How bad can we beat Pitt?
- Thread starter RTLH
- Start date
From your lips to God's ears. Seriously, I've said this before, but I've since changed my stance regarding running up the score and "winning the right way". F8ck em, hope we hang 80 on em if given the chance.
I understand the optimism, and it is not unfounded, but let's just win the game. Sure we could win by 40, but we could also lose. Injuries, bad bounces, poor calls, or just Pitt playing out its ass, could result in an upset. If that happened this board would go into a meltdown of epic proportions. I expect a Penn State win, but I don't think it will be easy.
On paper PSU should win handily. What gives me a little worry is if the team focuses too much reading their praises in the media and #4 ranking, as well as overconfidence after the Akron blowout. Add to that Pitt's obsession with this game as their Super Bowl. If PSU doesn't come out fired up but is a little too laid back it could get tricky. So much of college sports is motivation and focus that can close talent gaps.
I think we will lay a beating of epic proportions on the hapless pitters. Recruiting is always on Coach Franklin's mind. If we humiliate the pitters then Coach Franklin will be able to use that on the recruiting trail in Western Pa. I look for at least a 50 point win.
That means nothing. Upsets, and near upsets, happen all the time, and teams bounce back. National Champion Clemson was favored by 21 last year and lost to Pitt at home. That same Pitt team had lost to Miami by 23 the week before.
Did you see last year's Pitt vs Villanova game?
I don't think triple digits are out of the realm of possibility. I see no reason to hold up at 98.
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anon_is9z1n0h3zblb
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I predict you guys score 49 or 56 points. But, if Pitt can control the ball for long drives, I'd lower it to 35-42 points. Regardless, Pitt will be lucky to put up 21 on you guys. I'd say more like 14-17 MAYBE. I just don't see how we stop Barkley or McSorley.
"How bad can we beat Pitt?"
Teams that think that way get knocked off -- if not in the immediate game, at some point in the future.
Did Michigan go into Rutgers thinking -- how many points can we hang on these stiffs? Well they sure scored a lot of points but it didn't make them into the kind of tough team that could get by Iowa at Kinnick. Need I remind anyone that Penn State's visiting Kinnick real soon?
I'm sure that sort of language is just not used around the team. Franklin's language is -- be Penn State, do what you're capable of doing, what you're trained to do for four quarters. The score is a byproduct of giving 100% and making plays.
And it's a good mindset to have as a fan too. Just try to enjoy each play, enjoy the performances, see how all the hard work by the team and the coaches pays off.
Teams that think that way get knocked off -- if not in the immediate game, at some point in the future.
Did Michigan go into Rutgers thinking -- how many points can we hang on these stiffs? Well they sure scored a lot of points but it didn't make them into the kind of tough team that could get by Iowa at Kinnick. Need I remind anyone that Penn State's visiting Kinnick real soon?
I'm sure that sort of language is just not used around the team. Franklin's language is -- be Penn State, do what you're capable of doing, what you're trained to do for four quarters. The score is a byproduct of giving 100% and making plays.
And it's a good mindset to have as a fan too. Just try to enjoy each play, enjoy the performances, see how all the hard work by the team and the coaches pays off.
Yeah, but what we say on a message board means nothing. Franklin will have them focused and not overconfident. We can play the what if game and it will have no impact on the game.
In the real world of coaching and playing the game of football execution is the name of the game. Fans like to make a wish upon a star and think that puts points on the scoreboard. I made a point of walking my teams off the bus (if we happened to be anointed the favorite that week) and asking them to read the scoreboard. PSU has a huge talent edge this week. Perhaps the depth advantage is even greater. But, Pitt will put their best 11 on the field vs PSU's best 11 and let's see who can actually execute for 4 quarters.
Agree. There were some talking like this last year before the Pitt game. As I mentioned in an earlier thread, this sort of braggadocio always leaves me a little uneasy.
I'd like to see Sanders and Wade excel. It's just not right the way Pitt fans have trashed them.
Of course on any given day, any team can beat any other. That said, this team came out fired up in week 1 when many other Big10 teams looked sluggish for at least the first half of their games. Franklin had them ready to go and I suspect this Saturday will be no different. I think this team has a chip on their shoulder and they will play like that every week.
ROAR LIONS ROAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guys, I'm telling you, this game will be closer than anyone thinks!!! Hope I'm wrong, just got that feeling.
When I was coaching HS in the late 70s the newspapers used to publish "picks." We had a non-conference game against Christ the King High School from NYC. The exact prediction was "Marlboro is from Ulster County and Christ the King is from Queens, Christ the King 26 Marlboro 6. " They picked the exact score but missed on the winner. Don't count your chickens till they're hatched.
Can't turn the ball over if we want to open this game up. Easy to forget last year's 1st quarter could have actually been much less damaging if not for two turnovers that gave Pitt short fields and 14 pts.
I'm comfortable with PSU eventually covering but just not sure what Pitt team will show up and how much emotion they can pour into the game to make up for matchup problems.
Take care of the ball and this can be a '94 OSU type of score if Pitt does not play with composure and things get away from them early. More than likely, I think we're looking at a 42-20 type of score.
I'm comfortable with PSU eventually covering but just not sure what Pitt team will show up and how much emotion they can pour into the game to make up for matchup problems.
Take care of the ball and this can be a '94 OSU type of score if Pitt does not play with composure and things get away from them early. More than likely, I think we're looking at a 42-20 type of score.
I think they are decent to good.
I think they are better than Akron. The YSU QB looked a lot better than the scrub from Akron.
I'm not predicting an upset of any kind on Saturday, and I think Penn State's team is head and shoulders above Pitt's team. I don't know if there are the makings of a blowout, however. Pitt will certainly try to run the clock to limit our possessions and I believe that they will employ a "bend and not brake" philosophy on defense to limit our splash plays. While it would be nice to preserve another shutout with the first team on the bench for the entire second half, I'm predicting at most a 14 point lead at halftime, and maybe a 21 point margin of victory in the end. I wouldn't be shocked if it was even a little closer than that.
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