Tag: PSU

5-stars: The best and worst of Ohio State’s win over Penn State

What went well, what didn’t for the Buckeyes? #GoBucks

For four quarters, Ohio State football dominated on the defensive side, while its offense did just enough to defeat Penn State, 20-12, in front of a home crowd in Columbus.

It wasn’t all easy for the Buckeyes, especially when you score just two touchdowns. The Nittany Lion defense should get plenty of credit for part of the output, as it was statistically one of the best in the country entering the contest.

As with every game, we take a look at who was the best, five stars, and the worst, one star, and everything in between in Ohio State’s slugfest win over visiting Penn State.

LeBron James gifts Ohio State football custom cleats for game vs. Penn State

King James comes through again for the Buckeyes #GoBucks

We all know that NBA superstar [autotag]LeBron James[/autotag] is a massive [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] fan, regardless of the sport.

James has been extremely generous with his apparel to Buckeye athletes and he once again has given them a gift. Previously, the Los Angeles Lakers star has given out Beats by Dre headphones or specialty shoes, which he did for the women’s basketball team.

He went with the specialty shoes this go around. James gifted the Ohio State football team custom shoes that have a distinct Buckeye flair. The writing along the edges has multiple words written on them such as Columbus, Woody Hayes, Buckeye Battle Cry and more. Check them out for yourself.

We don’t know if James will be on the sidelines for the contest, but as we  have seen, he’s not shy about his affinity for the Buckeyes.

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Some shakeup in latest USA Today AFCA Coaches Poll

Thoughts?

The top ten teams remained the same in this weeks updated USA Today AFCA Coaches Poll, but there was plenty of movement after the first two handful of teams. The Irish are still getting votes but not enough to put them into the top 25.

The biggest upward mover were two exams that are newly ranked, Texas and UNC, as they both jumped double digits into the poll. UCLA also saw a nice jump, as they stayed undefeated while Mississippi State also made a move north as well.

Find out where each team landed in the updated Coaches Poll with their ranking last week in parenthesis.

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Notre Dame still Zooming, meet with star offensive tackle virtually

The Irish are still using virtual visits to their advantage

Even though the NCAA is seemingly trending towards ending the dead period after it’s latest extension to May 31st, the Notre Dame coaching staff still is full steam with virtual visits. A big one happened yesterday as 2022 Connecticut native Tyler Booker checked in via Zoom with the Irish coaches.

Booker currently plays for IMG Academy, which has more than a few Notre Dame targets prepping there. He’s seen as a lineman that could play on the defensive line, but has more upside on the offensive line.

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His recruitment should be seen as a very tough battle, as Booker holds offers from the SEC powers (Alabama, LSU, Georgia and Florida) the Big Ten’s (Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan) along with Oklahoma, Texas, Oregon, USC and a host of others schools vying for his commitment.

Although getting Booker to virtually visit with the Notre Dame staff is a step in the right direction, the next step would be to lock him into scheduling an official visit. If he does just that, then the Irish are squarely in the mix for Booker’s signature.

James Franklin Extended at Penn State: Who’d You Rather?

Since taking the Penn State job in 2014 he’s returned the Nittany Lions to glory, winning the Big Ten in 2016 before falling in the Rose Bowl to USC. What about Kelly?

News came down Friday that Penn State head football coach James Franklin has been extended through 2025, putting an end to rumors he’d end up at Florida State.

That got me wondering about where Brian Kelly ranks in terms of all college football coaches.

If Saban is the GOAT and Dabo Swinney is the next best thing going, how far down would you have to go in order to find Brian Kelly?

James Franklin took a program that was awful before and has again turned south since his departure into a pretty respectable team in his time at Vanderbilt.

Since taking the Penn State job in 2014 he’s returned the Nittany Lions to glory, winning the Big Ten in 2016 before falling in the Rose Bowl to USC.

He’s gone 55-23 overall since 2014 but 44-11 in his four years Penn State has played without any scholarship restrictions.

Residing in the Big Ten East is no simple life as Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan sit in your division and provide top-tier competition on an annual basis (OK, perhaps not Michigan State).

It gets me wondering though, which coach would you rather have if I were to give five years with each at the helm?

Brian Kelly took advantage of a generous schedule by year-three and had Notre Dame playing in (and getting blown out in) the national championship his third year on campus. Year-nine saw Kelly take Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff where eventual national champion Clemson routed them, 30-3.

Franklin has won at Penn State and in his first year without scholarship restrictions won the Big Ten. However, he hasn’t done so again and despite having a top-ten team this season, is yet to get back to that second Rose Bowl appearance.

I’m curious which coach you’d rather have going forward.

Brian Kelly appears to have an elite recruiting class taking shape for 2021, 11 years into his run.

Franklin again won ten games in one of college football’s best divisions and seems to have Penn State on a level they haven’t been at with any consistency since the nineties.

It’s a tough to make a choice and both coaches bring plenty of off-the-field drama with them.

But gun to my head, Kelly has shown an ability to hire quality assistants on the regular who often take head jobs elsewhere and find the next up-and-comer in the coaching ranks regularly.

That’s something Franklin is yet to show, as he has watched only Joe Moorhead leave, taking the Mississippi State job previous to 2018.

Although a longer tenure, Kelly has seen Chuck Martin, Matt LaFleur, Butch Jones, Bob Diaco and Autry Denson take head jobs elsewhere after being his assistants at various points the last decade or so.

The ability to hire quality assistants is so important to me and if Kelly keeps seeing assistants get head-jobs, it must mean he’s doing something right.

James Franklin is a very good college football coach and worthy of every dime he gets from Penn State.

But even if you complain about Brian Kelly on the regular, would you take Franklin over him given the chance?

At very worst that question is harder than you’d like to admit while truthfully, Kelly’s resume at Notre Dame is incredibly-difficult to compete with unless you’ve actually won a national championship.

Franklin’s extension at Penn State and the desire of other premier programs to hire him should make you appreciate Brian Kelly as a coach a bit more, even if you’re not entirely in love with him.