Well said Roam. This team will be loaded on both sides of the ball but missing Trace will be a big loss. Hopefully T. Stevens can come in and produce at a high level and continue the success the program has had. The team has won 24 of its past 28 games, and those four losses have been by a combined eight points, truly remarkable.

What has PSU done to be called a great program? Running the score up on patsies it all it takes?

Franklin is obviously nothing more than a good talker and a mediocre game day coach that will never take this team to the next level. It's rather obvious to me why so many people think he is a fraud. I'm sticking with my prediction of 8-4  for 2018.

Next year looks great on paper but unfortunately the same coaching staff will be in place and late game collapses + slow starts will be the norm.  Probably at least 2 losses in 2019.

I agree with everything you said Roam...My concern is the same thing happened 2 years in a row..They had this team beat 2 years in a row and haven't learned anything from the experience...Hopefully they take the step next season....The talent is sure there to do so...

ohio st has better seasoned players than we do and that’s why they’ve won the last 2 games. We have probably the BEST QB we’ve ever had and that’s why we are going toe to toe with Ohio st. How many times have y’all heard me say...great QB play will hide a lot of flaws. Our team is very young and we just couldn’t afford to lose 1 starting DE’s and  our best LBER. The guys we’ve got playing are young and will be the studs Ohio st has now. I still believe we’re only playing at 85% because of the sanctions and that other 15% we’re missing is why we lost. To beat Ohio st and teams like ‘em you have to be at a100% and we’re not quite there yet but it’s coming baby. mb pointed out about losing the Rivers kid, when you’re playing at a 100% you can afford to lose rivers but when you’re not you can’t. Everything is going to be good because I believe we’ll win 10 regular season games maybe 11. BTW look at Michigan right now, they look really bad because of bad QB play. When they fix the QB situation they’ll compete with anybody. Also USC is way behind us in recovering from their sanctions.

RFLMAO  You morons crack me up .....you DO realize the number of undefeated teams the last 10 years is....drum roll.....7....and 2 years hosted two so basically in the last 10 SEASONS only 5 had an undefeated team.    lmao    we lost....by one.....had nothing to do with closing the game.....they gave up 21 points in the first half....THAT is where they need work, not the end....

Exactly Murray, I look no further than slick Nick....he has ONE undefeated season playing with 5* players 3 deep so that tells you how hard it is to win every game. The greatest Joe Paterno baby had 5 and just made it look easy lol

Jesus christ Remoh, WTF is your definition of "great" then considering Franklin said there is great which is below elite.

Sometimes your nihilism gets effing hard to take. Highly recruited classes, big bowl games, a Big Ten championship, 4 losses in over 2 years by 8 points. 2 straight top 10 finishes, and I believe another one coming.

8-4 based on what, your general glass is empty demeanor? Your basic eeyore mentality? We lost to one of the NC favorites by one point, but now apparently we are gonna lose 3 more games and we basically suck. Whatever.

I’m sticking with 10-2 hoping for 11-1

Rick Bobby mentality: " If you ain't first, your last"

Get the #+$& outta here 😂

It’s only a game.

Wow someone obviously had a rough night, hope you're feeling better today. Yes you are correct when trying to build an elite football program a coach with a butt clench philosophie is the way to go.

As always you are right about everything.

P.S. I'm saying 8-4 because that's what I predicted pre-season but 9-3 is more realistic at this point.

LOL now that's funny!! Yes they could have done better in the first half  BUT despite that they still had a 12 point lead with 8 minutes to play in the game!

Poor coaching and play calling once again cost them a lead late in the game.

Interesting thing from your post: Point out where I said or implied "Yes you are correct when trying to build an elite football program a coach with a butt clench philosophie is the way to go."

My entire response was about how you implied we aren't a great program, considering I also mentioned there is a higher tier of elite, after saying all we do is beat up patsies. Yes, beating a higher ranked Wisconsin team in the Big Ten Championship and the #12 team in the Fiesta Bowl certainly qualify as patsies. You're right, I mean everyone knows beating top ranked teams in bowl games and conference championships isn't hard. Beating Ohio State in 2016? All luck. Just patsies.

I didn't say we are elite, I said we were great. As Franklin stated. We blew a lead to Ohio State two years in a row. One of the elite programs in the entire country, we lost to two years in a row by 1 point. Yeah it sucks, but it doesn't mean we aren't a great program. It means we aren't elite. Hopefully we won't have a letdown like we did last year against Michigan State, obviously you think we will.

LMAO !! Good Lord. I've had an awesome day and will not engage you in one of your famous pissing  contests no matter how much you try to bait me.

Once again, you are correct and you know everything.

A little perspective, of our 4 losses in the last 28 games... Two of them were against 1 of the 2 best coaches in college football today. Urban Meyer, who has 3 National Titles to his name and has the biggest recruiting and football budget in the nation at Ohio State.

So Franklin got outcoached at the end. Twice. Sure, if you want to think that I won't dispute it. But who doesn't Meyer outcoach? Even Saban sometimes gets had by him.

Franklin is still a young coach still and Urban's been doing his thing for a lot longer. At Florida, in Urban's first 3 seasons he lost to 6 ranked teams. It happens, he got better at playing in big games.

IMO, what I think you saw the last two years against Ohio State was a hangover from USC in the Rose Bowl. Letting Trace throw up the ball at the end, taking their shots, and ultimately throwing the INT that lost the game. It may have made Franklin tight in close games, may have made him shy to pull the trigger.  Possibly.

I agree with you that play calling in these 4 losses has be rough at the end. In many ways, on the defensive side more than the offense. Seems like the pressure just disappears and they go into turtle mode. However, if you watched the press conference I think you'd see a coach who knows it's on him. He realizes what he did, admitted it's his fault, and vowed to get better.

I don't think you cut ties with a guy who brought the program back from sanctions, won a Big Ten title, won a Fiesta Bowl, and has two top 10 finishes in the past two seasons because he got tight in a couple of big games. To me, that's just asking for trouble.

LOL, coming from the guy who consistently calls posters senile and engages in name calling... That's rich.

It makes me laugh every time you roll out the "you know everything" nonsense, considering you are the only poster in the forum who says that about me. Everyone else seems to get along with me just fine, and has good back and forths. Yet you have issues with multiple posters.

Might want to look into that. Hint... If you have issues with many of the posters, it might be you not them.

LMAO!! Just can't let it go can you? I've told you that you're right about everything and obviously I'm being genuine about that. You're obviously a football genius.

Not sure why you're so sensitive.

😂😂😂😂 I needed a good laugh, thanks.

Remoh,  On each and every game thread YOU'VE been posting things like "give Boobie the ball" and "get the ball to Boobie" or "Im telling you, get the damn ball to Boobie".  Well, CJF got the ball to Boobie and it didnt work out and now he's a bad coach??  Coach screwed up and then manned up and admitted he made a mistake and announced that it was all on him.   Why dont you just admit that you know nothing about the game beyond your 3 years on the bench playing pee-wee football.  Roam's right, you're pretty much a jerk and we only tolerate you because Cave seems fit to allow you on here.  You bring nothing to the table besides sarcasm and ridicule.  What you lack in intelligence you more than make up with your childish name calling and poor attempts at insults.

Let me guess, you're going to threaten to not come fishing in Idaho anymore because i hurt your feelings??

Careful Roam, he might threaten to boycott fishing in your state again or throw that "liberal" label on you again just because you disagree with him!!!!

I'm not sure that I've said anything about cutting ties but I've definitely tried to say accept him for what he is which is  not an elite coach.  Over the last 3 decades PSU fans have become accepting of teams and coaches that are not capable of reaching the highest level, the PL football forum was a favorite hangout of a few of them.

I personally long for the days of the late 80's to early 70's when we had a team that would go anywhere, play anyone and beat their asses at their house or ours if they're brave enough to come to SC. I'm not willing to settle for mediocrity or above average. I couldn't care less about finishing third. Being a contender and not a pretender should be the norm when you're a school with the resources that we have.

Hey look it's tsugas alter ego,,. Err I mean grandson.

What's up with your worthless senile old pap? Haven't seen him in here much lately, I guess the donepezil doesn't work like it used to?

A couple of things: Its Tsuga's not Tsugas.  And, As I recall, my grandfather invited you to take a drive up to Maine and show him what you're made of.  To date, you've ignored his invitation and its been perceived by many on this forum that you're running from him.  So, exactly how long is that yellow streak running down your back??  I think from here on out im going to refer to you as "Old Yeller".  Now, dont go away mad; just go away

😂😂😂