Quick hitter paraphrased answers from Penn State head coach James Franklin's radio show tonight. Only pulled the good stuff, which there wasn't much of tonight.
Improvements in past month:
Offensive line is really growing and maturing. Another positive is that Mark Allen and Nick Scott have been able to come in and play well. Were more aggressive last week, and their development allowed them to do that. DL keeps playing well. Nassib is one of the better stories in college football. John Reid is playing well. Sees a lot of things falling into place right now. Five wins in a row. Fired up right now. What an unbelievable opportunity to play No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus.
Youth movement:
It’s been exciting. Those guys were brought in here for a reason, to complement older guys and build depth throughout the program. That’s what you see at Ohio State. Backup tailback at OSU might be more talented than starter. That’s what you want. Depth and talent allows you to be aggressive. Had music blaring today at practice, and has been very impressed with how they’ve handled that. Silent counts. Handled really well this week.
Still the youngest team in the conference this year. Starting more freshmen than anyone in the Big Ten. Starting more freshmen and sophomores. Least amount of seniors starting. That’s exciting for the rest of the season and these guys’ careers.
Statistic of the season is turnover margin. Have been able to come out on the positive.
Saquon Barkley:
He’s an exciting player. Last week practiced in limited role. Hoped to get him and it didn’t work out. Practiced in limited role this week, and still hoping to get him. Knows whether or not he’ll be able to go right now, and has been able to game plan around it.
Preparing for OSU QBs:
Had a similar challenge last week with two different types of quarterbacks, which is a good thing because they’ve been ready for both. Barrett being used in red zone. Situational stuff. And has been really impressed by Braxton Miller.
One-off Uniforms:
It’s a conversation. Happening all over the country. A lot of the traditional programs have an alternate uniform. Has mentioned in the past, do an alternate uniform, but it’s a throwback to all the different elements in the past, but an updated version of it. Maybe you take one game a year with an alternate uniform that’s based on history and traditions. Being able to tie into history and traditions is something everyone can embrace.
Recruiting younger and younger players:
It’s a challenge recruiting younger and younger kids. Having to make huge investment in kids that aren’t developed yet. If he doesn’t get any better from here, will you be happy with him? That’s the hard part. Don’t offer a young kid like that unless he’s a no brainer. Have to be aggressive, but more things you can find out, the less risk associated with him.
Evaluating young players who played at the end last week:
Not as valuable as you might think. He wants to put McSorley in the game, with one series with No. 1 OL to be able to evaluate him. But that hasn't happened. Instead, they had to put everyone (backups) in at once and it’s hard to evaluate them in those circumstances.
Improvements in past month:
Offensive line is really growing and maturing. Another positive is that Mark Allen and Nick Scott have been able to come in and play well. Were more aggressive last week, and their development allowed them to do that. DL keeps playing well. Nassib is one of the better stories in college football. John Reid is playing well. Sees a lot of things falling into place right now. Five wins in a row. Fired up right now. What an unbelievable opportunity to play No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus.
Youth movement:
It’s been exciting. Those guys were brought in here for a reason, to complement older guys and build depth throughout the program. That’s what you see at Ohio State. Backup tailback at OSU might be more talented than starter. That’s what you want. Depth and talent allows you to be aggressive. Had music blaring today at practice, and has been very impressed with how they’ve handled that. Silent counts. Handled really well this week.
Still the youngest team in the conference this year. Starting more freshmen than anyone in the Big Ten. Starting more freshmen and sophomores. Least amount of seniors starting. That’s exciting for the rest of the season and these guys’ careers.
Statistic of the season is turnover margin. Have been able to come out on the positive.
Saquon Barkley:
He’s an exciting player. Last week practiced in limited role. Hoped to get him and it didn’t work out. Practiced in limited role this week, and still hoping to get him. Knows whether or not he’ll be able to go right now, and has been able to game plan around it.
Preparing for OSU QBs:
Had a similar challenge last week with two different types of quarterbacks, which is a good thing because they’ve been ready for both. Barrett being used in red zone. Situational stuff. And has been really impressed by Braxton Miller.
One-off Uniforms:
It’s a conversation. Happening all over the country. A lot of the traditional programs have an alternate uniform. Has mentioned in the past, do an alternate uniform, but it’s a throwback to all the different elements in the past, but an updated version of it. Maybe you take one game a year with an alternate uniform that’s based on history and traditions. Being able to tie into history and traditions is something everyone can embrace.
Recruiting younger and younger players:
It’s a challenge recruiting younger and younger kids. Having to make huge investment in kids that aren’t developed yet. If he doesn’t get any better from here, will you be happy with him? That’s the hard part. Don’t offer a young kid like that unless he’s a no brainer. Have to be aggressive, but more things you can find out, the less risk associated with him.
Evaluating young players who played at the end last week:
Not as valuable as you might think. He wants to put McSorley in the game, with one series with No. 1 OL to be able to evaluate him. But that hasn't happened. Instead, they had to put everyone (backups) in at once and it’s hard to evaluate them in those circumstances.
