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Neil Rudel's Commentary

PSU’s season will be shaped in Columbus

UNIVERSITY PARK — OK, let the season begin. Then sixth-ranked Penn State improved to 6-0 by disposing of Massachusetts, 63-0, on a miserable, rainy Saturday at Beaver Stadium, the last remaining “game” on the schedule before the curtain goes up on the real competition. And that’s Saturday in Columbus, where the unbeaten and third-ranked Buckeyes await and where the Nittany Lions’ season will be shaped. James Franklin, though, wasn’t quite ready to look ahead Saturday night, saying/pleading, “I just want to have a few hours of normalcy and hang out with my wife,” ...

With OSU next, Franklin can’t lose focus

James Franklin is generally very careful with what he says, the way he says it and is almost always on point in his dealings with the media. That was not the case this week. With Massachusetts in town — the Minutemen are seven-touchdown underdogs — Franklin was once again asked Tuesday about non-conference scheduling and whether he thought it would change with the impending Big Ten expansion and 12-team playoff format. The first thing he said was, “Yeah, I would say there’s a team in this conference, specifically, that’s buying out of a ton of game contracts that are ...

PSU point-counter: West Coast additions will change two-game season (Rudel)

This week's question: What’s your take on the Big Ten’s new schedule? By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com Like David Bowie sang … “Ch-ch-ch changes.” Those following Penn State football over the past few decades have gotten used to change, going from an Eastern schedule and longstanding relationships and rivalries to the Big Ten featuring Ohio State and Michigan. That doesn’t mean we’ve all liked it, but we’ve seen it for its advantages and generally accepted it — evidenced by Beaver Stadium continuing to be full and setting attendance records. Yes, the ...

PSU hoping to keep season on schedule vs UMass

Following are the highlights of James Franklin’s Tuesday press conference: Saturday’s game: vs. Massachusetts (3:30 p.m., BTN) Records: Penn State is 5-0. Massachusetts is 1-6. Odds: Penn State is a 42.5-point favorite. Rankings: Penn State is ranked No. 6 by the Associated Press. Main storyline As sometimes happens when the Nittany Lions are playing an opponent perceived to be outclassed, the topic of non-scheduling came up and whether philosophies will change with a 12-team playoff arriving next year. Franklin is on record as saying teams should best position ...

What does new schedule mean for Nits?

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State’s Big Ten opponents are set for the next five years. The Big Ten on Thursday announced conference games for all 18 of its schools, including USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington, beginning in 2024. It previously announced the opponents for the 2024 and ’25, but has now updated that with more-recent additions of Oregon and Washington. The Big Ten will move away from divisions next year, and the teams with the best records will play for the conference title. It will continue with nine conference games, alternating four home and five away, each year. Game ...

Despite ‘O,’ Nittany Lions move to 5-0

Since he’s been at Penn State, James Franklin has pledged to enjoy the victories and not mope after a win if the Nittany Lions don’t play their best game. He had plenty of reasons to pick apart Saturday’s 41-13 victory at Northwestern, but he wasn’t taking the bait. When the narrative questioned the Lions’ ongoing offensive issues, Franklin tried to nip it. “41 to 13,” he said. “We won.” They did, extending their record to 5-0 and their streak of scoring 30-plus points to a nation-best 12 games. And they did it with a second-half domination of the spunky ...