Big 10 contenders

[LudicrousSpeedGO!]

Regarding Oregon, I think we can all agree that the most important position in the field is QB. A friend of mine who is associated with the Browns told me that the team has been blown away by his decision-making ability and absorption of the playbook. They are not sold on his size and arm strength, although they think his arm strength is adequate for an NFL QB. But as a college QB, leadership and decision making are paramount. My point is that Oregon lost a lot in Gabriel, and that will be hard to replace. I know the kid coming in is highly regarded, but practice and physical ability don't make up for lack of game time/pressure experience.

Lack of game time/pressure experience can get exaggerated in a cross country trip night game with over 100,000 fans disrupting the offense.

 

[bdroc]

Oregon won't beat us. There is a reason they are a 4.5 dog. Breaking in a new QB for a White Out is brutal. Yeah, they picked up some talent in the portal to replace guys they lost. I guess your point is they now have a significant talent upgrade vs last season despite only returning 5 starters? Again, I understand they got high level talent in the portal but that talent has to seamlessly fold into the roster with good chemistry. Also is that talent going to be better than what they lost? Unless their new QB is a superstar that position most likely sees a decline and it is the most important position on the field. Your message reads like they have no weaknesses on their roster. That talent has to gel and actually perform for them. We ran all over them last season. What did they do to dramatically improve their run defense?

You're more optimistic than me. 4.5 pts sounds like a competitive game to me. That would make us a 1.5 pt favorite on a neutral site and 1.5 dog if the game was at Oregon.

 

[Sheriff Coffee]

I watched the B1G network review of PSU last night. Gerry DiNardo said that this was the best team he's seen in 19 years. He kind of stumbled on his words and my first thought was he meant the best PSU team but he said best team. He was effusive. They just couldn't say enough good about the OL and DL. They were very high on Allar, Singleton, Allen and Dinkins/Reynolds. They liked the portal transfers in but weren't as high as they were on other locations. They didn't say much about the defensive backfield other than Knowles liked them and his D would put pressure on them. He said they covered the WRs well.

Jake Butt posted today:

Simply put- WR will be better. They reload again at TE. Best RB duo in CFB? Certainly one of them. ​

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Allar has top 10 potential- real chance to prove it with all the weapons this year. Kotelnicki is known for being creative, and now he has a ton of toys to play with. Like Picasso with all the colors and a blank canvas. I expect Art. ​

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Okay that being said… my opinion based on what I saw. The OL is legit. That’s the strength imo. If I had to choose a formula? With the OL, TEs, and RBs, and understanding having to beat Ohio state and Oregon? I would take a page out of the michigan playbook and heavily emphasize running the ball. Dictate the terms and tempo of the game. Keep OSU offense on the sideline. Wear down those defenses. That will only further open up the passing game. It’s kind of anti what we expect to see with all the fun formations and creativity, but I really believe they can get into big personal and bully teams. Curious to see how that plays out in short yardage and goal line situations. ​

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Offense is in good hands. ​

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Def: The speed once again was immediately apparent. Been that way for a few years now. Their speed always stands out. Why #28 Zane Durant doesn’t get discussed more is beyond me. Freaky. The sum of him and Dennis Sutton should add up to a top tier DE/ DL combo in the B1G. Can the other two stay healthy is key bc they look good. LBs are fast… why that matters? You’re playing Ohio state. Facing those WR you have to have split safety cov to help your CB. Problem is Ohio state and Oregon both have elite TEs. Most teams don’t have LBs that can hang. Penn st does. ​

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Was very impressed by the technique of the secondary. Knowles asks them to be pressed and aggressive. They looked comfortable and technically sound. Frankly, I felt the secondary won the day over the WRs. They also fly to the ball and tackle well. It’s natural. So they’re learning Knowles scheme (complex) and facing a challenging complex offense.. had no issues communicating and getting lined up to execute. They looked prepared and flew to the ball. Will be a top unit once again no doubt. ​

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Roster is ready… Will not be easy to achieve their goals, but this roster is as capable as any that Franklin has had. Will be fun to watch.​