Fat Nick
Footballguy
I don't know...but I will say that I'd almost rather lose Thursday than lose to OSU in the Championship...I can't deal with another OSU loss.
Sorry for the pessimism.
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Let's Talk Penn State Football (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter ClownCausedChaos
- Start date
Sorry for the pessimism.
-fish-
Footballguy
congratulations?
kupcho1
Footballguy
That may be true, and while I'm about as far from a Franklin apologist as you can get, this loss wasn't about him. Drew Allar **** the bed. The box score says 1 INT, but absent some questionable calls that went PSU's way, that number would have been higher.
And it wasn't the play calling either. 42 rushes v 23 pass attempts. You have to be able to throw the ball at least a little. His throws were all over the place.
Allar may still turn out to be a good one, but he was terrible last night. Terrible.
ThaPenguin
Footballguy
Yep, 0 receptions by WRs. This absolutely needs to be addressed via the portal.
Hard to blame Franklin, definitely a tough game for Allar, hopefully this lights a fire under his *** for next season. They dominated the first half and should have had a larger lead at half to withstand ND coming out of the locker room fired up.
kupcho1
Footballguy
I know it's not fair to boil it down to one play, but if Allar throws a catchable pass to Singleton he walks in for a TD and it's 7-0 instead of settling for a field goal. Hard not to think those 4 points weren't the difference (even though I know the rest of the game might have played out differently).
ThaPenguin
Footballguy
Just feel deflated this morning, I don't want to say I would have preferred to be blown out, but being so close and still coming up empty is equally as exhausting. Who knows when they will be this close again, it was right there for the taking.
At the end of the day, they exceeded my expectations. If you told me before the season they would be in the final 4 and leading in the 4th Q, I would have accepted the banker's offer. But taken into context, it stings.
At the end of the day, they exceeded my expectations. If you told me before the season they would be in the final 4 and leading in the 4th Q, I would have accepted the banker's offer. But taken into context, it stings.
Fat Nick
Footballguy
Echoing the comments - this one wasn't on Franklin or Kotelnicki. It was on Allar. On the negative, I don't see how he's a top QB right garnering all the praise he's gotten at times as of right now. I just don't. He can throw on lower-tier teams, but he is wildly inconsistent, and goes through spells where he can't hit the broad side of a barn. To Allar's credit, the 0 WR receptions also has to be put on the WR's to some extent. Let's face it - we didn't have WR's this year. We lost some good ones in the portal, and the ones we got were meh. We need to get him a legit WR1 to throw to next year or it's going to be more of the same (or worse without Warren).
I literally said when we got the ball back that Allar didn't need to be a hero...and he went and did exactly what I was afraid of. We should've just ran/short-passed our way down and hoped for a shot as time ran out. We had all the momentum at that point. Just a painful way to end the season because at a minimum, we were in that game - I think we played well enough to have won by more than a score.
I literally said when we got the ball back that Allar didn't need to be a hero...and he went and did exactly what I was afraid of. We should've just ran/short-passed our way down and hoped for a shot as time ran out. We had all the momentum at that point. Just a painful way to end the season because at a minimum, we were in that game - I think we played well enough to have won by more than a score.
FairWarning
Footballguy
The INT wasn't the best pass, but the WR didn't fight real hard for it either. I thought he ran a sloppy route.
Having our only two DBs on that side of the field both inexplicably fall down on that late ND TD sure didn’t help. And, as @kupcho1 pointed out, That failed pass to Singleton at the goal line was the (point) difference in the game.
We were thisclose. Didn’t have much margin of error to begin with, and came up maddeningly and preventably short.
Season still exceeded expectations for me.
We were thisclose. Didn’t have much margin of error to begin with, and came up maddeningly and preventably short.
Season still exceeded expectations for me.
Fat Nick
Footballguy
I don't disagree re. the route...and it wasn't a great pass. Given the combination of the two, to me, it's not a ball you throw in the first place. Kind of like the Tyler Warren pass into triple coverage by the goal line where the PI cancelled the interception. Allar's decision making isn't great at key moments - but he also doesn't always have wide open guys.
The announcers were doting over his TD to INT ratios, but I'd argue his INT's have all been in crucial moments against top teams, which isn't a good trend.
Insein
Footballguy
I agree. As a coach he needs to see his guy doesn't have it last night and not force him to throw at the end. We just ran for 13 yards. We had 2 more timeouts. Run it to FG range or be content with overtime. Don't put allar in a position to **** up.
Serious question. What good teams did Penn State beat? Boise State? SMU?
What’s the definition of a “good team”?
Penn State beat 7 teams that made bowl games including the two you mentioned that made the playoffs. The three losses were all to playoff teams likely to finish in the top 5.
Fair enough. I just saw a stat that James Franklin has a career record of 4-20 against AP top 10 teams. Top 10 teams more likely tilt towards great teams than good teams. Penn State had an incredibly lucky draw in the playoffs facing SMU and Boise State. Good year for sure but it sure would not give me confidence going forward with Franklin.
ThaPenguin
Footballguy
Was the Captain Obvious username taken? Would be very difficult to find anyone, much less a PSU fan, with confidence that Franklin can get us to the next level.
-fish-
Footballguy
I have been critical of Franklin as a game coach for years, but as others have said, this one wasn't on him. I can't really point at anything he did to lose this game. I also think that the public has really underestimated how athletic this Notre Dame team is. They have speed everywhere.
Abdul Carter is an absolute beast.
General Malaise
Footballguy
For the life of me, I can't understand how a storied team like Penn State fails year after year to develop a QB that comes in with the potential some of these guys purportedly have. Imagine what this team looks like with a competent QB. The interceptions were atrocious but not hitting a WR once? WTF??
BlackCrowes
Footballguy
WR is a bigger problem than QB. Allar had a good year, improved a lot. Unfortunately he #### the bed last night.
General Malaise
Footballguy
I guess I'm not understanding a team making it this far without ANY WRs to speak of. Was it injuries, lack of playmakers, scheme? How on earth does a team like Penn State fail to find WRs? It's not the hardest position to unearth.
Allar impressed me during the Ducks' game but after the OSU debacle, I'm beginning to think the Oregon defense was a sham all along.
BlackCrowes
Footballguy
you got me. they haven't had a real good one since Jahan Dotson. no real injuries to speak of this year. recruits not panning out, transfer portal, etc. Trey Wallace is a dud. they seem to focus more energy on TEs.
General Malaise
Footballguy
Well.....Penn State got further than Oregon did, so hat tip on a fine season. That game last night was theirs' for the taking, but Allar picked a fine time to try out his Jameis Winston impersonation.
FairWarning
Footballguy
The Penn St qb mold is John Shaffer. Kerry Collins was the best that I can remember.
General Malaise
Footballguy
Look, Matt McGloin and his Scranton toughness ain't walking through that door any time soon!
Insein
Footballguy
They left in the portal because PSU is not a pass first offense. So these are the only guys they could get.
SwampDawg
Footballguy
Semi off topic but I figure this might be the best place to find someone that knows. Do any of you have a B1G+ streaming subscription and do you know if you are able to replay games they stream live later on? My son has a soccer game at Penn State in October, we'll be there but would love to be able to watch it back later so I'd get a few months subscription if they have replay ability.
Lehigh98
Footballguy
My son (dropping him off for his Soph year tomorrow) got picked for a student season ticket pass this year. 
My wife went to Villanova so we're renting an RV in the ORV lot for the weekend to go watch them get crushed in a few weeks.
I've got both Allar and Singleton as devys in my main dynasty league.
Big year all around!
My wife went to Villanova so we're renting an RV in the ORV lot for the weekend to go watch them get crushed in a few weeks.
I've got both Allar and Singleton as devys in my main dynasty league.
Big year all around!
BlackCrowes
Footballguy
i hate high expectations
DocHolliday
Footballguy
Don’t fall for it.
Taking care of business through two weeks, but lots still to work on before we get to B1G conference play and a showdown with Oregon’s in 3 weeks.
Felt like the team (especially the offense) was sleepwalking through the first half against FIU. The type of performance we usually save for noon road games against Northwestern/Illinois/Minnesota.
Felt like the team (especially the offense) was sleepwalking through the first half against FIU. The type of performance we usually save for noon road games against Northwestern/Illinois/Minnesota.
General Malaise
Footballguy
Huge game. Nice set-up for Penn State with 3 home games against FCS schools and Nevada, a bye and hosting an Oregon team making its second cross-country trip in September. The Big10 Championship Game was awesome to watch on TV. I would have loved to attend this one in Happy Valley but I can't justify the expense. Between Michigan and Penn State, these are the two stadiums I want to visit the most in the Big10. Just need to toss some more kids out of the nest.
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
How does my freshman niece get football tickets?
kupcho1
Footballguy
If she doesn't already have them, she can probably buy them off another student, but they won't be cheap.
There is a 4 day window for the purchase (assuming things haven't changed in the last few years) of student tickets: 1st day seniors, 2nd day juniors ... There's a limited amount and they go quickly.
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
She went to the first game and wants to go this weekend but no dice through normal channels. Secondary market is bonkers.
kupcho1
Footballguy
She's got the toughest part covered: lodging.
BlackCrowes
Footballguy
Is this enough to get rid of Franklin? Probably not.
Skipdog77
Footballguy
We can only hope. At least Franklin's figured out a way to quiet the pesky 'can't win the big game' narrative, although he did it by them embarrassing themselves against an 0-4 team that basically had an all new coaching staff this week. Maybe he's a genius.
BlackCrowes
Footballguy
Allar up the middle on a keeper on 4th and 3 was certainly interesting
Insein
Footballguy
This happens every year after a top 10 loss. They lay down the following week.
2014 Lost to #10 Michigan St, won 31-30 the next week against Boston College
2015 Lost to #1 OSU, win 31-30 against 3-9 Maryland
2016 - The one year he did it. Lost to #4 Michigan but beat #2 OSU and #6 Wisconsin in B1G Championship.
2017 Lost to #6 OSU, lost the following week to Michigan St.
2018 Lost to #4 OSU, lost the following week to Michigan St. (They did lose to #5 Michigan later in the year but won easily against Wisc the next week)
2019 Lost to #2 OSU, Struggled with 2-10 Rutgers the next week. (Did win eventually)
2020 Lost to #3 OSU, Lost to 2 win Maryland. Shortened season but they just collapsed there.
2021 Lost to #3 Iowa, Lost to 5 win Illinois next week. (Did get wins after their loses to OSU and Michigan later in the year.)
2022 Lost to #5 Michigan and #2 OSU but did smash the weak opponents the following weeks.
2023 Lost to #3 OSU, needed last second TD against 3 win Indiana the next week. Did win against Rutgers after losing to #2 Michigan later in the year.
2024 Lost to #4 OSU, did crush Wash the following week.
2025 Lost to #6 Oregon, Lost to winless UCLA following week.
So 2-18 vs top 10 since he's been at PSU. 9 years out of 12 they either lost or barely beat a terrible team the following week.
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Ilov80s
Footballguy
Nobody does less with more
bagger
Footballguy
Lincoln Riley is trying to give him a run for his money.
DocHolliday
Footballguy
My post is from 2019. Hard to believe PSU has remained on the same path to nowhere this long.
I thought Kotelnicki was the answer at OC last year but now I think it was more a case of him having a cheat code in Tyler Warren. I hate seeing Kaytron and Singleton being wasted this year when they were loyal to the program instead of turning pro.
