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If PSU stumbles against Minnesota, it should bring a bit of satisfaction to the Gophers' offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca.
I thought that Franklin was awfully quick to kick his former OC to the curb.
Ciarrocca was faced with the shortened, fragmented 2020 pandemic season with no spring practice and having to coach via Zoom.
By the second offensive play of the opening game, he would have lost both of his starting running backs, leaving Sean Clifford to carry the team on his back, and we all know how that went.
Clifford was ultimately benched.
So, with only nine games on his resume, including finishing with four straight wins, Franklin fires him and hires Mike Yurcich.
We were led to believe he hired some kind of offensive-minded genius, and yet Yurcich has shown us nothing through a season and a half.
Ciarrocca got a raw deal, and I, for one, wish him well.
Mike Sinisi
Hollidaysburg
Lions' setback weeks in making
Those who have been paying attention to Penn State probably saw this coming.
The air started coming out after the Central Michigan game, where PSU frequently struggled to move the ball against what appeared to be a far lesser opponent.
CMU often used a cover zero defense, by the way. The Northwestern game only confirmed the weaknesses.
People can complain all they like about Sean Clifford. But PSU has some significant problems on the offensive line.
There also appears to be a reality disconnect between the offensive system, the available players and the conference defenses that will be faced.
It's already starting to feel like another long season.
Tony Kibelbek
Altoona
Franklin needs a re-evaluation
Some observations about PSU-Michigan:
n Playcalling: Two different times when the game was still in reach when facing third-and-6. One was a long pass into double coverage. Another was a very difficult fade in the corner of the end zone well covered. While technically still in the game, Penn State decided to go for first down instead of punting and hopefully pinning Michigan down.
n Offensive RB scheme. Too often running up middle into a stout defense. Jim Brown would struggle with this.
n The tight ends were ignored for the most part -- especially Brenton Strange, who is a stud.
n Both lines were overmatched, and the linebackers were disappointing in coverage. Overall, the tackling was poor.
n I'm not one who always critiques and second guesses coaching, but the offensive coordinator is unimaginative and doesn't adjust on the fly.
n Whatever plan was for the off week, can it.
n Any other coach who loses 11 games in two years and has Franklin's record against Top 5 teams would not be rewarded with a new multi-year and very generous contract. A one-year extension and re-evaluation may have been more appropriate.
Bob Nassif
Altoona
Here's one fan who has lost faith
I've about had it.
Our defense was terrible, and the concerns about the front seven were magnified.
And I'm still waiting for Manny Diaz's blitzes to produce sacks.
But once again, our pathetic offense was of no help keeping our defense on the field way too long.
The perennial disaster we call our offense is stymied by our pathetic O-line.
They can't run-block or pass-protect. So now everyone will once again blame Sean Clifford when the kid has to do everything due to a lack of running game. He even is the running game.
Our seats were in the end zone, and I was green with envy seeing the huge holes the Michigan RBs had.
And everyone's savior, Drew Allar, experienced what a disaster our O-line is. I believe he attempted about a dozen passes. He was sacked three times, hurried and had to scramble another three-four times.
Frankly, I would not be surprised if Singleton, Allen and even Allar enter the transfer portal.
Why any top running back and quarterback would want to play for Franklin and Penn State knowing the beating they will take is beyond me.
And speaking of Franklin, unless a miracle happens and he turns this major deficiency around in our remaining games, he needs to go.
He makes $7 million and has had plenty of time to get this corrected. I've stood by him in the past. No more.
Tim Muri
Naperville, Illinois
(The writer is an Altoona native.)
Program has been destroyed
James Franklin can beg the fans and community to rally around him, but he'd better fire his offensive line coach and hire both a new offensive line and defensive line coach immediately.
Penn State has not produced an excellent offensive lineman since Stefan Wisniewski.
Franklin prefers to recruit four-five star backs and receivers for splash and recruiting ratings and has never realized the games are won in the trenches.
He has never understood that it's still all blocking and tackling, and you can't win without it.
Two weeks to prepare for that humiliation -- or was he off flirting again for another potential job like last year with his fling with the USC job followed by an embarrassing loss to Illinois.
I said it four years ago that Franklin has taken PSU as far as he can take them -- mediocrity -- and the proof is in his record.
Franklin is just smoke and mirrors, and Sandusky, Sandy Barbour and Franklin have destroyed a once proud football program.
He'll destroy Drew Allar just like he did Christian Hackenberg.
Wait until USC and UCLA get in the Big Ten. It's bad enough he's 2-9 against ranked teams but losses to Temple, Kentucky, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois twice, and Maryland.
I've been a season ticket holder since 1978, and at 75 years of age, I doubt I'll see a win against Ohio State or Michigan ever again.
Ed Hill
Altoona