Durkin punks James Franklin

[michigangoblue999]

With Michigan owning New Jersey now and Durkin at Maryland, Franklin is getting squeezed. He was hanging his hat on being a good recruiter when the results on the field were less than spectacular, but where are the recruits going to come from now? Oh, and Narduzzi is beating Franklin in Pennsylvania as well. That Pitt-PSU game on September 10th is a must-win for Franklin, I think. Can you imagine how crazy PSU fans will go if they lose that game?

How long does Franklin have left?

 

[michnittlion]

These are rather strange definitions of "punked" and "Narduzzi beating Franklin in Pennsylvania."

 

[michigangoblue999]

Well Franklin was supposed to "dominate the state," which isn't exactly happening. Point is, he's under siege from every direction. This year's wonderful recruiting class finished around 25, didn't it?

How long before PSU is fifth in the B1G east? I just can't see PSU fans accepting that, but maybe your standards have slipped.

 

[michnittlion]

Well Franklin was supposed to "dominate the state," which isn't exactly happening. Point is, he's under siege from every direction. This year's wonderful recruiting class finished around 25, didn't it?

How long before PSU is fifth in the B1G east? I just can't see PSU fans accepting that, but maybe your standards have slipped.

Recruiting classes are nice, but I've always viewed success as a college coach as 1/3 recruiting, 1/3 coaching up players, 1/3 in-game decisions. A good coach can turn 25th-ish,15th-ish,25th-ish classes (14/15/16 for PSU) into successful teams. It's fair to question Franklin's acumen in coaching up players and in-game decisions (although, to his credit, Franklin has never blown a game for the lack of doing "max protect" on a punt ). But I'm not concerned with the recruiting classes.

"Dominate the state" was boisterous, but still: the next time Narduzzi has a major recruiting service rank a Pitt class higher than a PSU class, that will be a first.

I don't like using the sanctions as a crutch, but they DID occur. There's a little bit of a talking point among non-PSU folk that "the NCAA really let PSU off the hook with the sanction reduction", but people who say that are speaking complete nonsense. The sanctions were definitely significant, and it is a headwind PSU has faced in 2014 (PSU finished sixth in the B1G East in 2014) & 2015, and will have remnant effects in 2016 too (it's no longer an excuse in 2017).

PSU had young teams in 2014-2015, is increasing depth coming off sanctions, has had non-bad recruiting classes in each of the last 3 years, and shoot, QB cannot be worse in 2016. I'm not a big Franklin fan, but given all that, the odds of a PSU near-term collapse seem low. I'm not sure why you would want a collapse anyway? Wouldn't you rather have a mediocre coach who keeps Penn State in an annual "6-to-8 win spin cycle"?

 

[michigangoblue999]

No protection is going to protect against a dropped punt snap and then a punter who tries to bicycle kick it backwards over his head. Just fall on the ball and Michigan wins. Okay, I took the bait.

Anyway, on to the subject at hand. I agree you can take recruiting classes like that and win if you have a top-notch coach. I thought Franklin was a great hire when PSU got him, but a couple years later and you start to wonder if he's just all talk. The biggest red flag, by far, is that Hackenberg got a lot worse as his career went on. Think that's happening under Jim Harbaugh? Me, neither.

It's just funny that Franklin was hanging his hat on recruiting and then when things don't go as well on that front, he changes his motto to "No Talent Required."

I just keep thinking of this guy:

 

[michigangoblue999]

By the way, I'm not hoping for a Penn State collapse. I always loved JoePa, as least prior to the Sandusky handling. It's just not looking very good right now. He's getting out-recruited in areas where he has to win. Do you think there's a chance he tries for a more national approach?

 

[michnittlion]

By the way, I'm not hoping for a Penn State collapse. I always loved JoePa, as least prior to the Sandusky handling. It's just not looking very good right now. He's getting out-recruited in areas where he has to win. Do you think there's a chance he tries for a more national approach?

No. I don't think Penn State even needs to recruit Nationally to compete at National levels. PA, NJ, the mid-Atlantic plus a little Carolinas is nearly sufficient. (Penn State had a decent pipeline out of South Carolina in the 1990s: Courtney Brown, Bobby Engram among others).

But there is one big outage to change "nearly sufficient" to "sufficient": Ohio.

OSU will always own Ohio but it's pathetic that PSU hasn't done anything there for 20 years now. PSU did get a few good Ohio kids in the 1980s & 1990s --- Michael Zordich, Enis, Ki-Jana, Jurevicius, Not coincidentally, some of PSU's historically better teams.

 

[rojo36]

Recruiting classes are nice, but I've always viewed success as a college coach as 1/3 recruiting, 1/3 coaching up players, 1/3 in-game decisions. A good coach can turn 25th-ish,15th-ish,25th-ish classes (14/15/16 for PSU) into successful teams. It's fair to question Franklin's acumen in coaching up players and in-game decisions (although, to his credit, Franklin has never blown a game for the lack of doing "max protect" on a punt ). But I'm not concerned with the recruiting classes.

"Dominate the state" was boisterous, but still: the next time Narduzzi has a major recruiting service rank a Pitt class higher than a PSU class, that will be a first.

I don't like using the sanctions as a crutch, but they DID occur. There's a little bit of a talking point among non-PSU folk that "the NCAA really let PSU off the hook with the sanction reduction", but people who say that are speaking complete nonsense. The sanctions were definitely significant, and it is a headwind PSU has faced in 2014 (PSU finished sixth in the B1G East in 2014) & 2015, and will have remnant effects in 2016 too (it's no longer an excuse in 2017).

PSU had young teams in 2014-2015, is increasing depth coming off sanctions, has had non-bad recruiting classes in each of the last 3 years, and shoot, QB cannot be worse in 2016. I'm not a big Franklin fan, but given all that, the odds of a PSU near-term collapse seem low. I'm not sure why you would want a collapse anyway? Wouldn't you rather have a mediocre coach who keeps Penn State in an annual "6-to-8 win spin cycle"?

All of you Nits use "The Sanctions" as a crutch. Why are they always mentioned ??

 

[michigangoblue999]

All of you Nits use "The Sanctions" as a crutch. Why are they always mentioned ??

It's definitely overplayed. Sanctions didn't make Hackenberg go backward in his development. That was Franklin.

 

[michnittlion]

All of you Nits use "The Sanctions" as a crutch. Why are they always mentioned ??

If one is doing a performance review for James Franklin's 2014-2015 seasons, the relative lack of depth he inherited is a fair thing to point out.

Not that that explains Hackenberg's regression, or blowing winnable games against crappy coaches like Brady Hoke, Randy Edsall and Tim Beckmann, or various other things. Stuff like that, Franklin has nothing but himself to point to.

I really don't think you even believe what you typed, but rather you just wanted to seize an opportunity to "yell" at me --- fair enough.

 

[michigangoblue999]

I really don't think you even believe what you typed, but rather you just wanted to seize an opportunity to "yell" at me --- fair enough.

Speaking of which - do you guys mind it when people call you "Nits?"

Or is that like "Sparty," which Michigan fans use derisively, but MSU fans don't seem to mind too much.

 

[michnittlion]

Speaking of which - do you guys mind it when people call you "Nits?"

Or is that like "Sparty," which Michigan fans use derisively, but MSU fans don't seem to mind too much.

LOL, my first reaction is "why would Nits be an insult?!?!?!" I just google searched Nits, I didn't even know that was a synonym for head lice.

Gregg Henson I think "invented" Sparty. That really did catch on starting in the late 90s. I think MSU fans hated it at first but don't care as much now (then again, I haven't lived regularly in Michigan for awhile now).

 

[michigangoblue999]

HAAAAA!!!! I have never heard that Henson gets credit for Sparty.

I miss the old Jamie and Gregg show. WDFN back in the day was great.

 

[michnittlion]

HAAAAA!!!! I have never heard that Henson gets credit for Sparty.

I miss the old Jamie and Gregg show. WDFN back in the day was great.

3G was the first person I ever heard use it (1997). It seems like it really took off in the 2000 time frame. There were lots of "Sparty No!" games in that era.

Gregg was good, entertaining. I think he's in Pittsburgh these days.

 

[goblue31602]

Recruiting classes are nice, but I've always viewed success as a college coach as 1/3 recruiting, 1/3 coaching up players, 1/3 in-game decisions. A good coach can turn 25th-ish,15th-ish,25th-ish classes (14/15/16 for PSU) into successful teams. It's fair to question Franklin's acumen in coaching up players and in-game decisions (although, to his credit, Franklin has never blown a game for the lack of doing "max protect" on a punt ). But I'm not concerned with the recruiting classes.

"Dominate the state" was boisterous, but still: the next time Narduzzi has a major recruiting service rank a Pitt class higher than a PSU class, that will be a first.

I don't like using the sanctions as a crutch, but they DID occur. There's a little bit of a talking point among non-PSU folk that "the NCAA really let PSU off the hook with the sanction reduction", but people who say that are speaking complete nonsense. The sanctions were definitely significant, and it is a headwind PSU has faced in 2014 (PSU finished sixth in the B1G East in 2014) & 2015, and will have remnant effects in 2016 too (it's no longer an excuse in 2017).

PSU had young teams in 2014-2015, is increasing depth coming off sanctions, has had non-bad recruiting classes in each of the last 3 years, and shoot, QB cannot be worse in 2016. I'm not a big Franklin fan, but given all that, the odds of a PSU near-term collapse seem low. I'm not sure why you would want a collapse anyway? Wouldn't you rather have a mediocre coach who keeps Penn State in an annual "6-to-8 win spin cycle"?

You don't seriously believe this "cannot be worse" garbage, do you? Franklin turned a budding star into a pretty bad quarterback, and yet you somehow think it can't get worse? Things can ALWAYS get worse.

And on the success as a college coach, Franklin is questionable in all 3 categories.I'm not sure how you put any faith into that

 

[jbannan]

I thought it was important that when Hackenberg left he mentioned everyone but Franklin in his parting speech. He even mentioned custodians and equipment men and not the head coach. There appears to be cracks in the Nittany Lion facade.

 

[michigangoblue999]

You don't seriously believe this "cannot be worse" garbage, do you? Franklin turned a budding star into a pretty bad quarterback, and yet you somehow think it can't get worse? Things can ALWAYS get worse.

And on the success as a college coach, Franklin is questionable in all 3 categories.I'm not sure how you put any faith into that

The funny thing about this is michnittlion is reviled on BWI for not being pro-Franklin enough! HA!

 

[michigangoblue999]

I thought it was important that when Hackenberg left he mentioned everyone but Franklin in his parting speech. He even mentioned custodians and equipment men and not the head coach. There appears to be cracks in the Nittany Lion facade.

And PSU fans say he just forgot to mention Franklin. HAAA!!!

 

[michnittlion]

You don't seriously believe this "cannot be worse" garbage, do you? Franklin turned a budding star into a pretty bad quarterback, and yet you somehow think it can't get worse? Things can ALWAYS get worse.

And on the success as a college coach, Franklin is questionable in all 3 categories.I'm not sure how you put any faith into that

Yes, I shouldn't have said "cannot." But I do believe "unlikely to be worse" is correct. Hackenberg finished 12th of 14 QBs last year in completion %, and 9th among 10 (the 10 w/ the most pass attempts) in efficiency. Combine that with the steady decline in attitude (which started in Game TWO of 2014!!) and the complete lack of leadership: we're starting from a pretty low base.

I'm not high on Franklin but I haven't given up either. We'll see 8 months from now.