We are ranked #1 by Phil Steele in his pre-season rankings

[AnyNameYouWish]

If you think the team is going to stink, or if you think the team is going to be great, it won’t change a thing.

So why worry about it?

You don’t have to be the **** in the punch bowl.

It’s college football … we’re bringing back a crap ton of proven top end talent, which isn’t normal in college football. Whatever qualifiers you want to put on our success last year, we made it to the semis, and were a dumb play or two away from the Natty game.

You can point out weak points, but the reality is, we have fewer, and less severe, weak points than most.

This is a great year coming up. There’s no reason to crap on it before it starts. And it wouldn't matter if person X had us at preseason 1, or 101.

 

[IANit]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1942992153439043610

Rat poison.

 

[IANit]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1942992153439043610

We're the only team in his Top 5 with a returning starter at QB.

 

[Sherriff Coffee]

We're the only team in his Top 5 with a returning starter at QB.

Huge, if history repeats

 

[RickinDayton]

We're the only team in his Top 5 with a returning starter at QB.

Not sure that is any guarantee. OSU won the Natty with a transfer QB and ND made the final with a transfer QB. Both of them had to learn new systems. Both those teams had confidence to win when down against teams with equal talent. Leadership in the crunch matters. Who will lead this PSU team on both sides of the ball in those pressure situations ?

 

[Frank Lee]

Not sure that is any guarantee. OSU won the Natty with a transfer QB and ND made the final with a transfer QB. Both of them had to learn new systems. Both those teams had confidence to win when down against teams with equal talent. Leadership in the crunch matters. Who will lead this PSU team on both sides of the ball in those pressure situations ?

Yep. Coach K making the correct call when third and goal from the two and the players executing it.

 

[IANit]

Not sure that is any guarantee. OSU won the Natty with a transfer QB and ND made the final with a transfer QB. Both of them had to learn new systems. Both those teams had confidence to win when down against teams with equal talent. Leadership in the crunch matters. Who will lead this PSU team on both sides of the ball in those pressure situations ?

Howard had 27 starts before landing at tOSU, while Leonard had 21 before an injury during his junior season. Both had shown the ability to play at a high level before joining their new teams. The starting QBs of the other Top 5 teams have 1 start between them, I believe. Manning started a game when Ewers was injured. No doubt they are talented, but experience counts.

 

[RickinDayton]

Howard had 27 starts before landing at tOSU, while Leonard had 21 before an injury during his junior season. Both had shown the ability to play at a high level before joining their new teams. The starting QBs of the other Top 5 teams have 1 start between them, I believe. Manning started a game when Ewers was injured. No doubt they are talented, but experience counts.

Yes, they were experienced, but not in the same system. They were able to adjust and lead. Hoping for Allar to improve his game performance and confidence. I certainly want him to succeed. Lots of people on the Arch train but I'm not ready to say he'll be the best QB in college FB.

 

[ryoder1]

Yes, they were experienced, but not in the same system. They were able to adjust and lead. Hoping for Allar to improve his game performance and confidence. I certainly want him to succeed. Lots of people on the Arch train but I'm not ready to say he'll be the best QB in college FB.

If you had to boil down what the entire season hinges on. It is if Allar can play better and lead better in the biggest moments of the biggest games.

It would be really disappointing if he is outplayed by the first time QB starters at Oregon and OSU but it also would not surprise me.

 

[Wesauking Lion]

if Allar can play better and lead better in the biggest moments of the biggest games.

This is it.....everything else is a lighter shade of pale

 

[IANit]

If you had to boil down what the entire season hinges on. It is if Allar can play better and lead better in the biggest moments of the biggest games.

It would be really disappointing if he is outplayed by the first time QB starters at Oregon and OSU but it also would not surprise me.

I think he'll do OK. All we need from a CFP standpoint is 1-1 in those two games as long as any loss isn't an embarrassment. The opposing transfer QB I'm a little concerned about is Mark Gronowski at Iowa. I know it was a lower level of competition, but he's 49-6 as a starter at South Dakota State with 2 National Championships. He won the Walter Payton Award as a junior. He is coming off shoulder surgery, but seems to be on track to start Week One. Iowa has struggled at QB lately, but this could be their answer. In a probable night game at Kinnick (unless Big Noon grabs it), we could be in for a dog fight if he's any good.

 

[RickinDayton]

I think he'll do OK. All we need from a CFP standpoint is 1-1 in those two games as long as any loss isn't an embarrassment. The opposing transfer QB I'm a little concerned about is Mark Gronowski at Iowa. I know it was a lower level of competition, but he's 49-6 as a starter at South Dakota State with 2 National Championships. He won the Walter Payton Award as a junior. He is coming off shoulder surgery, but seems to be on track to start Week One. Iowa has struggled at QB lately, but this could be their answer. In a probable night game at Kinnick (unless Big Noon grabs it), we could be in for a dog fight if he's any good.

I watched him.play on TV in the FCS playoffs. He's better than the QBs they had the last few years. Sharp.

 

[ryoder1]

I think he'll do OK. All we need from a CFP standpoint is 1-1 in those two games as long as any loss isn't an embarrassment. The opposing transfer QB I'm a little concerned about is Mark Gronowski at Iowa. I know it was a lower level of competition, but he's 49-6 as a starter at South Dakota State with 2 National Championships. He won the Walter Payton Award as a junior. He is coming off shoulder surgery, but seems to be on track to start Week One. Iowa has struggled at QB lately, but this could be their answer. In a probable night game at Kinnick (unless Big Noon grabs it), we could be in for a dog fight if he's any good.

We need him to do better than "OK" if we want to make any kind of serious threat to win the NC.

I did not know that about the new Iowa QB transfer. All the more reason we better be ready to play there. I am more concerned about that game than the Oregon game. Franklin has done pretty well there but they have been very tight games.

As far as whether it will be a night game. I don't think it will be a night game because NBC has already announced their primetime game that day is USC @ ND. That leaves the next three best B10 games that day being our game, OSU vs Wisky and Washington at ND. It depends on the rankings leading up to that game but we may be on the Fox Noon game or the CBS 3:30 game.

 

[Jerry]

I think he'll do OK. All we need from a CFP standpoint is 1-1 in those two games as long as any loss isn't an embarrassment. The opposing transfer QB I'm a little concerned about is Mark Gronowski at Iowa. I know it was a lower level of competition, but he's 49-6 as a starter at South Dakota State with 2 National Championships. He won the Walter Payton Award as a junior. He is coming off shoulder surgery, but seems to be on track to start Week One. Iowa has struggled at QB lately, but this could be their answer. In a probable night game at Kinnick (unless Big Noon grabs it), we could be in for a dog fight if he's any good.

Iowa has had some serious losses on D, which is the traditional strength of their team. But they're still tough...and playing at Kinnick...color me nervous.

Beyond that, I totally agree, we need the win at home against Oregon in September. Ohio State at their place? Don't see it happening. But if we hold serve against the two best teams on our schedule, we should finish at 11-1 with a home game to start the playoffs.