wait, he did have one go through his hands in the 4th quarter. Whatever the reason for Franklin firing last year's WR coach couldn't have been that egregious (the guy is at Air Force now and they have some high moral standards there). The guy they brought in did ZERO to make that position group better.

I'm just glad I didn't have any inkling to go to this game.

Figured flights might be cheap but Delta wanted $1100 r/t going last night and returning tonight. Hard pass.

[NTP66]

I think ntp is a gif maker… perhaps he’ll give it a go? @NTP66

[count2infinity]

[Orlando Penguin]

That’s the mom of Coziah Izzard, backup defensive end. The Athletic got an interview with her at halftime.

[RonnieFranchise]

yessssssss future GDT staple

[RonnieFranchise]

Cephas enters portal. No great loss

Potts enters draft. I liked the kid but with Allen and Singleton there wasn’t really a top spot for him. Best of luck.

[mac5155]

Julian Fleming in too via the portal. Some decent WR help maybe incoming.

[RonnieFranchise]

Julian Fleming in too via the portal. Some decent WR help maybe incoming.

On Central PA player who came home leaves, another one comes in.

Fleming was the #1 receiver and #3 overall recruit in the 2020 class. He didn't live up to that at OSU but have to sort of wonder if staying in PA would have been better for everyone. We sure could have used another receiver this season. Of course maybe he wouldn't have lived up to it here either. We were pretty deep at WR back then too, with Dotson, Washington, etc.

[MR25]

Word is he had trouble understanding the route trees, which pushed him down the depth chart and he never made that next step.

[shafnutz05]

https://www.pennlive.com/sports/2024/02 ... utType=amp

Penn State Health and Dr. Kevin Black, Lynch’s former supervisor there, allegedly told Lynch he was out at Penn State athletics because he lacked a primary residence in State College and a local doctor would better serve the health and welfare of PSU athletes.

But Marino argues Lynch was ousted from his PSU athletics role due to his repeated clashes with Penn State Football Coach James Franklin. Marino said Franklin repeatedly tried to interfere with Lynch’s medical decisions in order to rush injured players back to the field

My kneejerk reaction is to believe the doctor

[Orlando Penguin]

Something to watch for today...

[mac5155]

Is there a 2024 thread yet? Idk. Anyway, anyone heading to BW Weekend? Weather's looking promising.

[RonnieFranchise]

Guess I don’t know where else to put this and maybe we need an all sports threat like those dodint PU fans have but…

PSU baseball just made its first B1G tournament final since 2000 with an opportunity for their first CWS berth since 1973. Had to win their last two series just to make the conference tournament.

[count2infinity]

I saw they upset the 1 seed in the first round. Good for them. Get hot at the right time, anything can happen.

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

It would be amazing if they somehow win tomorrow.

[RonnieFranchise]

Tough one vs (basically) home standing Nebraska but who knows.

[Orlando Penguin]

Nebraska wins the title game 2-1 in a great pitcher's duel. PSU scored 1 in the 1st but left the bases loaded. It remained 1-0 until the 7th when Nebraska tied it on a solo shot. Then in the 9th, Nebraska got a 2-out steal of 2nd where the 2nd baseman was too slow on the tag even though the ball beat the runner to the bag (correct safe call). Two pitches later, PSU just missed on a 2-2 pitch off the plate. Next pitch was laced into the gap to give Red a 2-1 lead. Nebraska brought in the conference pitcher of the year for the bottom of the 9th and got them in order.

[RonnieFranchise]

Nice run. Maybe they can build on this, who knows.