Fascinating Campbell comment

[BCS PSU]

Actually like the guy. But there was nothing wrong with our history under BOB or wait for it… gasp Franklin.

While I generally agree with you about Franklin, just like the Steelers with Tomlin, it definitely was time for a change both for him and PSU as things clearly were getting stale under him and, IMO, he probably had taken PSU as far as he was going to take them, which was good to very good but not championship level,

I have no idea if Campbell will take the next step, but I believe that he’ll infuse the program with some much needed energy, but he’ll have to win at a high pace to keep up that energy.

 

[bbrown]

While I generally agree with you about Franklin, just like the Steelers with Tomlin, it definitely was time for a change both for him and PSU as things clearly were getting stale under him and, IMO, he probably had taken PSU as far as he was going to take them, which was good to very good but not championship level,

I have no idea if Campbell will take the next step, but I believe that he’ll infuse the program with some much needed energy, but he’ll have to win at a high pace to keep up that energy.

Absolutely. I love the things I’m reading about his staff.

 

[LMTLION]

While I generally agree with you about Franklin, just like the Steelers with Tomlin, it definitely was time for a change both for him and PSU as things clearly were getting stale under him and, IMO, he probably had taken PSU as far as he was going to take them, which was good to very good but not championship level,

I have no idea if Campbell will take the next step, but I believe that he’ll infuse the program with some much needed energy, but he’ll have to win at a high pace to keep up that energy.

We have to win 8 games during the regular season to show progress from 2025 and give hope to the fanbase, but we probably need 9 wins to your point to keep up that initial energy and mojo. I personally see us winning 10 games. This team really does not have weaknesses in any position group and is much deeper than the last few years (even the playoff year), but it also does not have any currently apparent superstars on offense like a Tyler Warren, Saquon or Godwin. Warren made a 7 or 8 win roster into an 11 win team in 2024 and Barkley was similarly worth at least an extra 3+ wins in each of his final 2 seasons. I do believe Becht will be at least as good as Cliff or Trace and the OL is better than we have seen in a long time. It will be an interesting season!

 

[PSUFTG]

I generally like Campbell - from what I have seen.

But that is absolute Kamala Harris-worthy word salad.

Where is there a lick of sense in any of that? How would "give the fan base and this university a team that can represent the history of this place the right way" manifest itself?

If he wanted to say "We will play good solid football" - or something like that? Just say that.
Or say something that isn't meaningless word salad. Or don't say anything. But don't degrade into nitwittery.

 

[PSUFTG]

Home Run Hire

Let‘s all give Kraft the credit that he deserves.

"Moonshot"

 

[Marshall2323]

I believe over time Coach Campbell will develop the relationships in Pennsylvania that will yield the Lions share of home state recruits. Do you like how I did that?

I wonder how much of recruiting is about relationships in today's college football gold rush. Top 20 money will yield top 20 talent. Didn't PSU pay Terry Smith more money than any position coach in America to (at least partially) provide continuity in recruiting the region? Wouldn't you agree that the most visible losses and flips were about money?

 

[Marshall2323]

Lighten up Francis!

LOL, couldn't be enjoying this any more. How about you? On the eve of experiencing excellence at the highest level and finally a team that can represent the history of this university the right way. Is that 1982 history? Or the history of the past 30 years?

 

[Marshall2323]

12-0 or bust

The biggest strength of this team is its schedule. I'd like some honest participants here to estimate the season record if PSU had Ohio State's Schedule (Texas, Indiana, Michigan, USC, Oregon). Or Michigan's schedule (Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana, Oklahoma).
It's easy to approach a season with confidence when you have 9 teams "without a pulse" and 3 teams you claim are big games but all could have 3 or more losses at season's end. I'll wait for history to repeat itself in 2027-28.
Keep in mind, I've maintained for years that every win is to be celebrated. But, I've converted to the BWICAC philosophy and I'm only counting "big game" wins. Cue the popcorn.

 

[Marshall2323]

any loss with no big game on the schedule would not be acceptable

12-0 is the floor

If you look at their respective schedules, USC, Michigan and Washington could all suffer 3 or more losses this season. If so, 10-2 could be left out of the playoffs

 

[Marshall2323]

Not taking into account possible injuries for the opponents, PSU most likely will be a solid underdog against Washington and Michigan because those games are on the road and against USC because they probably have the best qb that PSU will face.

Washington plays USC before they play PSU. They finish the season with Indiana and Oregon back to back.
Not even counting Iowa as a difficult game, Washington is a 3 loss team minimum.
USC has a 3 week vacation of Oregon, Washington then at PSU. Seriously, did Pat Kraft design the conference schedule?
Beating Michigan in the Big House would be an achievement, even if this year's Michigan team won't be one that will represent the history of that fanbase or university properly (whatever that means)!

 

[BobPSU92]

We’re already hating on Campbell. He hasn’t even done anything yet.

Oh, right. He hasn‘t done anything yet.

 

[PSUHarry]

Or he could wait until he beats an Oregon or Ohio State and then explain that he is gratified to give "the university and fan base" the kind of team it's history deserves. I think the expression here is "we beat the teams without a pulse." I don't think beating Marshall, Wisconsin and Maryland is what he was brought in here to do. Penn State has beaten Washington (a first half blowout) and USC (away). Perhaps beating Michigan in the big house is his opportunity to boast.

I think Maryland game will be interesting with their QB and our secondary.

 

[PSUHarry]

He wasn’t the flashiest hire (many of us wanted Elko or Deboer,) but I really believe he was the best hire for this program. He gets us back to our roots where we have the most strength.

I need you to explain to me how those roots help us win in today’s college football.

 

[PSUHarry]

They have an easy schedule. I’m loss to usc(I may drive up to this) beat Michigan, lose a stupidly one bottom of first round bracket WIN then smoked

How do you feel about our talent level and depth when you look at the roster overall?

 

[PSUHarry]

He's a big time USC homer. He desperately hopes they compete for the natty. Blowhard USC fanboy is what he is.

That offense is no joke. We will see if they tackle. We will need to beat them in a shoot out. Not confident about our secondary against that QB and their WRs.

 

[Alphalion75]

I wonder how much of recruiting is about relationships in today's college football gold rush. Top 20 money will yield top 20 talent. Didn't PSU pay Terry Smith more money than any position coach in America to (at least partially) provide continuity in recruiting the region? Wouldn't you agree that the most visible losses and flips were about money?

I believe recruiting success is now a combination of money and relationships.

 

[PSUHarry]

I generally like Campbell - from what I have seen.

But that is absolute Kamala Harris-worthy word salad.

Where is there a lick of sense in any of that? How would "give the fan base and this university a team that can represent the history of this place the right way" manifest itself?

If he wanted to say "We will play good solid football" - or something like that? Just say that.
Or say something that isn't meaningless word salad. Or don't say anything. But don't degrade into nitwittery.

Maybe us a used car salesman like the last guy?

 

[Nitt1300]

I believe recruiting success is now a combination of money and relationships.

with money being 80% or more of it

 

[UncleRoyBiggins]

We’re already hating on Campbell. He hasn’t even done anything yet.

Oh, right. He hasn‘t done anything yet.

HOTSEAT!!!

 

[PSUFTG]

At the end of the day, all you can do is beat the teams you play.

Everyone knows that PSU doesn't play any top tier teams this year, but I am not sure if many realize just how historically weak the schedule is.
None of the playoff teams from last year.

But that's not all. In addition to missing all of the Big Boys, PSU DOES play 4 of the 5 bottom feeders (Purdue, Maryland, Wisconsin, Rutgers - combined conference record of 5-31 last year. They only miss Michigan State among the Big Ten cupcakes)

Each Big Ten team (in order of their finish from 2025), followed by the combined record of all their 2026 Big Ten opponents - and noting any Big Boy OOC games they play, and any non-Big Boy P4 teams on their OOC:


Indiana: 45-36 combined record of Big Ten opponents

OSU: 51-30, plus Texas
BRUTAL
I don't know what OSU's win total line is on the wagering boards, but even a very talented team is going to be beat up with that schedule.

Oregon: 45-36, plus P4

USC: 42-39

Michigan: 46-35, plus Oklahoma
Very Tough

Iowa: 41-40, plus P4

Washington: 43-38

Illinois: 36-45, plus P4

Minnesota: 39-42, plus P4

Nebraska: 46-35
Rhule had a cupcake dream last year - this one will be a challenge

Northwestern: 48-33, plus P4
VERY tough season to break in a new stadium
Plus OSU, Oregon, and Indiana - ALL on the road. Ouch

Penn State 33-48
City. Anything short of 10Ws would be disconcerting

UCLA: 36-45, plus P4

Rutgers: 38-43, plus P4

Wisconsin: 28-53, plus Notre Dame
(Only schedule in the ballpark w PSU for "easiness" - And much needed in-conference respite for "on the hot seat" coach Luke Fickell. Their conference opponents last year were 55-26, and they had Alabama OOC. Maybe the toughest Big Ten schedule EVER - but this one is a complete flip-flop, If Fickell doesn't get to 500 or better this year, he may be gone)

Michigan State: 40-41, plus Notre Dame

Maryland: 35-46, plus P4

Purdue: 39-42 , Plus Notre Dame and a P4



PSU also looks to have a relatively easy slate for 2027:
38-43 combined conference record - but teams can change a lot in 2 years, so that could change significantly either up or down by 2027.

 

[LMTLION]

I need you to explain to me how those roots help us win in today’s college football.

We are going back to our roots of hard nosed, blue collar, fundamentally sound football. We won a lot of games and 2 natty’s playing that brand of football. Indiana just won a natty playing fundamentally sound football. While Indiana is spending a lot of money this season, they won a natty with less than $20m nil because their coaching was better than the coaching at programs spending $40m.

 

[Nitt1300]

Results will be all that matter.

If we've learned anything here, it's that 10-win seasons are something to sneeze at and that only big games count.

12-0 or go home.

 

[PSUHarry]

We are going back to our roots of hard nosed, blue collar, fundamentally sound football. We won a lot of games and 2 natty’s playing that brand of football. Indiana just won a natty playing fundamentally sound football. While Indiana is spending a lot of money this season, they won a natty with less than $20m nil because their coaching was better than the coaching at programs spending $40m.

Indiana was well coached, played hard with great but they did have money and struck lightning in a bottle with Mendoza.

CMC is not Cignetti, and moving forward Indiana has more cash than us.
We need athletes who play hard nosed football and we really don’t have that many on this roster.

Cignetti is a unicorn.

Its really all about the athletes and speed at the end of the day. Through 2 weeks of practice the coaches don’t know if we have any playmakers or a go to guy on 4th and 7. There is not a single offensive player on this team that our opponents fear.

 

[Ludd]

We deserve better.

That comment will get thrown in his face on this board after every loss.

 

[PSUFTG]

That comment will get thrown in his face on this board after every loss.

Anyone with half a lick of sense knows all these formulaic word-salad comments are just toilet paper (its like they give every head coach at every team the same pamphlet of gobble-di-gook to toss out to the starving masses).

But, you are probably right - for every fan who google-eyes over them being meaningful, there is probably another who will regurgitate it in a negative light at any sign of shortcomings.

 

[Ludd]

At the end of the day, all you can do is beat the teams you play.

Everyone knows that PSU doesn't play any top tier teams this year, but I am not sure if many realize just how historically weak the schedule is.
None of the playoff teams from last year.

But that's not all. In addition to missing all of the Big Boys, PSU DOES play 4 of the 5 bottom feeders (Purdue, Maryland, Wisconsin, Rutgers - combined conference record of 5-31 last year. They only miss Michigan State among the Big Ten cupcakes)

Each Big Ten team (in order of their finish from 2025), followed by the combined record of all their 2026 Big Ten opponents - and noting any Big Boy OOC games they play, and any non-Big Boy P4 teams on their OOC:


Indiana: 45-36 combined record of Big Ten opponents

OSU: 51-30, plus Texas
BRUTAL
I don't know what OSU's win total line is on the wagering boards, but even a very talented team is going to be beat up with that schedule.

Oregon: 45-36, plus P4

USC: 42-39

Michigan: 46-35, plus Oklahoma
Very Tough

Iowa: 41-40, plus P4

Washington: 43-38

Illinois: 36-45, plus P4

Minnesota: 39-42, plus P4

Nebraska: 46-35
Rhule had a cupcake dream last year - this one will be a challenge

Northwestern: 48-33, plus P4
VERY tough season to break in a new stadium
Plus OSU, Oregon, and Indiana - ALL on the road. Ouch

Penn State 33-48
City. Anything short of 10Ws would be disconcerting

UCLA: 36-45, plus P4

Rutgers: 38-43, plus P4

Wisconsin: 28-53, plus Notre Dame
(Only schedule in the ballpark w PSU for "easiness" - And much needed in-conference respite for "on the hot seat" coach Luke Fickell. Their conference opponents last year were 55-26, and they had Alabama OOC. Maybe the toughest Big Ten schedule EVER - but this one is a complete flip-flop, If Fickell doesn't get to 500 or better this year, he may be gone)

Michigan State: 40-41, plus Notre Dame

Maryland: 35-46, plus P4

Purdue: 39-42 , Plus Notre Dame and a P4



PSU also looks to have a relatively easy slate for 2027:
38-43 combined conference record - but teams can change a lot in 2 years, so that could change significantly either up or down by 2027.

Teams can change a lot in one year with the transfer portal. Looking at last year’s team means nothing these days.

 

[psu83]

Exactly! All the whiners predicting doom and gloom because future recruiting classes look bleak right now are nuts. Every roster will have turnover, year in and year out, and recruiting classes are in flux every year. Getting "student athletes" to stay at a University for their college career is a thing of the past, its all about whoever pays the most each year.

Teams can change a lot in one year with the transfer portal. Looking at last year’s team means nothing these days.

 

[LMTLION]

Indiana was well coached, played hard with great but they did have money and struck lightning in a bottle with Mendoza.

CMC is not Cignetti, and moving forward Indiana has more cash than us.
We need athletes who play hard nosed football and we really don’t have that many on this roster.

Cignetti is a unicorn.

Its really all about the athletes and speed at the end of the day. Through 2 weeks of practice the coaches don’t know if we have any playmakers or a go to guy on 4th and 7. There is not a single offensive player on this team that our opponents fear.

Cignetti himself stated that his payroll was less than 20 mil last year. Other sources have confirmed that. I’m not saying that low payroll is a typical path and he is double that payroll for the 2026 season, but it’s proof that great coaching (his coordinators are the best in the biz) and a culture of accountability still win championships.

 

[Marshall2323]

That comment will get thrown in his face on this board after every loss.

Agreed. I thought he was a "keep your nose to the grindstone" kind of coach. In fact, it seems many here portrayed him as the opposite of James. Perhaps it was truly a comment that slipped out and will remain out of character. There is no coach as popular as one who has not yet coached a game and been forced into making those split second decisions. I think he will do well. But, without better talent acquisition, I don't see cracking the top 3 in the conference. PSU is contending for #4 with USC, MIchigan, and Washington. Ultimately, he will be expected to acheive what Kraft promised or suffer the wrath.

 

[Marshall2323]

Exactly! All the whiners predicting doom and gloom because future recruiting classes look bleak right now are nuts. Every roster will have turnover, year in and year out, and recruiting classes are in flux every year. Getting "student athletes" to stay at a University for their college career is a thing of the past, its all about whoever pays the most each year.

From a distance, it doesn't appear that Ohio State and Oregon are in "flux." Georgia, LSU and Texas are other teams that seem to retain, recruit and reload top talent. Pretty difficult to acheive excellence at the highest level shopping at Ollie's.

 

[Bvillebaron]

Lots of talk and it’s easy for him to say in 2026 but the landscape and toxicity was very, very different for BOB and Franklin.
In other words shut up and win games.

BINGO and I’m rooting for him.

 

[Bvillebaron]

Yeah, maybe he should have shown more humility and said something like “we’re going to dominate the state” in recruiting.

Which he did

We could also go 1-0, except when we play good teams.

We’re already hating on Campbell. He hasn’t even done anything yet.

Oh, right. He hasn‘t done anything yet.

Not hating on Campbell; just not drinking the Kool Aid before he coaches his first game.

 

[Marshall2323]

Cignetti himself stated that his payroll was less than 20 mil last year. Other sources have confirmed that. I’m not saying that low payroll is a typical path and he is double that payroll for the 2026 season, but it’s proof that great coaching (his coordinators are the best in the biz) and a culture of accountability still win championships.

Army has a culture of accountability. Navy as well. The missing ingredient is talent.

 

[Bvillebaron]

Maybe us a used car salesman like the last guy?

Who won a Big Ten Championship in his 3rd season which was the first year he had a full complement of scholarship players and won two playoff games while our new coach who was hired by Kraft took meet the “standard” of winning Big and National Championships because the fans “deserve” a Natty won zero championships and qualified for the same number of playoff games coaching a decade in an inferior conference. Touche.

 

[Marshall2323]

I think Maryland game will be interesting with their QB and our secondary.

I heard a group of "Locked on" hosts discuss win totals in the conference. Some actually thought Maryland could go 8-4. The QB was the main reason along with a stout DL (even though they lost their stud DE).
Injury is a massive wild card in football. PSU is thin in a number of places. Their "ones" could be 11-1 with this schedule. But injury could tank things significantly.

 

[Marshall2323]

I believe recruiting success is now a combination of money and relationships.

That's fair. With money being #1.

 

[Marshall2323]

Results will be all that matter.

If we've learned anything here, it's that 10-win seasons are something to sneeze at and that only big games count.

12-0 or go home.

The BWICAC set the standard.

 

[Bvillebaron]

We are going back to our roots of hard nosed, blue collar, fundamentally sound football. We won a lot of games and 2 natty’s playing that brand of football. Indiana just won a natty playing fundamentally sound football. While Indiana is spending a lot of money this season, they won a natty with less than $20m nil because their coaching was better than the coaching at programs spending $40m.

Well a allrighty then. Call me pumped.

 

[PSUHarry]

Cignetti himself stated that his payroll was less than 20 mil last year. Other sources have confirmed that. I’m not saying that low payroll is a typical path and he is double that payroll for the 2026 season, but it’s proof that great coaching (his coordinators are the best in the biz) and a culture of accountability still win championships.

He did it and did it with 23 annd 24 year old players. Others have tried the same hard nosed tough football approach and more often than not failed in this era of college football. Most teams want physical hard nosed players. This is nothing new.

Don’t fool yourself. He had athletes last year. Rewatch our game with them and look at their WRs. We didn’t have anyone close to those guys. Hemby and Black their RBs are currently on NFL rosters.

The year before he didn’t have the athletes and they got smoked by good competition but beat all the tomato cans.

Moving forward they have more money than us because they have a whale donor. We don’t. Coaching and hard nose football can’t fix that. We can’t live in the past and rely on hard nose football to win.

CMC is well aware of the financial constraints on our program. He will build culture and toughness but he knows it’s not enough to win. He will politic behind the scenes for cash and he’s gonna hit a wall unless he goes 10-2 with a playoff berth to generate some momentum, and possible cash for the portal.

This is a pivotal year that will impact the next 4 years. Look at next years schedule and compare it to how young the roster will be. It is sobering. He’s a developmental coaching type of staff but he knows he needs some playmakers and athletes too.

He coaches close games, rarely steps on anyone’s throat. This staff will try to grind out wins. Hoping the schedule aids them enough to get there.

 

[Marshall2323]

Indiana was well coached, played hard with great but they did have money and struck lightning in a bottle with Mendoza.

CMC is not Cignetti, and moving forward Indiana has more cash than us.
We need athletes who play hard nosed football and we really don’t have that many on this roster.

Cignetti is a unicorn.

Its really all about the athletes and speed at the end of the day. Through 2 weeks of practice the coaches don’t know if we have any playmakers or a go to guy on 4th and 7. There is not a single offensive player on this team that our opponents fear.

Even Cignetti isn't really Cignetti. Anyone remember Dabo Swinney?