IMHO sufficient time has passed to get by the emotion of coming up short last Saturday. Where's your head at now?
POLL: Where's your head at right now with the 2018 team?
- Thread starter Zenophile
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A
anon_xdc8rmuek44eq
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Really excited. Think the D turned the corner and while we have tough games ahead, we just played the toughest - by far - of the year. Not that we can settle or get complacent, but whatever we were saving for OSU is out there now - need to get out there and execute; some good opportunities to make a statement for this team and while the playoff is a longshot, it's still there. Tons to play for.
My head is still attached to my neck. The 3 inch hex head bolts screwed into each side of my neck help.
The Spartans had better start eating their Wheaties.
Somewhere in between. Blowing substantial leads late in big games has taken the wind out of may sails. Gets tiring not being able to beat the big boys.
Team has some weaknesses that will hold it back from becoming a playoff team this year.
Couldn't you picture Mike Hull being able to make the tackle on those screen passes that went for long gains late in the game? As Franklin said, we don't have that eraser on defense. Combine that with the fumbles and drops from the running backs and wide receivers and it was too much to overcome.
It took Clemson a bunch of years to make that jump from great to elite. JF is working his ass off to try and drag this program there. 12 composite 5 star players watching along the sidelines. 60 recruits with 20+ offers. He's building this thing, and all of us have to continue to help pull the rope in the same direction. Sad for the loss, but that Saturday game and the atmosphere all those recruits witnessed is another important building block for the future.
Keep on steppin' 'til you reach higher ground
Can't nobody turn you 'round
Step on up you can claim the highest star
Straight ahead, it's not very far!
Listen, I can't let nobody keep me from reachin' the Top!
Don't you give up for nothing keep on 'til you get by!
Reach, reach, reach you're almost there!
If you have a goal, set it in your mind!
Reach for it, say to yourself, this will be mine!
Ain't no half steppin' you've got to keep on pressin'!
Couldn't you picture Mike Hull being able to make the tackle on those screen passes that went for long gains late in the game? As Franklin said, we don't have that eraser on defense. Combine that with the fumbles and drops from the running backs and wide receivers and it was too much to overcome.
It took Clemson a bunch of years to make that jump from great to elite. JF is working his ass off to try and drag this program there. 12 composite 5 star players watching along the sidelines. 60 recruits with 20+ offers. He's building this thing, and all of us have to continue to help pull the rope in the same direction. Sad for the loss, but that Saturday game and the atmosphere all those recruits witnessed is another important building block for the future.
Keep on steppin' 'til you reach higher ground
Can't nobody turn you 'round
Step on up you can claim the highest star
Straight ahead, it's not very far!
Listen, I can't let nobody keep me from reachin' the Top!
Don't you give up for nothing keep on 'til you get by!
Reach, reach, reach you're almost there!
If you have a goal, set it in your mind!
Reach for it, say to yourself, this will be mine!
Ain't no half steppin' you've got to keep on pressin'!
This team has exceeded my expectations for them. Up until the OSU game they played, especially on defense, about where I thought they would. However, after OSU, they have clearly moved up beyond my expectations. I really thought we would lose the game by a good 10 points. And that would be masked by some junk time points. But the defense really took a step up except for the last 8 minutes or so when tackling and poor screen defense really hurt this team. But I am definitely upbeat about the team the rest of the way and the younger players. We are really building depth for the future while being very competitive.
I wanted to see how we measured up to the mighty buckeyes -- and while I hated the outcome, I was not disappointed. In my view 2018 Penn State's ceiling is clearly higher than 2018 tOSU's.
They'd better pray that the planets don't align to where they see us again in the playoff.
The way it is current set... Look to next year..
It is unlikely OSU loses 2 games. They have a direct path to the B10 Champiionship. PSU is essentially eliminated barring some miracle of Jesus...and that is not happening....
If OSU loses one game, they beat PSU head to head....PSU is still out
Either way.... PSU is out of the BIG 10 Champ Game...
NO way in Hell ...they put 2 Big 10 teams in the Final Four...
To get anywhere... We need to be a 1 loss Big 10 Winner at the minimum. We are not getting that..... so...
Next year just based on the what has occurred and how the current situation is...
Next year... New QB and we play a lot of teams away..including OSU..
It is unlikely OSU loses 2 games. They have a direct path to the B10 Champiionship. PSU is essentially eliminated barring some miracle of Jesus...and that is not happening....
If OSU loses one game, they beat PSU head to head....PSU is still out
Either way.... PSU is out of the BIG 10 Champ Game...
NO way in Hell ...they put 2 Big 10 teams in the Final Four...
To get anywhere... We need to be a 1 loss Big 10 Winner at the minimum. We are not getting that..... so...
Next year just based on the what has occurred and how the current situation is...
Next year... New QB and we play a lot of teams away..including OSU..
Yep, there was a better chance this year than next in my opinion.
Nit74.... I agree... all these home games set up nice for PSU.. Michigan is the only game of substance that is away and Michigan is definitely beatable....... This was the year
Next year... New QB.... away schedule is brutal... We will be a 2-3 loss team next year....
Next year... New QB.... away schedule is brutal... We will be a 2-3 loss team next year....
Haven’t changed much at all. It’s a young team that’s getting better every week, and has every chance of being a very, very, very good team by the end of the season. My prediction was 11-1 going in, and it’s 11-1 now.
Hmmm. I think next year's defense is going to be extremely good. And whoever the QB is, he might not be Trace, but he's going to be very talented and all the other skill players return with more on the way.
Still disappointed about the loss. Generally optimistic the team will respond well and continue to improve.
Glad for the bye week for good physical health of the team and good mental health of team and fans.
Glad for the bye week for good physical health of the team and good mental health of team and fans.
That's exactly what I said beginning of the season. We're better, in my view, than any other team on the schedule and I think there is going to be a resolve in this program to win them all and see where the chips fall. Lots could happen with 7 games left.
I’ve thought all year that we’ll lose Sanders and Miller for 2019 and haven’t seen anything to change my mind. Those guys will hurt, but the depth at DE continues to grow.
I think one of the subtle benefits of Johnson’s inconsistency in catching the ball so far is that I had him in the early entry group, too. I’m not so sure of that for him anymore.
>>> Interestingly Seth Walder, MIT analytics, has both Bama, and OSU at an (only) 75% chance of making the playoffs. So nothing is a lock. On PSU, Seth's number crunch has us at a 53% chance of making the playoffs if we win out , but do not win our division. Still a lot to play for obviously. Most Bowl projections, have us at the Rose vs. Washington which isn't a bad consolation prize.
https://twitter.com/sethwalder?lang=en
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This team has exceeded my expectations. They are one of the youngest teams in PSU history. 30 of the 75 players who traveled to Illinois are freshmen. We only graduate one player of note this year. They outplayed Ohio State but had bad luck at the end. Next year we will be much better. For years to come (based on recruiting) we will have an elite team. I am pleased with CJF and the team.
I hoped (but did not expect) to see PSU in the playoff. This team plays hard and gets better week by week. I have no right to ask for more than that- neither do you, BTW.
Franklin is building something here, it's fun to watch it.
Franklin is building something here, it's fun to watch it.
If Johnson does not seriously step up his game, he is more liable to be benched at PSU than play in NFL - let alone as an early entry
You must be confusing me with someone else! lol But, thank you.
And likely this year as well. No shame in that with out schedule...highly doubt we win the rest...would be thrilled if we lose only one more and that would still be a terrific season with this team and where we are at this time.
Things are trending up...
The defense showed good flashes during the first half of the game. But for the past couple of years, this team's defense ends up flipping a switch late in games to become a Pac 12 or Big 12 defense. I knew that we were not stopping OSU once they got the ball down 26-14 in the 4th quarter, even though the ball was on the 4 yard line. I knew we were going to fall behind once we gave the ball back to OSU when we were up 5 points. I felt the same way at the Rose Bowl.
App St and Iowa were wins, OSU (2x), MSU, and USC were losses. The difference between winning and losing those games has fallen on Trace's shoulders. That shouldn't happen, folks. It isn't fair to Trace.
What I want to see are timeouts called once the wheels start falling off the defense. Everyone sees when our defense starts to crumble. At least let them get a breather and regroup. I want to see the opposing QB face a different defensive look during the final drive. But until I see this team make a damn stop in the 4th quarter of a close game, I'm not going to assume it will happen.
App St and Iowa were wins, OSU (2x), MSU, and USC were losses. The difference between winning and losing those games has fallen on Trace's shoulders. That shouldn't happen, folks. It isn't fair to Trace.
What I want to see are timeouts called once the wheels start falling off the defense. Everyone sees when our defense starts to crumble. At least let them get a breather and regroup. I want to see the opposing QB face a different defensive look during the final drive. But until I see this team make a damn stop in the 4th quarter of a close game, I'm not going to assume it will happen.
Like everyone else I was heartbroken at the loss. But now it's Monday the sting has subside and I'm ready to move on. As my son said to me Saturday night. There still our team WIN or LOSE right Dad. and he's right. so lets get ready for MSU..MSU.. MSU !!!!! We will be there bright and early to tailgate with all of are Penn State friends **PITY THEM SPARTANS**
In spite of the defense's failures on the two oh-high-ya late TD drives, I thought the D played better than it had in the first 4 games against lesser competition. So I'm excited to see if the D can continue to make progress and bottle up Mich St. in 2 weeks. I also expect to see the OL do a better job against Mich St. Oh-high-ya just seems to have the top DL in the country, even without Bosa.....
Maybe. But it's a much tougher schedule than tOSU's going forward. Part of the trouble is the physical toll the harder games take on the team--I recall back in the late 1990s that just about the only team that won their next game after playing Wisconsin was Michigan in their 1997 undefeated season. In the Big 10 you get beat up over the course of the season.
Regardless of playoffs, I’d love to see this team win out and get a true blue blood in the postseason...a game that truly will test how far they’ve come from late September to January.
I’m on record in another thread that I believe PSU will go into Ann Arbor and curb stomp the skunk bears. 11-1 is realistic, especially if Franklin is sincere about his post game remarks.
I’m on record in another thread that I believe PSU will go into Ann Arbor and curb stomp the skunk bears. 11-1 is realistic, especially if Franklin is sincere about his post game remarks.
We lose 4 starters off this year's team. McSorley, Farmer, Oruwariye, and Scott. McSorley is obviously great, AO is a very good cornerback but that is a deep position. The other two are barely replacement level players.
If Stevens or Clifford are good at QB, we can run this thing back again.
Based on a very limited sample, Clifford is a better passer than Stevens. By all accounts, Stevens is a tremendous leader and is highly respected in the locker room. Should be an interesting camp battle, and that doesn’t even include Levis or the 2 blue chip QBs in the incoming class.
