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The Drive, 2024 version

I'm definitely jinxing the team by writing this...

But that TD drive with two fourth and long conversions to send the game to OT might go down as our Illinois in November of 1994 game for this season. (Or, if you want a more recent but less emphatic moment, Minnesota in October of 2016. Another one that comes to mind...the 2005 win in Evanston vs. Northwestern when DWill scored a late heroic TD.)

Undefeated season on the line and PSU needs 96 yards to take the lead in the freezing rain and wind. No 4th down conversions...but a slow methodical drive and pinpoint passing (7 for 7) by Collins resulted in the go-ahead TD and the final obstacle to a perfect season.

(2016...PSU is 2-2 after getting drubbed by Michigan in the Big House...down 13-3 at half to Minnesota...huge 3rd quarter put us up 20-13, only to give up 10 points in the 4th quarter before getting a game-tying field goal with :02 left in regulation. Minny got a field goal to start OT and then Barkley took a center screen to the house to give us a win on our first play of overtime--29-26)

(2005...3-0 in out of conference games had us hopeful, but coming off of two horrific losing seasons, we weren't too optimistic...and trailing in a lackluster road game seemed to have us headed for more heartbreak. DWill earned his #1 recruit label and shook a DB free for the big score...two weeks later, we upset Ohio State in Happy Valley and went on to a BCS bowl and a #3 final ranking.)

In 1994, we only had 2 more games to finish the season and cruised easily against teams with losing records. This year, we certainly have more big challenges ahead.

2016 might be more comparable to this year...three weeks after the season-saving win vs. Minny, we were still unranked but hosted #2 Ohio State and upset them. And we really cruised from there...until the Rose Bowl classic vs. USC.

I was there on Saturday, and I'm just in awe of that final drive. We'd seen that big-game flop before from recent Franklin teams, but this flipped that script. Two fourth-down conversions...the flat flare to Singleton for the score...Barker's composure....wow. I hope we'll look back on it with the same acknowledgement as the 1994 drive in Champaign.

BTN has not mentioned that the Home-Team is 10-3 in these new games against former Pac12 teams.

The 3 Home-Team losses:

UCLA loss to Indiana.
UCLA loss to Minny
USC loss to PSU.

Some significant Home-Team wins involving multi timezone travel involving B1G teams:

Oregon over duhO$U
USC over current #9 LSU
USC over Wisconsin
Washington over scUM

PSU's win over USC @TheColiseum is easily the most impressive Road Win in these new long-travel Conference games.

Ranking the BiG teams

We're half way through the season and IMO we still don't know how good most teams are at this point.
  1. Indiana is 6-0 but they still have to play Neb, Wash, UM, and OSU. I'll say 9-3.
  2. Oregon is 6-0 and only has to play ILL, MICH, Wisc, and WASH. I'll say 11-1.
  3. PSU is 6-0 but must still play WISC, OSU, MINN, WASH. I'll say 10-2.
  4. ILL is 5-1 but must still play MICH & OR. I'll say 9-3.
  5. NEB is 5-1 but must play IND, OSU, USC, and WISC. I'll say 9-3.
  6. OSU is 5-1 and must play NEB, PSU, and MICH. I'll say 11-1.
  7. Iowa is 4-2 and only has to play WISC & NEB. I'll say 9-3.
  8. Michigan is 4-2 with games against ILL, OR, & OSU. 9-3.
  9. Wisconsin is 4-2 and must play PSU, OR, and NEB. I'll say 8-4.
  10. Minnesota is 4-2 and has to play ILL, PSU, and NEB. Sounds like 8-4.
  11. Washington is 4-3 and has to play IND, USC, PSU, and OR. 6-6 seems likely.
  12. Rutgers is 4-2 with games against USC and MINN remaining. I'll go with 8-4.
  13. USC is 3-3 with games vs RUT, WASH, NEB, and ND remaining. I'll say 8-4

A lot of us thought PSU could run but who knows after yesterday? And who knows how good our defense is?
I thought Minny was good after playing MICH & USC even but they barely beat UCLA.
I thought Washington was good after beating MICH and Iowa didn't have an offense but Iowa scored 40 on Washington.
How good is Illinois if they need a failed 2 pt conversion to beat Purdue in OT?

I think Oregon & OSU will play for the BiG title. PSU gets into the playoff at 10-2 but there's a chance for a bye if they can finish 11-1.

Final Rankings:
  1. OSU
  2. Oregon
  3. PSU
  4. Michigan
  5. Iowa

The top 12 schools in wins all-time, how often should they make the playoffs in a 10-year period?

The top 12 schools in wins all-time, how often should they make the playoffs in a 10-year period? Wha's an acceptable/expected number of those schools? 10 out of 10? 9 out of 10? 8 out of 10? Etc.

Those schools are:
Michigan
Alabama
Ohio State
Texas
Notre Dame
Oklahoma
Penn State
Nebraska
Georgia
Tennessee
USC
LSU

Thoughts on Project Rudy?


Some insane ideas being floated around out there about college athletics as we know it.

70 teams and four different conferences.

Franklin

Honestly, he does everything else right except for his own personal coaching ability which is y I say we can’t just replace him with just anyone.

I’d be perfectly fine with keeping him around until we find the right coach to replace him with which is easier said then done mind u unfortunately!
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