Nobody should have been surprised by the outcome yesterday. It was big time football, and big time football games, absent turnovers, are decided by team personnel weaknesses -- in this case a single weakness. PSU doesn't have a single playmaker at wideout who can make a difference in a game like this.
Franklin didn't want to talk about it last week -- that's what his anger at the presser was about -- he didn't want to talk about it yesterday, but Joel Klatt was referencing it repeatedly during the broaadcast.
We've been talking about this for months. PSU doesn't have a single wideout who would play for Ohio State or Michigan (or for that matter Georgia or Alabama or Fla. State or Oklahoma or USC). PSU can work around it against lesser opponents but it the weakness rears its head against elite opponents.
PSU has no one who can get separation against good corners, and they don't have anyone who can even make a play on a 50-50 ball. Any throw downfield against a quality secondary is risking an interception. That's why PSU doesn't throw downfield -- it's too risky. And without the ability to throw downfield, the safeties can stay low and jam the run, and the corners can play aggressively and cover the short sideline stuff and over the middle, and Allar is looking at a field where there is simply no one open.
KLS is a good solid receiver but he's small and can't fight a top tier corner for a ball -- it is just isn't his game. He's a good #2 or #3 but he's not a #1 for a top 10 team. Allar made a desperation throw late in the game -- it would have been caught by a Chris Godwin, or a Blacknall or even maybe a Juwan Johnson. But KLS had no chance. The corner was closer to catching the ball than he was.
PSU is at parity with tOSU and Michigan in many ways this year -- and that represents progress. This PSU defense is so athletic it looks like an Ohio State defense. The OL and running backs are pretty close to Ohio State/Michigan level. PSU has a QB who, when he gets a little more experience, will make all the throws.
But the wideout problem is going to keep this team from winning this type of game until Franklin can get some size at wideout and ideally size with speed. You know he's tried, you know he's well aware of the weakness. That's why they keep firing wideout coaches -- it's not the coaching, it's the recruiting.
Anyway, it's pointless to be depressed about it. Penn State is a solid Top 10 program, they're just not a Top 5 program. At home with just a little help from Michigan, they could beat Michigan, but if Michigan plays turnover-free they should win, and PSU will be 10-2 again and maybe go back to the Rose Bowl again? It's a good season and PSU fans should not be crying.
Franklin didn't want to talk about it last week -- that's what his anger at the presser was about -- he didn't want to talk about it yesterday, but Joel Klatt was referencing it repeatedly during the broaadcast.
We've been talking about this for months. PSU doesn't have a single wideout who would play for Ohio State or Michigan (or for that matter Georgia or Alabama or Fla. State or Oklahoma or USC). PSU can work around it against lesser opponents but it the weakness rears its head against elite opponents.
PSU has no one who can get separation against good corners, and they don't have anyone who can even make a play on a 50-50 ball. Any throw downfield against a quality secondary is risking an interception. That's why PSU doesn't throw downfield -- it's too risky. And without the ability to throw downfield, the safeties can stay low and jam the run, and the corners can play aggressively and cover the short sideline stuff and over the middle, and Allar is looking at a field where there is simply no one open.
KLS is a good solid receiver but he's small and can't fight a top tier corner for a ball -- it is just isn't his game. He's a good #2 or #3 but he's not a #1 for a top 10 team. Allar made a desperation throw late in the game -- it would have been caught by a Chris Godwin, or a Blacknall or even maybe a Juwan Johnson. But KLS had no chance. The corner was closer to catching the ball than he was.
PSU is at parity with tOSU and Michigan in many ways this year -- and that represents progress. This PSU defense is so athletic it looks like an Ohio State defense. The OL and running backs are pretty close to Ohio State/Michigan level. PSU has a QB who, when he gets a little more experience, will make all the throws.
But the wideout problem is going to keep this team from winning this type of game until Franklin can get some size at wideout and ideally size with speed. You know he's tried, you know he's well aware of the weakness. That's why they keep firing wideout coaches -- it's not the coaching, it's the recruiting.
Anyway, it's pointless to be depressed about it. Penn State is a solid Top 10 program, they're just not a Top 5 program. At home with just a little help from Michigan, they could beat Michigan, but if Michigan plays turnover-free they should win, and PSU will be 10-2 again and maybe go back to the Rose Bowl again? It's a good season and PSU fans should not be crying.