But they were a top 10 team the second half of 2016 and bring back most of their nucleus. So it is a reasonable spot to put them in pre-season.
I think they played over their heads and caught some nice bounces, but that is my conjecture.
Who's going to catch those arm-punts this year? They somehow got away with virtually every bad throw you could imagine last year. I have NEVER seen a team that lucky game in and game out.
USC figured it out in the 2nd half of the Rose Bowl. Put a DB on the sideline at the 20 on McSorely's right, and just fair catch his arm punt.
...Penn State 2016 : Penn State 2017 as MSU 2015 : MSU 2016
Penn St 2017 has better talent across the board than MSU 2016. But otherwise I logged in to say "PENN ST @ #6!? MOTHER OF GOD!"
Beyond Saquan Barkley, I don't think Penn State is that talented top to bottom.
But maybe 49-10 is really playing too big a role in my evaluation of Penn State's talent level.
Pitt Panthers agree as well.
My son went to the spring game and he said Bubble Screen Franklin is back and they looked pretty bad even with 1's vs 2's most of the game. They had a field goal competition/exhibition and neither kicker was making anything. Eventually Franklin just called it off to save them more embarassment.
Can't get that out of my head. Had some injuries in that game, but we are talking a pretty similar crowd to the one we crushed. I'd pick them for most likely top 10 team to finish unranked.
The McSorley/Barkley combo is really good. As soon as one of those guys gets dinged, they will struggle mightily.
MSU 2015 lost pretty much everyone. PSU 2016 returns just about everyone. If we're being honest, it's more like:
PSU 2016 : PSU 2017 as UM 2015 : UM 2016 in terms of results in the first year of the analogy and returners for the second year.
I keep saying that they have not been recruiting at a top 10 level, and I don't think that James Franklin is the kind of coach that can turn crappy kids into elite talent, or is a good enough game manager to overcome those kinds of talent issues. That leads me to think that 2016 was just a fluke. They will revert to the mean in 2017.
Watching that train go off the rails will be fun though.
My thoughts exactly. I think they have a decent season this year, but when Moorhead inevitably gets a head coaching job after this year the wheels come off. I don't have a lot of faith in Field Goal Franklin.
I am very much here for "Playoff Bound" Penn State starting 3-3 with losses to Pitt, Iowa and us.
If so, the thorw it up and pray strategy will be downgraded.
Yeah their leading receiver, Godwin, went in the 3rd rd to Tampa
And he was the one catching all those McSorely moon-shots.
Hard to argue against top 10 on paper, but I still agree with you.
Glad it wasn't just me. If it wasn't for Maryland's brutal schedule, I'd put PSU 4th in the East.
Not sure that Georgia has shown that they belong at #10 - are they better than Auburn, LSU and Stanford?
No, maybe Stanford and LSU, but I've got Auburn winning the SEC this year. That prediction has always failed me, but I really like their team with the addition of Jarrett Stidham. Auburn will lose to Clemson at the beginning of the year but beat Alabama at home in the Iron Bowl to go to the SEC Championship game.
I'm with you there. My Guy-On-The-Internet-In-May Playoff Prediction is 1. USC 2. FSU 3. Michigan 4. Auburn, which will infuriate no less than 85% of our own fan base, because we hate optimism.
of no OSU and no Bama. Unfortunatly it will never happen while those two coaches are there. 4 losses+ between Saban and Meyers isnt happening. God I hope im wrong.
Urban Meyer's 2010 Florida team went 8-5. Never say never
... that it precludes you from saying "I told you so" when something goes wrong.
OSU has trouble completing a pass longer than 5 yards.
FSU has to replace a high usage Dalvin Cook.
Clemson is breaking in a new QB
PSU will Franklin itself
OU lost their running backs and top WR
Washington's secondary went to the draft.
A lot of shuffling will take place in the top ten this year.
FSU should be fine at RB
plus, we lost 47 starters and are still top 10
but at this point, Dalvin Cook > Akers
I thought he was the best player at any of the AA games. If that is his true skill level, he will be an immediate difference maker.
One of those top teams is also replacing 17/22 starters...
+1 for "PSU will Franklin itself" - he is one of the most overrated coaches in America. Let's not forget burning a timeout on 4th and goal from the 1 to send in the FG team to cut a 4 score game to a 4 score game.
"USC's hype train is almost as ridiculous as PSU's. Going to be a lot of pressure on The Darnold next season."
I think I picked him up in the second game he took over and hitting espn at about 11 pm became a habit for the remainder f the season. Could not help but think - no make that wonder if they would have been ranked one or two if h had been starter ready at the beginnng of the season. No doubt Lamar was a very exciting player throughout the course of the season and the argument I will probably get for saying I believe Darnold would have taken the award
in that Top 10 have to replace a lot of talent?
Is Clemson still a borderline playoff team w/o Watson? I mean, I don't know enough about their team but I assume his absence will be huge.
Watson, their two top receivers and their starting running back are gone.
They have recruited well. We lost 18 starters and will be fine. I think Clemson will be fine as well as long as they get decent QB play.
We could be fine as a lot of the front defensive players gained experience last year. The offensive line progression and most importantly the secondary will let us know. If our corners struggle to cover the deep pass then we will lose a couple of games this year.
The Big 12 is in deep do-do. While we just had 11 players drafted this last weekend, the entire Big 12 had 14. Shoot the AAC had 15. America's best are just not going to the Big 12 these days and I don't blame them. Personally, I barely follow the Big 12 or watch their 63-59 games.