What was it vs ND... up 24-17 ND facing 2nd and 14 at their own 15 and we promply give up like a 11 yard short pass and run to the greatness that is Jaden Greathouse. Gimme a break! Setting up an easy 3rd down conversion for them. Ugh. Just make a play there. At least make it 3rd and 8 or 9, a 3 and out there quite possibly wins the game for us. Just not making plays at critical times.I think it gets lost because of the Sawyer play but Downs blowing up that second down play for a 6 yard loss was also huge. Those are the kinds of plays we seem to not finish as well.
IIRC Sawyer did not have a sack or any other impactful plays when PSU played OSU this season.
Johnson caught a walk off td at Iowa on fourth day. Some big plays in the Minnesota game to get us into and win in ot in 2016.
A fourth down stop against Wisconsin in the conference championship game.
I could think of many more big plays but most here prefer acting like whiny pussies.
Tell me when Texas last won a title ? It'll be twenty years next season won't it? Winning a title is hard and other solid programs try hard too.I don't disagree that we've had plenty of big plays.
But Iowa was a 5-loss regular season team in 2017. Minnesota was very meh. The 4th and short stop against Wisconsin was huge, as was the wheel route TD pass to Barkley.
But you're kinda proving the point. If those are the big plays we remember, compare those with our blue blood peers.
Do you think Texas or LSU fans still talk about some random big play to beat a 7-5 team in 2017?
Ask non-PSU fans to recall the last momentous Penn State football play, and I'd bet many if not most would struggle to think of something since the 2016 Grant Haley touchdown.
This is what we call moving the goal posts . That same year Penn State for two games with crappy play by a quarterback. Late interceptions that he didn't have to throw. That would be against pit, and that screwup kept us out of the playoffs along with the USC game in a Rose Bowl.I don't disagree that we've had plenty of big plays.
But Iowa was a 5-loss regular season team in 2017. Minnesota was very meh. The 4th and short stop against Wisconsin was huge, as was the wheel route TD pass to Barkley.
But you're kinda proving the point. If those are the big plays we remember, compare those with our blue blood peers.
Do you think Texas or LSU fans still talk about some random big play to beat a 7-5 team in 2017?
Ask non-PSU fans to recall the last momentous Penn State football play, and I'd bet many if not most would struggle to think of something since the 2016 Grant Haley touchdown.
Tell me when Texas last won a title ? It'll be twenty years next season won't it? Winning a title is hard and other solid programs try hard too.
Completed 2 fourth down passes to beat USC this year. Ran a fake punt for 30 yards on a 3rd and 8 for a first down to beat Minnesota. I get your point, but those plays were instrumental in PSU having a good year. The team needs to put themselves in that arena more frequently. tOSU has lost a lot of playoff games........ they get into the playoffs just about every year.Yeah, OSU usually unleashes JTT to absolutely demolish us. They saved Sawyer for the playoffs apparently.
JTT's plays in the 2022 game are exactly the kind of plays that the OP is probably referring to as well. Enormously clutch plays in big games.
Grant Haley's return in 2016. Honestly, that's the only iconic championship-type play I can think of in the Franklin era. Trace hitting Johnson as time expires in Iowa city was nice, but Iowa wasn't great. Parsons forcing the Garrett Taylor pick 6 against Memphis was great......but that was Memphis.
That's it. That's all I've got. It all goes back to the fact that we dont' really beat the really good teams. And the iconic plays that people remember are the plays that win big games.
Texas stunk after firing Mack Brown in 2013. They only had 1 season with less than 5 losses between 2014 and 2023. The Big 12 wasn’t exactly murderers row and they didn’t have the Sandusky Scandal stigma to deal with.Tell me when Texas last won a title ? It'll be twenty years next season won't it? Winning a title is hard and other solid programs try hard too.
Yep just this. It's an easy answer we make plays to lose big games.2005. But they've won more big games over the past 5 years (or 10 years or 20 years -- name your time frame) than we have. That's the point. They've had marquee plays in big games.
Honestly, I don’t see why Texas doesn’t get crapped on loads more than Franklin and PSU. They HAVE NOT won big games, they have pretty much stunk for a decade. Mack Brown was fired after the 2013 season. Would you trade Franklin’s record at PSU for Texas’ over the same tenure?2005. But they've won more big games over the past 5 years (or 10 years or 20 years -- name your time frame) than we have. That's the point. They've had marquee plays in big games.
Honestly, I don’t see why Texas doesn’t get crapped on loads more than Franklin and PSU. They HAVE NOT won big games, they have pretty much stunk for a decade. Mack Brown was fired after the 2013 season. Would you trade Franklin’s record at PSU for Texas’ over the same tenure?
2014 - 6-7
2015- 5-7
2016 - 5-7
2017 - 7-6
2018 - 10-4
2019 - 8-5
2020- 7-3
2021 - 5-7
2022- 8-5
2023- 12-2
2024- 13-3
Nothing is said about Texas schedule and playoff games.
Not big plays against Iowa or Wisconsin. Yes we have a few of those. Big plays in winning time against top 5 teams or teams of equal talent. I can give you a laundry list of the losing plays against these teams in crunch time. Hence 1-18.Johnson caught a walk off td at Iowa on fourth day. Some big plays in the Minnesota game to get us into and win in ot in 2016.
A fourth down stop against Wisconsin in the conference championship game.
I could think of many more big plays but most here prefer acting like whiny pussies.
Not big plays against Iowa or Wisconsin. Yes we have a few of those. Big plays in winning time against top 5 teams or teams of equal talent. I can give you a laundry list of the losing plays against these teams in crunch time. Hence 1-18.
Yeah I don't know what it is but just uncanny how we find ways to lose. Started with that USC Rose Bowl. They were not top 5 but playing like it at the time and it was the Rose Bowl vs blue blood opponent of equal talent. So I count that game. Then the parade of OSU close losses. Michigan in '21 and '23. The '22 Mich game was a blowout so no need for us to perform in crunch time as there was no crunch time since they beat us by whatever it was but it wasn't close. And the capper is this Orange Bowl. Sigh.As somebody with strong Illinois ties, I use the 2012-13 Illinois basketball season as an example. That year, we beat #1 Indiana at the buzzer off an inbounds play to Tyler Griffey. Illini fans still talk about that play to this day.
A month or two prior to that shot, the same Tyler Griffey hit a buzzer-beating 3 to beat Gardner Webb. I doubt most Illini fans even remember that one.
We have a lot to be thankful for as a program. Being a Penn State football fan sure beats being a Nebraska fan. But fans will always remember and measure the program by those big moments in big games. We'll get over that hump eventually, but damn.
This isn't about winning titles directly although of course the more you make championship plays in big games in the clutch then you should be contending for titles or winning them.2005. But they've won more big games over the past 5 years (or 10 years or 20 years -- name your time frame) than we have. That's the point. They've had marquee plays in big games.
We're almost double that...30 even counting 94 when we were robbedTell me when Texas last won a title ? It'll be twenty years next season won't it? Winning a title is hard and other solid programs try hard too.
They would struggle because there are none.I don't disagree that we've had plenty of big plays.
But Iowa was a 5-loss regular season team in 2017. Minnesota was very meh. The 4th and short stop against Wisconsin was huge, as was the wheel route TD pass to Barkley.
But you're kinda proving the point. If those are the big plays we remember, compare those with our blue blood peers.
Do you think Texas or LSU fans still talk about some random big play to beat a 7-5 team in 2017?
Ask non-PSU fans to recall the last momentous Penn State football play, and I'd bet many if not most would struggle to think of something since the 2016 Grant Haley touchdown.
Because they fired a coach?Honestly, I don’t see why Texas doesn’t get crapped on loads more than Franklin and PSU. They HAVE NOT won big games, they have pretty much stunk for a decade. Mack Brown was fired after the 2013 season. Would you trade Franklin’s record at PSU for Texas’ over the same tenure?
2014 - 6-7
2015- 5-7
2016 - 5-7
2017 - 7-6
2018 - 10-4
2019 - 8-5
2020- 7-3
2021 - 5-7
2022- 8-5
2023- 12-2
2024- 13-3
OSU at the Beav a few years back. Ball was clearly on the ground for the DB to scoop it up and the refs allowed the interception which resulted in a TD. Then, the clock ran out by 3 second, clearly visible, but the refs allowed the FG. Mind boggling that they could miss the obvious on both plays.If it was us the refs would find something to call a penalty on even if it was away from the action or rule it down. I feel like I've seen this numerous times. Usually in a big game where it would turn momentum our way. Ohio State last year comes to mind.
It was 2014, osu won the title that year.OSU at the Beav a few years back. Ball was clearly on the ground for the DB to scoop it up and the refs allowed the interception which resulted in a TD. Then, the clock ran out by 3 second, clearly visible, but the refs allowed the FG. Mind boggling that they could miss the obvious on both plays.
Forget the final score, but I don't believe it was much more than 10 points. Complaining about calls is frequent when routing for your team, but these calls were absolutely blatant and a terrible job by the refs.
Interesting. Everything in your post described inability to execute by PLAYERS.If PSU is in that situation we never make that play. Doubt we hold them out of the end zone. Why? That is the confounding question. Is Jack Sawyer better than Carter. Hell no. Better than DDS? A little bit. Is our D-Line not that good? No we are very good particularly off the edge. By the way I am saying even with a healthy Carter that type of play in that situation ain't happening for us.
Here is my point. We never make the championship play in winning time against very good teams under Franklin. Well once in 2016 but we were a day late and a dollar short with 2 losses already in the books. Why is this? I wish I knew. Is it all Franklin's fault? No, players need to execute. Does Franklin need to share the blame? Yes, he is the head coach. For some reason he does not have our guys mentally ready or is not able to instill the mental fortitude to gut out these close games and make championship winning plays. Why is it that ND is the team that comes up with that pick at the end?? Just way too many examples to ignore this horrible trend.
Latest example: The miserable ND loss where yet again we snatch defeat from victory. ND had no business winning that game after the first quarter. We are running the ball at will, shutting their offense down yet we find a way to lose......again.
Here are some examples of opportunities to make winning plays and we make losing plays.
- Poor pass to Singleton in the flat and he can't come up with it but he had a shot.
-Can't jump on a fumble right there for the taking.
-ND reeling with Leonard knocked out and we let a 2nd string QB come in cold and play like Joe Montana. They seize momentum. No killer instinct. Are you freaking kidding me?!
-Fall down to give up a 60 yard game tying td on a team that really cannot throw the ball deep.
-Shrivel up on defense and inexplicably become less physical in the 2nd half and at winning time.
-Throw a horrendous ill advised pick to seal the fact we will lose the game. Our 5 star qb totally overwhelmed in the winning time moment. By the way, if that situation is reversed our DB never comes up with that pick. Why? That is winning time and we don't make winning plays in winning time.
Will this ever change under Franklin? Who knows, not looking good. Should Franklin be fired? No of course not now. But at some point, maybe after 2 or 3 or 5 seasons of this ineptitude and inability to win in the clutch a change will be needed at the top.