I’m no tough guy. I’ve just tackled college level players and know first hand it’s not that easy. And that’s not even considering Penn State plays in the best conference with the best players in the country. Just something to consider before casually dismissing their competition.
Funny how exceeding expectations just raises expectations!🤷🏿♂️
- Thread starter The Spin Meister
- Start date
Not a failure. Holding serve. But making progress only on cementing @ Franklin can not win a big game”…which is both fair and factual.
He did fail on all 3 chances this year.
The last regular season game was a big game. The opponent wasn’t great but they had to take care of business to make the Big Ten Championship game. The first two playoff games were also big games by definition. So I don’t agree with your premise. There is not much support for trying to frame a 13-3 season for a Big Ten team as failure.
None of those were big games. Talent level of opponents far inferior. Simple goal: Beat top 5-10 teams who have an equal talent level or even better. Spring an upset maybe, ever? I know it is tough but he is paid a lot to deliver this.
The problem is your definition of a big game. Apparently a big game is only when the other team is favored. I guarantee you the Ravens considered their Saturday night game with the Steelers a big game even though they were favored by the same point spread as PSU vs Boise.
Beating Maryland? This Maryland team?
Wish you were my boss. Talk about grading on the curve.
Does not matter if there is “support.” Penn State lost.
What the broader sports world is talking about re: Penn State can’t win the big one under Franklin. And sad to say, the facts back this up.
Come out from the bubble you are residing and wake up to reality.
No argument with anyone comment shared but regarding the last point... All it will take for the coaching staff and the program overall is one big victory when the world thinks we can't pull it off, then flood gates open once the coaching staff and roster has that monkey off its back. Every big game failure just adds pressure for the next one. At this point the mountain seems insurmountable but get over it and now you begin to look forward to the next one and the pressure turns into fun... I still believe they'll get there.
You could have said this after pretty much every season starting in 2017. At what point do you stop waiting to get there? A decade? 15 years?
Lots of pressure on the Oregon game in September.
Yeah I just don't understand what reality some of these people are in when the stats and the numbers back up Franklin's woes in these big games against top 10 teams.. it's laughable at this point.
From a talent perspective, Boise State and SMU obviously had nowhere near our roster.. and even though we beat them in the playoffs, we should beat those teams.. those two mid majors in essence (I know SMU is in the ACC) are not the litmus test for our program. they had nowhere near our roster. The Notre Dame game was an epic fail of massive proportions across all three phases of the game against the team that was severely banged up and limited offensively but you wouldn't know it playing us. Our third down offense and defense was crappy as usual in another big game, obviously Drew struggled which he's done the last 2 years in these kind of moments, and we lose whatever poise we have and commit stupid penalties and detrimental plays. We are a soft team above the shoulders and until that changes nothing will because it's certainly not a talent issue in large part... it's just not hurting ourselves more so than anything.
And I think Andy has to have a big year two seeing as we did not score an offensive touchdown against Ohio State where even last year we got one... Our crappy red zone offense in the first half against USC where we kicked field goals nearly cost us the game as well. The offense in year two I would expect to be better.
We did nothing this year to better the narrative and reputation of the program considering the national perspective is all about how we perform in big games and how our quest to be elite still isn't close to being achieved.. but for some on here, even if it takes another five, six, seven years that's perfectly fine... and I just don't get it.
Fair point but hold those two now three 4th quarter leads against OSU (2017, 2018 and 2022) and we are not having this discussion. I know woulda, coulda, shoulda but many top name coaches... Lincoln Riley, Van Kiffin, and several others have also struggled and have losing records against top five teams. In fact the only active coach in the country with a winning record against top 5 is Kirby Smart. I get your point but from my viewpoint what makes Franklin acceptable is he doesn't lose many games he shouldn't whereas many of the others do and as a result we get into meaningful games that draw all the attention to the issue. I've seen so many posts on this message board that say fire Franklin and go get me a coach that can win the big ones... OK, who is that guy? Are we prying Smart away from Georgia? Do you want Ryan Day? Or of course we need to grab Matt Ruhle... Bring Meyers out of retirement, etc. We all want results in big games and it is fair to critize CJF to just winning 1 in his tenure but he also has the program at a level not seen since the prime of Paterno's career and in this age of college football playing in the best or second best conference (while being stuck in the same division as OSU and Michigan for years) that is not something to dismiss or be disrespected. If somebody can show me the list of coaches that would come to State College and be .500 or better against top 5 teams I'm all ears. We get to the that level your now Alabama from 2009-2023...
The Maryland game was a big game for Penn State. If they lost, like Ohio State lost to a Barely .500 Michigan team, they would not have played in the Big Ten championship game. Here’s a pro tip: people who live their lives by what other people think of them are destined for unhappiness. Respectfully, 50 percent of people are below average. Do you really think I care what Desmond Howard is talking about? I’m doing just fine in my bubble, thanks.
The expectation before the season started was 11-1 with a loss to Ohio State and contending for the title. The playoff was a must. Losing to a better team wouldn't have gotten any response but we had the easiest path any team will ever have to reach a final as they'll adjust it and failed to take advantage. That's what happened. Not this nonsense.
Only the Ravens would think that...beating a Steelers team that hadn't won in a month isn't a big game. Losing would have been an embarrassment
Now they get Buffalo and KC. These are the games they'll be judged by...not beating a bad Steelers team that Tennessee could beat right now