They had a good TE that was snagging those arm punts too. He's still there.
If everyone jumped off a cliff would you?
I still think PSU goes 9-3 and finishes third in the division. Not only do I remmeber 49-10, but going for that FG drained the tiny bit of respect I had for Frankin.
August 4th, 2017 at 12:16 AM ^
He was trying to avoid the shutout.
Truthfully, I wish that Hoke would have done the same thing against Notre Dame. When you are obviously not going to win, why compound it by getting shut out?
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:31 PM ^
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:41 PM ^
Barkley is a top 10 player in CFB no doubt, but we bottled him up really well last year. I think OSU is #1 and Michigan-PSU is a dead heat for #2. If it was in A2, I'd love our chances. Since it's in Happy Valley, I'm not so sure. Night road games are weird
seems eminently reasonable. OSU will, unfortunately, be at the top of the heap until someone knocks them off. If the PSU love is a bit overheated and some of our young players come through, we could be significantly better than them. OTOH, we caught them at a low point last year WRT injuries, new offense, etc. and they could be very good while our young secondary/OL struggle.
My blue lenses tell me year 3 is the Year of Harbaugh.. Last year we had a lot of expecatations. This year, not so much. I think this is the year we surprise people and win the B1G.
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:48 PM ^
or as good as many think. Barkley is good. Most of that passing game looked like a volleyball game. I'm not as sold on the qb
He's good, but look at his statline against us the past two years:
2016 - 15 carries, 59 yards
2015 - 15 carries, 68 yards
Our defense has not let him do anything. Their OL will be better this year, so that might spring him some additional yards, but I still don't think he's going to gash us. Everyone else? Buckle up, cause you're going for a ride.
August 4th, 2017 at 12:22 AM ^
When was the last time Penn State won in Columbus?
Since joining the Big Ten - 24 years ago - they have only won in Columbus 2 times.
August 4th, 2017 at 12:51 AM ^
OSU has only 15 home losses since 1993 (when PSU joined the conference). $10 if you knew beforehand that Illinois (!!!) actually has the most road wins at the Shoe over that period:
Illinois 4 (1993, 1999, 2001 and 2007)
Wisconsin 3 (1999, 2001 and 2004)
PSU 2 (2008 and 2011)
Minnesota 1 (2000)
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:41 PM ^
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:50 PM ^
That may not be correct. NittanyFan was making some persuasive arguments and if you look back at last year, Bill Connelly had them at #8 to end the year. The math says they were better than my overrated assumption.
They may be every bit the top 10 team this year. Perhaps they're more vulnerable to a dominant DL than most teams (I know all teams are, but on a relative basis), and that's why they couldn't move the ball at all last year against Michigan?
and a frightening (from a PSU POV) 100th in Rushing Success Rate. Barkley's good but there were a whole lot of runs that didn't get the yardage you need for long sustained drives.
PSU's ultimate success in 2017 likely depends on just how much those metrics approve. The OL will be better, no doubt - but how much? I don't know.
The U-M game clearly worries me from the PSU POV --- a DL like Michigan's can become the dominant unit in any game they play. A 2006 type game, where Michigan's DL limits PSU's offense and grinds their way offensively to 17-24 points and a "close on the scoreboard, but not really that close" victory is certainly realistic.
But I do think there are also a number of reasons to worry about it from the other side as well. E.g., What if Barkley does get loose even with what we view as a favorable DL vs. OL matchup - he does have a history of taking advantage of ANY space he can find? Can Speight win a game like this if we do fall behind early? Who is our match-up against Geiscki and the other WRs PSU has even with Godwin leaving? Even if they are "50-50 balls", why are we confident that we're going to "win" those footballs?
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:28 PM ^
WHERE IS SPAR-TY? [clapclap..clapclapclap]
WHERE IS SPAR-TY? [clapclap..clapclapclap]
WHERE IS SPAR-TY? [clapclap..clapclapclap]
WHERE IS SPAR-TY? [clapclap..clapclapclap]
No higher than 39th, that's for sure
dash between the 3 and 9.
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:28 PM ^
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:41 PM ^
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:31 PM ^
ND is not in the top 10 let alone on the list.
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:31 PM ^
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:35 PM ^
PSU is a pedigree program that reminds people (at least my age and older) of their youth when a certain handful of programs won every year. People want them to be good.
It's the same reason we get hype despite dropping 3 games.
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:36 PM ^
ESPN had Mcsorley as the number 10 college football player in th country....not sure how playing 500 and having Barkley behind you makes you all that great.
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:39 PM ^
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:46 PM ^
I went on a mini-rant in another thread about this. Kid is KING of playing 500. Just heaving up prayers!
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:51 PM ^
There are at least 10 QBs alone I'd rather have on my team. I'm more worried about playing Zaire than I am McSorley... And I'm not worried about playing Zaire.
I think McSorely is good and a hell of a leader, he's just not the 10th best player in the country. He's not even close to that. But he still deserves a little credit.
Zaire is at least an athlete you have to worry about scrambling. I expect both to throw 2 INTs against us, even with a young secondary.
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:36 PM ^
After losing our last three out of four last year then losing all the players to graduation, draft, ect. With the schedule that Michigan has they could easily win their way to the top by the end of the year.
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:37 PM ^
Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan State, and Maryland also receiving points.
45 of the 64 P5 teams got votes
Since the post was mentioning other B1G teams who got vote, it seems worth being complete.
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:43 PM ^
As long as we handle our OOC business.
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:46 PM ^
August 3rd, 2017 at 12:46 PM ^
I think 9 is about right. Yes we had a lot of departures, but our entire 2nd string defense played a ton last year and our OL got better by subtraction.
I think we roll through the season except the 3 @ wiscy, @ PSU, and OSU. The homer in me still thinks we beat PSU even though it's at night in happy valley, because I like many of you don't buy the hype for PSU. We will shut down barkley and mcarmpunt won't have the time for his receivers to get 30 yds downfield. I think we will beat OSU at home, we beat them last year (!!!!) and they lost a fair amount of defense too. Wiscy will be tough at camp randall. That's the game that Speight or Peters or whoever will have to win for us by playing a clean game.
has franklin shown any ability to out coach harbaugh? no! he is luckier, there is no doubt about that. just watch , michigan will shock everyone and then be picked to roll the next year. for no good reason except people were wrong about them this year.
Pretty cool. Forgive my ignorance - how long his that been a thing?
It is about right before the games start. Should be # 1 aftter we upset SEC Champ in the playoffs. #4 after we win on road at PSU, #3 after on road at WI (we can afford a loss here), #2 after beating OSU at home. #1 after playoffs done. That is all.
Not settle for number 9. I expect to be Number 1, this year and for years to come.
You get what you perceive.
UCLA got 1 vote from this poll. ONE FUCKING VOTE! Quit committing to the program over Michigan!!!!!!
If you lived in Westwood you would understand. It is a flawless neighborhood. UCLA is a world-class school.
I'm sure this is an example of a logical fallacy, or at least abject homerism, but you could argue that if a recruit chooses UCLA over Michigan then he wouldn't fit with Harbaugh's program anyway. UCLA football is for chill bros. Harbaugh wants psychopaths like himself.