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Sad reflection of this board

I think that’s true to some extent. That said, I think it’s mostly because we’re a month out from the games (roughly) and it’s sort of a dead time where issues like the Portal, transfers, and Deon to Colorado fill the void.
There's validity to that. I still think 20 years ago without a playoff this board would have been blowing up about the Rose Bowl against a top 10 Utah team.
 
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There's validity to that. I still think 20 years ago without a playoff this board would have been blowing up about the Rose Bowl against a top 10 Utah team.
I agree. With each successive championship format (BCS, playoff, etc) the bowl standings do appear to have dropped in importance.

I think part of the issue is also the huge expansion in bowl games over the years. Now everyone and their brother are invited to play, (even with .500 or occasionally losing records).

Back when the talk was which bowl reps were visiting which campus each week, there was much more excitement and discussion of possible matchups and where each team would play. Then the bowls started to get more rigid in their ‘assigned’ matchups (Big 12- 3 vs PAC 12- 3) and they got sort of stale.

I’d love for the bowls to lose all alliances and go back to being a free for all in who could go where each year. That would add more interest IMO, (but the main interest now will always be the playoff).
 
The negativity baffles me. In my opinion this team is the best of the Franklin era. It has surpassed all pre-season expectations. Also, it is a fun team to watch. The most enjoyable team to watch since the Paterno era. I am thrilled with this team and their accomplishments. Maybe the best part is next year's team should be even better -- probably a pre-season favorite for the last 4-team playoff. It hasn't been this good to be a Penn State football fan in decades.
 
I agree. With each successive championship format (BCS, playoff, etc) the bowl standings do appear to have dropped in importance.

I think part of the issue is also the huge expansion in bowl games over the years. Now everyone and their brother are invited to play, (even with .500 or occasionally losing records).

Back when the talk was which bowl reps were visiting which campus each week, there was much more excitement and discussion of possible matchups and where each team would play. Then the bowls started to get more rigid in their ‘assigned’ matchups (Big 12- 3 vs PAC 12- 3) and they got sort of stale.

I’d love for the bowls to lose all alliances and go back to being a free for all in who could go where each year. That would add more interest IMO, (but the main interest now will always be the playoff).
And get rid of half the bowls. Expect them to start dropping off as the playoffs expand.
 
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The negativity baffles me. In my opinion this team is the best of the Franklin era. It has surpassed all pre-season expectations. Also, it is a fun team to watch. The most enjoyable team to watch since the Paterno era. I am thrilled with this team and their accomplishments. Maybe the best part is next year's team should be even better -- probably a pre-season favorite for the last 4-team playoff. It hasn't been this good to be a Penn State football fan in decades.
Nah, the Barkley/McSorely team was a blast to watch. Could score from anywhere and would often explode for several TDs in a couple minutes. Plus a defense that was underrated since the O got all the ink.
 
I agree. With each successive championship format (BCS, playoff, etc) the bowl standings do appear to have dropped in importance.

I think part of the issue is also the huge expansion in bowl games over the years. Now everyone and their brother are invited to play, (even with .500 or occasionally losing records).

Back when the talk was which bowl reps were visiting which campus each week, there was much more excitement and discussion of possible matchups and where each team would play. Then the bowls started to get more rigid in their ‘assigned’ matchups (Big 12- 3 vs PAC 12- 3) and they got sort of stale.

I’d love for the bowls to lose all alliances and go back to being a free for all in who could go where each year. That would add more interest IMO, (but the main interest now will always be the playoff).
No major disagreement here. I like the logic. I would eliminate all bowl games personally. Or, and you all won't like this, if the playoff expands to 20-24, I'd like bowl games to start the season. For example, the Rose could invite Penn State and Oregon to open the season...the Sugar Alabama and Michigan etc. I like it better as that than what it is now.
 
Nah, the Barkley/McSorely team was a blast to watch. Could score from anywhere and would often explode for several TDs in a couple minutes. Plus a defense that was underrated since the O got all the ink.
I think we scored a TD on three or four plays in a row versus Wisconsin in the B1G championship game. Or maybe that was USC in the Rose Bowl.
 
No major disagreement here. I like the logic. I would eliminate all bowl games personally. Or, and you all won't like this, if the playoff expands to 20-24, I'd like bowl games to start the season. For example, the Rose could invite Penn State and Oregon to open the season...the Sugar Alabama and Michigan etc. I like it better as that than what it is now.
That’s an interesting idea. The traditionalist in me says bowls end the year but, if the playoff expands and drives the bowls out of business, then I think starting the year with them could be a great idea.

We already have those handful of games at neutral sites each August/ September. The more minor bowls could step in there and add some scheduling interest playing teams you normally wouldn’t while the top 3 or so bowls rotate the final 4 and championship games at the end of the year.
 
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I agree but also feel that is a bit unfair. The key to life is to always be improving, learning, moving up. At the same time, balance in the notion of being happy. If you get really good at it, improvement makes you happy. It is life's journey. So to improve you have to be realistic with yourself. To me, there are some facts. The first fact is that PSU WAY underperformed in 20 and 21. The team did just fine in 22 but isn't where it needs to be in terms of competing for a B1G championship. Now, things will change with the expansion to 12 playoff teams (the B1G championship is meaningless and may well cease to exist). So the definition of college football success in 22 should have been to make the four team playoff. We didn't do that. We did, however, greatly improve. OK, fine.

In future years, our 22 performance would put us in the playoff so things change and we've got to keep up.

But recognizing our team's shortcomings and seeking a path to improvement isn't a bad thing
I would say there is a distinction between acknowledging the bad, having a positive attitude, and looking for improvement vs. focusing on the bad and having a negative attitude
 
I would say there is a distinction between acknowledging the bad, having a positive attitude, and looking for improvement vs. focusing on the bad and having a negative attitude
well, there are those that feel you have a bad attitude by simply pointing out the team's weaknesses.
 
well, there are those that feel you have a bad attitude by simply pointing out the team's weaknesses.
I agree with you. There is nothing wrong with pointing out weaknesses. I am happy that the Lions are 10 and 2 and going to the Rose bowl against a great opponent. At the same time, I wish they were better prepared for Michigan and Ohio State and acknowledge they need to improve. I think the majority of Penn State fans feel this way. Some fans, though, only focus on the negative. I wouldn't include you in this group.
 
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In fairness when OP posted this thread you could go on the front page and see 4 or so threads that he himself started that had nothing to do with being 10-2 and was all about transfers and portal and how the committee dropped PSU so OSU could be in the playoffs. I appreciate the things the OP posts the majority of the time but found this thread to be a real lack of self awareness, considering
My point in the initial post wasn't that every other thread should be 10-2 and Rose parties. I was suggesting that we were 10-2 and rose bowl bound and the first half dozen threads were almost entirely negative.

2 threads about PSU's worst case scenario, 2 threads concerned that our 3rd string qb was in the portal, another what if we started the backup qb, NIL is the devil, etc. Nearly everything was negative when so much about this program right now is very positive.
 
That’s an interesting idea. The traditionalist in me says bowls end the year but, if the playoff expands and drives the bowls out of business, then I think starting the year with them could be a great idea.

We already have those handful of games at neutral sites each August/ September. The more minor bowls could step in there and add some scheduling interest playing teams you normally wouldn’t while the top 3 or so bowls rotate the final 4 and championship games at the end of the year.
And in reality I'd consider just having the Rose Bowl (The Granddaddy of them all) be the equivalent to the NFL's SB but your breakdown is more realistic
 
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Yes Tom was hard to put up with because he catered to those who thought like him and would censor anything that challenged those beliefs. To me, ideas should be openly discussed and respectfully debated. This board did not permit that.

Perhaps the best proof of this was early in the covid thread. You either were advocating hiding in your basement, triple masked, and afraid or your post was deleted. Good riddens to that crowd and their officially sanctioned censor.
It was mainly 3 people: Mcandrew himself, "Psuro", and "Bob92". They basically ran off everybody and everyone else who disagreed with them on anything.
 
Greeting Welcome Home GIF by HBO Max
 
Yeah. I’m a college football junkie but even I can’t bring myself to get excited about the “Hometown Lenders Bahamas Bowl” (Miami- OH vs UAB) or the “Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl” (Liberty vs Toledo). 🙄
dude if you can't be excited about the Bahamas Bowl there is something wrong with you

a quote from a fan's experience during the 2017 Bahamas Bowl...

So we took a ship down to the Bahamas to see Ohio play UAB, and it has been nothing short of amazing (and honestly, questionable). Here’s a short list of things we’ve done here at the game so far:
-Brought beer right in to the stadium. The locals at the gate didn’t even ask to check tickets. One of them took a sip of my beer. -We walked all the way around the stadium, until we reached a fenced off area. A Royal Bahamas Defense Force guard said we should check behind the fence, because he doesn’t know what’s back there. Upon walking past the fence, we ended up in the Ohio locker room. No questions asked. -People are constantly walking on the athletic track around the field and chugging beer. The security forces down there just keep laughing and high fiving everyone. One of the soldiers keeps hugging random fans. -There’s a native family in front of me literally braiding eachother’s hair. They told me they have no clue about how football works. They just want to have a good time. One of them offered to braid my hair. My hair is 3 inches long. -They were doing a T-Shirt toss, and one of the Bahamian families here straight up jumped three rows down onto a group of fans just to grab a shirt. They ended up getting two. -A drunk fan just walked on to the sideline and high fived a player. He then high fived a Royal Bahamian Defense Force soldier when walking back. The soldier couldn’t stop laughing. -There’s like 20 entrances to this stadium, and only like 10 of them are guarded. Literally anyone could walk in here. -They have one working scoreboard, and instead of showing the clock, it’s the ESPN feed so you can barely see the score and clock on the bottom right corner. -Whoever’s in charge of music can’t decide the volume. He tried playing Believer and adjusted the volume up and down around 4 times before giving up. There hasn’t been any music since.
For these reasons, I urge that the playoff committee consider hosting the national championship here. It would be a terrible idea, but everyone would have a great time. I know the locals are. … I love this place.

another...
”The entertainment on the outskirts of the stadium right next to concessions includes ARCHERY. I saw a child as small as 4 getting help aiming an actual bow and arrow at a target 20 ft away”.
 
dude if you can't be excited about the Bahamas Bowl there is something wrong with you

a quote from a fan's experience during the 2017 Bahamas Bowl...



another...
”The entertainment on the outskirts of the stadium right next to concessions includes ARCHERY. I saw a child as small as 4 getting help aiming an actual bow and arrow at a target 20 ft away”.
Hmmm...maybe someone should come up with a "Bangkok Bowl"?

tumblr_oliwxgfycr1se41pao1_250.gif
 
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I wake up this morning with PSU 10-2 and headed to the rose bowl. What do I see as the threads at the top of this board?

1. Thread about our 3rd string backup qb transferring and then another follow up thread about this same topic
2. NIL ruining football
3. Thread about playing our backup qb over the starter
4. Over 1000 players in the portal
5. Not 1 but 2 threads about the worst case scenario for this 10-2 rose bowl bound team
6. Random threads about Drexel and US soccer

We are 10-2 and headed to the rose bowl! Why all of the negativity? Is this board just over-run by non-PSU fans and those PSU fans who aren't happy with anything less than undefeated and #1 ranking?

In case it hasn't been mentioned, we are 10-2 (with 6 wins by 4 or more TDs and 2 by 19 points) headed to the rose bowl and have a huge amount of young talent that got us there setting us up for a strong 2023 outlook.
Things have changed and it's hard to articulate in one post, but it doesn't seem like it used to be.
 
I am neither thrilled or upset about our 10-2 record. One can talk about a ten win season and a Rose Bowl birth. On the other hand, we lost to both very good teams we played, beat a couple of "good" teams, beat a bunch of crappy teams. In addition, the reason why we are in the Rose is because the two best teams made the playoff. So even with our weak schedule, we backed into the Rose.

So PSU did what we were supposed to do. In fact, I was 100% correct predicting each game. I guess, one way to look at it, is that we didn't **** up winnable games like we did the previous years.

Now, what is thrilling, is that we have a half dozen absolute blue-chip true freshmen first-year players. We have a QB that is physically more talented than any QB in our history. If we can develop him and pick up some talent around him (this year's HS class and portal) we should be dancing over the next few years.
One criticism of Joe was he won the games he should win but didn't win against the big boys. If you remember from mid 90s to 07 we didn't have a lot of good success again OSU and Michigan. So we're talking close to thirty years removed from being a MNC contended.
 
dude if you can't be excited about the Bahamas Bowl there is something wrong with you

a quote from a fan's experience during the 2017 Bahamas Bowl...



another...
”The entertainment on the outskirts of the stadium right next to concessions includes ARCHERY. I saw a child as small as 4 getting help aiming an actual bow and arrow at a target 20 ft away”.
It sounds like one of those events that doesn’t translate well on tv. ;)

Maybe we need to start lobbying the Big Ten to include it in their bowl rotation.
 
One criticism of Joe was he won the games he should win but didn't win against the big boys. If you remember from mid 90s to 07 we didn't have a lot of good success again OSU and Michigan. So we're talking close to thirty years removed from being a MNC contended.
IIRC, in the early 2000's, PSU had the best B1G record of any school since we joined in 93. . Don't forget tOSU went through a really bad spell when they had Cooper as coach. UM was awful toward the end of Bo's reign and into Gary Moeller.

As college football in PA started to wayne due to population shifts and PSU not willing to play the games it took to be a national recruiter, PSU sucked for most of the early 2000's. But in 2005, to the time JVP was fired, PSU went 67 - 22 and 6-2 in the bowls (Orange, Outback, Alamo, CapOne, Outback). We won the B1G (or our division) in 05, 08 and 11. The drought was really 2000 to 2004.

 
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One criticism of Joe was he won the games he should win but didn't win against the big boys. If you remember from mid 90s to 07 we didn't have a lot of good success again OSU and Michigan. So we're talking close to thirty years removed from being a MNC contended.
Not accurate. We had an Ohio State game stolen by the refs that if we won would have made us contenders. Same with the ‘05 game at the Shig House. And in 2016, win either one of Pitt/Mich and we were in the playoffs. So we were contender quality teams a few times. Isn’t correct to say we have been out of the running for thirty years.
 
I wake up this morning with PSU 10-2 and headed to the rose bowl. What do I see as the threads at the top of this board?

1. Thread about our 3rd string backup qb transferring and then another follow up thread about this same topic
2. NIL ruining football
3. Thread about playing our backup qb over the starter
4. Over 1000 players in the portal
5. Not 1 but 2 threads about the worst case scenario for this 10-2 rose bowl bound team
6. Random threads about Drexel and US soccer

We are 10-2 and headed to the rose bowl! Why all of the negativity? Is this board just over-run by non-PSU fans and those PSU fans who aren't happy with anything less than undefeated and #1 ranking?

In case it hasn't been mentioned, we are 10-2 (with 6 wins by 4 or more TDs and 2 by 19 points) headed to the rose bowl and have a huge amount of young talent that got us there setting us up for a strong 2023 outlook.
I don't think it reflects a negative board so much as a reality about what college football is now.

#s 1, 2 and 4 on your list are about NIL and portals, and under the current rules, will talk about those things ever NOT be a hot topic?

#3 on your list is about a backup playing over a starter but because of NIL and the portal, that is always a big thing too because whoever it is that isn't playing is a candidate for the portal.

Re. #5, the reason 10-2 and in the Rose Bowl isn't as big a deal is because the playoff looms so big that for a school like Penn State, not making the playoff becomes a disappointment.

It used to be that a topic of conversation was recruiting and what happen next year with the recruits and with the current guys on the team, but NIL and the portal has made that topic irrelevant because you don't even know who will be on the team next year.

Everything has changed, and not for the better IMO, but regardless of what you think of the changes, a board with content like this one seems pretty logical considering what college football is today.
 
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LMAOROFL. Not liking NIL has nothing to do with loving the Lions. I am ecstatic about the present and future. We are loaded with young stars. Finally, we have really good team leadership to help focus outstanding talent.I will be there to
My money is on Drew to do no worse than split the 4 games with UM and OSU over the next 2 years.
My granddaughter is getting married in Wyoming next September. If I can afford it, I will be at the Iowa game.
 
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Nah, the Barkley/McSorely team was a blast to watch. Could score from anywhere and would often explode for several TDs in a couple minutes. Plus a defense that was underrated since the O got all the ink.

I think we scored a TD on three or four plays in a row versus Wisconsin in the B1G championship game. Or maybe that was USC in the Rose Bowl.

It was from the Rose Bowl against USC. PSU's offense scored TDs on four consecutive plays. I've always been curious if that's been done before or since. I'm fairly certain it's the only time I've ever seen a team do that.

  1. Final play of 13 play drive (USC 27 PSU 21)
  2. One play 79 yard TD (USC 27 PSU 28)
  3. One play 72 yard TD (USC 27 PSU 35)
  4. One play 3 yard TD following an INT (USC 27 PSU 42)
The two drives before and the one after those I listed above also went for TDs. 7 consecutive TD drives for the offense going from 0 points near the end of the first quarter to 49 points near the end of the third quarter. While the inconsistency from that offense and their propensity to allow TFLs were sometimes frustrating, their explosiveness was insane and they could score on seemingly any play at any moment.
 
IIRC, in the early 2000's, PSU had the best B1G record of any school since we joined in 93. . Don't forget tOSU went through a really bad spell when they had Cooper as coach. UM was awful toward the end of Bo's reign and into Gary Moeller.

As college football in PA started to wayne due to population shifts and PSU not willing to play the games it took to be a national recruiter, PSU sucked for most of the early 2000's. But in 2005, to the time JVP was fired, PSU went 67 - 22 and 6-2 in the bowls (Orange, Outback, Alamo, CapOne, Outback). We won the B1G (or our division) in 05, 08 and 11. The drought was really 2000 to 2004.

Ohio State from 93-98 was winning 10+ games yearly, right? They were awful in 99 and horrible in 2000 but they were good under Cooper for the most part.
 
Ohio State from 93-98 was winning 10+ games yearly, right? They were awful in 99 and horrible in 2000 but they were good under Cooper for the most part.
Cooper‘s biggest problem he recruited great talent but every year the top five would leave early for the NFL. He would have won a couple natties if the players used their entire eligibility. This was before leaving early was popular.
 
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Not accurate. We had an Ohio State game stolen by the refs that if we won would have made us contenders. Same with the ‘05 game at the Shig House. And in 2016, win either one of Pitt/Mich and we were in the playoffs. So we were contender quality teams a few times. Isn’t correct to say we have been out of the running for thirty years.
I'd say it's accurate with the system in place back then, we weren't in the running at season's end.
In 1994 we had a chance if we won our bowl game . If you recall many championships were disputed back then. It was pretty common really because 1 vs 2 didn't happen very often. The Fiesta Bowl was an Anomaly .
 
I'd say it's accurate with the system in place back then, we weren't in the running at season's end.
In 1994 we had a chance if we won our bowl game . If you recall many championships were disputed back then. It was pretty common really because 1 vs 2 didn't happen very often. The Fiesta Bowl was an Anomaly .
Well, you have to define what contender is. Do you only count the ones that make the playoffs? Tennessee was a contender, IMO. Anyone that is a possible playoff invitee with two games is a contender, IMO. Once the season is over, your down to invitees.
 
Well, you have to define what contender is. Do you only count the ones that make the playoffs? Tennessee was a contender, IMO. Anyone that is a possible playoff invitee with two games is a contender, IMO. Once the season is over, your down to invitees.
I'll say you're in it at the end with 1 loss or less. The old way depended on ranking of course and there was the issue of bowl tie ins.
I won't say we contended in 1999 since we dropped three at the end for an example. If you recall we were smoked by Um and MSU late in 1997.
Until we go 11-1 and make the big ten championship and win we're not really in it.
 
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I'll say you're in it at the end with 1 loss or less. The old way depended on ranking of course and there was the issue of bowl tie ins.
I won't say we contended in 1999 since we dropped three at the end for an example. If you recall we were smoked by Um and MSU late in 1997.
Until we go 11-1 and make the big ten championship and win we're not really in it.
1999 for sure….cannot lose three and be in it. But we won the CCG in 2016 with two early losses and were seriously considered by the committee before selecting Ohio State. I would submit we were contenders then.
 
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1999 for sure….cannot three and be in it. But we won the CCG in 2016 with two early losses and were seriously considered by the committee before selecting Ohio State. I would submit we were contenders then.
I don't think we really were, if you recall back in the earlier years the lobbying for ND? As an independent we could chose our path but we're often cock blocked by them .
 
I don't think we really were, if you recall back in the earlier years the lobbying for ND? As an independent we could chose our path but we're often cock blocked by them .
1999 was a direct result of Sandusky neglecting his job in the face of what everyone close to the program knew was inevitable.

That team had by far the most defensive talent in the nation but lacked a quarterback and a running back to move the chains.
 
I'll say you're in it at the end with 1 loss or less. The old way depended on ranking of course and there was the issue of bowl tie ins.
I won't say we contended in 1999 since we dropped three at the end for an example. If you recall we were smoked by Um and MSU late in 1997.
Until we go 11-1 and make the big ten championship and win we're not really in it.
Those late ‘90s teams were so frustrating because we were loaded with talent and could not put it all together.
 
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