James Franklin is an IDIOT

Submitted by Khaleke The Freak on September 29th, 2018 at 11:47 PM

pretty horrible collapse in Happy Valley.   A failed two pt conversion, going for it on 4th down in field goal range, then the icing on the cake...not even using McSorley on the last play.  Hope recruits were watching...

Muttley

September 30th, 2018 at 1:36 AM ^

The 538 chart with ten minutes left for the NFL agrees.  However, had they run the same two point play and failed up 19-14, then the chart would have said to go for one after their next TD up 25-14. 

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/when-to-go-for-2-for-real/

The obvious one-step go up seven instead of six dominates the two step possibilities of stopping OSU & then going up 9 with a FG or incentivizing OSU to go for two had PSU failed followed by and OSU score (putting OSU up 20-19 pre-extra point).

Brian Griese

September 29th, 2018 at 11:56 PM ^

He blew through two time outs before the 4th down play. If he keeps both and they still get stopped short, he would’ve had all three and may have been able to get the ball back. Oh and giving the ball to Sanders was idiotic. 

Michifornia

September 29th, 2018 at 11:56 PM ^

Dislike penn state.  HATE osu way more.  Naturally don't like McSorley but that dude is one tough qb.  He deserved to get that win.  Now osu doesn't have a single game that's close to a challenge until they play us.  penn state had that win...ugh.

WolverineHistorian

September 29th, 2018 at 11:58 PM ^

He is.  I mean, fuck Penn State forever.  But not kicking the FG earlier was stupid as shit.

In the end, it's the same damn result.  And I'm beyond numb to it.  If OSU were trailing a game 35-0 in the fourth quarter, I'd still expect them to win 36-35.  

MGolem

September 30th, 2018 at 12:08 AM ^

Franklin is now 1-4 vs OSU. He is also 1-3 vs Michigan and 1-3 vs Michigan State. He got hot at the right time one year and everyone has forgotten his poor record against his primary competition. 

Wolverine91

September 30th, 2018 at 12:13 AM ^

Guys I need some fantasy football help. Drew brees or Phillip rivers? 

And then I need to start a running back, either Alex Collins or Sony michel?

Bambi

September 30th, 2018 at 12:17 AM ^

Franklin's a moron, for that play call but also his inability to adjust to OSU's game plan. All first half PSU was killing OSU by getting to Haskins with pressure and forcing bad throws. All 2nd half OSU responded with screens and PSU had no idea what to do, and had some of the worst tackling ever.

Haskins had 270 yards, 3 TDs and 1 pick on 6.9 YPA. At least 85 of those yards and 2 TDs were on screens. The last TD was 47 yards where he arm punted a ball to a WR who broke 3 awful PSU tackle attempts to run 30+ yards for the TD. That's 132 of Hakins yards and all 3 TDs on 4 plays where he didn't do shit, PSU just couldn't tackle. And there's more there that I'm missing.

Haskins didn't play well at all. Also, OSU's defense is still shit. They gave up 500 yards to PSU on 4.7 YPC rushing and 8.9 YPA passing. They had no idea how to stop a QB run. They have no Bosa, a terrible back 7, and lost their best CB to injury in the second half.

The TCU team that put up 500+ yards on OSU? The past two weeks they've lost to Texas 31-16 and beat Iowa State 17-14 at home on a last second FG. They had 372 yards last week and 299 this week. 

OSU is clearly the class of the B1G. We're a very flawed team, moreso than OSU or PSU. But OSU has a QB that can't handle pressure, an OL that gives up pressure, a bad defense, and finally don't have the ability to convert every 3rd and short with JT running the ball. They're probably going to win the B1G and beat us, but they're not as good as everyone's gonna say.

Bambi

September 30th, 2018 at 10:25 AM ^

I have no idea what to think. I'm incredibly down on our offensive playcalling right now, I think that or penalties are our biggest issue. That being said I felt the same last year and we had a great gameplan vs OSU. The potential is there, the inconsistency is infuriating.

As for the defense, we'll see. Some of our third down issues/slot issues are once again, infuriating. This defense is not 2016 level. I'm also less scared of OSU's offense. They're not nearly as good running the ball without JT to supplement the RBs and be a real QB run threat. Their passing numbers look great, but like my post above said all of that is screens against PSU. Against TCU, who's not as good as we thought, he had at least one 63 yard TD that was a screen. To me it seems Haskins/OSU can beat up on lesser teams when they out athlete them, but their WRs still can't catch or get seperation against good teams, their playcalling in big games is overly conservative and their OL struggles. If you can defend a screen, you can defend OSU's passing offense.

We are a flawed team who I'm 99% sure will lose to OSU. But they're also flawed and have major issues.

SHub'68

September 30th, 2018 at 2:55 PM ^

So this means that the way to beat OSU is to pressure Haskins, blanket the receivers, stay at home/sniff out the screens.

My nightmare:  We overcome a trash tornado. We take advantage of James Franklin to win a game we probably shouldn't. We get all the way to The Game with ND as our only blemish. A win over OSU away from our first B1G title game and a shot at the CFP.

We face egregious holding, dubious pass interference, one inexplicable break down on D that gives up a long run. Yet we're still right there at the end. In fact, we lead by 2. All we need is the ability to run out the clock, pick up a first down on 3rd and short and it's our game . . .

jmblue

September 30th, 2018 at 12:23 AM ^

That call was so weird, I thought at first the play had been whistled dead and most of the PSU players had stopped playing.   How could that be the call on 4th and 5?  Especially after you've burned through two timeouts and ensured that you can't get another possession...

Double-D

September 30th, 2018 at 12:27 AM ^

4th and 5.  Game on the line and Franklin runs a fucking dive up the middle.....with a gunslinger Qb with good feet.   What a fucking complete idiot.  

At least Harbaugh only bludgeoned the middle of the line on 1st down for no gain consequently forever when the game was not on the line.   

Synful

September 30th, 2018 at 12:34 AM ^

That really was a magnificently stupid call on 4th down at the end.  The loss of Hammler sent a death knell to their chances of beating that team.  

AZBlue

September 30th, 2018 at 11:05 AM ^

McSorely laser-focuses on Hamler (or at least did last night).  Put Hill on him - fitting as a PSU de-commit - and a big chunk of their offense is gone when they come to AA.

PS - may just be the way reads go in our O but I swear I see Patterson doing the same with DPJ and Nico over Martin and Perry.

Perkis-Size Me

September 30th, 2018 at 12:50 AM ^

James Franklin by himself is a pretty bad in-game coach, but he can recruit as well as anyone and is smart enough to surround himself with assistants who know what the hell they're doing, and then he gets out of their way. 

Michigan will more than have its hands full when Penn State comes to town.

OwenGoBlue

September 30th, 2018 at 12:50 AM ^

Lighting the timeouts on fire to seal the game is the most insane thing to me.

I get how that could be the call (or the check). Don't like the call, but it is not the actual worst idea to run on 4th and 5 with OSU showing a weird pressure look.

But if you're going to do that, do it with tempo right after the 3rd down scramble. Or run any other play and live to play more meaningful snaps. 

DHughes5218

September 30th, 2018 at 12:52 AM ^

I know they were thinking OSU would be keying on McSorley and they would catch OSU off guard but 4th and 5 with the game on the line you have to say our best will beat their best. If it doesn’t, you can live with the consequences.