We have potentially 5 games left (last 2 reg, BCG, semi, final). That's practically half a regular season. Burn the Shirt(s) to help enable it to happen. Plus the bonus of plenty of game experience going into next year.
5 games left - Burn the Shirt
- Thread starter ShinerTexas
- Start date
How do you know if burning the shirts even helps?
We have one game Rutgers. Everything else depends on Rutgers.
If we win it depends on MSU.
If we win it depends on MSU.
Fries is second string now, so an injury may force him in, but otherwise he only gets playing time once the victory is already in hand. The following week PSU will know whether it has a shot at BIG 10 championship by the time they take the field, if no chance then Fries would be only used in an emergency with the hope that Mahon returns for the bowl game. If so then Fries is essentially the 3 string OT and the benefit is to preserve the RS.
Because the guys who haven't played are always better than the ones who have, don't you know that by now?
I have said this over and over again, Offensive Line is the toughest place to step in midseason and pick things up.
More than talent, the line requires chemistry and communication. You have to have the ability to know the guy next
to you nows to pick up the guy in the gap while you go to the second level for a linebacker.
It isn't easy and it takes time to learn no matter how many physical gifts you might have.
Fries might have all the talent in the world, but if he isn't comfortable and isn't ready mentally, he isn't ready at all.
I would take a less talented linemen who has been with the starters all year than a more talented one who hasn't.
More than talent, the line requires chemistry and communication. You have to have the ability to know the guy next
to you nows to pick up the guy in the gap while you go to the second level for a linebacker.
It isn't easy and it takes time to learn no matter how many physical gifts you might have.
Fries might have all the talent in the world, but if he isn't comfortable and isn't ready mentally, he isn't ready at all.
I would take a less talented linemen who has been with the starters all year than a more talented one who hasn't.
All that is true.
It's equally true that Wright just isn't a tackle. We'll get away with it this weekend but not against anyone else who could be on our sked for as long as it goes
Miles D was the perfect example of what you're saying. A lot of people thought the line was going to get magically better when he came back that year but it took him at least 3 games to even gel with the other guys. So at this point, it's not even worth burning any redshirts unless tragedy strikes.
He is a sophmore and is 6'8" 310. The kid is learning, and he has the body but is playing very very tentative.
Which means he is uncomfortable and overthinking everything and never stays square. Gotta hope it clicks.
On ray of hope is that I thought he played much better in the 2nd half than he did in the first.
That being said, if he isn't a tackle, he isn't anything else because that dude is not going to be a guard or a center.
We are dreaming if we think we'll go very far with this line. Bates is new at OT and isn't used to Dowery at Guard. Dowery and Gaia are base-case sub-par as linemen at this level. McGovern is serviceable given he is an freshman, but still has a long way to go. Wright is huge and can run but can't move laterally well enough to play Tackle.
It's exciting to be in the Top 10, but we need to lower our expectations. If this line doesn't change with at least one or two additions I think it is doubtful that we finish the year as good as our current position.
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The two frosh linemen are supposed to be better so they must be better, don't you know.
Same way I wonder if the best Internet posters are the ones who don't post.
Why were you wearing a red shirt?
Couldn't disagree more. I thought he showed much more potential at guard. His physique is tackle, but not his feet. On the other hand, he has raw power, and he showed signs as a road grader when playing OG earlier imo.
Time will tell. I hope I'm wrong.
BTW, he's not 310. He's listed at 342 tho CJF pegged him as a cheeseburger under 350
And Barkley was under 2 ypc last week w/ him at RT.
Look, I'm not trying to knock the kid. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see his feet ever being able to handle a speed rush. I see him being more helpful atG
We averaged 2 yards per carry because both 93 and 91 for Indiana are going to play on Sunday's next year, AND because Scales is a beast, AND because they ran blitzed on every single down. Indiana can do that because of 93 and 91.
Rutgers has Hamilton and Pinnix-Odrick who are good, but not quite in the class of 93 and 91, and they have nobody at linebacker in the zip code of Scales.
It had very little to do with the play of 77 up front. 77 held his own but did get beat twice. He graded out to a C.
53 had major issues, however. As usual.
The part of last week's equation you're ignoring is Palmer's injury which caused us to move Bates from LG to LT and plug Dowrey/Gonzo to LG. Not to mention McSorley's bum ankle. Wright ain't a problem. Lack of cohesion and Trace not running were bigger factors IMO.
One slight correction...McGovern is a true FR, not RS.
As for the rest, IMO this line is good enough to help beat both RU and MSU. If we should get to the B1G CG, we'd struggle against Wiscy, hold our own vs NU, and beat Minny.
Beyond that it's even more speculative, because there's no telling who would be the opponent and because the lineup could change by then.
Regardless, this is a pleasantly surprising (to say the least!) year already!
Thanks for the correction. I updated the post. I knew that he was a true freshman since I follow our players pretty well, but for whatever reason typed RS-freshman. I guess it's hard to believe that these guys are doing as well as they are at their age.
In keeping the redshirt on Fries, I'm guessing that Franklin doesn't want to see a future high quality line totally disappear in one year. I had expected Menet to play Tackle, since his film showed he could hang with some of the best DL prospects, but I would take him as a Center and keep McGovern at Guard/Center-Backup. It's becoming more apparent to me that Center requires a superior athlete. OL positions may be the most cerebral after QB, and Center may be the most demanding, particularly with the QB in shotgun.
It'll be interesting to see who ends up where next year. I thought McGovern would move over to C since that was his position in HS. Franklin has talked about Menet primarily inside at G, though like you said, he did quite well as a T in camps, going against the best DL in his class.
Amazingly given our struggles over the last few years, OL is the group that has made me most optimistic about the next few years. Young guys getting a lot of game experience, other young guys pushing for playing time, and even younger guys incoming. Should get interesting!
Some of your "that being said" is misinformation. You may be confusing Wright with Jenkins. Wright is not 6'8'' and is reportedly 340+. When we get our OT depth in order I would not be surprised to see Wright back at Guard. But the experience he is getting will serve him, and the team, well no matter where he plays the rest of his psu career.
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About the only position a true frosh can come in and make an immediate impact is RB. Maybe DE as a pass rusher. Most positions take time to assimilate to the responsibilities and speed of the game, as you said especially OL.
agree. in a perfect world, i think james would like some separation for these kids. playing the long game, if you will. i totally agree with this. he's in it for the long run. while a championship run would be great fun, i'm not sure using all the rs is good for down the road. i don't want to see new starting ols every year. cohesion would be nice.
i say burn it unless we can get Mahon back for the big10 championship game. gonzo and dowry was really shaky vs Indiana.
i think this thinking is not playing the odds. The chance we are going to be in a position like this to go to the playoffs may not happen again soon. The time to win is NOW. Whoever can help that is the lineup we should go with.
if you are trying to the current players to a future OL's into the future - you should consider the following points:
- CFB is a meritocracy and there is no loyalty to players. if JF is recruiting to 4/5* OL - then some of them will be winning positions over these guys. you could have a FR come in for 2018 and jump over everyone.
- FR do play on OL and DL - check Bama, OSU and UM. Rashaun Gary is pretty dominating now as a true FR. if we are going to compete we will be recruiting these kind of players.
- IF a player is top drawer and lives up to expectations - then he is gone after 3 years in the program and 4 years on the outside. no great player is going to ever be a 5th year senior. That role is left for the avg ability guys. Nothing wrong with that - just not what takes you to National Championship.
It is rare for an 18-19 year old freshman OL to really contribute at a high level. They might start, but that's usually because there is some gaping hole in the depth chart that got vacated by injury or graduation. Even Levi Brown, who got a 50+ million dollar contract, looked rather pedestrian his first year as an offensive tackle. Was beaten easily by a speed rush. If memory serves, he looked no better than Wright looks this year. It wasn't until Brown's last year that he looked elite at the position.
That can't be possible. Fries is an elite OT. He could have started for PSU at LT as a high school senior, junior maybe. Ditto Menet. What's to learn? Guy's in front you, you get in his way. Done.
this team is young. most of the skill players wiil play another 2 years at the least. those who leave have comparable players behind them.
this team is very young. most of the skill players have a minimum of two years left. most have more than adequate replacements waiting. i would certainly hope james is building a team that competes every year, not once every 4 years. inserting a true fr. with no experience vs. msu makes no sense. i, for one, would be upset if we can't be in this position every year going forward. tbs, we need to beat rutgers tonight, then worry about msu,bowl games and playoffs.
not suggesting who should be on the field = just get the best out there. when you hear we are looking at a 6'2" 230 walk on TE as a possible OT - that seems ludicrous. There must be someone better than him at real OL positions. I am just saying "saving" anyone for the future is crazy. best players now nobody who they are. Right now tOSU has a line up that will mostly be back next year and we get them in CBus. we also play Sparty, Iowa and NW away next year.
If you're talking about the OurLads website showing Pancoast and Holland as the 2nd and 3rd string LT, it's already been pointed out that was a mistake. They're also shown as the 2nd and 3rd string TEs.
You're both forgetting we already have a true FR and a RS FR starting on our OL, so it's not all that farfetched. However, I'll be surprised to see Fries play unless we lose a couple more Ts.
