For anyone familiar with PSU this year, what are our advantages?
Is their OL actually worse than ours? D-Line? I cannot understand for the life of me how they could be winless and fail to comprehend how they are worse off than our team who is starting like 4 walk ons now it seems.
But i would like nothing more than to beat PSU and get back to .500 - anything to help our recruiting especially over PSU.
November 22nd, 2020 at 3:58 PM ^
They are a flukey 0-5 if that's possible. They outplayed a good Indiana team and can't get out of their way with turnovers. They should probably have 2 wins (Indiana and Nebraska) if not for shit luck and turnovers.
Of course, this means they won't turn it over once against us, because that's how it always seems to go. Their QB Clifford will look like Joe Montana against us.
They are about as poorly coached as Michigan. Where we should be at worst 3-2 (maybe even 4-1), had Cade been starting from day 1, PSU should be (1-4 or 2-3).
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:09 PM ^
We have one fewer Frames than them.
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:20 PM ^
Can we really say that their coaching is worse than ours?
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:39 PM ^
Let me remind you of the time Brady Hoke outcoached Frames Janklin. The dude took a timeout (that would be helpful in a theoretical comeback) to get his team ready to take an intentional safety.
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:43 PM ^
Well, they're 0-5 and haven't had their best 7 players opt out and/or get injured.
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:46 PM ^
Well, they did have their best (and possibly the best in the B1G) defensive end opt out. They also are playing like their 5th string RB as the rest have opted out or gotten injured.
This is going to be a battle of 2 of the worst coaches in the conference. Fewest stupid decisions wins.
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:12 PM ^
Their OL and QB play has been awful.
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:14 PM ^
This sure would be a good time to get Kwity Paye back.
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:26 PM ^
Just saw on ESPN that Freiermuth is done for the season. Couple of JV teams considering all the opt outs and injuries.
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:26 PM ^
PSU has a good roster on paper and actually played well against IU (outgaining them by a 2-1 margin) in the opener, but lost due to turnovers and terrible game management. But this is an example of how football is an emotional game and you need player buy-in. PSU followed this up with a decently competitive loss to OSU that ended its Big Ten chances. Since then their team has been lifeless. In their last three games they've fallen behind big each time before rallying somewhat in the 4th quarter.
PSU’s QBs have some talent but seem to be in a confidence crisis right now. Clifford and Levis have alternated but both are struggling. Clifford is the better passer and Levis the better runner. Their OL is having a rough season and the running game has vanished. Defensively they are weak against the run and just so-so against the pass. The week 1 PSU defense looked pretty stout but I think at this point a lot of guys are mentally checked out.
Don’t know what to make of this game. No idea what PSU’s collective mental state is or if Franklin can still get them to buy in. Clifford did throw a couple of TDs in the aborted comeback yesterday and is capable of a good day against our D. He throws a lot of picks but our D doesn’t seem to get takeaways. With McNamara I think we’re capable of putting up some points but I really have lost all faith in Don Brown’s D. I fear a repeat of MSU. But maybe Frames will start Levis instead.
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:48 PM ^
Our DBs and DL tend to make every QB look like Heisman candidates. I'm sure PSU will throw for 400yds. We may still have a chance, but still...
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:31 PM ^
I think your biggest advantage is that you're not them.....you get a little lead and they'll pack it in. As a side note, you want Mattison back? Will be interested in trade for low mileage car....
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:42 PM ^
Must be nice to turn your back on a coach and you have only lost one game, I think, with Mattison... Such it is to be spoiled rotten as an OSU fan.
November 22nd, 2020 at 10:15 PM ^
Honestly? Yeah, it's good to be on top. The bad? There's only one way to go and you worry about everything. I think worry and complaining are what make college football so damn much fun.
November 23rd, 2020 at 11:44 AM ^
Exactly what type of car are we talking about?
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:31 PM ^
We try hard and we're still dear friends
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:32 PM ^
we have won two of our games this season while Penn State has won zero
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:50 PM ^
They haven't played Gers or Minny and they still have a horrible MSU team left to play.
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:35 PM ^
You wouldn’t know anything about them bc the media gives PSU/JF a free pass while bashing Harbaugh over and over.
Harbaugh deserves a lot criticism, but I’m amazed how it seems like hardly anyone talks about PSU, at least compared to UM.
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:49 PM ^
It's because Harbaugh was a successful NFL coach who pissed off a lot of people. Franklin also has a huuuge buyout so even though his seat is hot, he ain't leaving.
But yeah, Harbaugh is more click bait than Franklin.
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:53 PM ^
It's simple, really. We're the self-appointed loudmouth who accuses everyone else of cheating; the fact it's true (and we may not be as pure as we claim) only makes it more annoying. We have press conferences to declare how great we're doing, and how we're going to blow everyone's doors off, really, no kidding this time. Then, we come up as small as possible when the B1G East is at stake. Who wouldn't want to see us taken down a peg?
OBTW, we have a superiority complex as big as the Grand Canyon about our academic reputation, and the football program buys into it with pretentious overseas trips.
November 22nd, 2020 at 5:22 PM ^
All true, but still shouldn’t excuse the media from not talking about a preseason top 5 team who is now 0-5.
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:47 PM ^
We have a solid backup quarterback in case Joe Milton gets injured.
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:49 PM ^
So as long as we can force turnovers . . .
aw crap
November 22nd, 2020 at 5:00 PM ^
where is nittany fan when you need him?
November 22nd, 2020 at 5:01 PM ^
They played reasonably well vs Ohio St.
November 22nd, 2020 at 5:03 PM ^
I believe their DL/LB's are exploitable and anticipate a heavy dose of inside running from Haskins, Charbonnet and especially Evans.
November 23rd, 2020 at 9:47 AM ^
Isn’t this what we usually see regardless of the opponent’s D-line strength (or how many players they have stacking the box)?
November 22nd, 2020 at 5:37 PM ^
As they say in the investment ads - past performance is not indicative of how they will do versus Michigan....
I listen to a LOT of podcasts to pass the time in the offseason and have focused on MSU, PSU, and Wisconsin when I run out of M content.
My thoughts on PSU after listening to their "experts".
QB - They thought Clifford could take the next step this year and put a LOT of faith on what the new OC from Minny did with Tanner Morgan. That has not happened and Clifford has "regressed". What I see as an outsider is that Clifford really zeros in on a few receivers which works OK when one is KJ Hamler . He does not have Hamler this year but has the same bad tendencies which leads to some bad results i.e. interceptions or bad sacks. Backup Levis is the "running" QB with less throwing upside but safer with the ball - offense was very dink-and-dunk before he got replaced last week.
OL - They thought it was going to be "good" this year with a new OL coach. They are healthy but their healthy line is probably EQ to depleted M line vs. Rutgers. I think they did about 1.3 ypc (when taking out QB runs) vs. Iowa.
WR - Dotson is Hamler-lite-lite and is their #1 threat. Rest of the main contributors are true Fr. - some talent but Fr. --- Envision if Ronnie Bell, Johnson, and Sainristil were our starting WR last year.
TE - Friermuth officially out for the rest of the year. M should be better and deeper.
RB - Seemingly down to RB #4 and #5 as Ford sat out at least part of Iowa game with an "issue". Group looked good on paper coming into the year but only maybe Brown (medical retirement) could have made much happen with that OL imo.
D-line -- Lots of bodies (like 10) at DT but still looking for difference makers. Only 3 or 4 DEs on the roster but they are healthy... DEs are talented and experienced although most are WDE types vs. SDE. Have not done much to date in way of sacks.
LB - Thought they would be great even with Parsons opt-out because of the high number of 4 and 5-stars on the roster. (I feel like a parent explaining that 5-star on 1 service isn't really a 5-star and as M fans know - often the stars don't mean shit). Very underwhelming except possibly Sr. at MLB.
CB - Outside corners the strength of the defense? One starter has been out with injury last 2 weeks. Former "5-star" Sr. Wade at Nickel has been picked on heavily by teams that have the personnel to do so.
Safety - High hopes by PSU experts coming in - not great results yet. Middle of the field has been the weakness of the defense
Overall defense looks SLOW versus good competition --- but so did MSU to my eye so it is up to M to take advantage.
TL:DR version -- Unless McNamara's performance was a mirage, M should have advantage on paper at every position except CB and DL...maybe LB if McGrone is out.
November 22nd, 2020 at 7:51 PM ^
I think there beat offensive plays will be Dotson against our corners and running there quarterbacks! We struggled with that against Rutgers!
November 22nd, 2020 at 7:12 PM ^
For what it's worth There coaching candidates are urban meyer( which neither of us are getting) Luke fickel,Matt campbell,and Matt rheull(sp) Franklin has roughly a 38 million dollar buyout thou so....
November 22nd, 2020 at 9:59 PM ^
If Cade McNamara works out then the big advantage is at that position. PSU’s QB is pretty bad. Lots of turnovers.
November 23rd, 2020 at 1:58 AM ^
PSU has actually played their opposition pretty well, better than we have, but they have been a turnover machine. PSU with only half the turnovers would be at least 3-2.
Unfortunately, we don't have a defense that forces turnovers. Our defense will be medicine for what ails them. So, our offense will need to play like it did in the 2nd half against Rutgers, with McNamara starting and on his game.
(PSU - Turnovers) > (Michigan - "Rutgers" McNamara)
McNamara will need to be the difference maker.
November 23rd, 2020 at 11:16 AM ^
Last year PSU wasn't nearly as good their record suggested. In 9 games they gave up more yards than they gained. We would have won if not for a Ronnie Bell rare drop and a Freiemuth push off.
This year the opposite is true. They out gained everyone's darling Indiana by 270 yards but lost because of a bone headed play not taking a knee and a questionable call.
They out-gained Nebraska by 200 yards and played with spirit till the end. They outgained Maryland but gave up bad turnovers and really went toe to toe with Iowa but were again killed by turnovers (4) as they have been all year.
They should be 2-3 just like us butt I feel they have played much better. Their Dline is solid their Oline is not. Dotson and Freiermuth are formidable targets and both QBs can run. Their secondary is not a strength. Both QB's have been wildly inconsistent.
Clifford held onto the ball too long, made poor decisions like throwing it to the other team. Levis came in against Nebraska created a spark that lasted well into the game and almost completed a comeback from three TDs down. Earning him the start against Iowa. After leading an impressive first-quarter TD drive, he began making the same mistakes as Clifford holding onto the ball too long, making poor decisions and throwing it to the other team. .
They have been so turnover prone but we haven't been good at generating them.
It's an intriguing match up. We are 4 point favourites but ESPN's predictor gives them the slight edge.
PSU UM
Points Per Game 24.6 30.6
Points Allowed Per Game 36.0 36.0
Total Yards 418.0 400.8
Yards Passing 279.0 278.0
Yards Rushing 139.0 122.8
Yards Allowed 360.2 437.8
Pass Yards Allowed 221.6 274.0
Rush Yards Allowed 138.6 163.8
Like Rutgers, we are pretty even. Although you could argue with OSU, Indiana and Iowa they've played tougher competition. They are 0-5 and psychologically broken. For us a nice comeback victory has us feeling better. Right now I think it's a coin toss but I would have given them the nod last week.