West Virginia is another good example (thanks!) although they don't have enough home grown talent to make a difference.
Bowl guru Jerry Palm has potential 10-2 Penn State slotted in NY6 (Orange) versus Wake Forest
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Penn State went and hired the best young coach that was out there before he got settled in at his starting point.
Certainly, but why is he such a successful coach? What are his innovations? What does he emphasize? What tactics does he employ in practice? In recruiting? Remember - he took on the titan of college wrestling, Iowa, who ruled that world for most of the 20-25 years prior to 2010. And within a couple years, overtook them to become indisputably the best program in the sport. Now, football being a far larger world, obviously it would take longer to have that kind of success. But, there must be something there that the football program could use. We need to stop thinking PSU Football is a “blue blood”, because a few more seasons like the last few, and blue blood turns into has-been. Outside the box thinking and acting can only help. This might be one way. I’m sure there are others, and smarter people than I should be thinking of them.
I only want the best for my alma mater.
I wouldn’t blame the Eagles and Steelers specifically but I think you’re close on the cause. This state has been fractured down regional lines forever. It basically Philly region vs Pittsburgh region vs the rest of the state who think they get ignored for the 2 cities.
Look at the state funding- it’s not just Penn State. Western PA reps demanded Pitt get funding too. Then Philly reps wanted Temple and Lincoln to get a cut.
This fractured approach continues with the Philly vs Pittsburgh rivalry in most pro sports. Then you throw in the major colleges in PA- Penn St, Pitt, Temple, Villanova, Penn, Drexel, LaSalle, etc. Clearly all aren’t football powers, but they have their own niche.
The Philly area is all big 5. Pittsburgh is focused on Pitt and WVU to a lesser extent. Penn State reaches the whole state but are often seen as an ‘outsider’ (to a degree) in the Philly and Pittsburgh regions. Notre Dame has some reach especially in the coal region and northeast. In Ohio, all you have is Ohio St.
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Where is there any hope that the OL and DL are improving? Especially the OL.
When anyone talks about whether we are young (Allar, RBs, WR), I only want to think about the OL.
With a good OL, you can make do with adequate RBs, WRs.
Without a good OL, you get exactly what we have become - a team that beats the weak sisters of the Big 10, but is not competitive against OSU and Michigan.
When anyone talks about whether we are young (Allar, RBs, WR), I only want to think about the OL.
With a good OL, you can make do with adequate RBs, WRs.
Without a good OL, you get exactly what we have become - a team that beats the weak sisters of the Big 10, but is not competitive against OSU and Michigan.
See link below. He's assuming we lose to Ohio State and win out after that.
In fact, various other "experts" also have a 10-2 Penn State (if that happens) in an NY6 bowl -- either Orange or Cotton.
We're a huge television draw and bowl attraction...probably in the top-5 in those categories in college football.
Meanwhile, nobody expects us to beat the Bucks, so there's not a lot of pressure. Just play a competitive game...and then take care of business for the remainder of the schedule.
Don't get me wrong. I think we have a chance to win on Saturday...even if it's a long shot.
In any case, back in August almost nobody predicted we'd be in this position entering the last weekend in October. And keep in mind this is a young team whose best days are ahead.
2024 College Football Bowl Predictions - NCAA Bowl Game Projections
CBS Sports bowl expert Jerry Palm picks the teams he feels will comprise the National Semi-final at the end of the season along with bowl projections for every single game.www.cbssports.com
I think a lot of the issue is the “brand” has been damaged by the media & BoT. Paterno used to regularly go into Ohio and pick who he wanted. Ki-Jana, Enis, Clark, Jurevicious, Hartings, oJ McDuffie, et al. He personally annexed New Jersey for 3 decades. Allar is an exception and most of the best NJ kids now go south. If that trend can change back, even a little, it will make a huge difference in reestablishing the dominant school in the mid Atlantic region as Penn State. It will feed itself.
UPDATE: Even after the loss to Ohio State, which was predicted and figured into his equation, Palm still has us going to the NY6 Orange Bowl.
Slight detail: we actually have to win the last four games.
www.cbssports.com
Slight detail: we actually have to win the last four games.
College football bowl projections: TCU jumps into New Year's Six, Illinois' profile continues rising
Jerry Palm's bowl projections see some key changes as losses begin piling up for ranked teams
www.cbssports.com
Right--he's been projecting us at 10-2 all year longUPDATE: Even after the loss to Ohio State, which was predicted and figured into his equation, Palm still has us going to the NY6 Orange Bowl.
Slight detail: we actually have to win the last four games.
College football bowl projections: TCU jumps into New Year's Six, Illinois' profile continues rising
Jerry Palm's bowl projections see some key changes as losses begin piling up for ranked teams
Same reason he sadly has Wake still playing against us after they were embarrassed against a bad team this weekend. UNC/Wake are likely playing for the Orange smh
I know it’s a long shot but there’s still a chance for the Rose bowl. If Michigan and OSU both play a close game while undefeated and the winner wins the big ten championship game there’s a chance they both make the playoffs like the SEC last year. Of course a couple other things have to happen in other conferences but that’s not a stretch. Oh…and PSU has to win out. But if they do they will have the best record of the remaining teams in the Big Ten once OSU & UM head to the playoffs.
And here are the "other things" that must happen.
1. Illinois loses both to Michigan and the title game by blowout.
2. Someone beats Clemson.
3. Someone beats TCU.
4 and this is the hardest one: Franklin doesn't choke away 1 of the remaining 4...because every season other than 2017, he loses one he should win.
Wake is still the favorite for the Orange even after that loss unless Clemson drops a game or Wake falls to UNC or someone else.
After they picked Wisconsin a couple years ago over us, I'd say it's Illinois' (presumably so, if they win out/enough to make ccg) going in regardless of us at 10-2.
Agreed--Illinois would have to at least lose another game then get destroyed by either Ohio State/Michigan
Unc, duke, Syracuse, nc state. I’m doubting wake wins out.
Illinois will be an underdog at Michigan on November 19...and assuming they make it to the conference championship, an underdog against either Ohio State or Michigan there. Meanwhile, their November 12 game against Purdue is no gimme either. Illinois has their work cut out for them.
I'm still not convinced Purdue is even decent. That loss to Wisconsin was brutal and they barely escaped Nebraska. Syracuse is also being exposed as trash.
So it would come down to if the Rose is going to take the West champ with 3 losses or the 3rd team in the East with 2. Tough to say
Honestly, I'd be pleased as punch with the Orange. But there's the small matter of winning four games first.
I care about winning the next four--not concerned with the bowl game but 10-2 is a step in the right direction. Anything less...
This works but its even better if they lose to Michigan and Purdue and Purdue wins the west before losing the title game.
You also probably need OSU and Michigan to play a close game.
LSU upsetting Bama and UT dropping two games to UGA (this weekend and the SECCG )could also cost the SEC two teams. UGA dropping two to UT works as well.
Wait--are you saying Tennessee needs to lose to Georgia twice? They can't play in the title game.
Worse yet we could lose to a bottom feeder if several key starters opt out of the game.
I guess it would depend on how many televisions the Rose Bowl people want turned on at 5 pm, Jan.2
We wouldn't have add more viewers when they went with Wisconsin?
And do you think it should come down to that? If it does--isn't that proof the bowls are a joke?
Agree, but Wisconsin was the darling for a little while and you can always find outliers. Yes, the bowls are generally a joke - the push for a playoff shows that. It usually does come down to eyes/best tv matchups. Penn State is a much larger TV than Illinois. Wake Forest vs Illinois? I doubt there is much interest outside of Winston-Salem, NC and Illinois.
Oh--we were talking about the Rose Bowl. The Orange definitely take Penn State over Illinois but the Rose might take the Big Ten runner-up if Ohio State and Michigan are in the playoff. 100% the Orange takes us.
Uncle Barry was blamed for Wisky getting the nod over us last time. He'd probably rather help his old pal Bret than us.
Besides, theoretically, you can send Illinois to the Rose if both OSU/Michigan make it to CFP (personally, I don't think that happens outside of sheer chaos) and we look good for Cotton/Orange making for 4 of the bigger checks out there possible for the conference.
You don't really need sheer chaos for this. Not saying its likely but only two things absolutely must happen, and they're plausible.
1) LSU needs to beat Bama.
2) Whoever wins the UT/Georgia game also needs to win the rematch in the SECCG.
Those two things happen and the SEC is sitting with one undefeated #1 seed and two 2 loss teams on the outside looking in. As long as the OSU/UM game isn't a blowout both are probably in in this scenario.
UT vs UGA winner goes to ccg. They are both in East division. Can't rematch.
He had leverage because Wisconsin kept it close in the championship game. If Illinois can not keep it close he has no leverage.
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