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Brent Pry was the DC in both 2017 and 2019 so not sure how you can say “coordinators”. If your talking Rahne vs. JoMo I’m saying Rahne was an upgrade. Our 2019 team was leading OSU in the 4th quarter in Columbus and was first and goal at the 2 at Minnesota going in for win except for a bullshit PI call. The 2017 team was absolutely loaded with weapons on offense. JoMo was running out of mojo with his RPO in 2017 and left at the perfect time to MSU. It was perfect for the 2016 team especially since no one had tape on it, but teams were becoming aware of the mesh points and blowing up our backfield.
What you describe is Trace McSorley not being good enough to adequetely lead the offense. Ricky Rahne ran the offense exactly as inherited with no chances in 18 and 19. The only difference between 19 and 17 was the quarterback and Ricky didn't have Joe's knack for play calling. Despite less talent at the skill positions, as compared to 17, the massive improvement at quarterback elevated everyone on the team.
I fully agree that 2017 was a missed opportunity. The problem was our major weakness which was quarterback. At the end of the day, as configured, the results on the field were closer to a 9 and 3 than a playoff caliber. Iowa badly misplayed the last drive by ditching the defensive game plan they used snatching defeat from the jaws of victory along the way.
Ricky was fine for the most part. He was a caretaker in my opinion, just like Pry. Both simply ran what they inherited with zero changes or adjustments to account for changes in talent. It didn't impact 2018 very much as what was being run was built specifically for Trace allowing him to perform at his maximum level. The biggest impact were the departures of Gesicki, Hamilton and Barkley. It did impact 2019. Cliff maximized the limited passing game opening up entire sections of the field that were effectively closed off before but could have done more with better coaching.
Your assessment of McSorley is simply a bad one. Possibly biased, but definitely bad. —- The kid was a “winner“ virtually all his life. Went to states 3 or 4 times in high school…won several. He won 78% of his games at PSU. Was 2nd team All BIG 10 twice. Was Fiesta bowl MVP. Threw for almost 10,000 yards. Won the BIG.— All this with a patchwork, 1 deep o-line , and an above average (at best ) defense which was also largely 1 deep. The kid ( and the team) were within a hair of beating OSU 2 additional times ( see defense…. And poor offensive play calling)…..and that 3 1/2 hour game delay debacle that cast shame on the conference/official leadership, after beating the sh*t out of MSU before the delay. The 16’-18’ teams were one “sub 4.4 guy” away from multiple CFP appearances ( more-so in 16’, as Hamler was there in 17 and 18, but he was 160 pounds and could only be used judiciously). McSorley was very, very good.
At no point in the 2019 game did Penn Stae have the lead. The score was 21-0 Ohio St when psu went on a 17 point run in the 3rd quarter, but that was the closest they got
That is the difference between a care taker and Joe Moorhead. JoeMo's offenses were limited by QB play, Rahne's were limited by QB play and his play calling in 18 and just play calling in 19.
He hates McSorley because he came in and showed how bad Hack actually was…and Wally loves him some Hack.
I appreciate Journey Brown as much as anyone, but Singleton as a freshman produced more than Brown ever did. This duo is the best since Barkley and Sanders and potentially this duo is best since Enis/Harris.
Yeah the people who say that McSorely suck can go fly a kite. Hack was bad, how is this debateable?
If you can't, or won't, acknowledge the demonstrated fact that Franklin, Donovan and Rahne ruined Hackenberg's career and that Trace proved to be a very average run first dual threat QB (as demonstrated in 18 when only Miles Sanders was there to carry him), that is on you. Say what you want, I don't care.
Hack was always inaccurate, no one ruined him. He was just not good.
Regardless of how it worked out for him, God bless Hack for signing with us after Sandusky. Hack had plenty of options.
That is demonstratively false. He was quite accurate his freshmen year once he got his feet under him in the offense and was very accurate through early 2014 when Donovan and Rahne's tried to turn him into a spread QB. After that, it got worse until he wrecked his shoulder. Your assertion is fantasy.
I think they are improving every year. Yurich's blocking scheme is as different as you get compared to JoeMo's MAP hybrid which was used from 2016 to 2019 when Ciarocca was hired and attempted to install a pure zone blocking scheme during the 2020 season but moved back to MAP hybrid during the later portion of the season (coincidently, when we started winning).
The problem with this is when your QB gets called upon to do things they don't normally do, they don't always deliver. With a couple of exceptions, QBs taking over and winning games vs. simply not losing them is an area that I think PSU historically hasn't been very good, and is where most other top programs excel. I don't want Allar to be a game manager, even in the games where he can get away with it. I want to see him control the games and win them so that when we really need him to against UM, OSU and in any postseason games, he's ready for it and we know he can do it.
