Michigan 42, Penn State 7
K. John hit the top number, and the bottom number didn’t matter. Michigan thoroughly throttled the Nittany Lions, 42-7, with the 7 resulting from a last-gasp, desperation drive to avoid a shutout with the game long since decided.
Trace McSorley had a bad day, exacerbated by breakdowns by the offensive line and coaching weirdness. The defense was able to keep the game close for the first half in spite of the offense sputtering. But all hell broke loose in the second half.
Fourth Quarter Insanity?
Coaching strangeness was once again in evidence as Franklin pulled McSorley, inserted Tommy Stevens, then pulled Stevens, inserted McSorley, and then inserted Tommy Stevens again. All this with no hope of pulling out a win. Why the hell risk further injury to McSorley? Why not put Stevens in to play the fourth quarter and get some game experience in anticipation of next year?
Can anyone find even a half-assed valid reason for what Franklin did there? McSorley undoubtedly bent his ear. He wanted to play. Sure, your best player wants to be in the game from start to finish but it was time to say, “Sit, Trace. You’re done for today.” Does Franklin think there are still Heisman chances for Trace? Did he think he could redeem an awful performance with a few more snaps?
I know this subject has been beaten to death elsewhere, but my mind continues to boggle over many fourth quarter decisions made by Franklin this year. I’m back to thinking that he crumbles under pressure. His comments in the post-game media room didn’t make much sense to me.
The Game – Why Bother?
Back to the game, well, the offense suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucked. Miles Sanders couldn’t get going, but hell, they handed him the ball only seven times. He gained a net 14 yards. Ricky Slade was once again nowhere to be seen. I guess the game plan incorporated the philosophy that the running game was a futile exercise in self-flagellation. After all, McSorley couldn’t be effective running, especially when they send him up the middle in harm’s way.
Passing was crappy, though, so we couldn’t run and we couldn’t throw. We have receivers who can’t catch combined with an inaccurate and hobbled McSorley. Juwan Johnson was better off not making the trip. He didn’t want to be associated with this debacle, anyway. Besides, he can’t catch.
Any notion that the offensive line has improved very much must be some media smoke and mirrors. Michigan was constantly in the PSU backfield. These guys couldn’t block for a Pop Warner team. Back to the Five Traffic Cones.
The defense was present, but how the hell can they do their job when they are on the field so much and for so long? The offense couldn’t give them a rest. Michigan dominated “increasingly irrelevant” time of possession, 37:56 to 22:04.
That’s all I want to say. No other stats are necessary. The scoreboard tells it all. 42-7, and it wasn’t even that close.
Toilet Bowl Bound, but Not So Fast!
Penn State is #21 this week and sinking. They better not pout over this humiliating defeat, because Wisconsin, although not one of their better teams, looms on Saturday — now relegated to a noon kickoff because we suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
Some of the clowns at ESPN think it is still possible for the Lions to play on New Year’s Day, perhaps at the Citrus Bowl. Let’s not count those chickens before they hatch. We still have to see how they do with the Badgers, the Terps, and during the bye week with Rutgers.
I’ll be back with a look at Wisconsin if I can get up off the floor.
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Tom says
I’m counting the days till Franklin is given his walking papers. He has been a reasonably good recruiter but Paterno could have done a better job – and he’s dead. I wouldn’t mind seeing O’Brien back if/when he is fired but he’d probably jump at the next pro job. I thought he did a remarkable job with the talent he had and the sanctions he worked under.
The Nittany Turkey says
I think you’ll be counting lots of days. Sandy Barbour still loves JF and wants to reduce the capacity of Beaver Stadium. JF will provide the justification for her grand scheme when fewer asses fill the existing seats. I’m being somewhat facetious (as usual), but I don’t think Franklin is going anywhere soon, unless he gets a juicy offer from the Cleveland Browns, or something. (Hell, Urban Meyer might compete for that job, particularly if his season keeps tanking).
O’Brien is an NFL guy and will always be. His kid needs the kind of care available in megacities. Aside from the notion that head coach firings are an inevitability in the NFL, why would Billy Boy get fired? His team is leading the division and having a pretty good season thus far. I don’t know how good his relationship is with Robert Kraft, but I would bet that if he left New England on good terms, he would want to throw his hat in the ring when Belichick ultimately retires.
We saw what PSU could do last year with the Joe Moorhead offense, although even I could score points with a collection of offensive weapons like McSorley, Barkley, Gesicki, and Hamilton. I’m not pronouncing Ricky Rahne a failure — yet — but what I’ve seen so far isn’t thrilling me. It might be unfair to gauge his performance after so much talent was lost, but I’m pretty impatient when I see some of the crap calls we’ve seen on the field this year, especially late in the first half and late in the game. Matt Limegrover hasn’t figured out how to win the battle of the trenches yet. Some say give them time. I’m impatient. How much time do they need? Some of the problems that plague the offense needed to be fixed months ago.
After nine games, the Nittany Lions are screwing up in the same ways they screwed up at season’s outset, only now they’re beat up and hobbling. I don’t see how it can improve measurably this year. They might be able to pull a rabbit out of a hat and beat Wisconsin (PSU currently favored by 8), and then turn around and lose to Rutgers or Maryland. Bleaaah.
—TNT
K. John says
People just haven’t caught on to the fact that the offense we see on a week to week basis is far closer to the discombobulated John Donovan thought was an offensive scheme than the streamlined point a minute system Joe Moorhead implemented. Just go watch some film. The RPO game is gone. The deep passing game went with it. The man gap hybrid blocking scheme for running plays is rarely used anymore if at all. Given the limitations at QB, I am not sure how much Barkley and Gesicki would help against better defenses at this point.
Wisconsin is more than capable of containing our offense in its current form whether McSorley is 100% or not. Their offense is capable of controlling the clock in ways Michigan can’t, even without their starting QB. We’ll be in it Saturday but I wouldn’t pick us to win. Rutgers is a win. Maryland is anyone’s guess given that they’ll be playing for a bowl game against a team they hate on senior day and we’ll be playing for maybe the Holiday Bowl.
I think we are going to know in a matter of weeks what the future holds. If Franklin doesn’t get rid of Ricky Rahne (who never should have been brought to Happy Valley with him), regardless of other position coaches, I think it is safe to say we’ll have a new coach in 2020. I don’t think Sandy will make him fire another coordinator after forcing him to get rid of Donovan. I think this his last shot.
Diesel says
I hope John K is right if Franklin doesn’t make changes. Cant use the sanctions as an excuse any longer, this team has the talent so the poor play has to be coaching related. Prior to kickoff for the Michigan game the team looked like Michael Spinks before he fought Tyson, they didn’t look confident nor fired up. Offensive line is a mess…still. Scheme and Play calling looks like a mid level high school team. Personally I like Franklin as a recruiter but he needs to surround himself with quality assistant coaches to be successful as a head coach.
The Nittany Turkey says
Franklin surrounds himself with cronies, and this is the result. Those whose performances stand on their own merit move on to a greater reward. What remains is a collection of coaches who can’t coach Big Ten football and who squander the talent PSU has accumulated through JF’s recruiting.
—TNT