PSU has a long way to go to narrow the level of play gap between it and just about every bowl team playing today. I was hoping to see that downward trend turn up for this bowl game. But Arkansas looked to be the better team even in the first half. The second half was hard to watch. ( Was the tackling particularly bad or just my imagination?) I know we lost some key players, but to run with the big dogs, a team must have guys that can step up. Looking back at the season, we at least kept the scores close in our losses...a credit to the defense. If Clifford can find some consistent accuracy during the off season maybe next year can be better. It looked like we had a couple of open guys for TD's if the passes had been catchable. We need that passing accuracy to bust the big plays, especially since we can't run the ball. We are told we had a good recruiting year....I hope good enough to break out of hovering around that 500 mark or going lower. What bothers me most is that I used to get depressed when we lost, and I don't anymore. But I also learned that I enjoyed watching the game more when I did get upset at a loss. On a positive note I heard that Nostradamus predicted that the lions would be feasting in 2022.
Judging by the eye test
- Thread starter Tototootsi
- Start date
We have top 15 talent…it is not translating on the field.
We need a new HFC. Badly.
By the eye test, the PSU linemen are not as filled out as others and typically stand straight up at the snap instead of firing out on both sides of the ball.
There are 75 million reasons that’s not going to happen. As the old adage goes “a fool and his money are soon parted.”
Holy shiat, OP. You think maybe having Brisker and Dotson in the Outback Bowl lineup, not to mention the three or so other guys who opted out, would not have made a difference?!! I am frustrated by that loss, too, but I certainly don't think the Lions suddenly suck ballz.
Keep the following in mind:
1. Plenty of young players showed out for PSU in the Outback Bowl. No. 92 (the defensive lineman, forget his name), looked fabulous. The WR who is Dotson's heir apparent looked fantastic. The DL looked pretty good for most of the game.
2. The current recruiting class is top notch.
3. Clifford is coming back for a 6th season. He is not Aaron Rodgers, but he offers a lot, and will likely be better than anyone else the Lions could put out there, and better than most Power 5 QB's.
The Lions sorely need improvement along the offensive line. The running game was a disappointment, and I don't blame that on Noah Cain or the other running backs. The blocking was just not there. It needs to improve. Linebacker play could use some improvement, too.
My two cents. Hang in there. Better days are ahead.
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Keep the following in mind:
1. Plenty of young players showed out for PSU in the Outback Bowl. No. 92 (the defensive lineman, forget his name), looked fabulous. The WR who is Dotson's heir apparent looked fantastic. The DL looked pretty good for most of the game.
2. The current recruiting class is top notch.
3. Clifford is coming back for a 6th season. He is not Aaron Rodgers, but he offers a lot, and will likely be better than anyone else the Lions could put out there, and better than most Power 5 QB's.
The Lions sorely need improvement along the offensive line. The running game was a disappointment, and I don't blame that on Noah Cain or the other running backs. The blocking was just not there. It needs to improve. Linebacker play could use some improvement, too.
My two cents. Hang in there. Better days are ahead.
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Whoa there. Hold on a minute. We can't have reasonable thoughts around here.
Gumby c'est moi, dammit!Especially from the Frenchman.
DL, particularly Gilbert and van de berg played well for most of the game. The long runs were mostly QB runs which was due to schemes and poor LB play. Luketa was a good DE this year but outside of 2 consecutive plays in the first half, he was back to being his old below average MLB. Sutherland was not good as a LB as well. He has not had a ton of reps there so I won't be too harsh but he just doesn't seem to have the instincts at this point. Katshir was slow to get off blocks and lacked the speed to get their qb.
Overall it was one of the worst games by the LB group I've ever seen at PSU. I am actually worried more about that group for next year than the OL. Maybe buddin and king will be good players, I would have liked to see them in the bowl game, but outside of Jacob's, this group is real bad.
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One would think that after eight years of being told your offensive line can't run block the HC would do something about it. But not at Happy Valley. Do you suppose Franklin is not getting the word or is he ignoring it?
What is discouraging is the fact that with every loss Franklin does not seem to have the ability to improve the situation. Every loss this year the same issues exist (no running game, poor O-line, same game plan, no spark in the offense, inability to hold onto a lead with top teams, we will miss a FG or two every game etc etc etc).
judging by the "35 years" thread- and that reality- maybe "we" are not who "we" think "we" are to begin with
First mistake was moving Luketa and Jacobs. Why weaken 2 positions only to end up weaker at 4 overall?
Second was another failed adjustment to a heavy rush attack. Clog the box. Force them to block 9 guys perfect and break tackles or beat our corners in m2m.
Opt outs killed us, but this felt a lot like "let's die a slow death and hope they fumble in the red zone" vs actively trying to stop them. Their #1 WR was out. I'd have pressed their WRs endlessly and forced KJ to beat us with his arm.
Second was another failed adjustment to a heavy rush attack. Clog the box. Force them to block 9 guys perfect and break tackles or beat our corners in m2m.
Opt outs killed us, but this felt a lot like "let's die a slow death and hope they fumble in the red zone" vs actively trying to stop them. Their #1 WR was out. I'd have pressed their WRs endlessly and forced KJ to beat us with his arm.
To the OP’s point, regardless of who opted out, this team’s woes under Coach Franklin have always been the OL. They don’t get better from year to year. It took an other-worldly RB in Barkley to have a ground game that other teams feared, and even with him, he had to create his own holes more than he should have. I don’t know if it’s the coaching or the scheme or the strength training (likely an all of the above combo), but other programs do far more with far less.
He's tried a couple of new hires at OL coach and OC. Don't think that is ignoring it. Not striking gold yet but obviously trying to address it.
I'm starting to think that a change in the philosophy of how to build a team is needed. Start with the lines, that's where you win or lose.
I'm thinking maybe a combination of Franklin's offensive philosophy and big OT recent recruiting misses.
This. ^^^^
This is where Franklin has lost me. It’s the same issues game after game, year after year…… and we’ve just completed year 8.
The Oline woes continue. The running game struggles. The tackling is nothing short of atrocious. The game plans never really change. It takes an act of God to get in game adjustments, (a whole quarter to realize the Arkansas QB was going to run or the stacked/ unbalanced Illinois line). Clock management issues and questionable calls are relatively common.
It’s the definition of insanity, after 8 years, to expect the next game or next season to be different. Eventually someone has to be accountable.
Been saying better days ahead since the Rose Bowl loss. Recruiting classes have all been pretty solid since then - they alone are not enough to be optimistic about because they actually have to play games.
I’m worn down... being a Pirates fan has helped with that. Every year...hope springs eternal and then reality hits. Every dang year for the last 8 it’s been the same issues....the o line and wtf adjustments or none at all. We rely too much on the big play, forcing turnovers. Have we forgotten...take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves? As a teacher I use this same philosophy with my students....
The buy out provision for the University is to pay the full amount of the contract left. He gets 75M no matter how many of those ten years he wants to be here.
and IF.... IF PJ returns and Isaac returns and both are healthy, pair them with the "pretty good" DL of replacements that played and voila.... now the DL isn't as big a question mark.
Now the LBers on the other hand....
Just a question what's the potential on Buddin and King at LB, looks like some help is needed via the portal. They could have played but saved their RS for a reason.
Everyone who signed off on a 10 year 75mm contract with no buyout provisions at all should be unemployed for the rest of their lives. Seriously, WTF???
All you have to do is look at Bama and the other schools that keep winning for proof of that. Every year they have dominant lines.
Winning it all? Sure.
But when you look at putting together 10-12 win seasons consistently, there are several more teams that fall into that category.
There are other folks here who would be better at commenting on the fine points of coaching up offensive linemen. All I know is that the final results leave something to be desired. We have been getting no shortage of talented running backs for quite some time. Saquon is in a class by himself, by there have been plenty of other very good backs. Saquon was so good that his talents managed to overcome and obscure flaws in the offensive line play. But that is not so much the case with the other backs, as good as they are. Why aren't they getting more yards? Seems like we get stuffed for 0-2 yards WAY too often. And Franklin has gotten some four star offensive linemen. It suggests to me that they are not being coached up as well as could be the case. Perhaps others here have a thought on that.