2008 at the Shoe

[tboyer]

One of the rare PSU victories at the Shoe, and some parallels.

2008 Penn State was on its way to a B1G title. Like this team, the 2008 team was well balanced, with good O and D, strong in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Like this year, Ohio State had gotten blown out early, losing 35-3 to the USC team that ended up blowing out PSU in the Rose Bowl, and then steadily improved, squeaking by Wisconsin on the way.

PSU came into the game undefeated and ranked #3; Ohio State, with one loss, came in at #10.

PSU won 13-6 when Terrelle Pryor, starting as a true freshman, fumbled on a Mark Rubin hit. Pat Devlin, playing for a concussed Clark, led the winning drive.

Key differences:
Pryor was a first-year starter who could barely throw a football, whereas Barrett has been the starter for like 16 years now and throws well when he has protection.

Offensive coaching and skill player development for both teams is light-years ahead of what it was in 2008.

Anyway, not many other conclusions to draw, except Penn State is physically able to compete up front in the same way it was physically ready in 2008. They won't get steamrolled. They can win this game.

 

[PSU0622]

Penn state will also not have the most conservative offensive game plan in the recent memory like they did in 2008. Here is one crazy stat I want to see broken very early this year. In the last two games Penn state has completed only 9 passes past the LOS. Hard to believe PSU won one of those games. I want Trace to have that stat blown up by halftime or earlier.

 

[tboyer]

Penn state will also not have the most conservative offensive game plan in the recent memory like they did in 2008. Here is one crazy stat I want to see broken very early this year. In the last two games Penn state has completed only 9 passes past the LOS. Hard to believe PSU won one of those games. I want Trace to have that stat blown up by halftime or earlier.

The reviled Dave Jones wrote a column about that this week. Noted that PSU under Paterno would basically go to the Shoe with a turtle mentality and just try to survive and get lucky with turnovers -- and it worked in 2008. But most years they had no chance and were just there to endure a beating.

This year it won't be that way. These PSU coaches play to win. Win or lose PSU will attack.

In fairness to Paterno and his offensive coaches, their caution in throwing the ball was well earned. How many Ohio State games the last 20 years featured a pick six by the Ohio State secondary.

McSorley needs to be pretty careful on Saturday until they feel like they understand what the tOSU secondary is doing. And even then, those guys will be doing everything they can to fool him into an INT.

 

[Mack_Daddy]

The reviled Dave Jones wrote a column about that this week. Noted that PSU under Paterno would basically go to the Shoe with a turtle mentality and just try to survive and get lucky with turnovers -- and it worked in 2008. But most years they had no chance and were just there to endure a beating.

This year it won't be that way. These PSU coaches play to win. Win or lose PSU will attack.

In fairness to Paterno and his offensive coaches, their caution in throwing the ball was well earned. How many Ohio State games the last 20 years featured a pick six by the Ohio State secondary.

McSorley needs to be pretty careful on Saturday until they feel like they understand what the tOSU secondary is doing. And even then, those guys will be doing everything they can to fool him into an INT.

How many times between 2000 and 2011 did Penn State have a team that could actually BEAT Ohio State?

2002, 2005, 2008

I don't recall a PLAY NOT TO LOSE mentality in those years.

 

[sluggo72]

One of the rare PSU victories at the Shoe, and some parallels.

2008 Penn State was on its way to a B1G title. Like this team, the 2008 team was well balanced, with good O and D, strong in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Like this year, Ohio State had gotten blown out early, losing 35-3 to the USC team that ended up blowing out PSU in the Rose Bowl, and then steadily improved, squeaking by Wisconsin on the way.

PSU came into the game undefeated and ranked #3; Ohio State, with one loss, came in at #10.

PSU won 13-6 when Terrelle Pryor, starting as a true freshman, fumbled on a Mark Rubin hit. Pat Devlin, playing for a concussed Clark, led the winning drive.

Key differences:
Pryor was a first-year starter who could barely throw a football, whereas Barrett has been the starter for like 16 years now and throws well when he has protection.

Offensive coaching and skill player development for both teams is light-years ahead of what it was in 2008.

Anyway, not many other conclusions to draw, except Penn State is physically able to compete up front in the same way it was physically ready in 2008. They won't get steamrolled. They can win this game.

should have PSU been called for illegally bating the ball on the fumble recovery?? You make the call.

 

[Sproul]

How many times between 2000 and 2011 did Penn State have a team that could actually BEAT Ohio State?

2002, 2005, 2008

I don't recall a PLAY NOT TO LOSE mentality in those years.

Didn't they vacate some of those wins to us anyway? For cheating and so forth?

 

[kgilbert78]

Well Paterno's game was *always* ball control--which can look a lot like "play not to lose" even when it is not. And Jones' beloved Woody wasn't much different actually.

 

[harbest]

The reviled Dave Jones wrote a column about that this week. Noted that PSU under Paterno would basically go to the Shoe with a turtle mentality and just try to survive and get lucky with turnovers -- and it worked in 2008. But most years they had no chance and were just there to endure a beating.

This year it won't be that way. These PSU coaches play to win. Win or lose PSU will attack.

In fairness to Paterno and his offensive coaches, their caution in throwing the ball was well earned. How many Ohio State games the last 20 years featured a pick six by the Ohio State secondary.

McSorley needs to be pretty careful on Saturday until they feel like they understand what the tOSU secondary is doing. And even then, those guys will be doing everything they can to fool him into an INT.

Paterno would go into the shoe with a 5 page offense playbook, playing not to lose instead of playing TO WIN & something would happen anyway and screw everything up. If you know the shark isn't going to bite, you can abuse the hell out of it.

 

[michnittlion]

The differences between the 2008 game and Saturday are, IMO, much larger than the similarities:

(1) We're much better coached. We're not going to go into a big game with the "not to lose attitude" we had so many times in the 2000s.

(2) the offenses on both sides are much better. Our 2008 team had nobody even close to a Barkley or Gesicki. JT, for his faults, is better than Pryor.

(3) the teams as a whole are much better (both 2008 teams were simply "good" while both of these 2017 teams are "very good to possibly elite.")

(4) when we won in 2008, I honestly felt surprised. A "wow, this actually happened, we didn't screw up and we didn't lose in the Horseshoe like we always did before" feel. If/when we win on Saturday, I won't be surprised. For perhaps the first time ever for a B1G game in Columbus, I think we have both (a) the better team and (b) the confidence to be rather ferarless in SHOWING we're the better team.

 

[harbest]

(4) when we won in 2008, I honestly felt surprised. A "wow, this actually happened, we didn't lose in the Horseshoe"

Pavlov's dog theory. When you become accustomed to a certain thing happening time after time and then it doesn't happen, you are surprised.

 

[Tri-Power65]

Ah yes, 2008. Some fond memories...

 

[michnittlion]

(4) when we won in 2008, I honestly felt surprised. A "wow, this actually happened, we didn't lose in the Horseshoe"

Pavlov's dog theory. When you become accustomed to a certain thing happening time after time and then it doesn't happen, you are surprised.

Yep. David Jones mentions all of 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2006 in his article --- I was at ALL FIVE of them. 300 minutes of near total football misery.

But that was then and this is now. New coach, new attitude, sanction-era over, players confident. We may not win - but I fully expect we're going to throw our punches and if we lose it will only because we're a premiere heavyweight who faced someone just a bit, but not overly much, better than us.

 

[tboyer]

Well Paterno's game was *always* ball control--which can look a lot like "play not to lose" even when it is not. And Jones' beloved Woody wasn't much different actually.

And to be fair, that's pretty much what all the great programs and great coaches did in those days. That's pretty much what football WAS. You lined up your big huge guys and ground the opposition down. And it worked well against 90% of the opposition because there were so few really elite programs.

 

[psu2016]

Ah yes, 2008. Some fond memories...

That was 2005

 

[tboyer]

The differences between the 2008 game and Saturday are, IMO, much larger than the similarities:

For perhaps the first time ever for a B1G game in Columbus, I think we have both (a) the better team and (b) the confidence to be rather ferarless in SHOWING we're the better team.

I agree about all of this but especially the confidence. This team not only has confidence, it's an earned confidence because they have been in so many big games -- winning and losing.

Cabinda, Haley, Allen, Gesicki, Campbell, DaeSean, Apke...this will be their fourth time against Ohio State.

 

[PSU87]

Ah yes, 2008. Some fond memories...

That was 2005

 

[sluggo72]

(1) We're much better coached. We're not going to go into a big game with the "not to lose attitude" we had so many times in the 2000s.
.

I'll give you this, you're consistent. Your hate for all things Paterno lives on!

 

[uhlerlion]

One of the rare PSU victories at the Shoe, and some parallels.

2008 Penn State was on its way to a B1G title. Like this team, the 2008 team was well balanced, with good O and D, strong in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Like this year, Ohio State had gotten blown out early, losing 35-3 to the USC team that ended up blowing out PSU in the Rose Bowl, and then steadily improved, squeaking by Wisconsin on the way.

PSU came into the game undefeated and ranked #3; Ohio State, with one loss, came in at #10.

PSU won 13-6 when Terrelle Pryor, starting as a true freshman, fumbled on a Mark Rubin hit. Pat Devlin, playing for a concussed Clark, led the winning drive.

Key differences:
Pryor was a first-year starter who could barely throw a football, whereas Barrett has been the starter for like 16 years now and throws well when he has protection.

Offensive coaching and skill player development for both teams is light-years ahead of what it was in 2008.

Anyway, not many other conclusions to draw, except Penn State is physically able to compete up front in the same way it was physically ready in 2008. They won't get steamrolled. They can win this game.

Another parallel ---- Was at that game and will be at this one!!! Now thats the famous "Cronk Lock" if I ever saw one

 

[Tri-Power65]

That was 2005

Oops. I'm getting old.

 

[JeffClear]

And to be fair, that's pretty much what all the great programs and great coaches did in those days. That's pretty much what football WAS. You lined up your big huge guys and ground the opposition down. And it worked well against 90% of the opposition because there were so few really elite programs.

Late in his career Paterno was way too conservative away from home, which is why he didn’t beat many ranked teams on the road.
I don’t remember him being that way in the 80’s to mid 90’s.
It was almost like a different team on the road.

 

[psuro]

Barrett has been at OSU for as long as Brady has been with the Patriots.

 

[Option Bob]

Wasn't it that 2008 game when the refs reviewed Sargeant's interception ... after Penn State had already run a play? Amazing.

 

[Ranger Dan]

Pavlov's dog theory. When you become accustomed to a certain thing happening time after time and then it doesn't happen, you are surprised.

I’m no psychologist, but I don’t think this is pavlov’s dog theory, unless he had two of them... isn’t is if you associate something (a bell ringing) with the delivery of a reward, then eventually the bell ringing can generate the same reaction as the reward.

 

[Ranger Dan]

Ah yes, 2008. Some fond memories...

The first thing I thought of was this sack by Tampa Hali as well. Your photo showing Penn State wearing home blue jerseys is a give away that this wasn’t the game “in the shoe”... my memory has never been photographic, and isn’t getting better with age.