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Bowl guru Jerry Palm has potential 10-2 Penn State slotted in NY6 (Orange) versus Wake Forest

Jerry

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May 29, 2001
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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.

 
Would be a real letdown for the players. Work hard and achieve a 10 - 2 record only to play against an ACC bottom feeder. Wake Forest plays a cupcake schedule. Take a look at it. The only decent team on their schedule is Clemson and they lost that game. Wake is just like the pitters last year. Good record solely the result of a cupcake schedule. Wake Forest would probably finish in the middle of the pack in the Big 10 West. If we play them Allar will probably get to play at least two quarters.
 
Would be a real letdown for the players. Work hard and achieve a 10 - 2 record only to play against an ACC bottom feeder. Wake Forest plays a cupcake schedule. Take a look at it. The only decent team on their schedule is Clemson and they lost that game. Wake is just like the pitters last year. Good record solely the result of a cupcake schedule. Wake Forest would probably finish in the middle of the pack in the Big 10 West. If we play them Allar will probably get to play at least two quarters.
Wake is better than that as long as Hartman & Perry stay healthy. If we had a playoff it would be fun to watch Porter go against Perry.
 
Would be a real letdown for the players. Work hard and achieve a 10 - 2 record only to play against an ACC bottom feeder. Wake Forest plays a cupcake schedule. Take a look at it. The only decent team on their schedule is Clemson and they lost that game. Wake is just like the pitters last year. Good record solely the result of a cupcake schedule. Wake Forest would probably finish in the middle of the pack in the Big 10 West. If we play them Allar will probably get to play at least two quarters.
I think 10-2 and an easily winnable bowl game sets the stage for next season.
 
Would be a real letdown for the players. Work hard and achieve a 10 - 2 record only to play against an ACC bottom feeder. Wake Forest plays a cupcake schedule. Take a look at it. The only decent team on their schedule is Clemson and they lost that game. Wake is just like the pitters last year. Good record solely the result of a cupcake schedule. Wake Forest would probably finish in the middle of the pack in the Big 10 West. If we play them Allar will probably get to play at least two quarters.
Are you saying Wake is not worthy to be on the same field as PSU? Maybe another ass kicking from a mid-tier SEC team for a bowl game would be better?
 
I'd be thrilled with 10-2, but I see 1 more slip up beyond OSU at least. I won't be upset with 9-3 as I saw it as our ceiling before the season, I think it reestablishes our expectations and will look forward to 2023 with excitement.
 
I'd be thrilled with 10-2, but I see 1 more slip up beyond OSU at least. I won't be upset with 9-3 as I saw it as our ceiling before the season, I think it reestablishes our expectations and will look forward to 2023 with excitement.
JMO--9-3 with this remaining schedule would be a huge disappointment.
 
10-2 to face WF. That would be a letdown.

This is not your Daddy's Wake Forest.

I watched them play Clemson, and the Tigers were lucky to win the game in overtime. Wake's QB, guy by the name of Sam Hartman, was dropping dimes all over the field, which is why they ended up with 45 points.

Wake's problem is they have four challenging games left on their schedule. But if they end up with as many as 10 wins (let alone 11), believe me, they'll deserve the Orange Bowl and will not be an easy matchup there.

In any case, there's lots of football to be played so much too early to buy airplane tickets to Miami.
 
This is not your Daddy's Wake Forest.

I watched them play Clemson, and the Tigers were lucky to win the game in overtime. Wake's QB, guy by the name of Sam Hartman, was dropping dimes all over the field, which is why they ended up with 45 points.

Wake's problem is they have four challenging games left on their schedule. But if they end up with as many as 10 wins (let alone 11), believe me, they'll deserve the Orange Bowl and will not be an easy matchup there.

In any case, there's lots of football to be played so much too early to buy airplane tickets to Miami.
You’re assuming Hartman would play in a bowl.
 
You’re assuming Hartman would play in a bowl.

Yeah, that factor has to be considered these days. If he were to sit out, the game, if it were even to happen, would become a lot less attractive.

I don't know, from what I can tell, he's not projected as a 1st-round pick, maybe not even a 2nd-round pick, so he might have some incentive to play. Then again, our own experience last year was that some guys who could have helped themselves by playing against Arkansas, decided to opt out.
 
Then again, our own experience last year was that some guys who could have helped themselves by playing against Arkansas, decided to opt out.

I truly doubt any of our players could have helped their draft stock by playing Arkansas. They all had 3-5 years of film on file. The combine was coming up. All star bowls before that at least had scouts hawking the practices.
 
I truly doubt any of our players could have helped their draft stock by playing Arkansas. They all had 3-5 years of film on file. The combine was coming up. All star bowls before that at least had scouts hawking the practices.
Correct--a bowl game isn't going to truly impact stock which is why guys sit out
And it's more likely that Hartman plays but AT Perry sits along with many guys on our team like Joey Porter Jr. It doesn't even give us an accurate reflection of which team was better during the season
 
It would be like playing FSU in the Orange Bowl in 2005. It's definitely not a "great" reward. But I don't care about bowls so it's a scrimmage regardless.
Your loss. A major bowl, a New Year's Six bowl trophy always looks nice in the trophy case. They keep score don't they? It's recorded for posterity is it not? That doesn't equate to meaningless.
 
Correct--a bowl game isn't going to truly impact stock which is why guys sit out
And it's more likely that Hartman plays but AT Perry sits along with many guys on our team like Joey Porter Jr. It doesn't even give us an accurate reflection of which team was better during the season

Exactly. Our primary offensive weapon (in a year we couldn't run at all) and half our defense sat out vs Arkansas. While I watched it, it was futile watching our team struggle against a higher rated SEC team with that many starters out.
 
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I truly doubt any of our players could have helped their draft stock by playing Arkansas. They all had 3-5 years of film on file. The combine was coming up. All star bowls before that at least had scouts hawking the practices.

I don't know, when this epidemic of bowl opt-outs started, it seemed to be mostly surefire 1st-round picks...for obvious reasons.

Now we've gotten to the point where guys like Ellis Brooks and Derrick Tangelo, who ended up not being drafted at all, decide not to play in the bowl game. It's hard to see how that helps guys in that boat. Or maybe they just got bad advice.

Here's what Nick Saban said about it:

“But if you’re not in that (1st-round) position, then you have an opportunity to showcase your talents and try to impress people with how you play in the game. That’s pretty much what I told those guys, and it’s their choice. Everybody has to live with sort of the consequences of their decisions, whether they’re good decisions or bad decisions.”

In any case, no question, this whole trend has changed the meaning of the bowl games. I mean, what did we have last year, half our starting D opt out against Arkansas? Hell, by the same rationale in your above comment, why not just decide to forgo the last 3-4 games of the regular season while they're at it.
 
Wake is easily the second best team in the ACC. They could have defeated Clemson. Penn State would be a -5 point favorite.
 
I'd be thrilled with 10-2, but I see 1 more slip up beyond OSU at least. I won't be upset with 9-3 as I saw it as our ceiling before the season, I think it reestablishes our expectations and will look forward to 2023 with excitement.
I look forward to every PSU season with excitement. But I don't buy the "its a young team" therory that others in this thread seem to be buying into.

Look at the leaders on this year's team and then look at the weaknesses on this year's team.

Do the leader's have legit, experienced replacements?
And do the positions of weakness have legit optimism for improvement for 2023?

Leaders that will not return for 2023 or will likely not return:
1. CB JP Jr - I don't see a legit 2nd shut down corner on the roster. I say 2nd, as King will likely be the leader at CB in 2023 but who will replace him as the 2nd starter and who will add to the depth at CB and be playmakers? It is great that Cam Miller is playing as a true frosh and the 2023 class may yield a player that can play some as a true frosh in 2023.
2. PJ Mustipher - PJ does not seem to be the player he was before he was injured, but he is still the best 1-tech DT on the roster. Franklin finally publically admitted that his DL's need to get bigger to line up equally with UM and oh-high-ya, and other top programs, but where are the war daddy DT's? Not on the roster and not in the 2022 and 2023 classes.
3. J. Brown - JB rivals JPJr as leader of the secondary and is one of the 2 or 3 best players on the 2022 defense. I'm more optimistic that even as big an impact that he has on the defense he can be replaced because Reed, Wheatley and Winston each look super talented and together with Reed and the other young Safety's in the 2022 and 2023 classes this is as much talent at Safety as PSU has had in at least 30 years.
4. Clifford - Some here can't wait for him to move on, but he has done a great job of leading this 2022 team in spite of not having a consistent legit #1 WR and having a pretty average oline. We all love Allar, but he'll have some growing pains when he takes over and won't be the leader Clifford is until likely 2024.
5. Fashanu - If he leaves for the NFL after this season the OL will take a step backwards as he is really the only legit above average OT on the PSU roster.

Positions of weakness:
1. LB - As this season has gone along and Carter has gotten playing time, as Elson and King have gotten somewhat more comfortable at Mike, there has been some improvement. I do see improvement at LB in 2023 IF Jacobs returns and move back to Sam and pairs with Carter at Will and a more experienced player at Mike we should see improved LB play in 2023.
2. WR - Washington showed up big against Minnesota, but he has not played as a #1 WR so far in 2022. Tinsley, an adequate starter, will be gone. KLS will hopefully improve in 2023. Wallace has not made the most of his playing time. In spite of using multiple scholarships at WR year after year I don't see dynamic WR's on the roster.
3. Oline - In spite of the OL being below average for the last few years the staff has not been able to put together strong and deep OL recruiting classes. The OL pipeline currently on the PSU roster is not deep, especially at OT. If Fashanu leaves PSU has to hope that Shelton can play as a RS freshman or that a great OT player can be attracted through the Portal which is unlikely.
3. DT - Getting bigger at DT and DE to better shut down power running teams will not happen in one off season, and at this point with only 1 DT in the 2022 class and only 1 so far in the 2023 class improvement in DL size will need to come via S&C program progress with the current roster of DL players.

So unless PSU some how, via the transfer portal or via a few top 2023 class players adding to the 2022 class standouts, PSU can address the position weaknesses, PSU will need a good bit more young talent to surface for 2023 for the 2023 PSU team to take a step forward in challenging OSU for the top of the B10. Some of the young talent that has surfaced so far in 2022 (Carter, King, Wheatley, DDS, Durant, Allar, and the TE's) will also have to step up and become the next team leaders.
 
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Your loss. A major bowl, a New Year's Six bowl trophy always looks nice in the trophy case. They keep score don't they? It's recorded for posterity is it not? That doesn't equate to meaningless.
Looks nice in the trophy case lmao
It's absolutely meaningless--they just tell you it means something so people spend money to go
 
I look forward to every PSU season with excitement. But I don't buy the "its a young team" therory.

Look at the leaders on this year's team and then look at the weaknesses on this year's team.

Do the leader's have legit, experienced replacements?
And do the positions of weakness have legit optimism for improvement for 2023?

Leaders that will not return for 2023 or will likely not return:
1. CB JP Jr - I don't see a legit 2nd shut down corner on the roster. I say 2nd, as King will likely be the leader at CB in 2023 but who will replace him as the 2nd starter and who will add to the depth at CB and be playmakers? It is great that Cam Miller is playing as a true frosh and the 2023 class may yield a player that can play some as a true frosh in 2023.
2. PJ Mustipher - PJ does not seem to be the player he was before he was injured, but he is still the best 1-tech DT on the roster. Franklin finally publically admitted that his DL's need to get bigger to line up equally with UM and oh-high-ya, and other top programs, but where are the war daddy DT's? Not on the roster and not in the 2022 and 2023 classes.
3. J. Brown - JB rivals JPJr as leader of the secondary and is one of the 2 or 3 best players on the 2022 defense. I'm more optimistic that even as big an impact that he has on the defense he can be replaced because Reed, Wheatley and Winston each look super talented and together with Reed and the other young Safety's in the 2022 and 2023 classes this is as much talent at Safety as PSU has had in at least 30 years.
4. Clifford - Some here can't wait for him to move on, but he has done a great job of leading this 2022 team in spite of not having a consistent legit #1 WR and having a pretty average oline. We all love Allar, but he'll have some growing pains when he takes over and won't be the leader Clifford is until likely 2024.
5. Fashanu - If he leaves for the NFL after this season the OL will take a step backwards as he is really the only legit above average OT on the PSU roster.

Positions of weakness:
1. LB - As this season has gone along and Carter has gotten playing time, as Elson and King have gotten somewhat more comfortable at Mike, there has been some improvement. I do see improvement at LB in 2023 IF Jacobs returns and move back to Sam and pairs with Carter at Will and a more experienced player at Mike we should see improved LB play in 2023.
2. WR - Washington showed up big against Minnesota, but he has not played as a #1 WR so far in 2022. Tinsley, an adequate starter, will be gone. KLS will hopefully improve in 2023. Wallace has not made the most of his playing time. In spite of using multiple scholarships at WR year after year I don't see dynamic WR's on the roster.
3. Oline - In spite of the OL being below average for the last few years the staff has not been able to put together strong and deep OL recruiting classes. The OL pipeline currently on the PSU roster is not deep, especially at OT. If Fashanu leaves PSU has to hope that Shelton can play as a RS freshman or that a great OT player can be attracted through the Portal which is unlikely.
3. DT - Getting bigger at DT and DE to better shut down power running teams will not happen in one off season, and at this point with only 1 DT in the 2022 class and only 1 so far in the 2023 class improvement in DL size will need to come via S&C program progress with the current roster of DL players.

So unless PSU some how, via the transfer portal or via a few top 2023 class players adding to the 2022 class standouts, PSU can address the position weaknesses, PSU will need a good bit more young talent to surface for 2023 for the 2023 PSU team to take a step forward in challenging OSU for the top of the B10. Some of the young talent that has surfaced so far in 2022 (Carter, King, Wheatley, DDS, Durant, Allar, and the TE's) will also have to step up and become the next team leaders.
I dont mean to be rude, but this was a little too long for me. I will correct you and say that I never once mentioned youth or the team being young factoring into my satisfaction with them possibly ending 9-3.
 
Are you saying Wake is not worthy to be on the same field as PSU? Maybe another ass kicking from a mid-tier SEC team for a bowl game would be better?
agreed. I must have the wrong box scores in front of me... us steamrolling our bowl opponents the last few years? You lose to Michigan and Ohio State and you think the Orange/Cotton is a letdown?
 
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agreed. I must have the wrong box scores in front of me... us steamrolling our bowl opponents the last few years? You lose to Michigan and Ohio State and you think the Orange/Cotton is a letdown?
Why do you guys care about bowl games? The top players sit out for a reason. Because the games are meaningless. Scrimmages for the young players to get some reps.
 
Because over the years they've spent a ton of money going to them and can't admit the reality of it
Once we lose 2 games the season is over for me. The difference between 8-4 and 10-2 is very minimal. Will be nice I guess if we lose 2 games that we could still make the 12 team playoff.
 
I don't know, when this epidemic of bowl opt-outs started, it seemed to be mostly surefire 1st-round picks...for obvious reasons.

Now we've gotten to the point where guys like Ellis Brooks and Derrick Tangelo, who ended up not being drafted at all, decide not to play in the bowl game. It's hard to see how that helps guys in that boat. Or maybe they just got bad advice.

Here's what Nick Saban said about it:

“But if you’re not in that (1st-round) position, then you have an opportunity to showcase your talents and try to impress people with how you play in the game. That’s pretty much what I told those guys, and it’s their choice. Everybody has to live with sort of the consequences of their decisions, whether they’re good decisions or bad decisions.”

In any case, no question, this whole trend has changed the meaning of the bowl games. I mean, what did we have last year, half our starting D opt out against Arkansas? Hell, by the same rationale in your above comment, why not just decide to forgo the last 3-4 games of the regular season while they're at it.

I don't think Saban is a good source on this. He's only missed the playoff once. I think he had 2 1st round WRs sit the bowl vs Michigan the year they missed. Saban makes it sound good. But until the NFL visibly punishes a guy for sitting, it's going to continue.
 
I don't think Saban is a good source on this. He's only missed the playoff once. I think he had 2 1st round WRs sit the bowl vs Michigan the year they missed. Saban makes it sound good. But until the NFL visibly punishes a guy for sitting, it's going to continue.
Imagine how irrelevant bowl games will be when theres a 12 team playoff. And fans on here will still pretend like they matter.
 
Would be a real letdown for the players. Work hard and achieve a 10 - 2 record only to play against an ACC bottom feeder. Wake Forest plays a cupcake schedule. Take a look at it. The only decent team on their schedule is Clemson and they lost that game. Wake is just like the pitters last year. Good record solely the result of a cupcake schedule. Wake Forest would probably finish in the middle of the pack in the Big 10 West. If we play them Allar will probably get to play at least two quarters.
well it wouldn't be a letdown to players if said players........beat michigan and or ohio state then you don't play the bottom feeders
 
Why do you guys care about bowl games? The top players sit out for a reason. Because the games are meaningless. Scrimmages for the young players to get some reps.

By that same logic, the last few games of the regular season are even more meaningless. After all, most conference teams have been eliminated from contention by then, so why should the top players bother to play out the string against the likes of Northwestern and Indiana.

I've always enjoyed the bowl games though no question, there are waaaay too many of them. Extra month of practice. Potential for interesting intersectional matchups. The chance to end a season on a positive note. Good springboard for the following year. That kind of thing.

I do agree that an expanded playoff changes the equation significantly. I assume the current bowl system will somehow absorb the playoff set-up. It will be interesting to see how that plays out.
 
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