My guts were ripped out at the debacle of PSU falling to OSU when for the second year in a row, we turned victory into defeat. The last play was poor, we all know that. But why was the defense not prepared for the screen plays? Anyone who watched OSU saw the screen play in previous games. And, why was the tackling horrendous? This was not the first game where there were a host of missed tackles. I am sorry, but this one really got to me. It reminded me of Joe getting beat by Bear Bryant in '78. The coaches need to teach how to finish a game and how to tackle. And Pry better game himself better prepared so he can better prepare the defense. Sorry to be a downer. But the end of the 4th quarter was an embarrassment.
When will I stop hoping?
- Thread starter DrJC
- Start date
All that was terrible. Still we win if McSorley just ran instead of throwing beyond the LOS
Boy, that’s what we needed, another post about OSU.
Yes, because undefeated seasons are the norm for elite teams like, Ala....um, Clems....um, Ohio Sta....oh, never mind.
Teams going undefeated in fbs is almost rare as seeing a unicorn. They will bounce back just fine. Though this year we might just see one or two.
If you were Japanese, there would be only one answer to this question.
Wow. Of all the plays or players to call out, you pick the player that carried the team the entire game. Alrighty then.
Don't see that as "calling him out". Simply saying in a one point game, you can point to 4 or 5 plays that, had they gone differently, maybe change the outcome.
That was certainly one of them.
Tackling is my pet peeve also. But I am becoming resigned to the possibility that the way teams now tackle (not just PSU) is actually the way they are coached - don't wrap up, just throw a shoulder and hope you knock the ball carrier off balance. Sort of like decrying the increase in strike outs in baseball. While it is not what I consider acceptable, that battle is lost and teams no longer care. Same with tackling...
Givens was gassed. The backup DTs are works in progress. The teenagers in the secondary couldn't handle the moment and started playing in ways that they are certainly not coached to play. These were serious mental errors that I'm OK hand waving away as guys experiencing big time pressure for the first time and not being able to handle it. Those last couple drives from OSU had a bunch of junk plays and bad throws that miraculously turned into monster gains. Big picture there were mostly positives to take from that game. The boys played hard as hell and looked good doing it for 90% of the game. I have faith that they will be better equipped mentally to deal with the stress the next time it happens now that they've experienced it.
Yeah, that's the play that cost us the game. Not the 4 or 5 dropped balls or anything on defense, just that bad decision by Trace.
I must be old then, cause here I thought something like 4 plays up the middle circa 1979 cost us games, not a qb having one of the greatest performances in our history, and trying to make yet another big time play.
I played football at a very high level and also coached defense for many years at a name recognized western PA school. Teams - HS, College, Pro no longer really practice tackling like the 'old days'. Just the nature of CTE and safety. You still get head hits due to the speed and dynamic nature of the game but rarely planned hits.
If trace keeps the ball onthat illegal forward pass Penn state probably wins the game. Nothing you said changes that fact. Sorry.
Check the tape. McSorley would have maybe gained 5 yards before having to deal with 3 OSU defenders (Borland filling the alley with leverage on outside from corner who was coming up and inside from flowing line backer). It was first down. He moved up in pocket and chose to throw to what appeared to be a wide open receiver instead of a 5 yd run. I don’t think anyone who understands the game of football would fault him for that decision. Now, going over the line was on him. That said, we would have actually gotten more penalty yards for the pass interference had Trace been behind the line when he threw.
If is the biggest word in the dictionary. Do you want to go back to time and think about all the ifs in penn state history and what could and might've been?
Of all the miscues in that game, why are you fixating on that one play and player?
Speaking of "if's"....if we come up with enough reasons how we could have won the game will the NCAA eventually change the L to a W?
This would be an excellent question to ask CJF at his Tuesday PC, how the staff teaches open field tackling, but nobody in that room even thinks that way to ask that question. They’re too immersed in groupthink with the “talk about what [insert name] leadership means to the team”
Someone else brought it up first and I commented. If someone mentions chocolate in a post and I comment that I also like chocolate it doesn’t mean I’m fixated on chocolate out of all of the foods. The game was full of moments where if one goes differently Penn state probably wins. Does that make you feel better?
You and the other poster chose to comment on it, rather than other aspects of the game, this was your focus. So your point here about chocolate et al is seemingly pointless.
Now I feel better.
When faced with life toughest questions, I find it helpful to turn to Burt Bacharach & Hal David for the answers. Wishin' and hopin' and thinkin' and prayin' won't get it done. Neither will plannin' and dreamin'. It's all about the holdin' and kissin' and lovin' and showin' that you care. And yes, how you wear your hair is important as well.
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