PSU all in with hiring of Knowles

January 28, 2025

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com When it comes to recruiting, James Franklin rarely takes a backseat. He proved that again Sunday when he lured Ohio State’s defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, to Penn State. Of course, money helped. Franklin has often talked about being “aligned” with Penn State’s administration, specifically Athletic Director Pat Kraft, President Neeli Bendapudi and the Board of Trustees’ core leadership. And it’s clear the Nittany Lions’ leadership is all in —at just about any cost. With a three-year, $9.3 million contact, Knowles ...

Public is invited to count wild birds

January 25, 2025

Once again this winter, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is requesting the public to report sightings of turkey flocks. Information on the location of wintertime turkeys helps Game Commission wildlife managers determine possible sites for live-trapping turkeys for ongoing population monitoring and other projects. No turkeys are moved during the trapping efforts. All birds trapped will be quickly processed, leg banded and immediately released at the point of capture. Here in our region, Wildlife Management Unit 4D is one of four WMUs that will be using some extra data collection. The ...

Changes needed for CFP format

January 22, 2025

Notes and observations after the conclusion of the college bowl season and inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff tournament: n The new 12-team format brought added excitement and intrigue to this season’s postseason tournament, and eliminated much of the controversy that surrounded teams that were put in, and left out, of the College Football Playoffs, under the previous too-narrow four-team format. However, this year’s expanded postseason didn’t go off without question marks. The postseason seedings, mandating that conference champions from each of the Power Five ...

Retention gets Lions quick start on ’25

January 18, 2025

Some followup notes from the 2024 season while looking ahead at 2025: n This week has proven, once again, James Franklin is better off the field than he is on it. Fresh from another come-from-ahead loss in a big game, this one to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinal, the Nittany Lions got home Friday, and by Monday, Franklin had convinced his top players with eligibility remaining to return for 2025. His results were as impressive as the Lions’ late-game execution vs. the Irish was not. Both 1,000-yard running backs, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, will be ...

Franklin can’t seem to escape disappointment

January 11, 2025

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — It’s difficult to get to within a field goal of playing for the national championship and still consider this a disappointing season. So I won’t do that. But certainly, Thursday night brought a disappointing ending to a memorable year, and the disappointment is ...

Penn State-ND: Stakes can’t be higher

January 4, 2025

Some post-Fiesta Bowl/pre-Orange Bowl notes awaiting the star-studded final four: n Thursday night’s College Football Playoff semifinal between Penn State and Notre Dame will break a tie in the series currently tied at 9-9-1. And what a reward the winner will get: A berth in the national championship game on Monday, Jan. 20 vs. the Ohio State-Texas winner. The matchup is especially meaningful in our region as, in addition to being in the heart of Penn State country, Notre Dame, with a local Catholic school in Bishop Guilfoyle Academy, has always boasted a strong following here ...