Unless most of OSU's players have an extreme wake and bake session on Saturday...
So you are saying there's a real chance?
A win against OSU
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Unless most of OSU's players have an extreme wake and bake session on Saturday...
So you are saying there's a real chance?
I think the game will be much closer than that. With the exception of Oregon (who beat OSU) Penn State is far and away the best team OSU has faced so far. Indiana did not match up with OSU at all. They were missing the starting QB and did not have a good defense. This week will be much harder.
A fair assessment...at this point "average" at best. The defense was a train wreck early, clearly improving, getting comfortable with new schemes and coaching roles but the jury is still out on whether they can play well enough to enable a championship-caliber football team by year-end and they've yet to be truly tested. Very young and inexperienced, we'll have 4 true freshman playing alot of snaps on Saturday including a starting corner as well as a linebacker who as recently as spring ball was a running back. I think they're settled now on personnel and positions, it's just a matter of learning and getting reps.
I for one don't anticipate a blow out, but I think it's clear that if Clifford isn't up to speed, it's probably too much of a reach for Roberson
I think you’re underestimating the loss of Mustipher. This is nowhere close to the same defense without him. PSU couldn’t slow down a 1 dimensional running team in Illinois (no passing game whatsoever). In the case of OSU, it’s about picking your poison…either Henderson runs for over 200 yards or Olave & Wilson have 200+ yards receiving between the 2 of them. If we hold the Buckeyes to under 450 yards of offense & 38 points, I will be shocked.
I’m as die hard a Penn Stater as you’ll find, but I’m also a realist. Perhaps you’re just being kind on our board re: not expecting a blowout, but can’t see any scenario where PSU keeps this within 3 TD’s (unless 1/2 your offense gets hurt in the 1st quarter).
If Vegas were to set a line right now for wins over the rest of the season, it would be 2.5…reading posts over the past 24 hours reminds me a lot of last year when we were sitting at 0-4 or so and many thought we could go winless.
I agree with you if Clifford is not ready to play at a high level, which at this point is clearly in doubt, it could get away from you.
Your defense, when healthy and full speed, was outstanding and represented a great challenge, but this offense is too good and too diverse to be shut down completely and is gonna score.....period. Without Mustipher, it's not the same defense, tho even under the best of circumstances, you were going to have to score to stay in the game. Dotson is all world and Clifford - along with your defense - looked quite capable of rising to the challenge before he was injured...I do expect their best shot and a gutty, noble effort from a proud, tradition-rich football team.... best of luck to your Nits
I do wonder though, after this coming Saturday, how the team will respond to the remainder of the season.
This is the same problem as on offense. The entire season relies on one to two players. Clifford on offense and Mustipher on D. PJ is done for the year. And Clifford is severely limited.
After however many years of "top" recruiting classes why is this team in this situation. Basically the difference between 10-2 and 5-7 is Clifford (biggest impact) and PJ.
The problem I see for PSU is the running game. That is how you can exploit the OSU defense. Clifford being gimpy compounds the issue.
This OSU offense is one of the most talented that I've seen. And we currently have kept TreVeyon Henderson in bubble wrap. He's 2nd in the country in Total Touchdowns and only has 87 touches on the season. The #1 player in Total Touchdowns has 150.
I respect PSU, not predicting a blowout. Just not sure how they can score enough to keep up.
This OSU offense is one of the most talented that I've seen. And we currently have kept TreVeyon Henderson in bubble wrap. He's 2nd in the country in Total Touchdowns and only has 87 touches on the season. The #1 player in Total Touchdowns has 150.
I respect PSU, not predicting a blowout. Just not sure how they can score enough to keep up.
A win at OSU would probably turn the majority here in thinking about cutting their throats.....
... ILLINOIS
I think the statement about how bad the offense is for the last 6 quarters is true. We hit 3 big passes to score one touchdown against Illinois. Other than that, nothing in six quarters.
I think Clifford is injured far worse than any of us know. If you watch the replay of him running down to celebrate after the TD throw, he’s running without trying to move his right arm to protect his side (rib cage?) As far as putting in a package for Roberson against osu, the coaches had two weeks to do this for the Illinois game at home. You think they’ll do that on the road against osu? No way. What they saw in practice was a 30% Clifford was better than 100% backups. That is not a good sign for this week or the rest of the season unless Clifford gets healthy really fast. With injured ribs / back/ whatever I’m not sure that’s likely.
I think their OL is the strongest part of their team. The DL, on the other hand, has not performed up to their usual high standard - they've been somewhat of a disappointment. Definitely think PSU can move the ball on the ground against them. Although they've played better the last couple of game, both Zach Harrison and Tyreke Smith have been underwhelming so far
Zach Harrison was 5* DE, thought to be the next Bosa. It hasn't happened. He's solid. Good against the run.
Haskell Garrett is very good at DT.
The best OSU DL are young...JTT, Jack Sawyer and Williams.
The OSU DL has not been as disruptive as expected.
Haskell Garrett is very good at DT.
The best OSU DL are young...JTT, Jack Sawyer and Williams.
The OSU DL has not been as disruptive as expected.
You’re kidding, right???
Those losses meant pretty much everything for us if you’re talking CFP like we used to in the old days (back then, National Championship run). That team I saw Saturday not only was TOTALLY unprepared after a two week chance to right the ship, they looked soft and slow.
If Clifford lasts past the first quarter, I will be amazed. And even if he does, he’s a sitting duck that can’t throw accurately anymore with his injury.
The only way we win this game is if Ohio State treats us like Illinois, turns the ball over multiple times, and comes to the game hung over from partying too much the night before.
What I saw Saturday was one of the softest, slowest football teams in Penn State history. That’s a bad combination against a team like Ohio State. We no longer have the ability to beat them up and slow them down like we used to be able to do in years past.
O&U have next level talent everywhere…Illinois has an atrocious defense and we could muster nothing on our home field.
Penn State will be thouroughly dominated in this game - across the board.
Yes - we are in a world of hurt. Too bad it’s a night game (which will add to the severity of the beating)…I could have sat it out hunting turkey.
Dud you actually watch Penn State since Clifford went down? Apparently not! This game is a colossal mismatch.
Maybe OSU watched the Illinois game and won't bother to dress their first team. If they do lay the points.
Anyone's game? If anyone other than the current PSU team and coaching staff shows up, you might be correct.
Some of you drink too much. We've all seen this movie before, just last year. The only difference is that this season the meltdown and Franklin's loss of his team waited until the second half of the season.
Face it, we got lucky against a bad Wisky squad, played just OK against an OK Auburn team, squeaked by Indiana, we were poised to play our best ball in the outhouse at Iwa, then the wheels came off. Our only QB is a shadow of his former self, the RB room should be moved to Mt. Nittany Health Center, and we've lost our top three DL for the season. Our OL has consistently underperformed in the run game and now can't seem to keep a QB upright as well. Our coaches are calling some of the dumbest situational play calls I've seen.
No, this one will be beyond ugly. OSU -49 is a modest bet this week. I wish it wasn't the case, but it is. These aren't bad kids, the staff seem to be working hard enough, but it just isn't a good situation at all.
I agree with someone who said earlier that we should sit Clifford and get him healthy for a chance to get another win this season against either Ruskers or the Twerps. That would get us bowl eligible and give the younger players a few more weeks of practice. But we may as well prepare to lose out and consider any win a bonus for the rest of this season.
Some of you drink too much. We've all seen this movie before, just last year. The only difference is that this season the meltdown and Franklin's loss of his team waited until the second half of the season.
Face it, we got lucky against a bad Wisky squad, played just OK against an OK Auburn team, squeaked by Indiana, we were poised to play our best ball in the outhouse at Iwa, then the wheels came off. Our only QB is a shadow of his former self, the RB room should be moved to Mt. Nittany Health Center, and we've lost our top three DL for the season. Our OL has consistently underperformed in the run game and now can't seem to keep a QB upright as well. Our coaches are calling some of the dumbest situational play calls I've seen.
No, this one will be beyond ugly. OSU -49 is a modest bet this week. I wish it wasn't the case, but it is. These aren't bad kids, the staff seem to be working hard enough, but it just isn't a good situation at all.
I agree with someone who said earlier that we should sit Clifford and get him healthy for a chance to get another win this season against either Ruskers or the Twerps. That would get us bowl eligible and give the younger players a few more weeks of practice. But we may as well prepare to lose out and consider any win a bonus for the rest of this season.
"Bad" Wisconsin team? "OK" Auburn team? What, are there like 5 good teams in the country? Auburn is certainly better than "OK", and Wisconsin is much, much better than "bad".
I'll be at camp hunting deer and or turkeys. Probably start watching this game but the family will turn it to something else when it gets ugly.
There are several more than five, but we aren't one of them. Neither are Wisconsin or Auburn. Auburn is another team that may have to get lucky to win two more games this season. Wisconsin is lucky they play in the weakest division this side of the ACC. They will end up second in the pathetic BiG West.
Man, some of you people need to go read some of the OSU boards. Granted, their fans expect a win but also that it could be a tough game mainly because of the rock solid PSU defense. Eleven Warriors is pointing out that that PSU has the country's sixth best scoring defense. Upsets (Illinois) happen. It's just part of CF. Judging by the past few games that PSU and OSU have played, very few OSU coaches, players, or fans are taking Saturday's matchup lightly - they expect a battle
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Wolve, I know that a staff has to keep a squad focused. That said, I haven't put together a game plan for quite a while, but this one for OSU I could do in my sleep in about three minutes. With their OL and RBs they can take the air out of the ball, point to where they intend to run as they come to the line, and win this game 24-0.
Exactly. The 2 teams are closer in talent than many of you seem to believe. Beyond that, OSU is very young at a number of positions. These kids have not reached their "college prime" yet and won't on Saturday.
Auburn is favored over a top 10 Ole Miss team this weekend, will be favored by a touchdown over Mississippi St, and likely double digits against South Carolina. But yet they'll be "lucky" to win two of those games? Interesting.
Wisconsin may be lucky to play in a weak division...however their "bad" team would be favored over about 110 of the other 129 D1 teams tomorrow on a neutral field.
I think that Penn state's defensive ranking is a little bit misleading because they haven't played a really good offense. The recent year that Ohio State put up 62 points against Michigan, Michigan's defense with ranked something like third or fourth in the country. That being said Penn State always plays Ohio State tough, and a tough battle would not be a surprise.
That's my point and a few other Buckeye fans on their boards. I went on the 247 Composite team roster rankings and PSU is 2nd to OSU - in the B1G - with a average / player of 89.52 which is really good. Anytime you can put a roster together around that 90.0 figure, you have enough talent to beat any team in the country. Just ask Saban about Texas A&M (90.53). Ryan Day seems really concerned about Saturday's game. He calls the PSU defense the best they've played this year
Agree. But maybe we will “opt out” of the bowl game again this year. That kind of attitude leads to the kind of embarrassment we saw Saturday.
The question is not their rankings when recruited but how good they are now. For instance, Jamar Chase was only something like the 15th best rated receiver when he was recruited by LSU. Now he's considered all world even in the pros. If Penn state's defensive line is weak, like some here I have stated, it could be a long day. Interesting matchup between PSU's very good defensive backs and Ohio state's receivers.
I remember last year when the geniuses were saying that if they were NFL GM's, they wouldn't touch guys that opted out. It's now the end of October, Micah is on track to be the Defensive rookie of the year, and Chase is on track to have the best season that a rookie WR has had in NFL history. Pretty good start for guys with no heart.
Interesting match-up? Perhaps you paid big bucks for tickets when this looked like a contest. Penn State is in free fall - the Scarlet—Gray game will be more interesting. Eddie Munster will rub our noses in it for sure…and we probably need/deserve it.
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