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Call me a Homer.............but

  • I think we can be better next year! - Sanction and all.

    I know this year is not over yet, but since we have all(for the most part)seemd to have turned our attention to recruting, and the if's, and's or but's about next season, why not take a look and see why, IMO, we will be a better team next season.

    Most importantly to me is the guys we return on the offensive line - Urschal(stud), Smith(stud), Diff(getting to be a stud), Mangerio, Howel, Shrive, Gress. Yes, the loss of Stank will hurt a bit, but I think we have some competent guys who can step in.

    At the skill positions, we are going to have to account for the loss of MM(never though I'd be saying this). Hack coming in gives us all hope. If BOB and Fisher made MM what he was this year, just imagine what they can do with a kid like Hack! Hopefully we keep all the young WR's and TE's, and if we do, we have a stable of talent returning in Robinson, BMF, Williams, Kenny, Carter, Gilliam, Lehman, and James. Add in youngsters like Lewis, Brenneman, Golden and Warner, and we have pleanty of skill to compete with any team in our conference.

    Belton, ZZ and Lynch should provide us with an excellent combination of power and speed at RB.

    Defense is what worries me a bit. The D-Line will suffer a major hit with the departure of Hill. I'm not sure we have that type of impact player on our current roster to fill his void. Jones, Alosi, Johnson, Baublitz, Dowery and Gaia are going to be counted on to provide a solid rotation. We do however have some young talent at D-end, who I think will really thrive next season. Barnes, Schwan, Zettle, Olaniyan and Bars will be exciting to watch. Add to that list in-coming freshmen Garrett Sickels, and we have a bright future.

    Even though we lose two great linebackers, I think we will be fine with Hull, Carson, Wartman and Kline. The depth does scare me a bit though, but hopefully Bell, and another top LB recruit will help with this.

    The secondary will see Amos, Davis, Willis, and SOA all return. Add in young players like Lucas, Kiley, Robinson, Smith and Gaines, and we could be pretty solid if we can stay healthy

    The schedule we have sets up nicely for a 9-win season!.

    "A bowl game ain't nothing but a vacation." - Gerald Hodges

    PSUHomer ●

  • Homer - I like the positive thinking!!! Finally a post that's not full of negative thoughts.

    PSU2001

  • I think we get through the sanctions playing like a Big 12 team. We will have to outscore opponents to win. For alot of us it will surely be a jolt to the system, but I just don't see the prospects on defense that we are used to having. However, I believe the offense will be in the unique position of being able to overcome that in most instances.

    "I believe in what Coach Paterno set forth.”- Garrett Sickels "A bowl game ain't nothing but a vacation."- Gerald Hodges

    fortheglory94

  • I agree and I like the post, Homer +1
    Only thing I disagree... I think Zettell goes inside next year and fills the void left by Hill. Though it will take some time to match the experience of Hill, I believe overall Zettell will be a more dominate player inside (and outside in spots) and though the DL will be lacking some depth, experience wise, overall it will be as physical and maybe more dominate of a unit.
    I am higher on Zettell going into 2013 than any other player on the roster. I think he makes a bigger leap next year, than what we have seen from guys like ZZ, Arob and Barnes this season. It will be special to watch.

    signature image

    NotoriousGMan

  • Agree with everything but would live to see both Hack and Bren both redshirt!! Would like either Bench or Juco kid to come in and start. Have good depth at TE also. Defense really concerns me. We'll be ok but don't expect big years from our defense for a couple years. Need some real impact players to be great!!

    stormpsu1 ●

  • Great post! +1

    PHD77 ●

  • It's hard to make a prediction on next year until we know who is staying and who is going(and if we get an EE at QB). In theory, PSU could be sitting pretty good on offense. 8 starters are back and the 2 new OL we will have all played quite a bit this year. We have some holes on defense but he had a lot of holes and questions marks on offense going into this season and our offense has been pretty darn good since the Virginia game so who's to say our defense can't be decent next year. I think the 3 biggest keys will be 1) finding a replacement for MM, 2)finding some quality bodies to fill in at DT, and 3)replacing Stephon Morris- and, to a lesser extent, establishing some over DB depth.

    kijana

  • fortheglory94 said...

    I think we get through the sanctions playing like a Big 12 team. We will have to outscore opponents to win. For alot of us it will surely be a jolt to the system, but I just don't see the prospects on defense that we are used to having. However, I believe the offense will be in the unique position of being able to overcome that in most instances.

    This is an interesting point. May be very true, although I don't think our defense will be as bad as say, WVUs.

    This post was edited by PSUHomer on 11/21/2012 at 8:21 AM

    "A bowl game ain't nothing but a vacation." - Gerald Hodges

    PSUHomer ●

  • NotoriousG-Man said...

    I agree and I like the post, Homer +1
    Only thing I disagree... I think Zettell goes inside next year and fills the void left by Hill. Though it will take some time to match the experience of Hill, I believe overall Zettell will be a more dominate player inside (and outside in spots) and though the DL will be lacking some depth, experience wise, overall it will be as physical and maybe more dominate of a unit.
    I am higher on Zettell going into 2013 than any other player on the roster. I think he makes a bigger leap next year, than what we have seen from guys like ZZ, Arob and Barnes this season. It will be special to watch.

    I'm kinda with ya on Zettell G-Man. The S&C program should help him add some good weight over the offseason, and with his quick first step, he could be a force inside.

    I'm also high on Dowery, as I've heard some good things about him this season on the PS

    "A bowl game ain't nothing but a vacation." - Gerald Hodges

    PSUHomer ●

  • When you break it all down, here is what I see...

    QB - Downgrade due to uncertainty and depth. I really hope we get Waters.
    RB - Upgrade if Belton stays, even if he leaves (due to depth). It would be nice to get another RB in this class.
    WR - Upgrade. We return everyone. Robinson is the jewel, but I really liked how Mosbey-Felder has progressed and we have a lot of good, young talent.
    TE - Upgrade. AB joining (although I hope he redshirts), and more experience. I think James will move to the Y in place of Gilliam. Don't forget about Wilkerson.
    FB - Virtually Eliminated. We will see a TE or walk-on being used when we (rarely) bring in a TE.
    OL - Even to slight upgrade. Losing Stank will hurt. He has been very good for us this year. Mac's rotation of OL this year will pay dividends next.

    DE - Upgrade. Young guys getting bigger and stronger. We lose Massaro and Stanley, but we have young guys behind them that can flat out play.
    DT - Downgrade. Hopefully Jones can stay healthy, because we will really need him next year. He should do fine with Baublitz, but who is behind them??? Zettel on 3rd downs? Then who? We need the freshmen who are RS'ing to step up.
    LB - Downgrade. Mauti and Hodges were the best OLB tandem in the Big Ten and possibly the nation. It's going to be hard to replace two guys who will combine for well over 200 tackles. Carson is solid. Hull is as well (and could be really good). After that, we have a bunch of unknowns and depth issues. One note, I found it interesting that BOB specifically mentioned Wooten as being a real player for us down the road. That kid was a really good prospect coming out of HS and if he does contribute, you have got to give the staff a ton of credit for finding this kid.
    DB - Even. We will actually have more numbers at DB next year (thank God!), but we need to find some help from the RS Frosh/Soph class.
    K - Upgrade. Fick is looking better and we will have someone pushing him.
    P - Upgrade. See above. Chris G. will hopefully help us solve some of our issues.

    So yeah... if we can get solid QB play, we should be okay. We will see...

    getmyjive11

  • stormpsu1 said...

    Agree with everything but would live to see both Hack and Bren both redshirt!! Would like either Bench or Juco kid to come in and start. Have good depth at TE also. Defense really concerns me. We'll be ok but don't expect big years from our defense for a couple years. Need some real impact players to be great!!

    I agree. If Hack and AB are as good as they are supposed to be, then it would be nice to have an extra year with them to help transition from sanction to non-sanction years. If they RS, they will be eligible for 2 bowl games, and then once they leave, so do the scholly limits.

    kjc15600

  • Definitely optimistic. Especially the QB situation.

    I think we could do well next year IF we get Waters. Hack is not going to come in during the summer and immediately be as good as MM. He's going to take some time. I am also very excited about what he can become, but he won't be great his first year.

    In the end, I don't think it's worth discussing how we will do because we don't know who is leaving during the offseason. If everyone stayed, we could do pretty well. I don't think everyone will stay, though.

    signature image

    psubills62 ●

  • psubills62 said...

    Definitely optimistic. Especially the QB situation.

    I think we could do well next year IF we get Waters. Hack is not going to come in during the summer and immediately be as good as MM. He's going to take some time. I am also very excited about what he can become, but he won't be great his first year.

    In the end, I don't think it's worth discussing how we will do because we don't know who is leaving during the offseason. If everyone stayed, we could do pretty well. I don't think everyone will stay, though.

    Hack needs to clear up some decision making issues before he reaches the Mox level. He has all the tools, great leadership, but he presses a bit at times and makes some ill-advised throws. He needs to take a lesson from the Mox and not try to do too much.

    getmyjive11

  • I also appreciate your assessment.....positive but based on reality. We have lots of reason to be optimistic, especially in light of our returning O-linemen!

    My worries--and I never thought I would be saying this--relate to the linebackers. Hull and Carson will be outstanding. Wartman was looking great before his injury. But the depth looks pretty non-existent to me. So......
    * I'm wondering how Kline has developed, since I rarely hear his name.
    * Do we have any diamonds-in-the-rough who are sitting on our bench right now?
    * Is it likely that Bell can help us next year?
    * Are we chasing any junior college transfers?
    * What about the possibility of moving Bars back to linebacker since we're looking strong at DE?

    Is there someone out there who can comment on the linebacking?

    littlelionbill

  • getmyjive11 said...

    When you break it all down, here is what I see...

    DE - Upgrade. Young guys getting bigger and stronger. We lose Massaro and Stanley, but we have young guys behind them that can flat out play.

    I think DE is a push next year(maybe even a slight downgrade at least at the beginning of the season). Stanley has been solid all season so I wouldn't say losing him means 2013 is an upgrade at DE. Sure, we would like to think Barnes will continue to improve but after that, who do we have? Where does Zettel play? Olaniyan has shown flashes but he hasn't played so well that I see no dropoff if he is the starter next year in replacing Stanley. After those 3, we are looking at true or redshirt freshmen that have not played a down yet. Better pray barnes doesn't get hurt next season.

    kijana

  • getmyjive11 said...

    Hack needs to clear up some decision making issues before he reaches the Mox level. He has all the tools, great leadership, but he presses a bit at times and makes some ill-advised throws. He needs to take a lesson from the Mox and not try to do too much.

    Hack may have taken some risks because he felt he could get away with it at the high school level. I think BOB and Fisher reel him in, and teach him how to be patient, smart and careful with the football.

    "A bowl game ain't nothing but a vacation." - Gerald Hodges

    PSUHomer ●

  • We have such a wildcard with players being able to leave. Assuming most stay, I think 7-5 or even 8-4 is well within reach. Another wildcard is QB. IF we get Waters, and IF he's as good as I've been reading I think we'll be good to go next year at QB. I think it's safe to say that BOB has a lot more offense to put in once we get a QB with a strong arm, and I'm excited to see it.

    Here is our schedule:

    Aug. 31 vs. Syracuse (at New Meadowlands Stadium; East Rutherford, N.J.)
    Sept. 7 - EASTERN MICHIGAN
    Sept. 14 - VIRGINIA
    Sept. 21 - KENT STATE
    Oct. 5 at Indiana
    Oct. 12 - MICHIGAN
    Oct. 26 at Ohio State
    Nov. 2 - ILLINOIS
    Nov. 9 at Minnesota
    Nov. 16 - PURDUE
    Nov. 23 - NEBRASKA
    Nov. 30 at Wisconsin

    Nothing about that schedule scares me at all, and those first 5 games are all winnable. After that, Illinois, Minnesota and Purdue aren't world beaters. I'm very thankful that the Big Ten is essentially a horrible football conference at this point and time.

    As long as defections aren't massive, I'm bullish on next season.

    PSU17 ●

  • getmyjive11 said...

    Hack needs to clear up some decision making issues before he reaches the Mox level. He has all the tools, great leadership, but he presses a bit at times and makes some ill-advised throws. He needs to take a lesson from the Mox and not try to do too much.

    That plus he's young and has no experience playing at the college level. I'd expect him to take at least a year to adjust to the speed of the college game.

    As Jeff said...McGloin put in a lot of work this offseason. I'm sure Hack will work hard, but there's just too much against him right now. Waters is the guy we need.

    signature image

    psubills62 ●

  • More than anything, injuries will be a key to how well the team performs the next few years. If we have few we will be ok. If we have a lot we will look like the Eagles have this year. Being an Eagles fan it has not been fun.

    LBU59 ●

  • I hate to be Debbie Downer, but that's a pretty optimistic prediction. You're saying we replace a 5th year senior with three years of starting experience with a true freshman, two great linebackers with a bunch of slightly better than average ones, and return our slow safeties, and as long as we don't lose anybody in the offseason (which I still think is a huge assumption) we'll be better than this year.

    Personally, I'm preparing for the worst. I get that some people always expect things to magically work themselves out. At least one of us has no chance of being disappointed.

    HolyLion

  • I like the optimism. I'm a bit hesitant to jump full in because it will be hard to replace MM's experience. I think we will see many dumb mental errors from any new qb and that we were so fortunate to see MM come together this season. But I agree PSU will be competitive in all games next yr.

    PennSt8er

  • I think "better" is a stretch record wise. I don't forsee us doing better than 7 wins next year. If the QB position goes well, I could see us matching 7 wins. It is all up to what Roof can do with the D. I think our D is stacked with talent this year, but the heart of that D departs us. So many holes to be plugged.... the D really worries me. And the K and P situation cost us at least 1 game this year, maybe more. That MUST be addressed IMO.

    carlisle14

  • carlisle14 said...

    I think "better" is a stretch record wise. I don't forsee us doing better than 7 wins next year. If the QB position goes well, I could see us matching 7 wins. It is all up to what Roof can do with the D. I think our D is stacked with talent this year, but the heart of that D departs us. So many holes to be plugged.... the D really worries me. And the K and P situation cost us at least 1 game this year, maybe more. That MUST be addressed IMO.

    Well, technically we can still get to 8 wins this year. I think 8 wins is possible next year (4-0 OOC, then Illinois, Purdue, Minnesota, Indiana), though I would not call it likely.

    signature image

    psubills62 ●

  • psubills62 said...

    Well, technically we can still get to 8 wins this year. I think 8 wins is possible next year (4-0 OOC, then Illinois, Purdue, Minnesota, Indiana), though I would not call it likely.

    Kent State might be our toughest OOC game next year. Isn't Kent State ranked right now? I know they knocked ff Rutgers. Anyone now if they have a lot of senior starters on their team or if they have a lot of starters coming back next year?

    kijana

  • PSUHomer said...

    Hack may have taken some risks because he felt he could get away with it at the high school level. I think BOB and Fisher reel him in, and teach him how to be patient, smart and careful with the football.

    I'm sure they will, I just think it will take a season or two to get him to around where he needs to be mentally.

    getmyjive11

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