Dr. Saturday on PSU
by ReadingRambler on Jun 10, 2009 6:50 PM EDT
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PrintStill, even if you refuse to accept recruiting as a generally solid basis for forming expectations in lieu of better information, no top-10-ish team is as obviously vulnerable in as many areas as the Lions: Exceedingly green offensive line, entirely revamped secondary and mystery receivers who threaten to send last year's suddenly explosive offense scurrying back into its shell if they can't provide their potentially harried quarterback with a viable downfield outlet. I may wind up agreeing with them by the end of the summer, but the optimists so far either have a lot of faith in the Penn State brand, generally, in Clark and Rosyter, specifically, or in the persistent mediocrity of the rest of the Big Ten. (I guess playing
Akron, Syracuse, Temple and Eastern IllinoisUL-Monroe, Wyoming, UTEP, and Central Florida outside of the conference really can takeyouTexas places.)
Yes, the bold is mine.
Anyway, I'm willing to admit that he makes some valid points (Although he neglects to mention that Deon Butler and Jordan Norwood weren't highly recruited, or that our line has had plenty of playing time), but I, for one, like that there are so many doubters out there. Everyone thinks we're the next 2008 Clemson, and I'm okay with that.
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Let them hate.
Even if we win a MNC, people will say that was a lucky game and we are not the best team. There is literally nothing that can be done with some of these people, so I just read, laugh and bookmark so I can read it again when we win10+ games again.
I honestly am really surprised to see so many people down on PSU this year. I understand not picking us to win everything, but seriously.
Everyone points out two major flaws that we have but I feel they can be reasonably defended against.
They pick on our o-line: Well, 40% of it IS returning and is ALL-BIG TEN in Landolt and Wiz. The others that will be stepping in have played, just not started so they aren’t exactly true freshman. Also, what are things that help when having a green line? 1) Athletic, skilled QB who can throw on the run(check) 2) Stout running game(check) 3)Easy non-con for extra gel-time(check). 4)Solid experienced TEs(check). I think that by the time Iowa rolls around, the extra 15 combined starts will help tremendously.
Our secondary: If you stretched it, PSU has to face 2-3 above average passing games this year in the big ten. Granted I am genuinely worried about our DBs, but our front 7 should be more than skilled enough to make up for it.
I am not saying that we will go undefeated but I have a hard time finding more than about 3 games that worry me very much and they are mostly later in the season by which time we should know if we are good enough or not.
I ramble. HATE HATE HATE
Black Shoes.
Basic Blues.
No Name.
All Game.
How many of these same guys had the same opinion last year?
Yet, we “optimists” knew that either Clark or Devlin was going to step up, and despite not having started a game in their PSU careers, were going to be better than QB14 was. I was skeptical before Wiscy (a waste of skepticism obviously, in retrospect), about how we’d perform in an extremely hostile environment. Well guess who’s got a fist and is laughing now?
……………………………………………………………………THIS GUY
by dawsonPSU10 on Jun 10, 2009 8:45 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
+10000000000
DO YOU HAVE ANY PRIDE, DANNY?
"I hope after touchdowns this year all our players just point at Zug." - jtothep
by ReadingRambler on Jun 10, 2009 9:18 PM EDT up reply actions
One MAJOR thing that most analysts overlook
is the fact that we have a very strong core in this years team. On offense with Clark, Royster/Green and Wiz leading the way I think we have the leadership to form a cohesive unit quickly. On D we have Lee who will be the undoubted leader supported by Odrick, Bowman (if he stays out of trouble) and company. Obviously our core on D is not as strong especially in the secondary, but we have known this since last year.
Look...
It’s absolutly valid to look at this years team and point to area’s of concern; o-line, recievers, secondary. You can’t expect everybody who writes an article about football to have 25 years of following the Nittany Lions in them. We all recognize the losses from last season. Every team has losses from the previous season, but since we’re not a traditional “re-load” team (think Florida, Ohio State, Miami in it’s heyday) it’s easy to think we take a step backward.
It would be a total bummer to slip back to 9-4, but in our traditional cycles, it’s not out of the question. I think Clark gets us to 10-3 at the worst, but in a 13 game season and with our schedule that’s not all that super.
Conversly Ohio State we’re returning our team, they would be top three pre-season.
"I honestly think the "Spread HD" is going to work pretty well, and we’ll be just fine this year". - 8-27-2008
yep
If Ohio State were returning the all-conference 6th year senior QB, 1000 yard rusher with over 6 ypc, two all-american candidates at LB and tons of depth at the D-line, they’d be hyped to all get out. They would give them the benefit of the doubt on the receivers, secondary, and o-line; especially if many of them saw significant game time due to a large number of blow-out wins.
"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.
and
If we were returning the team that OSU has, would we even make the preseason top 25. Just imagine if all we had back on offense was a few mediocre O-linemen and the QB from the 105th best passing team. We’d probably be picked to finish in the bottom half of the conference.
by Brett Brown on Jun 11, 2009 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions
You guys are stealing my thunder
I have a post half-written saying the exact same thing.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
Keep writing.
"From the outside looking in, you cannot understand it. From the inside looking out, you cannot explian it."
by psuphiman80 on Jun 11, 2009 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah keep writing
the lightning is flashier anyway.
by Screen Name 20 on Jun 11, 2009 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions
Get ready
The bomb asplodes at noon.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
by BSD on Jun 11, 2009 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I was gonna critique it not being up at noon
but then I refreshed, and there it was. Kudos at exactly noon.
by The JuggerNitt on Jun 11, 2009 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions
though...wouldn't it be 11 am for you?
perhaps you are an hour early…oh no!!!
by The JuggerNitt on Jun 11, 2009 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Mmm, yummy lunch
DO YOU HAVE ANY PRIDE, DANNY?
"I hope after touchdowns this year all our players just point at Zug." - jtothep
by ReadingRambler on Jun 11, 2009 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions
actually, Utah doesn't have losses from the previous season
just sayin’
They musta been National Champions, right? I mean they beat Alabama, too, but didn’t lose to Ole Miss.
by The JuggerNitt on Jun 11, 2009 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions
And if you want to be entirely accurate
The past four years have already busted our traditional cycle which is usually one great season every four years or so, aside from the late 60s with the double-snub, and the Dark Years. We’ve had two amazing seasons in four years, plus two more not horrible, but decent yet painful seasons in between, which I’d say is pretty damn good.
I just don’t buy into all of the chicken-little articles about our secondary. Sure, it’s a new cast of starters, but so was that secondary in 2006. And, to be honest, the secondary wasn’t exactly all world last season. If Wallace lives up to half of his hype, and Timmons, at worst, holds his own, I think everything will be fine. I can’t see the safety situation being much worse than last year. I loved Rubin in run support, but he looked so exposed in the seems, at times. And, based on last year, it looks like Astorino can be a ball hawk like Scirotto was early on. And when you factor in Daily, Hodges, Jeffires, and Sukay and all of the potential that they carry, the sky could be the limit with this secondary.
We'll have corners that can run
and safeties that can hit.
In so many ways we’re picking nits with this team. You think 9 out of 10 D1A schools wouldn’t trade secondaries with us in a second? You’re crazy.
It’s not like we lost two lock down corners to the NFL that spent 12 games last season in one on one coverage. We lost a coulple of fast corners that cover a lot of ground in zone coverage and some white safeties that coud hit and play center field. Anybody notice what we’re replacing them with?
WIth the defense we play, the secondary is going to be pretty consistent every year. If anything we waste the talent we have because we stick them in safe coverages pretty much all the time, provided the D-Line continues to generate pressure, I don’t think we’ll notice any perceptable drop off in the secondary.
"I honestly think the "Spread HD" is going to work pretty well, and we’ll be just fine this year". - 8-27-2008
Who knows
with all the fresh faces, we could be surprised by them this year as well. Imagine that: us not freaking out over our secondary.
I'm getting tired of the OL comments
PSU had 4 All Conference OL last year and returns 1
OSU had 1 All Conference OL last year and returns 0
How freaking good are these OL at OSU going to be if 3 of their returning starters weren’t All Conference and 1 of them is a new starter who’s replacing a guy who wasn’t All Conference?!!! So they weren’t good enough last year but because they’re returning suddenly they’re supposed to be good? I can’t wait for Lee, Crawford, Abe, Bowman, Mauti, and Ogbu to show them that you can’t turn crap into gold just because you’re a year older!!
Not only that
Everything I’ve read seems to indicate that one of those OSU starters (Browning), isn’t even a lock to win back his starting spot.
by Brett Brown on Jun 11, 2009 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Further examination
Only 2 All Big Ten OL return as starters in the entire conference this year and they are:
Stefen Wisniewski PSU
Kyle Calloway Iowa
This OL argument is very, very weak. I’m not concerned about the OL because I know as a follower of PSU football that the guys that are stepping in are very good even if others don’t know it yet. Let them make their arguments, it just makes it even more fun when they lose again next year and our OL dominates!
you may not be able to turn crap into gold just because you're a year older
but you can turn a hold into a 5 yard gain just because you are an O$U O-Lineman
by The JuggerNitt on Jun 11, 2009 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions
No respect
I remember watching a little Big Ten preview show on ESPN last August with their “experts”, Todd McShay and Joe Schad. For the life of me, I can’t remember which one… but one of them said Penn State was the most overrated team in the Big Ten. The other said Illinois.
Of course, at around the same time on the Big Ten Network’s preview show, Gerry Dinardo picked us to win the Big Ten. Of course, Gerry had taken the time to visit each school’s campus to talk with players and coaches (presumably about summer practice and their outlook for the season). So, he had a better idea than most about what to expect from each team.
People like McShay, Schad, Dr. Saturday, Captain Aquarius, (or whoever the hell else) are really just guessing because they don’t have enough information to do otherwise. It takes a Dinardo-level of effort that most of these guys are unwilling to put forth in order to make a more valid estimate of a team’s potential.
On the Big Ten network
Chris Martin picked us before the season started so props to him last year. McShame and Shatt are just mouthpieces who don’t do their homework. They always go for the perceived national favorite because it increases their odds of being correct.
"recruiting as a generally solid basis for forming expectations in lieu of better information"
Brackett/Zug/Powell stars > Williams/Norwood/Butler stars
Matt Hinton’s logic is based on a faulty premise. He should be saying that the new three are better than the old three were in 2005.
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