2018 Panthers = 2016 Nittany Lions?????

[tlmitch]

I’ve been thinking about this for a while and just couldn’t help but notice the striking similarities between the two teams. When you Look back at that 2016 Penn State team you see a lot of the same scenarios.
For example:
1. they named their second year, sophomore quarterback as the starter (McSorley)= Pickett. If you told me that Kenny Pickett would match McSorley’s production that year I would sign up for it.
2. They were expected to have a good defense. This year Narduzzi is expected to finally have his defense that we’ve been waiting for.
3. Experience at running back. It’s safe to say...None of our running backs are Barkley, but we do have a lot of good experience and good depth.
4. Penn State’s offensive line was expected to be weak. Despite having some tenured guys, Our O-line isn’t expected to be a strength this year either.
5. They were expected to be “one year away” from being pretty good. They far exceeded those expectations. Despite our senior leadership this year, A lot of people think that next year’s team has a lot of potential.

 

[pittsburgh1981]

PSU didn’t play half the schedule Pitt plays this year. That’s the problem. Could be better, but record wise if they win 9 games that’s a hell of a season with this schedule.

 

[tlmitch]

PSU didn’t play half the schedule Pitt plays this year. That’s the problem. Could be better, but record wise if they win 9 games that’s a hell of a season with this schedule.

Yeah for sure! Time will tell ! If you want to be good you got to beat the good teams!

 

[WiseAndGlorious]

In 2016 they were getting out the pitchforks for Franklin, in 2018...

 

[pittdan77]

I’ve been thinking about this for a while and just couldn’t help but notice the striking similarities between the two teams. When you Look back at that 2016 Penn State team you see a lot of the same scenarios.
For example:
1. they named their second year, sophomore quarterback as the starter (McSorley)= Pickett. If you told me that Kenny Pickett would match McSorley’s production that year I would sign up for it.
2. They were expected to have a good defense. This year Narduzzi is expected to finally have his defense that we’ve been waiting for.
3. Experience at running back. It’s safe to say...None of our running backs are Barkley, but we do have a lot of good experience and good depth.
4. Penn State’s offensive line was expected to be weak. Despite having some tenured guys, Our O-line isn’t expected to be a strength this year either.
5. They were expected to be “one year away” from being pretty good. They far exceeded those expectations. Despite our senior leadership this year, A lot of people think that next year’s team has a lot of potential.

They also had three top 25 recruiting classes ahead of that season. The 2014 and 2015 classes contributed immediately to their success. If you’re willing to consider any differences, that’s a pretty major one.

 

[pittmeister]

They also had three top 25 recruiting classes ahead of that season. The 2014 and 2015 classes contributed immediately to their success. If you’re willing to consider any differences, that’s a pretty major one.

And they still lost to Pitt's middling recruits...

 

[Jpripper88]

PSU didn’t play half the schedule Pitt plays this year. That’s the problem. Could be better, but record wise if they win 9 games that’s a hell of a season with this schedule.

The schedule wasn't terrible looking back at it, based on how the season played out. However, going into the year, our game was a toss up and they were expected to lose most, if not all, of OSU, Michigan, Iowa, and Michigan State, plus another toss up with, at least, Minnesota. Even Temple was a toss up. Going into the year their schedule had the preseason #6, 7, 12, and 17 ranked teams, plus us (we received votes, but weren't top 25) OOC and Minnesota and Temple.

We have #8, 9, 11, 17, and 23 this year. I'd say ours is harder, but not appreciably. However, we have a lot less impact talent and Darrin Hall, instead of Saquon Barkley.

 

[Jpripper88]

And they still lost to Pitt's middling recruits...

Which was awesome for us, but they went 11-3, won their conference, played in the Rose Bowl, and finished the year ranked #7. I'd gladly lose to Penn State to replicate that season. I'd gladly lose to PSU, ND, and WVU to have that kind of a season.

 

[pittmeister]

The key games this year are: PSU, ND, UCF, VT, Miami. The rest are very winnable. If we can win two of these games, we will have a great season.

This is how I see it...

Albany - W
PSU - L
GT- W
@ UNC - W
@ UCF - W
SYR - W
@ ND - L
Duke - W
@ VA - W
VT - W
@ WF - W
@ Miami - L

 

[PittFanDan17]

They did not beat Pitt that year. If that means we arent beating PSU this year, Im not all in for it.

 

[raleighpanther]

PSU didn’t play half the schedule Pitt plays this year. That’s the problem. Could be better, but record wise if they win 9 games that’s a hell of a season with this schedule.

Many lean on the OOC schedule when looking at Pitt's schedule in coming to this conclusion. It is ridiculously tough, especially as compared to PSU OOC schedule. But Pitt's ACC is tame this year. We are in the weaker division, and get two of three weakest teams in our crossover games, avoiding Clemson, FSU, Louisville, and NC State.

 

[pittmeister]

Many lean on the OOC schedule when looking at Pitt's schedule and coming to this conclusion. It is ridiculously tough, especially as compared to PSU OOC schedule. But Pitt's ACC is tame this year. We are in the weaker division, and get two of three weakest teams in our crossover games, avoiding Clemson, FSU, Louisville, and NC State.

I expect Pitt to struggle a little on offense at the start of the season. The OL needs to jell. As a result, the running game will be slow to develop. That will cause Pitt to throw the ball more than they want. I am very high on Pickett, but he's still a Sophomore. As a result, I'm picking PSU over Pitt.

As the season progresses, Pickett and the OL will get better and better. The key to the season is the UCF game. If they win that one, they have a good chance for 9 wins in the regular season. The defense will need to carry Pitt for the first half of the season.

By the time we play VT, we should be a real good team.

Now all of this is out the window if Pickett or a couple of O-Linemen get hurt and are out for the season... knock on wood...

 

[runshadyrun]

this team will beat state penn...

 

[pittdan77]

And they still lost to Pitt's middling recruits...

Yup. Pitt beat Clemson and Miami too. Everything is just fine, right?

 

[Saboteur]

The key games this year are: PSU, ND, UCF, VT, Miami. The rest are very winnable. If we can win two of these games, we will have a great season.

This is how I see it...

Albany - W
PSU - L
GT- W
@ UNC - W
@ UCF - W
SYR - W
@ ND - L
Duke - W
@ VA - W
VT - W
@ WF - W
@ Miami - L

We have to finally beat UNC.

 

[pittmeister]

Yup. Pitt beat Clemson and Miami too. Everything is just fine, right?

Right! When you actually beat good teams on the field instead of the recruiting rankings, it's just fine!

I don't give a sh*t who Narduzzi recruits, as long as they win on the field....

 

[pittdan77]

Right! When you actually beat good teams on the field instead of the recruiting rankings, it's just fine!

I don't give a sh*t who Narduzzi recruits, as long as they win on the field....

Well, Pitt is what, 11-13 since that PSU game, so you probably aren’t too pleased.

 

[str61166]

They did not beat Pitt that year. If that means we arent beating PSU this year, Im not all in for it.

They did win the Big Ten. I'd take winning the ACC over beating them.

I do think a lot of us here need to pump the brakes a little bit. Though I understand the optimism and am projecting around 7 wins myself.

 

[thebadby2]

I expect Pitt to struggle a little on offense at the start of the season. The OL needs to jell. As a result, the running game will be slow to develop. That will cause Pitt to throw the ball more than they want. I am very high on Pickett, but he's still a Sophomore. As a result, I'm picking PSU over Pitt.

As the season progresses, Pickett and the OL will get better and better. The key to the season is the UCF game. If they win that one, they have a good chance for 9 wins in the regular season. The defense will need to carry Pitt for the first half of the season.

By the time we play VT, we should be a real good team.

Now all of this is out the window if Pickett or a couple of O-Linemen get hurt and are out for the season... knock on wood...

The young O linemen better come along quick because our OL starters are shaky enough, but our depth is far shakier.

 

[steel_curtain]

Many lean on the OOC schedule when looking at Pitt's schedule and coming to this conclusion. It is ridiculously tough, especially as compared to PSU OOC schedule. But Pitt's ACC is tame this year. We are in the weaker division, and get two of three weakest teams in our crossover games, avoiding Clemson, FSU, Louisville, and NC State.

-I dont know why people keep saying this. Wake Forest crushed Boston College, beat Louisville by 10, crushed Syracuse, beat NC State, then beat Texas A&M. They finished 3rd in the Atlantic last year. And this team is going to be a pushover? I think its time to stop looking at the name in front of the jersey. Louisville and Florida State are trending down. Wake Forest is trending up. Wake Forest put up 625 yards of offense against Louisville last year. Ill tell you what. With all these offenses Pitt is playing once again, we better have our chin strap put on tight on defense from the get go or its going to be a very long painful season again.

 

[pittmeister]

Well, Pitt is what, 11-13 since that PSU game, so you probably aren’t too pleased.

About last year? No. But I'm sure that made you happy....Prior to last year, you had only attendance and recruiting rankings to fall back on....

Tell ya what, let's have this conversation after the season is over.... By then I predict we'll see very little of you under your current handle...You'll be posting under a new name, and you will lurk in the shadows waiting to bounce on any negativity that you see....

But the good news is, you'll always have recruiting rankings and attendance to piss and moan about......

 

[pittdan77]

About last year? No. But I'm sure that made you happy....Prior to last year, you had only attendance and recruiting rankings to fall back on....

Tell ya what, let's have this conversation after the season is over.... By then I predict we'll see very little of you under your current handle...You'll be posting under a new name, and you will lurk in the shadows waiting to bounce on any negativity that you see....

But the good news is, you'll always have recruiting rankings and attendance to piss and moan about......

Ha ha ha.....just call me a Nitter and get it over with. Always means you’re out of dumb opinions.

 

[PittFanDan17]

They did win the Big Ten. I'd take winning the ACC over beating them.

I do think a lot of us here need to pump the brakes a little bit. Though I understand the optimism and am projecting around 7 wins myself.

Good point. I have "Too much Off season, need to see my team play already" syndrome. Please don't judge its a serious disability i develop every august.

 

[str61166]

Good point. I have "Too much Off season, need to see my team play already" syndrome. Please don't judge its a serious disability i develop every august.

I feel you, the off season is too long. Since I've been out of school, I've wanted August to just fly by.

 

[cashisking884]

2015 Penn State finished 30th in the S&P+. They were actually wayyyyy better than their final record. So it makes some sense why leaped ahead in 2016.
Needless to say we weren't 30th in the S&P+ last year.

The reason why their 2016 defense was expected to be good, was because the 2015 defense finished 15th in the S&P+. Meaning they weren't actually banking on 2016 being the year their defense finally had some kind of pulse. Their defense was REALLY good the year before.

2016 Penn State didn't come out of nowhere. The metrics actually liked them. The problem was they didn't live up to the metrics up to that point. Which is why Franklin was on the hot seat. When the analytics say you should be this good, but you're only that good, the difference is generally seen as a coaching problem.
If anything, 2016 was our Penn State 2015 season. Where we finished 20th in the S&P+, but lost 5 games. Our record was worse than the analytics said it should have been. Franklin followed up on that by living up to and then exceeding the quality of play the next season. We missed out on a bowl the next season.

 

[cashisking884]

-I dont know why people keep saying this. Wake Forest crushed Boston College, beat Louisville by 10, crushed Syracuse, beat NC State, then beat Texas A&M. They finished 3rd in the Atlantic last year. And this team is going to be a pushover? I think its time to stop looking at the name in front of the jersey. Louisville and Florida State are trending down. Wake Forest is trending up. Wake Forest put up 625 yards of offense against Louisville last year. Ill tell you what. With all these offenses Pitt is playing once again, we better have our chin strap put on tight on defense from the get go or its going to be a very long painful season again.

Yeah, it's weird. The analytic models have Wake as a better team than us last year and going into this year. Yet they are the pushover.
I think because of last year and some of the disappointing losses the previous two years to go along with the good wins, people are kind of wanting us to beat anybody even close to us.
"Winnable" games have now become "shouldn't lose" games. And so we should sweep all the 50-50ish games. But people aren't appreciating how difficult that is to do.

 

[pittmeister]

Ha ha ha.....just call me a Nitter and get it over with. Always means you’re out of dumb opinions.

I call it the way I see it.... LOL!

 

[PittMan2003]

Ha ha ha.....just call me a Nitter and get it over with. Always means you’re out of dumb opinions.

I don't comment much lately. But people like you and JRipper are just miserable. What joy do you get out of repeating the same negative BS about Pitt in every opportunity?

 

[pittdan77]

I don't comment much lately. But people like you and JRipper are just miserable. What joy do you get out of repeating the same negative BS about Pitt in every opportunity?

What exactly is negative about wanting to win?

Guys like Pittmeister are either not fans or have taken the mentality that Pitt is just an average program and can’t be better. A few of us believe we should expect to do better. If you ask me, the “Pitt is right where they’re supposed to be” attitude is what’s miserable. Why bother being a fan?

 

[raleighpanther]

-I dont know why people keep saying this. Wake Forest crushed Boston College, beat Louisville by 10, crushed Syracuse, beat NC State, then beat Texas A&M. They finished 3rd in the Atlantic last year. And this team is going to be a pushover? I think its time to stop looking at the name in front of the jersey. Louisville and Florida State are trending down. Wake Forest is trending up. Wake Forest put up 625 yards of offense against Louisville last year. Ill tell you what. With all these offenses Pitt is playing once again, we better have our chin strap put on tight on defense from the get go or its going to be a very long painful season again.

I get that Wake is on the upswing, and they are not going to be a pushover.
But I never said, and I haven't heard anyone else suggest it either, that Wake is going to be a pushover.

But, they're certainly not going to finish ahead of Clemson or FSU, and I also doubt that they will finish ahead of NC State, who should be really good this year. Maybe they'll beat out Louisville this year and finish fourth. That'll put them in the bottom 4 of their division, not the bottom 3.

Point is, Pitt's in-conference schedule could be a lot tougher than it is; our schedule would be far more difficult if we were playing FSU or Clemson instead of Wake, and anybody instead of playing Syracuse.

 

[pittmeister]

What exactly is negative about wanting to win?

Guys like Pittmeister are either not fans or have taken the mentality that Pitt is just an average program and can’t be better. A few of us believe we should expect to do better. If you ask me, the “Pitt is right where they’re supposed to be” attitude is what’s miserable. Why bother being a fan?

LOL! Awww Bullsh*t.... If you are a Pitt fan,(which I doubt) you'd complain even if they won the National Championship... You would say something stupid:

"Well, now that Pitt has won the national championship, we need to show everyone we're a big boy school by packing the stadium every week next year." Or, " Now that we've won the national championship, we need to finish in the top three in recruiting every year, no excuses"

If posters tell you that neither of those scenarios is realistic, you would accuse them of "not caring" or "having low standards" LOL!

 

[pittdan77]

LOL! Awww Bullsh*t.... If you are a Pitt fan,(which I doubt) you'd complain even if they won the National Championship... You would say something stupid:

"Well, now that Pitt has won the national championship, we need to show everyone we're a big boy school by packing the stadium every week next year." Or, " Now that we've won the national championship, we need to finish in the top three in recruiting every year, no excuses"

If posters tell you that neither of those scenarios is realistic, you would accuse them of "not caring" or "having low standards" LOL!

It’s a cool fantasy but like most of what you post, it’s outrageously wrong.

As long as you post hot garbage, I’ll be here.

 

[pittguy81]

Which was awesome for us, but they went 11-3, won their conference, played in the Rose Bowl, and finished the year ranked #7. I'd gladly lose to Penn State to replicate that season. I'd gladly lose to PSU, ND, and WVU to have that kind of a season.

You're a real ray of F*cking sunshine.

Bet you don't get invited to many parties

 

[pittguy81]

It’s a cool fantasy but like most of what you post, it’s outrageously wrong.

As long as you post hot garbage, I’ll be here.

To wallow in it?

 

[mjsdoc3]

I watched very little of the 2016 PSU football team, and I sure as hell don’t admire what they accomplished! Quite frankly I don’t care to compare our school with any team of PSU. Yikes!

 

[HailToPitt725]

The key games this year are: PSU, ND, UCF, VT, Miami. The rest are very winnable. If we can win two of these games, we will have a great season.

This is how I see it...

Albany - W
PSU - L
GT- W
@ UNC - W
@ UCF - W
SYR - W
@ ND - L
Duke - W
@ VA - W
VT - W
@ WF - W
@ Miami - L

You have us losing to Penn State AND Notre Dame, the one game I get to go to?

 

[HailToPitt725]

You're a real ray of F*cking sunshine.

Bet you don't get invited to many parties

Sounds like you’re talking about yourself. Because he’d trade winning those games for a 11 win season, he’s a Debbie downer? C’mon man.

 

[PittMan2003]

What exactly is negative about wanting to win?

Guys like Pittmeister are either not fans or have taken the mentality that Pitt is just an average program and can’t be better. A few of us believe we should expect to do better. If you ask me, the “Pitt is right where they’re supposed to be” attitude is what’s miserable. Why bother being a fan?

So you oppose any optimism from Pitt fans on a message board because you want Pitt to be better? How is that working for you? Are you hoping Lyke reads the brilliant posts you and JRipper have and rethinks her extension for Narduzzi?
I will stick with my original belief...You are just miserable.

 

[pittdan77]

To wallow in it?

I don't know how i'll ever post again after that burn.

 

[pittdan77]

So you oppose any optimism from Pitt fans on a message board because you want Pitt to be better? How is that working for you? Are you hoping Lyke reads the brilliant posts you and JRipper have and rethinks her extension for Narduzzi?
I will stick with my original belief...You are just miserable.

Hey, you know me better than anyone because you read a few posts.

Hint: These guys aren't optimistic. They're rolling you and laughing because we have a bunch of clowns that pose as fans that think being mediocre is good enough.