Wrong. Joe Paterno had good offensive lines in 2002, 2005, and 2008. This is a James Franklin thing.
Oblie's Observations - Outcoached, Undermanned, Crazy, Help! (OUCH)
- Thread starter Obliviax
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Worst part was loosing to a looser who cheats. Fat boy did us in and we never adjusted.
Two things come to mind:
1) Throw analytics out the window for this game.
2) IIRC, Franklin previously stated that PSU will be aggressive in everything they do, but he often plays conservative, and certainly did in this game. Granted, it is hard to be aggressive when you can't run the ball and your QB is limited, and apparently you don't have a capable back-up. Wonder why PSU didn't just run blitz, but read on another summary that LBs were consistently missing their gaps and assignments. This is especially strange when earlier D was praised for playing like a team and being very disciplined in their assignments. Agree, they were outcoached and outmanned in this game.
3) An aside, unless things change dramatically, rest of season could be ugly. Have to wonder what the impact of that might be, re: recruiting, transfer portal, and on team.
J
Ohio state didn’t fill the stands this year … they had only 76K attend the Tulsa game
Ohio state didn’t fill the stands this year … they had only 76K attend the Tulsa game
The lack of a defensive adjustment wasn't the major problem. It didn't lose the game.. Ill scored just 10 pts in regulation. So they rushed for 350. Not good but not nearly as bad as the offensive performance. SC couldn't throw and he couldn't run. I agree with you that TR and/or CV should have played a few series in the 2nd half when it was more than obvious SC couldn't get it done. Perhaps they were hoping beyond hope that SC had 1 more good TD throw in him. Unfortunately he didn't. The fact that a backup couldn't get in the game at home while playing the worst team in the conference tells you all you need to know about the confidence the coaches have in the backup qbs.
Yep...which is what I said. If you give up 10 in college football, you expect to win 99 out of 100. I'd have been happy if you told me, pre-game, we would give up only 10.
James Franklin has had a poor offensive line every single season for 8 straight years. Scoreboard.
It was a very embarrassing loss - especially at home to a very poor Illinois team. PSU defense was non existent, getting run over by a one dimensional offense. PSU didn't deserve to win this game - outplayed and outcoached from start to finish. Playing for a second tier bowl now - no way this team beats OSU - it may be ugly.
No, they were bad. Barkley made them look a whole lot better and penn state led the league in tackles for loss. Again, Barkley was a generational talent running behind a poor line.
I am pushing back on the “defense was bad” narrative.
The stat sheet might not be pretty but the scoreboard says they gave up 10 in regulation. Any competent offense beats everyone but Georgia if their opponent only scores 10.
Probably beat them by two if we put Roberson in there for a bootleg in OT.
Or if Warren throws that pass to SC with his right hand instead of left.
Or if Dotson replaces Warren on that play.
Frig
For those at the game. How does TR look during warm ups ? Touch, accuracy, interest, leadership etc. Just curious.
He looked good but every body looks good in warm ups. He doesn’t have the zip on the passes but he is very athletic.
I realize he has to push the admin for facilities upgrades but for once I just wish he would dispel the rumors publicly albeit we don’t know what he says to the team, recruits and assistants
Great analysis. This was a classic play not to lose that Franklin loves to do and we....lose. I believe Franklin thought we could hold on and win it at the end with one of our playmakers like Dotson breaking loose and we win 17-10. He must have thought that a hobbled, injured Clifford gave us a better shot vs Roberson perhaps for preventing a TO. Only thing I can think of as it is an example of playing not to lose and milking a lead.
There was a point in that game, probably mid 3rd after it was clear we made no defensive adjustments at halftime and SC had nothing left that people's thoughts about the outcome of the game went from being an ugly PSU win to we could very well lose this game. At that juncture is when Roberson needed to be inserted. But Franklin puckered up and was just hoping we could hold on, bad decision.
By the time OT arrived he felt locked into Clifford dedpite limited playcalling. The fact that we could only gind the end zone once in all those OTs speaks to jow inept the offense is. Absolutely no run game. Totally agree about Cain not stetching the ball over yet the Illinois RB knows how to do that. Why is that?
On the pass to Clifford that Illini defender was bearing in on Warren and rushed everything. Timing got screwed up combined with a limited Clifford spelled doom. Who was supposed to block that guy? Just another example of someone not making a simple play.
At the end of the day this game comes down to another example of a PSU Franklin team completely lacking physical and mental toughness. Losing and getting outcoached is a sequel in this bad movie. Look at all the come from ahead key losses we have had under Franklin....U$C, O$U in '17 and '18, MSU in '17 and '18. I am sure there are more.
I agree about the leverage. However a simple statement like “PENN State is where I want to be” would be something that knocks down the everyday rumors and gives the program a sense of calm.
I always wait with bated breath for your take on the game. Thank you for taking the time to lay it all out there.
The last Obli post game on this site?
Hope this carries over to the new place. It's been great stuff.
To bad PSU could not get him in there for the second half.
Well then that's your hero Franklin's fault also, because that's who makes those decisions.
Methinks it was an option and one was supposed to block him. If the guy covered Clifford, Warren was supposed to run it in. If the guy rushed, then throw it to Clifford.
I saw a picture of him, he had a PSU hoodie on and looked like an average student. I doubt most would recognize him.
Still stunned at Brandon Smith’s lack of
football awareness/IQ. On the double reverse you can see instead of jumping to block the pass or wrapping up he tries his patented shoulder charge (which does nothing to disrupt the throw) and on the forced fumble instead of going after the ball he gets up ready to hot dog until he sees his teammates running for the ball. If he had Brooks’s sense for the game he’d be unstoppable.
football awareness/IQ. On the double reverse you can see instead of jumping to block the pass or wrapping up he tries his patented shoulder charge (which does nothing to disrupt the throw) and on the forced fumble instead of going after the ball he gets up ready to hot dog until he sees his teammates running for the ball. If he had Brooks’s sense for the game he’d be unstoppable.
As long as they don't do something stupid like letting Franklin go I think recruiting will be ok.
I expected the portal to be spinning like crazy even when we were 4-0.
I expect some WR's, RB's and QB's all to be portaling out. I'm surprised Roberson didn't do it on Sunday.
I also think the staff will be even more aggressive on getting help from the portal this year. But please no more Lackawanna OL men or Harvard transfers.
Joe always taught that it is never as bad as it seems after a loss, or as good as it seems after a win.
ILL took advantage of a perfect storm to help them win: bad weather, injured QB who gets injured more as the game went on, some crappy officiating, low energy, nursing a small lead. Hats off to Buffalo Brett B for coming up with an innovative idea. It will be interesting to see how that works for him down the stretch.
I think PSU shows up next week against tOSU. Their two WR's are the best tandem in college football right now but we've got some great CBs and will bring a pass rush that they haven't seen in a while. And they've got a LOT to prove. It was one thing to lose to Iowa in Iowa with your second team QB. it is another to lose at home against one of the worst teams in the B1G.
I have sat through a lot of bad weather games, and while the first half was kind crappy I really didn't think it had that much of an effect on the game or at least it shouldn't have.
Officiating was bad. Not the reason we lost but it was bad. I think both Illinois and PSU fans would agree to that.
It will be interesting to see how it works out for them. My gut feeling is it wont. Like you said it was a perfect storm.
I don't even know what to think of OSU. We always seem to play them tough but with a injured Clifford and no viable backup
I don't like what i'm feeling.
I don't disagree with much of what you said....but the weather really hurt with a QB that couldn't throw. They prepared for a ground game and that is what they got. We were not prepared for whatever reason. But football is more psych and momentum than any other sport. Consider you've got to have 40+ on the same page and energized. With guys getting hurt during the game, making mental errors, not getting key INTs, penalties, AND the weather we just fell into a malaise. The fans were phoning it in as well.
Time to move on.
I'm not sure what the people saw in practice that thought Clifford was looking good and ready to go. The comments around me were that he even looked gimpy just trying to hand the ball off and that was during the first 2 series. SMH. Massive failure by both Franklin and MY on that, massive.
And what did all of those losses have in common? We simply could not muscle first downs, especially in short yardage spots, when our defense totally needed a rest and the other team had wrestled all momentum.
He was zipping the ball in warmups. I can tell you that. I knew he was going to start ~ 10:30 when I saw him warming up in sweats. I started to post it but the data connection was horrible, per usual
Earlier you stated that someone told you the players were dancing and yucking it up on the sidelines and now you are saying you watched warmups. Now which is it? First, the players always dance and have a good time during warmups. This is no longer Joe Paterno's Penn State. I would be worried if I witnessed the players just doing the drills during warmups after seeing how the players have acted during warmups during the Franklin era. I would think we are dead and we have no energy for today's game, if they went through the motions. I watched warmups closely every home game from the south upper deck and I thought Clifford did not look right. He had less zip than normal on some of the throws. Roberson actually showed more zipped on some of his passes than I remember but I never paid that much attention to him during warmups before. The way they ran offense vs defense I was not sure who was actually starting even though Clifford was announced as the starter during pregame. Roberson took more than his normal reps with all 3 backs. Cain only took a couple snaps before the Nova game so I knew he was not going to play much if at all that game. Franklin was giving a lot of window dressing before the game that I was not sure who the QB was going to be then we came out and did not attempt a pass until the 3rd drive. Clifford should not have played or should have been available off the bench.
