-Obviously amazing game. Feel free to rewatch this over and over and over again (I have been).
-OSU played scared in the 4th quarter. Not sure if it was youth, anxiety, nervousness, or the crowd, but they, and Urban, played scared. Let me borrow an expression we've used all too often to describe PSU games - they played not to lose, instead of to win.
-Of course Urban is a great coach, but he's not perfect. I cannot believe he didn't call a TO on the blocked FG. It was obvious the team was scrambling because he hesitated and considered going for it. I was watching the play clock and I think it was down around 13 or so seconds when he sent the FG team out. Not nearly enough time to get set and kick without being rushed. Urban was right next to the ref and I'm shocked he didn't call a TO to settle things down. If CJF did something like that people would be calling for his head.
-Speaking of CJF, this is 100% his team. He spoke about the death in his family after the game, but he didn't tell the team about it until Friday (happened on Tuesday). I believe it was Barkley saying they had no idea anything was up - it was all business all week as usual with him. The players really seemed to respect that and it sounded like CJF going business-as-usual with them earned a lot of respect.
-CJF also said that Sickels was one of the first to come up and hug him after the game. That's respect - to be benched in the biggest game of the year but understand you screwed up and why CJF did what he did.
-Just a side note, again to how much this team plays for CJF, at @tgar and @garw's tailgate there was a former player from Vandy, a kicker I believe. He was asked what he thought of CJF and he gave the usual platitudes - nothing bad about it, just what you would expect a former player to say. Loved him, great coach, etc. etc. He was pushed a little bit, like "Come on, really, what do you think of him" and stone faced he just said "I would run through a wall for Coach Franklin."
That says a lot to me about the guy we've got running the ship right now, and I couldn't be happier for him.
-OSU played scared in the 4th quarter. Not sure if it was youth, anxiety, nervousness, or the crowd, but they, and Urban, played scared. Let me borrow an expression we've used all too often to describe PSU games - they played not to lose, instead of to win.
-Of course Urban is a great coach, but he's not perfect. I cannot believe he didn't call a TO on the blocked FG. It was obvious the team was scrambling because he hesitated and considered going for it. I was watching the play clock and I think it was down around 13 or so seconds when he sent the FG team out. Not nearly enough time to get set and kick without being rushed. Urban was right next to the ref and I'm shocked he didn't call a TO to settle things down. If CJF did something like that people would be calling for his head.
-Speaking of CJF, this is 100% his team. He spoke about the death in his family after the game, but he didn't tell the team about it until Friday (happened on Tuesday). I believe it was Barkley saying they had no idea anything was up - it was all business all week as usual with him. The players really seemed to respect that and it sounded like CJF going business-as-usual with them earned a lot of respect.
-CJF also said that Sickels was one of the first to come up and hug him after the game. That's respect - to be benched in the biggest game of the year but understand you screwed up and why CJF did what he did.
-Just a side note, again to how much this team plays for CJF, at @tgar and @garw's tailgate there was a former player from Vandy, a kicker I believe. He was asked what he thought of CJF and he gave the usual platitudes - nothing bad about it, just what you would expect a former player to say. Loved him, great coach, etc. etc. He was pushed a little bit, like "Come on, really, what do you think of him" and stone faced he just said "I would run through a wall for Coach Franklin."
That says a lot to me about the guy we've got running the ship right now, and I couldn't be happier for him.
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