ECU was ranked when temple beat them last year... And PSU beat OSU? news to me. The box score says otherwise. Get over it, you lost to OSU when they played their worst game of the year. I'll remember you if you come into my OR for any reason needing treatment, or should I say basket weaving studio
Temple Game Early Thoughts
- Thread starter stneumann83
- Start date
Bottom line if we lose everyone will say the same old a Temple no big deal BUT if you lose well I'll let you figure that out for yourself but I think you get the idea fair gambit .
Mike you need to simmer down. If you haven't noticed a lot of people here think temple will be very challenging. However you also need to respect a team that has dominated a series for nearly 74 years. That's a long time. I will be at the Link along with a crowd that will probably number 80% penn state fans. And while I do not think this game will be a blow out, I do believe that penn state will beat temple in a close matchup. For a team that was playing with just 45 scholarship players at the end of the season, a win to start the season over a solid temple team would make me very happy. Plus I do think this will be a good prep for an early test against rutgers as I do believe temple this year is better than rutgers.
Experience is important for both squads. Last year PSU was lacking experience along the OLine and WR corps. Our best blocking RB went down for the season, I think it was on the first play of season, and if you think an inexperienced OL, WR, and losing your best blocking back doesn't impact your offense... well... find another sport to be a fan of, please.
We are now slated to have one of the best, deepest, WR corps in The BIG, and a very good stable of RB (Lynch has said to have made leaps and strides in improving his blocking). The ONLY 'weak-link' on the OL at this point is LT, and you can help that situation by putting a TE next to him, or shifting the RB to that side. Hack has lost some weight, and gained some mobility. We also only saw @ 40% of the offensive playbook last season due to the OL issues, losing Zwinak and the WRs not having the experience in system.
PSU returns one of the best DL in the country, AND the secondary could well be the best PSU has ever put on the field. 2 years ago PSU fielded what could go down as the worst PSU defense in PSU's modern history. In < 8 months Franklin and Hand turned that same unit into the 2nd best Defense in the country... and they return nearly everyone and those starters not returning are being replaced by players with game time experience, and not much drop off in talent.
What does this all translate into? Who knows... they haven't played a snap yet. But on paper... this PSU team could be darned fun to watch.
PSU 42 - Temple 10
We are now slated to have one of the best, deepest, WR corps in The BIG, and a very good stable of RB (Lynch has said to have made leaps and strides in improving his blocking). The ONLY 'weak-link' on the OL at this point is LT, and you can help that situation by putting a TE next to him, or shifting the RB to that side. Hack has lost some weight, and gained some mobility. We also only saw @ 40% of the offensive playbook last season due to the OL issues, losing Zwinak and the WRs not having the experience in system.
PSU returns one of the best DL in the country, AND the secondary could well be the best PSU has ever put on the field. 2 years ago PSU fielded what could go down as the worst PSU defense in PSU's modern history. In < 8 months Franklin and Hand turned that same unit into the 2nd best Defense in the country... and they return nearly everyone and those starters not returning are being replaced by players with game time experience, and not much drop off in talent.
What does this all translate into? Who knows... they haven't played a snap yet. But on paper... this PSU team could be darned fun to watch.
PSU 42 - Temple 10
A couple of grumpy Temple fans trying to bait people here -- glad to see they're not succeeding.
As others have pointed out, there is very healthy respect here for the Temple team - and I suspect the PSU coaches and players are equally respectful. I suspect we will see how respectful they are in a couple of weeks when PSU comes to Philadelphia well prepared with an aggressive game plan.
Even for those of us who follow PSU closely, it is impossible to know what this team is going to look like because there are so many young talented players who are potentially stars once they really gell and get their confidence. We don't know who but there are plenty of candidates.
It's funny the one Temple fan seems to think the defense will fall apart because Mike Hull graduated. I suppose if you're a Temple fan you could think that way. But we PSU fans have seen Poz, Sean Lee, Odrick, Bowman, Jordan Hill graduate and the defense keeps on looking like a PSU defense. Yes we will miss Mike Hull but I suspect Cabinda brings a lot to the table.
Speaking of confidence, I'm actually pretty confident Franklin is going to be a good coach, not just a good recruiter. Coaching is really just about outworking the other team's coaches. And we know what an incredibly hard worker Franklin is and how that extends to his staff.
The defensive coaching under Franklin looks superb. Maybe it's going to be even better than the previous regime. The PSU offensive coaching did not look good at times last year, but they had an incredibly undermanned OL, banged up QB and tailbacks, inexperienced TE and wideouts -- and plus everybody is in the first year of a new offensive coaching scheme. This year they won't have nearly so many things working against them.
I think Franklin is going to have quality offensive coaching one way or another because he knows it is essential. He will simply hold everybody to a high standard. And in that respect he might be a a little different from Paterno. Never again will Penn State have to win games only with defense.
As others have pointed out, there is very healthy respect here for the Temple team - and I suspect the PSU coaches and players are equally respectful. I suspect we will see how respectful they are in a couple of weeks when PSU comes to Philadelphia well prepared with an aggressive game plan.
Even for those of us who follow PSU closely, it is impossible to know what this team is going to look like because there are so many young talented players who are potentially stars once they really gell and get their confidence. We don't know who but there are plenty of candidates.
It's funny the one Temple fan seems to think the defense will fall apart because Mike Hull graduated. I suppose if you're a Temple fan you could think that way. But we PSU fans have seen Poz, Sean Lee, Odrick, Bowman, Jordan Hill graduate and the defense keeps on looking like a PSU defense. Yes we will miss Mike Hull but I suspect Cabinda brings a lot to the table.
Speaking of confidence, I'm actually pretty confident Franklin is going to be a good coach, not just a good recruiter. Coaching is really just about outworking the other team's coaches. And we know what an incredibly hard worker Franklin is and how that extends to his staff.
The defensive coaching under Franklin looks superb. Maybe it's going to be even better than the previous regime. The PSU offensive coaching did not look good at times last year, but they had an incredibly undermanned OL, banged up QB and tailbacks, inexperienced TE and wideouts -- and plus everybody is in the first year of a new offensive coaching scheme. This year they won't have nearly so many things working against them.
I think Franklin is going to have quality offensive coaching one way or another because he knows it is essential. He will simply hold everybody to a high standard. And in that respect he might be a a little different from Paterno. Never again will Penn State have to win games only with defense.
When the sanctions broke, their message board was worst then the Pitt board. I have no love for Temple and will always remember that.
The season is over, rankings during the season are now meaningless. Are you new to the world of CFB? I guess you didn't watch the PSU/OSU game, if you want to catch up, Google "Ohio State Officiating mistakes". More proof you aren't paying attention? Ohio State's worst game of the season was clearly Virginia Tech.
Don't hold your breath for me to come to your area and visit your basket weaving studio. Apparently you are new the internet, your fake job doesn't impress anyone. Hell, I'm the President!
I'll be waiting for you to come back after the game to eat crow.
IF Miketb31 is a doctor I'm sure his patients would love to know he is posting on message forums while they are waiting in the waiting room...
We need to keep him tied up here, since we know he is a moron and people in that OR could get hurt if he shows up for work. Or at least as hurt as an orderly/food service guy can make you.
First, I'm looking forward to the game, and I'm enjoying the conversation leading up to it... I just wanted to make one point. Temple typically draws and average of 24K per game. If the Notre Dame and PSU games average 55,000 attendance then Temple is averaging 18,333 per game attendance out of the gate. Add an average of 24K attendance for the other games and they have an average per game attendance of 34,333 (with 110000 tickets at double the price they normally charge). Putting PSU on the schedule, financially anyway, was pretty smart. Lose those 2 games (for arguments sake), win the conference title and I would say its a pretty successful year all around.
[QUOTE="lionroar88, post: 413916, member: 460"
We are now slated to have one of the best, deepest, WR corps in The BIG, and a very good stable of RB (Lynch has said to have made leaps and strides in improving his blocking).
The ONLY 'weak-link' on the OL at this point is LT, and you can help that situation by putting a TE next to him, or shifting the RB to that side.
I think the problem is more than just one of the 5 spots. Hopefully these guys improved and Reihner can make a contribution.
Hack has lost some weight, and gained some mobility. We also only saw @ 40% of the offensive playbook last season due to the OL issues, losing Zwinak and the WRs not having the experience in system.
That shouldn't have been the problem during the second half of the season when we lost to Maryland and Illinois. I do expect to see Hack improve.
PSU returns one of the best DL in the country,
The DTs should be excellent but we are replacing both DEs. No way can you call them one of the best in the country at this point.
AND the secondary could well be the best PSU has ever put on the field.
Better than Isom, Cobbs, Perry, Robinson, etc? Lucas is on the pre season all B1G team but he's the only one to make Phil Steele's 4 deep team. I think they'll be good but the best ever?
PSU 42 - Temple 10
PSU was LAST in the B1G for scoring offense averaging only 20 pts per game. They only led Temple by a score of 6-3 at half last year and Temple returns almost all of their defense. This year's game is away from home and we don't know if we have a kicking game.
PSU 20 - Temple 10
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I love your optimism but I think it's a bit over the top. Best DL in the country? Best team secondary in history? I don't think so. See my comments above.
We are now slated to have one of the best, deepest, WR corps in The BIG, and a very good stable of RB (Lynch has said to have made leaps and strides in improving his blocking).
The ONLY 'weak-link' on the OL at this point is LT, and you can help that situation by putting a TE next to him, or shifting the RB to that side.
I think the problem is more than just one of the 5 spots. Hopefully these guys improved and Reihner can make a contribution.
Hack has lost some weight, and gained some mobility. We also only saw @ 40% of the offensive playbook last season due to the OL issues, losing Zwinak and the WRs not having the experience in system.
That shouldn't have been the problem during the second half of the season when we lost to Maryland and Illinois. I do expect to see Hack improve.
PSU returns one of the best DL in the country,
The DTs should be excellent but we are replacing both DEs. No way can you call them one of the best in the country at this point.
AND the secondary could well be the best PSU has ever put on the field.
Better than Isom, Cobbs, Perry, Robinson, etc? Lucas is on the pre season all B1G team but he's the only one to make Phil Steele's 4 deep team. I think they'll be good but the best ever?
PSU 42 - Temple 10
PSU was LAST in the B1G for scoring offense averaging only 20 pts per game. They only led Temple by a score of 6-3 at half last year and Temple returns almost all of their defense. This year's game is away from home and we don't know if we have a kicking game.
PSU 20 - Temple 10
[/QUOTE]
I love your optimism but I think it's a bit over the top. Best DL in the country? Best team secondary in history? I don't think so. See my comments above.
Marcus Allen is underrated by most, a few are predicting he'll have a massive breakout year. I count myself in that group. I think he's the best safety in the Big Ten. I agree that when it is all said and done we'll look back at this secondary as one of the best ever.
I also believe Sickels is star in the making. I think he will be better than either DE who left (sorry Deon).
That is one of the main points I think is lost in all of this. The talent level of the guys who are up and coming is higher than at any point in the last decade for us. These are guys who were sought after by the OSU's, and Bamas of the world. They are star caliber players. Temple doesn't recruit like that. I like the comment above "How many of Temple's starters could start for Penn State?"
bdgan - I'll stand by my statements, if I am wrong I am man enough to admit it. At this point, I think I am dead on. Sickels and Nassib were excellent when they came in last season. They didn't start, but there was little to no drop off when they came in. With Zettel and Johnson anchoring the line, there is no reason to believe we won't be as good, if not somewhat better this season. Also, the more experienced secondary WILL lessen the load on the line, and Wartman in the middle with Kline backing him up does not worry me in the least, esp with Bell and Cabinda on the sides.
The kicking game concerns me a little, but I think the Offense is going to be so much more improved that we'll be seeing the end-zone with more regularity than last season and not relying on 4+ FGs to win games.
The kicking game concerns me a little, but I think the Offense is going to be so much more improved that we'll be seeing the end-zone with more regularity than last season and not relying on 4+ FGs to win games.
I'm wondering if we see Zettle move out to DE occasionally, to just really screw with their offense?
Don't think so. The DEs we have possess the talent, size, speed to keep him inside.
Looking at the schedule, I'd rate Temple better than Army & Buffalo and *maybe* better than Rutgers (new QB and a couple of new OLs s nothing to sniff at) and SDSU. They couldn't stop our poor running game last year and their offense was truly awful against our defense. We will roll this team. Again.
Maybe better than Rutgers? There is no question that Temple is better than Rutgers.
Allen was very impressive, particularly in his debut vs. Ohio State. I have high hopes for him but I think it's way too early to call our secondary the best ever at PSU. Sickels played well in limited action last year but nothing to make me think he'll be a star this fall. He's only a RS sophomore and I'm optimistic that he'll develop into a fine DE in time. He's paired up with a walk-on (Nassib) at the other DE position so it's pretty difficult to say that PSU has one of the best DLs in the country.
PSU obviously has higher caliber recruits than Temple. But that doesn't mean that PSU sophomores are better than Temple seniors. Temple's 1st team depth chart shows 6 seniors and 5 juniors on offense, and 6 seniors, 5 juniors, and only 1 sophomore on defense.
Next year Temple loses those seniors when they travel to Beaver Stadium. I expect a huge win for PSU next year but I'd be very happy with a 10 point win this year.
Temple managed I believe 8 first downs against us last year. Rutgers' offense struggled also and I expect them to be worse this year, but based on what I saw against our team, RU does have a better defense than temple IMO.
There is no question that ____________is better than Rutgers. ***
***NOTE: Insert the name of any FBS school, other than Rutgers, to correctly complete the sentence.
Why are you unfairly limiting this to just FBS schools? There certainly are FCS schools that are better than Rutgers. For example... all of them.
That's a good point, but some people think I pick on Rutgers too much, and they are, after all, our BIGGEST RIVAL. I was just trying to give them a little love.
That's a good point, but some people think I pick on Rutgers too much, and they are, after all, our BIGGEST RIVAL. I was just trying to give them a little love.
I agree, we do have to give Rutgers a little love now and again. There are teams that they are better than, such as Oklahoma Panhandle State University, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, and Pitt. I can admit that.
Temple's O is bad? So you're judgement is solely based on last season? Good....I hope PSU players do the same.
seem to recall it was a 7 point game headed into the 4th.. against a team ravaged by injuries. a bad interception by a beleaguered QB trying to do too much sealed their fate.
maybe we beat them handily. i highly doubt it.
that said, i sure as hell hope we win 35-10, not 24-20. still expect something like 20-13 late and we get a TD that puts it away late... 27-13.
The more I think about this game the more I don't see how realistically Temple is going to stay in it. Our defense is incredibly talented and coached by the best coordinator in the country. Frankly the only way it is close is if the offensive line doesn't improve at all. If we can run the ball then good luck Temple bc we are loaded with skill players that can make big plays. Not to mention if Christian Hackenberg is going to the a top pick next year he better damn well be able to put a beating on Temple, I don't care if they are the best Temple team ever.
Our kicking game may be suspect but expect special teams in particular to be vastly improved. Stock pile of top talent just itching to get their feet wet. A punt or kickoff return or two, a forced fumble, Temple falls behind, and their QB loses his marbles again. PSU crowd goes bonkers in what becomes a statement game. It can easily happen.
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Temple fans, for the most part, aren't assuming that we'll beat Penn State on 9/5. We think it will be a close game that could go either way, as do most of the informed posters on this site.Mike, you're a Temple troll and I usually don't even respond, but I took the bait. I have a weakness sometimes. This will be my final statement. You can respond if you choose but I will not be here to see it. Penn State will dominate Temple because we have better players. We will win easily, by 21 or more. You can run your mouth all you want until the game. I suspect you will slink away silently afterward. Peace.
You, however, are stating that PSU will win by 21 or more, which is absolutely absurd. You're setting youself up to look like a fool, regardless of who wins the game.
Kicking game makes me a little nervous. Was watching a practice video from camp and big toe pushed two field goals way far right. Just makes me uneasy. Hope they iron out the kinks by September 5th.
I won't look like a fool if we win by 21 or more and I honestly believe we will. I would be a fool if I tempered my prediction because it might offend some Temple troll. To be absolutely honest, I really don't give a rat's ass as long as we win. We are not going to play for a National Championship this year so the margin of victory is meaningless. I will add that once the game is over, no one, other than a few thousand Temple fans, will give a crap about Temple until the Owls provide cannon fodder for Notre Dame later in the season.
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You're stating that you're going to beat one of the toughest opponents on your schedule this year (according to ESPN) by more than 3 touchdowns, and yet you're not going to play for an NC?
You can't have it both ways. If you're going to make ridiculous predictions, just go all the way with it bro!
The bottom line is that, unlike the more informed posters here, you know absolutely NOTHING about what's changed for TU vs. last year. As such, you're in no position to make any prediction on this game at all.
You're simply throwing stuff up against the wall, hoping it sticks. The worst kind of fan there is: completely uninformed, but still insists on being the loudest person in the room.
Link? The only teams I comfortable saying that Temple is definitely better than are Army, San Diego St, and Buffalo.
You're letting your anger get the better of you. The statement that Temple is, according to ESPN, "one of the toughest opponents" for PSU this year is virtually meaningless. Penn State fans readily acknowledge we play a cream puff schedule this year, with only 2 top-25 caliber opponents. So it's not inconceivable at all, and certainly not irrational or ridiculous, for a Penn State fan to believe each of these statements: i) Temple is among the 4 or 5 best teams we will play this year; ii) we will beat Temple by 21+ points; and iii) we will not play for a national championship this season. There is no inherent inconsistency in those statements, and they certainly don't give you grounds to say that fairgambit is completely uninformed.
Personally, I don't adhere to those opinions. I tend to put more faith in Phil Steele than ESPN when it comes to assessing the strengths of different teams, so I would argue that Temple is in the middle of the pack of all our 2015 opponents (per Mr. Steele, only Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Buffalo and Army are worse, while OSU, MSU, Michigan, San Diego St., Northwestern and Rutgers are better). And I'm not inclined to think we will beat Temple by 21+ points, although I can certainly see that happening if the breaks go our way.
To be fair, ESPN ranks Temple higher in their Power Index than Illinois, Northwestern, Maryland, Indiana and Rutgers, in addition to the three you named.
At least 2 linemen better than any on our roster?
Quicker defense?
Best MLB in the country?
Better TE"s?
Wow. sounds like you have a team of #1 draft choices, because NFL scouts have suggested that we have two DT's that will be drafted in the first 3 rounds at the worst. LB's that will play on Sundays. A couple of TE's that were highly recruited and likely to play on Sundays. On and on.
Sounds like Rhule is doing a decent job at Temple. If he was doing an outstanding job he would have already moved on to a power 5 conference school.
I know the water in Philly can do bad things to one's brain cells, but you must be on another cool aid as well.
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