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Penn State has its new offensive coordinator, Adam Kotelnicki of Kansas, and the social media world is tripping over itself to decide whether it's a good or bad hire.
I have an idea: Let's wait and see how the offense functions at least into next October before shaping an opinion.
There are things about him to like.
Kotelnicki has worked beside and been mentored by Lance Leipold, one of the better coaches in the country and certainly among the most underrated, having turned around Kansas after a successful stint at Buffalo (Bulls, not Bills) and being a Division III national champion at Wisconsin-Whitewater.
The Jayhawks have one of the nation's most explosive offenses while the Nittany Lions spent this past season playing electric football without the buzz.
Kotelnicki played the center position, which coaches acknowledge requires intelligence, and he should help restore the offensive line, which has been a trouble spot for Penn State practically throughout James Franklin's tenure.
What's not to like?
The Big 12 plays no defense. Offensive numbers in that league are skewed because it's a combination of touch and flag football.
Mike Yurcich came out of the Big 12 (Texas). His offense couldn't convert a third down when it mattered (read: vs. Ohio State or Michigan).
The other reason for skepticism is Franklin himself, who is introducing his sixth offensive coordinator as prepares for his 11th season at Penn State.
Franklin was so high on Yurcich that he coldly showed Kirk Ciarrocca the door after just one season -- the Covid season (2020), when he couldn't even meet with the players through the offseason in person.
Certainly Yurcich's almost three-year tenure brought disappointing results, but how much was he neutered by Franklin?
Only one OC has really thrived under Franklin's watch, and that was Joe Moorhead, who used what he himself called "an embarrassment of riches" to showcase a great offense that featured Trace McSorley, Saquon Barkley, Chris Godwin, DaeSean Hamilton, Mike Gesicki and Miles Sanders.
Three other OCs -- John Donovan, who came with Franklin from Vanderbilt, Ciarrocca and now Yurcich -- were fired.
A fourth, Ricky Rahne, managed to get the head coaching job at Old Dominion, but no one in the Nittany Nation was excited about his body of work.
You'll recall Rahne's infamous call in 2018 on fourth-and-5 that handed the ball off to Sanders and ended a 27-26 come-from-ahead loss to the Buckeyes, even though McSorley had accounted for 461 yards -- including a willful 175 yards on the ground in one of the courageous performances I have ever seen.
So now it's Kotelnicki's turn, and maybe he'll do better working with the common denominator.
Nitpicking ...
n The Lions' bowl picture will be settled Sunday with most signs pointing toward the Peach (Dec. 30) or Cotton (Dec. 29), both New Year's Six games. With the Nits in need of another respected opponent, seeing a Missouri-PSU matchup in the Peach or a shot at Texas in the Cotton would be more appealing than getting Tulane in the Peach. The Lions took their turn with the Group of 5 representative (Memphis) in the 2019 Cotton.
n Penn State needs Florida State to beat Louisville and Texas to beat Oklahoma State to help preserve a New Year's Six berth. Otherwise, it's probably off to the Citrus.
n Anybody else wonder how Penn State could have 12 offensive players receive votes for Big Ten all-star consideration? Last I checked, that unit scored one touchdown in the first 117 minutes vs. the Buckeyes and Wolverines.
n The pressure's on Jim Harbaugh today. The Wolverines are 6-0 without him this season, with wins at PSU and over Ohio State. Tonight, he returns to the sideline for the Big Ten title game against Iowa.
n Pardon the brain cramp last week. Brent Pry has completed two seasons (not one) at Virginia Tech, the latest a 6-6 mark that saw him win five of the Hokies' last eight with an invigorated offense.
Rudel can be reached at nrudel@altoonamirror.com.