Penn State Practice Observations and Michigan preview with Nate Bauer
Penn State football held open practice yesterday, and senior editor of Blue White Illustrated Nate Bauer joins the BWI Daily Edition to fill you in on what he saw. Host Thomas Frank Carr joins him to discuss their observations from open practice and what head coach James Franklin said after practice.
Penn State Practice Observations
From his perspective, Bauer thought that one particular position group was sharp on Wednesday night, which has been the case for several weeks now. T-Frank focused on the offensive and defensive lines during the open period and came away with some distinct impressions. He noticed what they were working on and how offensive line coach Phil Trautwein was coaching his players.
Next, they have a lengthy discussion about the running game and the running backs for Penn State. After practice, James Franklin was very clear about what he’s looking for to separate one runner from the rest. With that in mind, T-Frank has a clear picture of what he thinks should happen going forward with the reps at that position and how that relates to Keyvone Lee, Noah Cain and John Lovett. Next, he and Bauer talk about the pros and cons of the run game and how one or two runs can change the picture dramatically.
Listener Questions
After that, T-Frank introduces a new question segment on the show where he takes questions from fans submitted on Twitter.
The topics include:
-Was the succession of offensive coordinators over the last four years due to financial limitations, or were they decisions by Franklin?
-Does the Class of 2022 factor into whether or not James Franklin will leave Penn State this offseason?
-A question about the NFL Draft
-Sean Clifford’s ability to run against Michigan
Penn State vs Michigan Preview
Finally, they wrap up by previewing the game this Saturday. T-Frank brings up that both teams have a quality, veteran quarterback who doesn’t make many mistakes. How will Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford and Michigan signal caller Cade McNamara fare against two elite-level defenses?
Bauer and T-Frank then discuss how things could play out in a game that features two very different play styles. From an offensive perspective, Michigan has the very thing that Penn State is lacking from its running game. So how does Penn State combat that? T-Frank has an idea. He also gives his thoughts on the Michigan offensive system, how funky it is, and how the offensive line plays within it.
They wrap up the discussion by giving some predictions about the final score and how they think the game will play out.
