Official PSU - Oregon '25 Game thread

[Calabrin]

Let’s all finally admit it..he has been a bust compared to the accolades he came in with…I guess Eddie Munster knew what he was doing by not recruiting him to O$U.

For anyone who hasn't yet noticed this, start taking notice:

When game crews talk about Drew Allar, all they ever talk about is his size and strength.

"He's 6'5", 245, great arm strength!" They must have brought this up half-a-dozen times yesterday.

They never talk about him being a GOOD QUARTERBACK.

This is the problem with high school football scouting. It's medieval. Everyone looks as superficial physicality and ASSUMES that translates into success on the field. "We'll be able to coach him up!"

Not if he doesn't have the ABILITY to be coached up. You need guys that are good football players, not guys that LOOK LIKE what you THINK a good football player should look like.

 

[PSUForever]

Indiana's record is irrelevant. See last year.

We need Indiana to have as good a record as possible because that would be our biggest win.

It will be a beauty contest among 2 loss teams. Our OSU loss would have to be really good as well.

 

[KingLando]

We need Indiana to have as good a record as possible because that would be our biggest win.

It will be a beauty contest among 2 loss teams. Our OSU loss would have to be really good as well.

This isn't true though and the same discussion happened last year were people thought we weren't a lock with 2 losses. At 10-2 this year we will be no lower than the 8 seed...likely 6 or 7.

 

[WaffleShopper]

We need Indiana to have as good a record as possible because that would be our biggest win.

It will be a beauty contest among 2 loss teams. Our OSU loss would have to be really good as well.

Our last “big” regular season win was what, 2021 Wisconsin? And they ended that year 9-4. Kind of sad that the last few years with the players we had we’ve been reduced to just hoping for good losses.

 

[WestSideLion]

This isn't true though and the same discussion happened last year were people thought we weren't a lock with 2 losses. At 10-2 this year we will be no lower than the 8 seed...likely 6 or 7.

You don’t know this. A lot depends on the outcomes of other top-10 teams and conference championships.

10-2 may feel likely, but there is a real narrative problem around Franklin and Penn State right now.

 

[kgilbert78]

So toss in an occasional loss to Purdue and lose all real games? Is that really that much different?

Nebraska has been far worse than that in the last 20+ years.

 

[BobPSU92]

If the AD has a problem with CJF, he seems like the type of guy who will take action. The AD knows how much money was spent. He knows if PSU should have won. He knows if that was the best possible effort this year. He was standing on the sideline. If he thinks CJF can get it done, he’ll stick with him. If not, I think he‘ll do something.

Except for how much it would cost to do something.

 

[Ram20]

I just can't get past something Franklin said this week...in mentioning the need for a "fast start" a reporter asked him how they can ensure that and I was struck by what he said...not that it was a surprise, but Franklin said they are going to have a script with their best 14 plays to start the game. These would certainly be plays Oregon hasn't seen, at least some of them, but that they were going to roll out the things they execute the best. I just can't believe how poorly those 14 plays went, especially considering they had 2 weeks to implement them and perfect them. UGH

 

[bdgan]

Why would you say that about Robert Michel, which was who I quoted? He was the son of immigrants and a veteran. He ended up in Congress for over 30 years, with the last 14 as the leader of hundreds in his party.

He admitted that he'd gotten comfortable with and used to losing. As the LEADER and main constant of an organization which loses and gains new members of the team every 2 years.

Don't make this political because you don't like the new coach that came in after him.

My point (if you read the post I was replying to) was that sometimes a cultural change has to happen at the top of large organizations (see the parallel?) that are lead for over a decade (see the parallel?) by someone who lost so often that he'd apparently gotten used to it (again, parallel?).

Organizational momentum says a body at rest will stay at rest until an external force is applied to it. We've tried how many different OC's and DC's? We will have spent nearly a billion dollars upgrading facilities by the time the stadium is done. I'm told we have the highest paid staff in CFB.

There seems to be one constant.

The main difference between our team and the example I cited is that our leader hasn't yet admitted to getting used to it, whether he is or not.

I don't think Franklin is used to losing. I think he just has a way of doing things and can't bring himself to make the changes necessary to get over the hump.

I was amazed how ill prepared PSU was for the Oregon game. Everybody should have known that they would attack the LOS and force Allar to bet them. The plan should have been for quick release passes that would alleviate pressure on Allar. Quick slants over the middle would keep Oregon's LBs from attacking the LOS (Boettcher had 12 tackles). Instead we tried to pound Singleton up the middle or run passing plays that required Allar to go through his progressions. That's Franklin's way of doing things and he's reluctant to change. Maybe it's because he thinks quick slants are too risky.

All I know is that we have a major problem when Northwestern can move the ball better vs Oregon than PSU. My question is if Kotelnicki was to blame or if Franklin reins him in these big games.

 

[WaffleShopper]

Maybe it's because he thinks quick slants are too risky.

Everything is predicated on not turning the ball over. Drew spent his first 2+ years getting it drilled into his head to not to turn the ball over and people wonder why he won’t sling it around like how we know he can. He’s scared just like Franklin is scared. It’s actually funny now when Franklin says Drew needs to just let it fly. Should have started telling him that in the beginning of 2023. Not a few games into his senior year.

 

[KingLando]

You don’t know this. A lot depends on the outcomes of other top-10 teams and conference championships.

10-2 may feel likely, but there is a real narrative problem around Franklin and Penn State right now.

I do...its the same argument as last year. You realize after the loss we're still the highest ranked 1 loss team and ahead of unbeaten teams?
Competitive losses like the Oregon game in double OT not hurt us other than costing us a top 4 and a bye at 10-2. Hell this year depending in what Miami does it might be good enough for the 4 seed.

 

[KingLando]

I just can't get past something Franklin said this week...in mentioning the need for a "fast start" a reporter asked him how they can ensure that and I was struck by what he said...not that it was a surprise, but Franklin said they are going to have a script with their best 14 plays to start the game. These would certainly be plays Oregon hasn't seen, at least some of them, but that they were going to roll out the things they execute the best. I just can't believe how poorly those 14 plays went, especially considering they had 2 weeks to implement them and perfect them. UGH

Because the majority of those plays were gimmicks and might have worked against our scout team defense. It's just disappointing that AK is this lost.

 

[PSUAVLNC]

Allar didn't give up two touchdowns in OT !!!

 

[bdgan]

You don’t know this. A lot depends on the outcomes of other top-10 teams and conference championships.

10-2 may feel likely, but there is a real narrative problem around Franklin and Penn State right now.

We're in with 10-2 and a win over Indy. No question about it.

I agree that there's a real narrative problem around Franklin but no worse than any teams outside the P4 and at least one of those will get in.

 

[Nits1989]

Except for how much it would cost to do something.

I guess I thought that the buyout was possible this year. I thought Marshall indicated this might be his last year here anyway.

 

[Nits1989]

I don't think Franklin is used to losing. I think he just has a way of doing things and can't bring himself to make the changes necessary to get over the hump.

I was amazed how ill prepared PSU was for the Oregon game. Everybody should have known that they would attack the LOS and force Allar to bet them. The plan should have been for quick release passes that would alleviate pressure on Allar. Quick slants over the middle would keep Oregon's LBs from attacking the LOS (Boettcher had 12 tackles). Instead we tried to pound Singleton up the middle or run passing plays that required Allar to go through his progressions. That's Franklin's way of doing things and he's reluctant to change. Maybe it's because he thinks quick slants are too risky.

All I know is that we have a major problem when Northwestern can move the ball better vs Oregon than PSU. My question is if Kotelnicki was to blame or if Franklin reins him in these big games.

PSU didn't have a response until halfway through the fourth quarter for Oregon putting 6 defenders on the LOS.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

 

[MacNit]

Nebraska has been far worse than that in the last 20+ years.

Nebraska had different issues than Penn State.

 

[MacNit]

I guess I thought that the buyout was possible this year. I thought Marshall indicated this might be his last year here anyway.

Marshall has been saying “8 more years” and now suddenly this is his last year? Marshall knows bupkis.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

 

[bdgan]

This is the problem with high school football scouting. It's medieval. Everyone looks as superficial physicality and ASSUMES that translates into success on the field. "We'll be able to coach him up!"

I watched one of Allar's high school games on ESPN. I was impressed with his poise in the pocket, his instinct on when to step up, and his ability to quickly go through his progressions. I was impressed with those same qualities as a freshman and early as a sophomore but he has regressed. I don't think he's been able to adjust to the speed and strength of better opponents. It's difficult to coach that up. It requires instinct and experience. His experiences have been bad and now it's in his head. He needs to make a few big plays in a win over a top team to rebuild his confidence. I don't feel good about his chances.

 

[Shelley]

Everything is predicated on not turning the ball over. Drew spent his first 2+ years getting it drilled into his head to not to turn the ball over and people wonder why he won’t sling it around like how we know he can. He’s scared just like Franklin is scared. It’s actually funny now when Franklin says Drew needs to just let it fly. Should have started telling him that in the beginning of 2023. Not a few games into his senior year.

Drew plays scared for sure. One of Franklin's comments after the game was Drew has one of the best TD to interception ratios in the country. He's afraid to throw a pick, except when the game is on the line.

 

[DaytonRickster]

I just can't get past something Franklin said this week...in mentioning the need for a "fast start" a reporter asked him how they can ensure that and I was struck by what he said...not that it was a surprise, but Franklin said they are going to have a script with their best 14 plays to start the game. These would certainly be plays Oregon hasn't seen, at least some of them, but that they were going to roll out the things they execute the best. I just can't believe how poorly those 14 plays went, especially considering they had 2 weeks to implement them and perfect them. UGH

Then their best was absolutely flat. Terrible execution.