What the hell is he doing at WISKY.? Did he fall off the back of Campbell’s truck on the way to PSU?
He told Campbell he'd be right back, then hightailed it to Madison.
Lets discuss the Wisconsin game. Your concerns?
- Thread starter DaytonRickster
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He told Campbell he'd be right back, then hightailed it to Madison.
Fortunately - for this week at least - Wisconsin's lines (on both sides) are horrible. This is not your Father's - or Barry Alvarez's or Brett Billema's Wisconsin.
On both sides of the ball their linemen are a hodge-podge of transfers from lower level schools (including, IIRC, a starter who transferred in from a D3 school - so think Connor Barry starting at QB for PSU
). Some guys who flamed out at other programs, and young Wisconsin recruits that were neither heralded or have done anything to speak of to date.Wisconsin will win more games this year than in 2025 - because their brutal 2025 schedule has been replaced by a relatively easy 2026 conference schedule (nearly as weak as PSU's conference schedule), and their skill players are better than 2025 (and not yet injured - which has been a Wisconsin tradition for the last few years)
But this will not be an opponent that will give a good read as to whether PSU is prepared to play a good team or not.
Not saying Wisconsin couldn't possibly hang with, or even beat PSU. Only that if that happens it is an indication that PSU is not very good.
If PSU is what we generally think it is this year, the game should not be a huge hurdle.
well, they mostly have P4 bodies, you can't really make an accurate read on what psu is at this point..UW is being driven into the ground as a program by fickel but they will be a much tougher out than the three stooges psu has just played..Fortunately - for this week at least - Wisconsin's lines (on both sides) are horrible. This is not your Father's - or Barry Alvarez's or Brett Billema's Wisconsin.
On both sides of the ball their linemen are a hodge-podge of transfers from lower level schools (including, IIRC, a starter who transferred in from a D3 school - so think Connor Barry starting at QB for PSU
Wisconsin will win more games this year than in 2025 - because their brutal 2025 schedule has been replaced by a relatively easy 2026 conference schedule (nearly as weak as PSU's conference schedule), and their skill players are better than 2025 (and not yet injured - which has been a Wisconsin tradition for the last few years)
But this will not be an opponent that will give a good read as to whether PSU is prepared to play a good team or not.
Not saying Wisconsin couldn't possibly hang with, or even beat PSU. Only that if that happens it is an indication that PSU is not very good.
If PSU is what we generally think it is this year, the game should not be a huge hurdle.
No doubt - the results of games thus far tell us nothing about PSU as a team. Though you can, if you actually watch critically, get a pretty good idea for where individual players/units are at - definitely some on the PSU squad that one can feel better about (WR?) - or worse about (DT?) - after watching the first three non-competitive games.
I expect Wisconsin will be leaps and bounds more competitive (from the stand point of being able to compete athletically) in most positions than any of the previous three payday cupcakes - for sure.
Whether or not the game is competitive from a "score" standpoint remains to be seen. I do think it will be, but time will tell.
But either way - blowout, close win, or even a loss - this will tell us much more about where PSU is at. At least Wisconsin - at a minimum - has several guys who are competitive P4 level players (Do they have enough of them - particularly in the trenches? We will see. PSU has huge question marks in the trenches as well.).
None of the previous three had any of those guys - guys who can legitimately compete at a P4 level. Buffalo, in particular, had a complete roster full of guys who just did not belong on a P4 field. They had nothing. And Marshall didn't even try to compete.
Unfortunately, the biggest concern is the same as it is most other seasons: we simply do not have a lot of information because the three opponents we’ve faced were so GD terrible. It’s difficult to judge how PSU will fare against a middling B1G opponent when the only datapoints on the board are vs a bunch of high school teams.
That said, Rocco didn’t look great against the Bulls. 11-19, and his accuracy was off for most of the game. Howard has bailed him out a few times this season reeling in balls that an average receiver wouldn’t have come up with.
The ground game is a significant area of concern as it has not shown a consistent ability to grind out yardage, though Wallace and Martin have shown that they have home run potential. Campbell needs to not favor his Iowa St. players and drop Hansen down the depth chart. He’s not going to get it done against the B1G. He doesn’t have the strength to be a bruiser-style back like Kaytron, nor the speed of Carter, nor the agility to embarrass would-be tacklers like Barkley. Neither Martin nor Wallace may be the kind of RB1 that we’re used to having, but I think they’re the best available options.
The defense is even more of a concern as it has faced almost a comical degree of not being tested at all. Are we going to be able to bring any kind of pass rush against B1G opponents? Are the DBs going to be able to hang with legit college WRs?
Lots of unknowns heading into week-4.
One thing is for sure: we’ll have a better idea about where we stand after this week. Wisconsin may not be great, but they’re a legitimate B1G program. If Penn State struggles to get the win, we’re in serious trouble in two weeks.
That said, Rocco didn’t look great against the Bulls. 11-19, and his accuracy was off for most of the game. Howard has bailed him out a few times this season reeling in balls that an average receiver wouldn’t have come up with.
The ground game is a significant area of concern as it has not shown a consistent ability to grind out yardage, though Wallace and Martin have shown that they have home run potential. Campbell needs to not favor his Iowa St. players and drop Hansen down the depth chart. He’s not going to get it done against the B1G. He doesn’t have the strength to be a bruiser-style back like Kaytron, nor the speed of Carter, nor the agility to embarrass would-be tacklers like Barkley. Neither Martin nor Wallace may be the kind of RB1 that we’re used to having, but I think they’re the best available options.
The defense is even more of a concern as it has faced almost a comical degree of not being tested at all. Are we going to be able to bring any kind of pass rush against B1G opponents? Are the DBs going to be able to hang with legit college WRs?
Lots of unknowns heading into week-4.
One thing is for sure: we’ll have a better idea about where we stand after this week. Wisconsin may not be great, but they’re a legitimate B1G program. If Penn State struggles to get the win, we’re in serious trouble in two weeks.
I think Wisconsin's offense is ranked around100 of 135. It's hard to translate how any game will play out in the trenches..... I don't know if Wisky has an answer for Becht/WR/TE, running back ? notwithstanding. PSU appears to be a 10+ favorite and I would expect them to finish better than that. If PSU has trouble stopping Wisky's offense, that would not translate well for the rest of the season.
This has been a wacky season already, so like any competition, TBD. Winning is hard.
As for Hansen, just a thought. I don't think Coach Campbell brought him here to sit. I'm going to assume that he and others saw Martin and Wallace and had questions. Otherwise, why bring in Hansen and go out and pursue Peoples? Martin is unquestionably the best all around "talent." However, his slow integration into the RB rotation speaks volumes of "something is missing." We were given a "practice hint" last week. It might also be an indictment of his progress in pass protection. I think Coach wants a 3 down back. You don't want personnel packages to reveal run or pass. But for years all have obsessed over WR isn't it fun to look elsewhere for angst?
He is not as good as Quinton Martin either. Would have been rb5 here .What the hell is he doing at WISKY.
FYI Koby is fine and on the practice field this morning. Somebody on a different board put a nasty false rumor out last night to the point it got to the Wisconsin board, X, and supposedly moved some of the betting lines temporarily! That shows you how important he is to this team.
Yeah, PSU -9.5 right now. That seems pretty on-the-mark, but it speaks to a lot of what I was saying in terms of the change in competition— we were -44.5 vs Buffalo, for example.
Even a poorly rated B1G offense is a world apart from Marshall, Temple, and Buffalo.
It’s funny because I keep thinking back to last season when many of us were sounding the alarm after the OOC schedule, and we kept getting told we were crazy, and we’re just haters, and we don’t know anything about football… and then what happened?
As I said back then: no one here wants anything but success for this program. The difference is between a bunch of Mike the Mailman-types who insist Penn State is going to win by 50 over everyone, and the people that are, eeeeeeeeeeeeh… a bit more analytical. A bit more into the X’s and O’s.
I think a lot of people have raised some great points in this thread. Rocco’s arm strength was also something that had me raising an eyebrow. The quickness and penetration abilities of the DEs.
I do think Rocco is a lot more poised than Drew ever was. His mechanics are way better. He seems to react to play development better. He doesn’t panic nearly as much. His decision-making is generally better. That said, I do hope he has another gear. Thought he looked pretty solid in the first two games. Didn’t look as good last week.
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One big difference from last year:
There is NO ONE on the schedule who is even close to what Oregon and OSU and Indiana were last year. Not even close.
So that is a HUGE boost to the likely win total.
There is a very good chance that no one on the schedule is even as good as Iowa was last year (and Iowa was no world beater)
If PSU maintained the roster they had from last year (meaning, of course, after losing the guys that were moving on after running out of eligibility, but keeping the remaining roster - and recruits - intact), and was playing this schedule, the over/under on the win total for 2026 would probably be 11ish (if it was 10 1/2, I would certainly shade to the over) - and a 12-0 season wouldn't be at all an unrealistic hope. Heck, even this team could very well go into every game as a favorite.
But this is the ultimate "we'll know once they play a few more" season.
A very wide variance is possible, but losing more than 1 would be at least a bit of a missed opportunity - and at the same time one could say that given all the turnover of roster and staff, being a competitive 9-3 would make them smile.
I do not think Rocco looked bad this past game, he didn't look great but keep in mind there were a few drops that didn't help his 11-19 stat line. I think he was in the film room on Sunday going over plays he didn't look good. For example, 3rd and goal, throws into double coverage to KH when Sowell didn't have a body (PSU or Buff) it seemed like 10 yards, lol. I am wondering why we have not seen many if any stunt blitzes? Perhaps Lynn felt we can win with a basic vanilla D-fence so far? I am excited to see what this team is made of, now that conference play is here.
If we compare potential NFL talent Becht/Allar, there is no comparison. However, this isn't the NFL. Becht is a bit of a swashbuckler. I mean that in a good sense. Allar was clearly cautious to a fault and yet ironically even though he rarely turned the ball over, he did so in the most crucial games and moments.
A few weeks ago, when the pitchforks of the BWICAC were coming for me, I said the best thing about this team is the schedule. I'll stand behind that. Given everything I've seen, including depth at critical positions, playing USC's schedule or Michigan's schedule and going 8-4 would be heroic.
The way Michigan has played....USC and Washington, its difficult to make a case for a "big" game on this year's schedule.
Temple should have been a wake up call to all the unrealistic and delusional members of the fanbase that it doesn't matter who the coach is.....you don't get perfect effort/results each and every game. These players aren't computer components. Effort/focus/health and execution can vary quite a bit from week to week. This season needs to produce 10 wins and the off season needs to see an influx of $$$$,
Because #7 NIL in the conference and the schedules coming in 27-28 is that train coming down the tracks. A decisive win on Saturday is the first big step in that double digit win goal. I've watched to Wisconsin games, and PSU has more talent and home field advantage.
I think 10-2 (with the caveat ...barring catastrophic injury) is neccessay to consider this a good season.
Outside of USC, Michigan and Washington (and none of them are frightening) PSU pretty much plays from mid level conference opponents on down to the bottom. You beat the teams "without a pulse" and beat one team that will finish with 8 or 9 wins.
It used to be trolls did that to get their jollies. Now they are changing betting lines.
I guess I’m saying I have no concerns “with Wisconsin”.
Your point is valid but I don’t see Wisconsin as being a “close” game
Jees, You really don't respect Wisconsin. Their fight song is "On Wisconsin", not "with Wisconsin".
Koby being out would not move a betting line especially on Monday. When the Leavitt rumor broke last week the line only moved a half point to a point.
I think this will be a great test coming out of the noncon aka cupcake city.
Plenty of concerns, no doubt:
How do we generate a pass rush? Bacon has been non-existent since week 1 and Lynn's blitz packages haven't made it home. With Granville out, who has any individual pass rush ability? Nobody I have seen.
Is the run-game going to show up in BIG play? Blocking was a concern at times but the RBs have struggled as well. My vote would be to give your two best athletes the ball the most. But I do like Hansen in short yardage. It's hurt us the most in the red zone. Becht is probably going to have to give us something here.
Areas I feel good about vs Wisky:
I think we match up well with our defense vs. their offense. This isn't your typical Alvarez/Wisky offense. Their OL isn't as good as year's past. Their RB will be back and he's good. But they have a running QB and they love going 3-4 WR. With Rojas and Ebel, I think we have the speed to keep them in check. Our pass rush hasn't been able to get home but it hasn't hurt us in the pass game yet because our DBs have played so well. I think we can lock them down.
Never thought I'd say this - but I think we have too many weapons in the pass game for Wisky to keep us contained for long. I like having Becht's experience + Howard, Brahmer, Rapp, Sewell. A point I made above - I think Becht was told no contact during the first 3 games of the season and I fully expect to see him tucking and running significantly more now. He had something like 19 rushing TDs in his time at ISU.
Nits 28-17.
Plenty of concerns, no doubt:
How do we generate a pass rush? Bacon has been non-existent since week 1 and Lynn's blitz packages haven't made it home. With Granville out, who has any individual pass rush ability? Nobody I have seen.
Is the run-game going to show up in BIG play? Blocking was a concern at times but the RBs have struggled as well. My vote would be to give your two best athletes the ball the most. But I do like Hansen in short yardage. It's hurt us the most in the red zone. Becht is probably going to have to give us something here.
Areas I feel good about vs Wisky:
I think we match up well with our defense vs. their offense. This isn't your typical Alvarez/Wisky offense. Their OL isn't as good as year's past. Their RB will be back and he's good. But they have a running QB and they love going 3-4 WR. With Rojas and Ebel, I think we have the speed to keep them in check. Our pass rush hasn't been able to get home but it hasn't hurt us in the pass game yet because our DBs have played so well. I think we can lock them down.
Never thought I'd say this - but I think we have too many weapons in the pass game for Wisky to keep us contained for long. I like having Becht's experience + Howard, Brahmer, Rapp, Sewell. A point I made above - I think Becht was told no contact during the first 3 games of the season and I fully expect to see him tucking and running significantly more now. He had something like 19 rushing TDs in his time at ISU.
Nits 28-17.
I'm more concerned with contain which IMO hasn't been the best so far this year.
We can't let Wisky's QB run around like Smolick did or it will make the game much more difficult. I'm expecting a low scoring game at least into the late 3rd and maybe 4th quarter. In those types of games a running QB is often a difference maker. I can't wait to see what Lynn draws up for this one given what Smolick did.
There may be a period of adjustment for PSU fans wrt expectations of what a defense looks like.
D'Anton Lynn's defenses have been VERY "non-aggressive" in his tenure as a DC (or, at the least, very "non big play producing")- pretty much 180 degrees opposite of what PSU fans saw with Manny The Hair, who thought every down should be defensed with some type of attempt to disrupt (which worked a lot - but on occasion spectacularly backfired, ie Michigan 2023).
Lynn Defenses:
Very few Tackles for Loss, Sacks, Pass Break Ups and Turnovers - very few of what BGJ might have referred to as "splash plays" on defense.
Lynn has always - so far in his career - been much more "Contain" vs "Attack" (FWIW, that was also the case at Iowa State under their old DC there, for the most part).
Some of that may have been tailoring by Lynn to his available personnel - but no way of knowing for sure.
D'Anton Lynn's defenses have been VERY "non-aggressive" in his tenure as a DC (or, at the least, very "non big play producing")- pretty much 180 degrees opposite of what PSU fans saw with Manny The Hair, who thought every down should be defensed with some type of attempt to disrupt (which worked a lot - but on occasion spectacularly backfired, ie Michigan 2023).
Lynn Defenses:
Very few Tackles for Loss, Sacks, Pass Break Ups and Turnovers - very few of what BGJ might have referred to as "splash plays" on defense.
Lynn has always - so far in his career - been much more "Contain" vs "Attack" (FWIW, that was also the case at Iowa State under their old DC there, for the most part).
Some of that may have been tailoring by Lynn to his available personnel - but no way of knowing for sure.
Uh-oh, looks like insiders were wrong. Campbell just confirmed today that Koby is dealing with an injury he sustained during the Buffalo game and his status for the Wisconsin game is unknown. They’re evaluating him in practice this weekto see if he’s gonna be able to go on Saturday.
This game will reveal much about this team. I'll be listening to the radio broadcast.
Yeah, it was interesting that even true insiders did not know. Hopefully we no longer run that play to Koby anymore when he is healthy. That is a lot of risk, especially when you are up by a lot to Buffalo. I noticed at that time he kind of thudded to the ground when he crossed the goal line but he bounced back up.
Sowell and Zay Robinson need to step up now. I would keep Koby out until Michigan to get him completely healthy. We should still be able to win the next two games without him. Final score may just be a bit closer than we would like.Lets just hope it is nothing serious and he will be able to play. Either way, someone needs to step up.
USC is before the MeCheatAgain game. I believe they would opt to sideline him the next two weeks to get him ready for USC. Who knows, he might be able to play against Wisky but they might keep him out for precautionary reasons and check back for the NW game and let him take a few snaps, or non at all to make sure he's 100% for USC.
I thought they said he could have come back in the game on Saturday. Maybe "questionable" means they can play but can we win without them.
If the the spread was 10.5 and Howard is out, I'd say he's easily worth half a TD on that spread. Through 3 games, he's been our best player and one of the nation's most explosive WRs.
Sorry, you are right that I flipped those two big games in my head. USC is going to be a tough high scoring game. NW may be a sneaky tough game as well with that game being the opener for their new stadium. The next 4 games each have their challenges. Despite the easy ooc schedule, we certainly have been impacted by injuries.
Have your "insiders" ever been correct about anything? At a rate better than throwing darts?
Lynn does stunts. We saw it against Marshall. I am hypothesizing that since Granville went down, he ran all straight-line rushes to put on film who the best pass rushers will be going forward. I fully expect that we’ll get back to running stunts.
We schemed contain against Marshall’s QB who is a running QB and they performed very, very well. We didn’t scheme it against Smolik because he’s not a running QB. Once he ripped off the big run, we saw the defense shift and he wasn’t really able to do it again.
It depends on who is throwing the darts.
Not “my” insiders but those on other boards who are often right.
What we have this weekend is a game in which Lynn's defense is going to have to show up.
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