Clifford has lost right

to be permanent starter

By Neil Rudel

nrudel@altoonamirror.com

After last Saturday’s 44-31 loss to Ohio State, Sean Clifford lowered his career record vs. OSU and Michigan to 2-6, without a win over the Buckeyes.

James Franklin has maintained loyalty to Clifford. After a shaky start at Michigan, which Clifford didn’t finish due to injury (leaving a QB question for the next game against Minnesota), Franklin said, “Sean has earned the right” to be the starter.

That isn’t the case anymore.

Not after Clifford was intercepted on the Lions’ first two possessions against Ohio State, and he turned the ball over four times, though a couple weren’t his fault.

Sticking with an average player in his sixth year while the nation’s top QB recruit remains on the bench is fine while the Lions are vying for the Big Ten East title.

But not when you’re out of any postseason scenario that matters.

If Penn State truly wants to reach the plateau currently occupied by Ohio State and Michigan, getting freshman Drew Allar meaningful experience over the next four regular-season games is paramount — even if that means a loss to or a scare, against Indiana or Maryland, Rutgers or Michigan State.

A 9-3 or 8-4 record would be justifiable if you’re planning for the future.

If Clifford plays most of the game at Indiana and throws for 300 yards and four touchdowns, so what?

It comes down to what kind of program do you want to be.

Franklin didn’t confirm Clifford as the starter on Tuesday — which he had a chance to do — but sounded like he’s leaning toward starting him and also playing Allar more.

He admitted talking with the coordinators and several other staffers whose opinion he values but he also reverted back to his stance of ‘whoever gives us the best chance to be 1-0.’

Well, of course, that’s Clifford. He’s taken roughly 2,800 snaps in games during his career, or probably 2,700 more Allar.

In surveying the staff — important for big decisions — it sounded like Franklin didn’t want to make the decision alone, but also consider: If Franklin remains at Penn State deep into his contract extension, many of the guys he’s checking with on this will be gone. Several may be gone next year, either by change or choice.

Clifford doesn’t have to be buried. He showed loyalty by returning for his sixth year — but let’s be real, he didn’t have a better option — and Franklin returned that loyalty.

Franklin said Tuesday that trying to win each week and developing for the future ideally can be done simultaneously.

This is the way I”d handle the remaining four games: I’d start Clifford on Saturday at Indiana to help the Lions stick with the routine and shake off the Buckeye hangover. But I would commit to Allar getting 50 percent of the snaps — beginning in the first half.

Barring the unforeseen, I would then commit to starting Allar for the next two games — home next week with Maryland and then at Rutgers.

Clifford was booed during the introductions prior to the Minnesota game. It was a bad look, and the crowd cheered him last week before Ohio State.

The fans may not be as kind before Maryland, something from which Clifford should be spared.

Though Maryland is improved and likely the toughest remaining game, Penn State should still be good enough to win the game, especially at home. Ditto the road trip to Rutgers.

And then I would start Clifford on senior day.

Clifford could remain a leader, used in certain situations over the next month and be a visible mentor to Allar.

Clifford said earlier this season that he only wants what’s best for the team.

It was best for him to start against Michigan and Ohio State because he gave the Lions their best opportunity to win, and at times he played well. At other times, Clifford did what Clifford does — make the big mistake.

After two losses against the opponents you’re trying to emulate — one embarrassing, one excruciating — Penn State was 0-2.

And now what’s best for the team — and the program — is getting a running start on 2023 by playing Allar.

Rudel can be reached at 814-946-7527 or nrudel@altoonamirror.com.

Allar is the future,

and needs to be the starter

By Cory Giger

sports@altoonamirror.com

Neil is all wishy-washy over there.

Play this guy, then that guy, then the first dude again, the second some more and then hand out some kind of participation trophy or something.

C’mon, man, make a decision already! That’s what you’re getting paid $8.5 million a year to do.

Wait, sorry. Got a little carried away there. Neil isn’t the one making $8.5 million a year.

But James Franklin is. And he gets that kind of dough to make tough decisions, not to be wishy-washy, or the phrase du jour this week — loyal to a fault.

Enough already with the Sean Clifford experience.

Rip off the band-aid. Make a clean break. Let everyone get on with their life’s work, as Chuck Noll so famously said.

It’s time for Penn State to start Drew Allar at quarterback. And to play Allar the whole game this week at Indiana. And to keep playing Allar the whole game for the rest of the season.

The future is now for the Nittany Lions. Everybody wants to gripe so much that they can’t beat Ohio State or Michigan on a consistent basis, and one way to help start doing that is for Franklin to start making different and better decisions in key spots.

It would be a gigantic wasted opportunity if Allar does not get each and every kind of experience possible the rest of this season. Because all of those experiences then would help him and Penn State perhaps take a step toward, you know, actually winning the games that matter most in the future.

What difference would it make if Penn State goes 10-2 while continuing to start Clifford and giving him most of the playing time over the final four regular-season games? How does that help the program for the future?

We have reached the point where it’s time to move on from the 24-year-old, sixth-year quarterback and give the young, franchise QB Allar his chance to start and let him go through all of the growing pains necessary to prepare him for the future.

I can make a strong case that it would be better for Penn State to go 8-4 with Allar playing every down the rest of the season, than it would be for the Lions to go 10-2 and continue to start Clifford and give him a lot of playing time.

And hey, Allar also could end up leading the team to a 10-2 record, because the remaining schedule is really weak. So, it could be a win-win by giving him all of the playing time and then also perhaps finding a way to get to 10-2, or maybe 9-3.

But what about the Orange Bowl? The Lions can get there by going 10-2, and yes, I can still make a case that Clifford does give them their best chance to win each week. But bowl games hardly matter anymore — which is sad, but the reality — and whatever bowl game PSU does get to, it would be idiotic to not start and play Allar the entire game because bowls are meant to start building for next season and beyond.

There’s also this: Clifford at his best gives Penn State a good chance to win games, like we saw against Ohio State. But Clifford turning the ball over four times also gives the Lions a good chance to lose any game, and you’d have to think Allar could at least play better than that.

Clifford is the most average college quarterback you’ll ever find. And it’s an abomination that he’s been the starter for four seasons given how average he is. There is no way, as I’ve said repeatedly, that Ohio State would ever start a guy like Clifford for four years, because that program’s standard is far superior to Penn State.

If Franklin wants to match the Buckeyes’ standard and become elite, he’s got to start making tough decisions out of necessity, not out of loyalty.

Cory Giger covers Penn State for DK Pittsburgh Sports and hosts “Sports Central” weekdays from 4-5 on WRTA. He can be reached at cgsports12@gmail.com.