"Surprise" teams for the coming football season.

[LafayetteBear]

Here's one site's outlook concerning "surprise" teams for the upcoming football season. As a fan of both PSU and Cal, I sure hope these guys are right.

http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap3000000500285

 

[psu00]

Here's one site's outlook concerning "surprise" teams for the upcoming football season. As a fan of both PSU and Cal, I sure hope these guys are right.

http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap3000000500285

Hope they are right. Funny the media's hot pick of ASU in the PAC didn't make the list.

 

[pandaczar12]

Wait... where is Pitt? They have that wide receiver who dropped a wide open pass to win their bowl game, and some running back. Not to mention that new coach who is destined to take them to the promised land. In that easy conference, how could they not be listed?!?!?!

 

[Ten Thousan Marbles]

Wait... where is Pitt? They have that wide receiver who dropped a wide open pass to win their bowl game, and some running back. Not to mention that new coach who is destined to take them to the promised land. In that easy conference, how could they not be listed?!?!?!

LOL. I seriously doubt that anybody except Pitt fans are going to be surprised by their results over the next 2 or 3.

Then, on to the next HC.

 

[joedirt47]

I don't know how you can actually "rank" how much of a surprise a team is going to be. Maybe that isn't a ranked list, though. But anyone who doesn't think Penn State will be in the hunt for the Big Ten Championship is in for a surprise. A pleasant surprise for us Penn Staters. A terrible one for the rest of the conference.

 

[Ranger Dan]

Penn State will be in the hunt for the Big Ten Championship

Anyone who expects Penn State to be in the hunt for the Big Ten Championship must have more insight into the improvements that the OL has made in the off season than I do. I certainly am not privy to any inside info, but I remain suspect. We have the defense and skill players on offense to beat anyone in the country, as long as our OL can hold serve against the opposing front seven. I don't think we can do this against tOSU and MSU, so that puts us at two losses within the division. Even if we win every other game, that won't put us in the big ten championship game.

 

[LionDeNittany]

Anyone who expects Penn State to be in the hunt for the Big Ten Championship must have more insight into the improvements that the OL has made in the off season. I certainly am not privy to any inside info, but I remain suspect. We have the defense and skill players on offense to beat anyone in the country, as long as our OL can hold serve against the opposing front seven. I don't think we can do this against tOSU and MSU, so that puts us at two losses within the division. Even if we win every other game, that won't put us in the big ten championship game.

Agreed. Not sure what team he/she watched last season but we are still a year away from competing IMO.

LdN

 

[psugisher]

Agreed. Not sure what team he/she watched last season but we are still a year away from competing IMO.

LdN

I think "in the hunt" is the key part of the statement. If we have one loss in big ten play going into the final weekend of the season at Michigan State, I'd say we're in the hunt. Michigan State will be playing at Ohio State the weekend before us. Perfect time to get them if we're playing our best football. The game at the Shoe will just be a nice mid term exam for our team to see how we measure up against the best after 6 games. Hopefully, we're competitive and if we can hang around into the 4th quarter, I'd be happy to take my chances.

 

[BBrown]

Anyone who expects Penn State to be in the hunt for the Big Ten Championship must have more insight into the improvements that the OL has made in the off season than I do. I certainly am not privy to any inside info, but I remain suspect. We have the defense and skill players on offense to beat anyone in the country, as long as our OL can hold serve against the opposing front seven. I don't think we can do this against tOSU and MSU, so that puts us at two losses within the division. Even if we win every other game, that won't put us in the big ten championship game.

I'm one of those who believe the O-line will be better, I think the running game will be better.
Where I have some serious questions if not out right doubts its about our kicking and punting.

 

[PSUSignore]

I expect us to make several of these lists this year due to a number of factors. While my expectations are not that we will win the B1G, or even our division, this year's team has many qualities of a team that might be able to pull of some big upsets if things really come together.

1. The OL should be better with more experience. This is still a question mark, but in theory they should improve.
2. Year 2 under the same coaching staff
3. Many returning skill position players - QB, RB, WRs, TEs
4. Very strong defense
5. Highly skilled QB
6. Easy schedule. Ignoring the division games we have to play, the West division and non-conference schedule is about as easy as it gets.

Add all of those up and we have the potential to shock some people and stay in games where many might think we don't have a shot.

 

[LafayetteBear]

I don't know how you can actually "rank" how much of a surprise a team is going to be. Maybe that isn't a ranked list, though. But anyone who doesn't think Penn State will be in the hunt for the Big Ten Championship is in for a surprise. A pleasant surprise for us Penn Staters. A terrible one for the rest of the conference.

No disagreement from me on that one. I just posted it because the two teams I care about were both listed as "surprise" teams for this coming season. I sure do hope so.

PSU has, IMO, a much tougher obstacle in tOSU than Cal has in SC and Oregon. I'm just hoping that the Buckeyes have an off day when the Lions come to the Shoe. Hell, Va Tech beat tOSU,last year. That suggests to me they can be beaten.

 

[PSU1991]

Hell, Va Tech beat tOSU,last year. That suggests to me they can be beaten.

We beat OSU last year

 

[pandaczar12]

We beat OSU last year

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...ciating-mistake-in-ohio-state-penn-state-game

 

[LinebackerU]

Wait... where is Pitt? They have that wide receiver who dropped a wide open pass to win their bowl game, and some running back. Not to mention that new coach who is destined to take them to the promised land. In that easy conference, how could they not be listed?!?!?!

They'll be a victim for a team that made the list, Toledo.

 

[VaNtyLion]

Agreed. Not sure what team he/she watched last season but we are still a year away from competing IMO.

LdN

Save for @OSU and @MSU, Penn State is at worst a toss up in each of its games, so I'd wager to say that 8 or 9 wins puts them in a "surprise" category for anyone not looking at the (weak) strength of schedule and overlooking the quality of PSU's defense, which will keep us in every game.

If the OL can gel, this has a chance to be a 10 win team, assuming there are no speed bumps in the first half.....which is not a given by any means. The opponents that worry me most outside of OSU and MSU are Temple and Michigan. Temple will be an ugly opener and Michigan is a wild card under Harbaugh.

 

[joedirt47]

I'm just hoping that the Buckeyes have an off day when the Lions come to the Shoe. Hell, Va Tech beat tOSU,last year. That suggests to me they can be beaten.

We don't need them to have an off-day. We have more wins over Ohio State (2) than they do over us (1) in Columbus since 2008. 2010 was forfeited by those cheaters. And 2013 - if the refs hadn't given them the early momentum, it could become a very different game. I'm not saying we win, but you never know.

2015 - as unlikely as it sounds, I'm expecting a much more unbiased officiating crew - maybe we'll even get some calls that "magically" go our way. The B1G knows that they've screwed us for long enough, and that we aren't going to stand for it, anymore. The evidence to their conspiracy is all over the net. Hell, if someone emails a link to this forum to Delaney, he'd either S#!t himself or resign. (Or both.)

I would NOT be surprised to see something like 42-20, good guys, in Columbus this year. And for all you naysayers down on the OL, don't you think that Franklin has seen the stat that the officials don't call holding, and that he's teaching his guys to "block" more "efficiently"?

 

[BBrown]

We don't need them to have an off-day. We have more wins over Ohio State (2) than they do over us (1) in Columbus since 2008. 2010 was forfeited by those cheaters. And 2013 - if the refs hadn't given them the early momentum, it could become a very different game. I'm not saying we win, but you never know.

2015 - as unlikely as it sounds, I'm expecting a much more unbiased officiating crew - maybe we'll even get some calls that "magically" go our way. The B1G knows that they've screwed us for long enough, and that we aren't going to stand for it, anymore. The evidence to their conspiracy is all over the net. Hell, if someone emails a link to this forum to Delaney, he'd either S#!t himself or resign. (Or both.)

I would NOT be surprised to see something like 42-20, good guys, in Columbus this year. And for all you naysayers down on the OL, don't you think that Franklin has seen the stat that the officials don't call holding, and that he's teaching his guys to "block" more "efficiently"?

Well that depends on who is doing the "holding". We'll get called for it if the hand just brushes the opponents uniform.
See the "holding" penalty against us on the punt in the 2012 tOSU game.

 

[joedirt47]

Well that depends on who is doing the "holding". We'll get called for it if the hand just brushes the opponents uniform.
See the "holding" penalty against us on the punt in the 2012 tOSU game.

I must have blocked that out of my memory. I can't find a replay of it.
Besides, I still think the B1G wants to make right with Penn State, and we'll get some make-up calls for a while.

 

[Victor E. Bell]

I must have blocked that out of my memory. I can't find a replay of it.
Besides, I still think the B1G wants to make right with Penn State, and we'll get some make-up calls for a while.

With all due respect, I think there is no likelihood of this, now or ever. What evidence do you have that would lead you to even think that this is a possibility? Apologies in advance if you were trying to be ironic and it went over my head.

 

[joedirt47]

With all due respect, I think there is no likelihood of this, now or ever. What evidence do you have that would lead you to even think that this is a possibility? Apologies in advance if you were trying to be ironic and it went over my head.

If Freeh can say what he said without evidents, then I can be hopelessly optimistic without any evidents.