He's a CEO-type coach and excellent recruiter. Most players love him. I think he could win if he had the right coaches around him to handle the football part of it. Honestly, I think if Knowles was brought in before Franklin's all-in year and had time to install his system beforehand, he might have been the kind of football mind that Franklin needed to help win some of these big games. But bringing him in this season turned into a trainwreck.
Franklin Fired -It’s over...
- Thread starter LionDeNittany
- Start date
Sheriff Coffee
Well-known member
Yep, as much as I hate it, they are professionals now. They wanted it. They probably understand and are happy to make that trade off. But it is clear they are being treated as pros and the boos go with it when they aren't professional. And lets not forget what gambling is doing to all of sports.
It's his job to make sure he has the right coaches around him. He's had a lot different coaches in recent years from Pry to Moorehead. Knowles & Kotelnicki might be the highest paid combo in the country and it isn't working.
LionDeNittany
Well-known member
Knowles defense is the worst I have ever seen.
I was at my 6th-grade grandson's game a couple weeks ago and the opposing team's defense was worse...but not by much...
But seriously, kidding aside, our D's performance against UCLA, when weighted for expectations and records and the caliber of players on both sides was the worst that I can remember seeing in almost 60 years of watching Penn State football.
Not to say I haven't seen some bad performances. For example, the Michigan State game when not one but two Spartan running backs ran for over 200 yards each. That was pretty bad.
Still, the fiasco of having our on-paper elite D rolled over by winless UCLA with a new coach and new offensive coordinator takes the cake.
Dailybuck777
Well-known member
Go check out the Kerry Combs defense at OSU five or six years ago. Multiple, multiple levels worse. For example, OSU had a game against a mid level opponent and a running back had two runs untouched for over 40 yards and about 150 yards in total. Next week he gained 20 yards against another mid-level team. Just horrible and so bad he was replaced mid year.
Tripe is too kind. With Allar gone will he still post? Same with Franklin. He likes to disagree, call people who have different view idiots, and have long drawn out arguments.
I h
The offense looks horrible too. I have no idea what our offensive identity is.
LionDeNittany
Well-known member
Well offense is horrid because we insisted on running Singleton
It's hard to argue with your point.
Personally, booing is not my style but certainly fans have the right to do so and for the reasons you state.
Profane abuse, on the other hand, well, a fan may have the legal right to do that but not the moral right. There's a difference and honoring that difference is what makes a person decent (or not).
For my money, the high-priced coordinators should go too because, let's be honest, both of them have fallen flat on their faces this year.
Knowles may have been a defensive genius at Ohio State but his schemes simply haven't worked for Penn State.
And Kotelnicki has managed to build an offense which has no downfield passing game and a running attack that has spectacularly underachjeved, given the talent on hand.
I mean, Nick has sadly regressed and half the time the 5-star recruit at QB ends up by necessity leading the team in rushing. Something is very wrong with this picture.
Knowles may have been a defensive genius at Ohio State but his schemes simply haven't worked for Penn State.
And Kotelnicki has managed to build an offense which has no downfield passing game and a running attack that has spectacularly underachjeved, given the talent on hand.
I mean, Nick has sadly regressed and half the time the 5-star recruit at QB ends up by necessity leading the team in rushing. Something is very wrong with this picture.
PSU got the UW Whitewater, Big-12 guy they wanted as OC to create "explosive" plays, and then took its eye off the line of scrimmage as a result. Get back to balanced, hard-nosed football with a QB that poses a running threat.
Here's a sad irony for the ages: if Drew had gone to the NFL last year and Beau had stayed, I think we'd be undefeated now. No way to prove that of course but one thing for sure: it could not and would not have turned out worse for either Drew or the program.
For that matter, we might even have beaten Notre Dame in the semifinal. Ohio State the week after? Let's not get carried away.
LionDeNittany
Well-known member
Drew wasn't the best but he wasn't as bad as you state
Go back and watch ND knowing what you know now about Singleton
To be clear, I never said Drew was "bad." I don't believe he was bad. In fact, he had a lot of good moments and good games.
Also, he's a class kid and I wish only the best for him going forward.
That said, first, he never achieved his potential or lived up to his billing. The why of that is complicated, but I definitely believe the coaches bear some responsibility.
Second, my main point remains the same:
>>Here's a sad irony for the ages: if Drew had gone to the NFL last year and Beau had stayed, I think we'd be undefeated now. No way to prove that of course but one thing for sure: it could not and would not have turned out worse for either Drew or the program.<<
GregInPitt
Well-known member
It would likely work much better with better players. Like the one's he had at Uh-high-ya......
When a team loses 3 of their top 4 DE's and 3 of their top 4 DT's, and hasn't recruited DT particularly well recently why would we expect otherwise?
Very possible
LionDeNittany
Well-known member
I'm not expecting great things... just being able to stop UCLA and NW.
If that is not possible then why pay him?