Its easy to forget. Numbers blur together. Memories fade. Things get scrambled when it comes to Penn State football of the recent, oh so traumatic years. So I decided to review a few basics for myself.
Record - Highlights 2000-2017
2017 ? CJF, McS, SB preseason Top Ten, depth, leadership returning.
2016 CJF McS, SB 11-3 Lost great game to USC in Rose Bowl -Scholarships approaching 85
2015 CJF Hack final yr 7-6 L bowl game/UGA -Scholarships being rebuilt, OL woes
2014 CJF Hack 7-6 W Pinstripe Bowl/BC-Sanctions lifted, scholarships decimated. OL woes
2013 BOB Hack tfr 7-5 Sanctions in, scholarships/experience declining, Hack great true fr.
2012 BOB McG sr 8-4 Sanctions take effect, yet sensational season by McGloin/team/BOB.
2011 Joe's exit 9-4 JS disaster hits. wheels come off at end, Joe fired. Lose bowl game.
2010 JVP 7-6 Lose bowl game.
2009 JVP 11-2 great season, W bowl game.
2008 JVP 11-2 great season, L bowl game to USC.
2007 JVP 9-4 solid season, W bowl game.
2006 JVP 9-4 solid season, W bowl game.
2005 JVP 11-1 great season. W bowl game
2004 JVP 4-7 doldrums, Joe's final losing season
2003 JVP 3-9 doldrums, Joes worst season ever.
2002 JVP 9-4 rebound year, but L bowl game.
2001 JVP 5-6 doldrums continue
2000 JVP 5-7 first losing season for Joe, follows collapse of #1 team in 1999.
The first five years of this century produced only one W season. Joe was old, slowing down, and injury-prone, but he refused to give up, saying "I'll know when it's time." He didn't, but Pres. Spanier didn't have enough clout to force him out, due to Joe's huge popularity with alums, fans, and donors. So Joe and his loyal band of coaches worked hard to restore PSU football.
BANG! 2005 showed a huge rebound with a great season and bowl win. After solid 2006 and 2007 seasons, BANG! Joe had two more terrific seasons, going 1-1 in bowl games ( incl. a loss to that pesky USC) .
2010 was so-so but winning record, including a bowl L, but 2011 started out pretty well, with a strong D and struggling O, winning the close ones.- UNTIL Disaster struck, Joe was canned and the team collapsed in disarray and confusion down the stretch, and L the bowl game.
2012 BOB comes aboard and turns journeyman Matt McGloin into an outstanding QB and an 8-4 record! Coach of the Year! ! Fans are stunned but delirious. Meanwhile scholarships are declining
2013 BOB does it again, this time with true frosh 5 star Hackenberg, and a team that is running low on solid scholarship players, taking them to a 7-5 record, by giving Hack time to throw downfield to a great WR named Robinson. But BOB clearly doesn't care for certain aspects of college FB and moves to the pro's.
2014 CJF arrives, accepting the job of his dreams, and selling everything he can about Penn State. but we go 7-6. Strikes some as a used-car salesman. But can he coach? Doubts arise when 5 star Hack struggles and gets sacked left and right. Its clear he cant run out of trouble so the opps decide to blitz blitz and then blitz some more. It works. Gamely Hack hangs in there. CJF meanwhile recruits pretty well, though losing many top picks at the end, due to negative recruiting tactics by others. Sanctions get lifted, but PSU is badly depleted of scholarship players, bottoming out in the upper 40s. No depth. OL suffers most.
2015 CJF coaches his team to a 7-6 record with a bowl game L. Hack gets sacked a bunch. OL struggles. Depth in only a few positions. TrFr Barkley has 1000 yard year. Hack turns pro as a JR. Who will take over at QB?
2016 CJF coaches a miracle season! Top Ten finish! OSU upset. WI upset in BT Title game. The still thin and young D struggles but fights hard and grows as a unit. Unknown McSorley explodes onto the QB scene, along with top RB SBarkley. The final JoePa players exit the stage, and a combination of BOB and mostly CJF recruits are now taking center stage. Depth is growing. Experience is being developed. There is still a hole in the JR and SR classes, but these are being filled by better quality underclassmen who learn on the job.
2017. CJF has taken a downtrodden Penn State team, depleted and low on experience and formed a Top Ten team, one that is only expected to get better in 2017 and beyond.
Happy Days are here again.
Record - Highlights 2000-2017
2017 ? CJF, McS, SB preseason Top Ten, depth, leadership returning.
2016 CJF McS, SB 11-3 Lost great game to USC in Rose Bowl -Scholarships approaching 85
2015 CJF Hack final yr 7-6 L bowl game/UGA -Scholarships being rebuilt, OL woes
2014 CJF Hack 7-6 W Pinstripe Bowl/BC-Sanctions lifted, scholarships decimated. OL woes
2013 BOB Hack tfr 7-5 Sanctions in, scholarships/experience declining, Hack great true fr.
2012 BOB McG sr 8-4 Sanctions take effect, yet sensational season by McGloin/team/BOB.
2011 Joe's exit 9-4 JS disaster hits. wheels come off at end, Joe fired. Lose bowl game.
2010 JVP 7-6 Lose bowl game.
2009 JVP 11-2 great season, W bowl game.
2008 JVP 11-2 great season, L bowl game to USC.
2007 JVP 9-4 solid season, W bowl game.
2006 JVP 9-4 solid season, W bowl game.
2005 JVP 11-1 great season. W bowl game
2004 JVP 4-7 doldrums, Joe's final losing season
2003 JVP 3-9 doldrums, Joes worst season ever.
2002 JVP 9-4 rebound year, but L bowl game.
2001 JVP 5-6 doldrums continue
2000 JVP 5-7 first losing season for Joe, follows collapse of #1 team in 1999.
The first five years of this century produced only one W season. Joe was old, slowing down, and injury-prone, but he refused to give up, saying "I'll know when it's time." He didn't, but Pres. Spanier didn't have enough clout to force him out, due to Joe's huge popularity with alums, fans, and donors. So Joe and his loyal band of coaches worked hard to restore PSU football.
BANG! 2005 showed a huge rebound with a great season and bowl win. After solid 2006 and 2007 seasons, BANG! Joe had two more terrific seasons, going 1-1 in bowl games ( incl. a loss to that pesky USC) .
2010 was so-so but winning record, including a bowl L, but 2011 started out pretty well, with a strong D and struggling O, winning the close ones.- UNTIL Disaster struck, Joe was canned and the team collapsed in disarray and confusion down the stretch, and L the bowl game.
2012 BOB comes aboard and turns journeyman Matt McGloin into an outstanding QB and an 8-4 record! Coach of the Year! ! Fans are stunned but delirious. Meanwhile scholarships are declining
2013 BOB does it again, this time with true frosh 5 star Hackenberg, and a team that is running low on solid scholarship players, taking them to a 7-5 record, by giving Hack time to throw downfield to a great WR named Robinson. But BOB clearly doesn't care for certain aspects of college FB and moves to the pro's.
2014 CJF arrives, accepting the job of his dreams, and selling everything he can about Penn State. but we go 7-6. Strikes some as a used-car salesman. But can he coach? Doubts arise when 5 star Hack struggles and gets sacked left and right. Its clear he cant run out of trouble so the opps decide to blitz blitz and then blitz some more. It works. Gamely Hack hangs in there. CJF meanwhile recruits pretty well, though losing many top picks at the end, due to negative recruiting tactics by others. Sanctions get lifted, but PSU is badly depleted of scholarship players, bottoming out in the upper 40s. No depth. OL suffers most.
2015 CJF coaches his team to a 7-6 record with a bowl game L. Hack gets sacked a bunch. OL struggles. Depth in only a few positions. TrFr Barkley has 1000 yard year. Hack turns pro as a JR. Who will take over at QB?
2016 CJF coaches a miracle season! Top Ten finish! OSU upset. WI upset in BT Title game. The still thin and young D struggles but fights hard and grows as a unit. Unknown McSorley explodes onto the QB scene, along with top RB SBarkley. The final JoePa players exit the stage, and a combination of BOB and mostly CJF recruits are now taking center stage. Depth is growing. Experience is being developed. There is still a hole in the JR and SR classes, but these are being filled by better quality underclassmen who learn on the job.
2017. CJF has taken a downtrodden Penn State team, depleted and low on experience and formed a Top Ten team, one that is only expected to get better in 2017 and beyond.
Happy Days are here again.
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