last year's OL .....

[dawgduice]

was so bad for a number of reasons. First the loss of two starters (injury and removal from team, I think). BUT, the big loss was OB not bringing in at least ONE OR TWO JC guys. What was he thinking ??? He brought is a JC guy for the DL as insurance. Good think he left because the offers would not have come in after last year

I am really annoyed with those "saying" Franklin can't coach only recruit. Based on what?? Last year's games that he might of won with a PUNTER and an OL (just decent one). Really ???

 

[Peetz Pool Boy]

I judged Head Coaches by how well their teams are prepared and those half-dozen or so decisions that surface during the course of a game that can't be attributed to anyone other than the Head Coach.

The remainder of the game is really more about the players and their positional coaches.

As I said in an earlier list, this is the season we learn a lot.

 

[bjf1984]

was so bad for a number of reasons. First the loss of two starters (injury and removal from team, I think). BUT, the big loss was OB not bringing in at least ONE OR TWO JC guys. What was he thinking ??? He brought is a JC guy for the DL as insurance. Good think he left because the offers would not have come in after last year

I am really annoyed with those "saying" Franklin can't coach only recruit. Based on what?? Last year's games that he might of won with a PUNTER and an OL (just decent one). Really ???

A bad offensive line is the toughest thing to improve for ANY college team.

Its not like the NFL, where you can draft/sign as FA mature guys ready to step in and play.

It is - in the best case scenario - a 2-3 year job to turn a lousy Offensive Line around.

In the case of Penn State 2014......you are probably looking at more like 3-4 years - because the situation was worse than ANY I have ever seen at a major college program.....largely due to the scholarship limits/sanctions.

To LITERALLY have 5 offensive lineman on an active roster (you typically have 15-16, along with a couple kids redshirting, at any one time)

Think about it....last January, the 2014 Offensive Line availability was:

1 Guy who had experience (Smith)
2 Guys who had been recruited and had 2-3 years in the program....but neither of whom had ever played serious minutes (Mangiro and Laurent)
2 Freshmen (Mahon and Nelson)

That is it. Period.
Compare that to a normal roster of 15-16 guys, with 7 or 8 of them being 5th Yr Sr/4th Yr Sr/4th Yr Junior/ and 3rd Year Juniors.


Then they brought over two backup DTs to get enough warm bodies to play.

The guys who need to be "up to speed" in order to even have a chance at a normal offensive line depth chart where not even on campus yet. In the best case - assuming a good percentage of these guys work out - you are looking at AT LEAST 2018 before you have a normal compliment of Jr and Sr offensive linemen.

In the meantime, they are going to have to do the best they can with a lot of guys who aren't nearly as mature/experienced as you would like, and without the level of depth you would like.
Can they make strides over last year.....absolutely. I think they will - just how much will in large part depend on staying healthy and getting "non-dumpster fire" play out of whoever is at LT.

If the staff recruited well......if the OL staff/strength guys do a good job......if the kids "buy in".....if there are minimal injuries..... we could see line play that is good enough for you not to have to focus every game on "minimizing the damage" sooner than 2018, maybe as soon as 2016 (2015 is going to have to be another year of trying to game plan around a weak OL, and hoping the "skill guys" can make up for some of the limitations).

 

[dawgduice]

A bad offensive line is the toughest thing to improve for ANY college team.

Its not like the NFL, where you can draft/sign as FA mature guys ready to step in and play.

It is - in the best case scenario - a 2-3 year job to turn a lousy Offensive Line around.

In the case of Penn State 2014......you are probably looking at more like 3-4 years - because the situation was worse than ANY I have ever seen at a major college program.....largely due to the scholarship limits/sanctions.

To LITERALLY have 5 offensive lineman on an active roster (you typically have 15-16, along with a couple kids redshirting, at any one time)

Think about it....last January, the 2014 Offensive Line availability was:

1 Guy who had experience (Smith)
2 Guys who had been recruited and had 2-3 years in the program....but neither of whom had ever played serious minutes (Mangiro and Laurent)
2 Freshmen (Mahon and Nelson)

That is it. Period.
Compare that to a normal roster of 15-16 guys, with 7 or 8 of them being 5th Yr Sr/4th Yr Sr/4th Yr Junior/ and 3rd Year Juniors.


Then they brought over two backup DTs to get enough warm bodies to play.

The guys who need to be "up to speed" in order to even have a chance at a normal offensive line depth chart where not even on campus yet. In the best case - assuming a good percentage of these guys work out - you are looking at AT LEAST 2018 before you have a normal compliment of Jr and Sr offensive linemen.

In the meantime, they are going to have to do the best they can with a lot of guys who aren't nearly as mature/experienced as you would like, and without the level of depth you would like.
Can they make strides over last year.....absolutely. I think they will - just how much will in large part depend on staying healthy and getting "non-dumpster fire" play out of whoever is at LT.

If the staff recruited well......if the OL staff/strength guys do a good job......if the kids "buy in".....if there are minimal injuries..... we could see line play that is good enough for you not to have to focus every game on "minimizing the damage" sooner than 2018, maybe as soon as 2016 (2015 is going to have to be another year of trying to game plan around a weak OL, and hoping the "skill guys" can make up for some of the limitations).

I agree with your assessment. I "expect" given a year of experience and growth AND a favorable early schedule we will be noticeably better Since our first 6 games are not against tier 1 teams the OL "should" improve overall including depth. Will be be good, I don't think so. I'm hoping for a "decent" OL !!!!!

 

[ClarkstonMark]

was so bad for a number of reasons. First the loss of two starters (injury and removal from team, I think).

Diff was injured; who was removed from the team?

 

[CappyToCJF]

Diff was injured; who was removed from the team?

I believe he was referring to Alosi, who may have earned a starting job within the limited competition but was never a starter.

 

[dawgduice]

Yep, it was Alosi. He most certainly would have been a starter. He was in the program for a few years. In short, things would have been much better if he and Diffinbach (spelling) had played.

 

[PSUSRD]

Just think about this....had Alosi not been kicked off the team/Gilliam not left, early, Dieff not hurt .....last years OL would've probably been:
LT - Smith
LG- Dieff
C - Mangiro
RG - Alosi
RT - Gilliam

 

[SEPATOPTEN]

was so bad for a number of reasons. First the loss of two starters (injury and removal from team, I think). BUT, the big loss was OB not bringing in at least ONE OR TWO JC guys. What was he thinking ??? He brought is a JC guy for the DL as insurance. Good think he left because the offers would not have come in after last year

I am really annoyed with those "saying" Franklin can't coach only recruit. Based on what?? Last year's games that he might of won with a PUNTER and an OL (just decent one). Really ???

Franklin will have the ability to get the players and depth that BOB did not have the luxury of doing. BOB had a ton of things on his plate and I don't think he had much advantage when trying to recruit anybody let alone a kid who is trying to make the jump to the big time. If you have two years of eligibility left are you going to go to a place with a stigma and is on probation with no hope of a bowl game? I can't fault O'Brien on that.

 

[SEPATOPTEN]

I agree with your assessment. I "expect" given a year of experience and growth AND a favorable early schedule we will be noticeably better Since our first 6 games are not against tier 1 teams the OL "should" improve overall including depth. Will be be good, I don't think so. I'm hoping for a "decent" OL !!!!!

I think the offensive line will be decent. I don't think it is going to take until 2017 or 18 for us to see marked improvement. Having a year of starting experience will be factor.

 

[novaclassof90]

Just rewatched the 2007 Alamo bowl vs tx a and m on big 10 network. That was a good, but not great O Line. With that said, the difference btw that group and 2014 was very apparent. 2014 group may have been PSUs worst Oline in 40+ years.