If Penn State goes 11-1, would that make it Franklin's best PSU team? Allar's place in PSU QB history?

[saturdaysarebetter2]

If Penn State goes 11-1, would that make it Franklin's best PSU team? This team doesn't have the WRs the '16 and '17 teams did, but the OL is better. Both the '16 and '17 teams had two regular season losses. Four points was the margin of defeat for the '17 team to two ranked teams. Just six yards was all Penn State needed against Ohio State for 14 points. This year's team has been ranked high all year. The '16 team lost in the Rose Bowl and the '17 team won the Fiesta Bowl. Would a playoff win make it Franklin's best team?

Where do you rank Drew Allar's place in PSU QB history? He has not had the wide receiving corps the equal of many past Penn State QBs and his ball security touchdown-to-interception ratio is very good. Would you suggest he return for his senior season? Do you think he will?

 

[johnmpsu]

If Penn State goes 11-1, would that make it Franklin's best PSU team? This team doesn't have the WRs the '16 and '17 teams did, but the OL is better. Both the '16 and '17 teams had two regular season losses. Four points was the margin of defeat for the '17 team to two ranked teams. Just six yards was all Penn State needed against Ohio State for 14 points. This year's team has been ranked high all year. The '16 team lost in the Rose Bowl and the '17 team won the Fiesta Bowl. Would a playoff win make it Franklin's best team?

Where do you rank Drew Allar's place in PSU QB history? He has not had the wide receiving corps the equal of many past Penn State QBs and his ball security touchdown-to-interception ratio is very good. Would you suggest he return for his senior season? Do you think he will?

In today's CFB the only way Allar is coming back is if they come up with a lot of NIL money. A very large amount of NIL money.

 

[LandoComando]

If Penn State goes 11-1, would that make it Franklin's best PSU team? This team doesn't have the WRs the '16 and '17 teams did, but the OL is better. Both the '16 and '17 teams had two regular season losses. Four points was the margin of defeat for the '17 team to two ranked teams. Just six yards was all Penn State needed against Ohio State for 14 points. This year's team has been ranked high all year. The '16 team lost in the Rose Bowl and the '17 team won the Fiesta Bowl. Would a playoff win make it Franklin's best team?

Where do you rank Drew Allar's place in PSU QB history? He has not had the wide receiving corps the equal of many past Penn State QBs and his ball security touchdown-to-interception ratio is very good. Would you suggest he return for his senior season? Do you think he will?

Allar's place in history will be determined by how this season finishes--he wins a playoff game or two then he solidifies himself as the best since Collins (if he's not already that).
Allar can do whatever he wants but if he's projected to go in the first three rounds then he should go. I think he's gone and I'm looking forward to the Beau/Grunk battle to replace him.
Yes, 11-1 with a playoff win would make this his "most successful" team--not sure about "best" or "most talented" but definitely most successful.

 

[Obliviax]

Ben Jones has a good article on this

Five Quick Thoughts: Washington

On to Purdue.

benjonesonpennstate.substack.com

 

[indynittany]

I think we learned that when/if we can get our wideouts productively involved, this is a very good team. UW supposedly had the best secondary in the B1G and we almost put up 500 yards on them. Let’s hope that continues!

 

[bdroc]

If Penn State goes 11-1, would that make it Franklin's best PSU team? This team doesn't have the WRs the '16 and '17 teams did, but the OL is better. Both the '16 and '17 teams had two regular season losses. Four points was the margin of defeat for the '17 team to two ranked teams. Just six yards was all Penn State needed against Ohio State for 14 points. This year's team has been ranked high all year. The '16 team lost in the Rose Bowl and the '17 team won the Fiesta Bowl. Would a playoff win make it Franklin's best team?

Where do you rank Drew Allar's place in PSU QB history? He has not had the wide receiving corps the equal of many past Penn State QBs and his ball security touchdown-to-interception ratio is very good. Would you suggest he return for his senior season? Do you think he will?

Franklin's best team beat OSU, won the BiG title, and finished ranked #7. He won't achieve the first two. He probably needs to win at 4 more games to finish better than 7th.

 

[LandoComando]

Franklin's best team beat OSU, won the BiG title, and finished ranked #7. He won't achieve the first two. He probably needs to win at 4 more games to finish better than 7th.

That team lost to Pitt and a bad Michigan team. This one is better.

 

[blair10]

If Penn State goes 11-1, would that make it Franklin's best PSU team? This team doesn't have the WRs the '16 and '17 teams did, but the OL is better. Both the '16 and '17 teams had two regular season losses. Four points was the margin of defeat for the '17 team to two ranked teams. Just six yards was all Penn State needed against Ohio State for 14 points. This year's team has been ranked high all year. The '16 team lost in the Rose Bowl and the '17 team won the Fiesta Bowl. Would a playoff win make it Franklin's best team?

Where do you rank Drew Allar's place in PSU QB history? He has not had the wide receiving corps the equal of many past Penn State QBs and his ball security touchdown-to-interception ratio is very good. Would you suggest he return for his senior season? Do you think he will?

No. Not even close. The 2016 team was much better for the following reasons:

1. They beat Ohio State (Franklin gets extra bonus points for this accomplishment).
2. They won the B1G Championship.
3. They had arguably the greatest offense player in program history (Saquon Barkley).
4. Collectively, they had the greatest group of WR and TE talent in program history.
5. They had arguably the best offense coordinator (Joe Moorhead) in program history.
6. The schedule was more difficult.

 

[LandoComando]

No. Not even close. The 2016 team was much better for the following reasons:

1. They beat Ohio State (Franklin gets extra bonus points for this accomplishment).
2. They won the B1G Championship.
3. They had arguably the greatest offense player in program history (Saquon Barkley).
4. Collectively, they had the greatest group of WR and TE talent in program history.
5. They had arguably the best offense coordinator (Joe Moorhead) in program history.
6. The schedule was more difficult.

If we want to say 2016 was "better" okay--but then Franklin failed miserably to live up to what that teams should have accomplished.

 

[bcspsu]

No. Not even close. The 2016 team was much better for the following reasons:

1. They beat Ohio State (Franklin gets extra bonus points for this accomplishment).
2. They won the B1G Championship.
3. They had arguably the greatest offense player in program history (Saquon Barkley).
4. Collectively, they had the greatest group of WR and TE talent in program history.
5. They had arguably the best offense coordinator (Joe Moorhead) in program history.
6. The schedule was more difficult.

I really believe that the 2017 team was Franklin's best. That team had a large lead at OSU midway through the 4th quarter and collapsed, and then lost at MSU in the weather delay game. That team probably should've finished the regular season undefeated and made the playoffs.

 

[PSUSignore]

I think the 2017 team was better, they just didn't take care of business. Allar is already on a short list of PSU's best all time QBs. Unfortunately the WR talent just isn't there for him to appear that way in all of the statistics, but he's very talented. He's going to have to define his legacy with wins and losses because the rest of the stats won't be there. He could change things by coming back next year but I'd say that's highly unlikely.

 

[bcspsu]

I think the 2017 team was better, they just didn't take care of business. Allar is already on a short list of PSU's best all time QBs. Unfortunately the WR talent just isn't there for him to appear that way in all of the statistics, but he's very talented. He's going to have to define his legacy with wins and losses because the rest of the stats won't be there. He could change things by coming back next year but I'd say that's highly unlikely.

That 2017 team also beat a pretty good Washington team in the Fiesta Bowl.

 

[knickslions]

No. Not even close. The 2016 team was much better for the following reasons:

1. They beat Ohio State (Franklin gets extra bonus points for this accomplishment).
2. They won the B1G Championship.
3. They had arguably the greatest offense player in program history (Saquon Barkley).
4. Collectively, they had the greatest group of WR and TE talent in program history.
5. They had arguably the best offense coordinator (Joe Moorhead) in program history.
6. The schedule was more difficult.

While 2016 was better team the schedule was not really anymore difficult

 

[blair10]

While 2016 was better team the schedule was not really anymore difficult

In 2016, Penn State had to face Ohio State and Michigan.

In 2024, Penn State has only one tough challenge which is Ohio State.

 

[fastlax16]

While 2016 was better team the schedule was not really anymore difficult

including the conference championship game, the 2016 team played three teams that finished in the final top ten and was 2-1 in those games. Ooc had a Pitt team that wasn’t great but also managed to upset Clemson.

It wasn’t murderers row but it was more difficult than this season.

 

[saturdaysarebetter2]

No. Not even close. The 2016 team was much better for the following reasons:

1. They beat Ohio State (Franklin gets extra bonus points for this accomplishment).
2. They won the B1G Championship.
3. They had arguably the greatest offense player in program history (Saquon Barkley).
4. Collectively, they had the greatest group of WR and TE talent in program history.
5. They had arguably the best offense coordinator (Joe Moorhead) in program history.
6. The schedule was more difficult.

The 2016 team LOST THREE games. THREE. They were also absolutely crushed by Michigan. CRUSHED.

 

[LandoComando]

You can't ignore a 39 point loss to Michigan and losing to Pitt

Most talented team...maybe though I disagree
Most successful team...absolutely not unless this team collapses

Even the Ohio State win was widely dismissed as a fluke...shouldn't be but it was.

 

[Agoodnap]

The 2016 team LOST THREE games. THREE. They were also absolutely crushed by Michigan. CRUSHED.

You should check the details.

 

[lazydave841]

I really believe that the 2017 team was Franklin's best. That team had a large lead at OSU midway through the 4th quarter and collapsed, and then lost at MSU in the weather delay game. That team probably should've finished the regular season undefeated and made the playoffs.

'17 was likely the most talented JF team yet (unless this current version does something in the playoff). The offense was stronger than '16 every week but the Sparty game.

'16 was the most successful (so far). Beat OSU, recovered from the Michigan loss and improved weekly, come from behind CCG win to earn the conference championship. Winning the Rose would have helped some, but still doesn't change much between them and '16 if they did.

'24 needs at least 1 playoff win to be as successful as '16 (ccg win = playoff victory in the current era) and at least 2 to be as talented as '17. The offense is behind '16/'17, but the defense is drastically better. They have the burden of following '22/'23 defenses, both of which had more talent and the scheme was boom or bust attacking fun.

Honorable mentions for '22 and '23; had the '23 defense retained the '22 WRs (or possibly Sean Clifford), they could have made a run. They gave eventual Champs Michigan their 2nd/3rd toughest game imo.

 

[fastlax16]

The 2016 team LOST THREE games. THREE. They were also absolutely crushed by Michigan. CRUSHED.

The Michigan matchup that we played without almost the entire 2 deep at linebacker for most of the game?