Looking for clarity in the chaos

With the latest round of betting odds on who will win the 2024 Big Ten football championship coming out this week, Penn State finds itself in a typical position: Behind both Ohio State and Michigan, with Oregon having better odds as well, at least when it comes to public perception.
But, is that necessarily an accurate way to look at how the Big Ten is shaping up this fall?
On this week's edition of the Penn Stated podcast, hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin discuss the odds, and why the Nittany Lions might be in a better position than many might think to finally break through at the top of the Big Ten standings for the first time in eight years come December.
They also continue to round out the All-James Franklin Team, honoring the top players at each position during the head coach's first 10 years at Penn State. This week, they break down two loaded positions: Receiver and linebacker.

To contact Donnie, drop an email at dcollins@scrantontimes.com, or send him a message on Twitter @PennStateTT.

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It sure seems that way, if the reaction to Penn State's typically benign "competitors of the day" for winter workouts is any indication. 
With backup quarterback Beau Pribula practically sweeping the honor from quarterbacks coach Danny O'Brien in the early going during workouts, many commenters on social media are wondering if that gives the sophomore any edge in a potential quarterback battle with starter Drew Allar this spring. Well, Penn Stated hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin have some news for those of you looking forward to the backup quarterback knocking off the incumbent.
It isn't going to happen.
Donnie and Sam also delve deep into the decision to move star junior Abdul Carter from the linebacker spot to defensive end for the 2024 season; Which of the hosts thinks it still might not happen, and which is convinced it will wind up being a boon to the defense that has thrived on a consistent pass rush the past few seasons?
They both discuss the Board of Trustees' fumbling of backroom talks to name Beaver Stadium after former head coach Joe Paterno, and continue to build the current coach's All-Franklin team in the second segment - it's time to add the tight ends, offensive tackles and defensive tackles to the first and second teams - on a jam-packed episode of the podcast this week.

To contact Donnie, drop an email at dcollins@scrantontimes.com, or send him a message on Twitter @PennStateTT.

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Another week has passed, and college football has changed even more. That's the story of the game now, and it will continue to be for the foreseeable future.
On this week's episode of the Penn Stated podcast, hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin discuss Bill O'Brien to Boston College, Chip Kelly to Ohio State, and more moves that wouldn't have been expected in college football as recently as just a few years ago. They also talk about James Franklin's thoughts on the subject from his winter workouts press conference on Tuesday.
What is the one area that needs to be fixed most for the health of the game in the free agency era? The answer Donnie and Sam provide might surprise you.
The guys also spend the second segment discussing the latest additions to their All-Franklin Team, and there are some potentially controversial ones as they pick their top cornerbacks, guards and centers. Who is the Penn State star one host insists wouldn't have made his team despite multiple years worth of All-Big Ten honors?
They also close with a tribute to near-Super Bowl MVP Ji'Ayir Brown, whose rookie season ended with a loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII.

To contact Donnie, drop an email at dcollins@scrantontimes.com, or send him a message on Twitter @PennStateTT.

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National Letter of Intent Signing Day -- the "traditional" one, anyway -- came and went rather silently for Penn State in 2024. But there was still plenty of recruiting talk on the latest edition of the Penn Stated podcast.
Hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin broke down the fall of the February signing period and delved into the reasons why arguably the biggest non-gameday of the year in college football lost importance and will continue to do so. But in celebration of what the day used to be, they also further broke down Penn State's 2024 recruiting class that signed during the "early" signing period in December. Their focus: The handful of players in that class who did not yet enroll at Penn State. Which three do the hosts think have the best shot at enrolling during the summer and still seeing some playing time in the fall?
After that, they got down to the real business of the show: The long-awaited start of the selection process for the All-James Franklin team.
Donnie and Sam picked the first and second-team running backs and safeties in celebration of Franklin's recently completed 10th season as Nittany Lions head coach, and there may be a handful of surprises.
A particular NJCAA powerhouse based in Scranton might have a few names on the list already, too.
Find out who got the first spots on Donnie and Sam's All-Franklin team starting now...

To contact Donnie, drop an email at dcollins@scrantontimes.com, or send him a message on Twitter @PennStateTT.

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The longer you go without rules, the harder it will be to make rules.
The NCAA might learn that lesson the hard way as it pursues sanctions against Tennessee for alleged recruiting violations stemming from a collective that works closely with athletes at the university in the Name, Image, Likeness realm.
It's a story that affects all of college football, including Penn State, as collectives play a bigger and bigger role in attracting star athletes to the universities they choose to represent, promising cash and business opportunities.
On this week's episode of the Penn Stated podcast, host Donnie Collins talks about what the Tennessee case could mean for Penn State and other major programs. But he also brings in a special guest - legendary Scranton Times-Tribune high school sports beat writer Joby Fawcett - to discuss the positives and negatives of NIL as it trickles down into the high school ranks.
We know how it's likely affecting some athletes now.
But, will high school sports exist in its current form in a decade or so after NIL gets done changing them, and the attitudes of high school-aged athletes and their parents?
Donnie also delves into the postseason all-star games in college football, where a handful of Penn State's draft-eligible players are looking to make names for themselves in front of NFL scouts. Which one has impressed Donnie the most over the last week?
That answer might surprise you.

To contact Donnie, drop an email at dcollins@scrantontimes.com, or send him a message on Twitter @PennStateTT.

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Shall they inherit the playing time?
That's the question hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin set out to answer on this week's edition of the Penn Stated podcast, when they break down the 16 early enrollees on Penn State's spring roster.
Which of them do Donnie and Sam believe will have the best chance to compete for playing time immediately with a big spring? Who is the prospect we'll learn most about simply by which position the coaching staff chooses to start him at?
And will the highest-rated -- and arguably best -- prospect of them all have perhaps the most difficult road to earn a shot at seeing the field with regularity in the fall?
The guys then spend the second segment discussing the new NIL-based methods by which the Ohio State Buckeyes are loading their roster this offseason. Is overloading the roster with talent out of the transfer portal necessarily the best way to build a cohesive team? Free agency in other sports indicate it isn't necessarily a clear path to greatness.

To contact Donnie, drop an email at dcollins@scrantontimes.com, or send him a message on Twitter @PennStateTT.

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Changes abound in college football, and of course, Penn State wasn't immune to them in the last week.
With special teams coordinator Stacy Collins off to Boise State, head coach James Franklin worked quickly to replace him by bringing in Vanderbilt's Justin Lustig. But the greater coaching chaos around the country obviously dwarfed the third coordinator change on Penn State's staff this offseason.
This week on the Penn Stated podcast, hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin talked about what areas Lustig could make an immediate impact in Happy Valley, and why one less talked-about part of his position might actually be a boon for the coaching staff.
They also take a deep dive into Nick Saban's retirement at Alabama and the ripple effect associated with it around college football. When coaches talk about necessary change around the game, maybe the University of Arizona would be a good example to look toward.
Donnie and Sam also...finally...delve into some listener requests and talk about whether there should be a legitimate quarterback competition heading into 2024 after Drew Allar's performance in his debut season as a starter. The bottom line: Of course there should be. But, it also comes with a bit of advice. Calm down. And understand the importance of development, especially at the quarterback position.
All that -- and, of course, more! -- on the podcast this week.

To contact Donnie, drop an email at dcollins@scrantontimes.com, or send him a message on Twitter @PennStateTT.

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On a super-sized edition of the Penn Stated podcast, hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin don't just talk about the many issues of the day surrounding the Nittany Lions and college football.
They break down the scary hypotheticals.

• What happens when the transfer portal doesn't bring in a difference-maker? Penn State battled that at receiver next year; Does that make it even more important for Julian Fleming to succeed in 2024?
• Is "fit" more important than "numbers?" Probably. But one can be measured, while the other is more an art.
• Is it a big deal that Kalen King couldn't risk injury in the Peach Bowl, but will at the Senior Bowl? To some, sure. But, should players who are sure-bet top picks really be playing any college games once they've established their draft stock?
• If former Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is granted a fifth season of true NCAA eligibility, what does that mean for eligibility's very existence moving forward? Will we see professional college football players?

Oh, and Michigan won the national championship. Donnie and Sam talk about that, and what it means for Penn State football -- even if fans won't love the means by which the answer came about.

To contact Donnie, drop an email at dcollins@scrantontimes.com, or send him a message on Twitter @PennStateTT.

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Penn State lost the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30.
Penn State also played the game without four of its top players and saw a handful of other stars play only in the first half.
In this week's edition of the Penn Stated podcast, hosts Donnie Collins (The Scranton Times-Tribune) and Sam Fremin (The Citizens Voice) review the 38-25 defeat at the hands of Ole Miss at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta with an eye toward the game's greater meaning. With Nittany Lions fans frustrated by the performance, it's worth asking: Does a game played without Olu Fashanu, Chop Robinson, Kalen King and Johnny Dixon -- and with Curtis Jacobs, Adisa Isaac and Caedan Wallace playing just about a half -- tell us anything about what the Nittany Lions really were in 2023?
Also, and perhaps most importantly, does it have any meaning for 2024? Or is it, as one of the hosts suggested, a glorified exhibition that ranks ahead of only the Blue-White Game in importance among games played in the last calendar year?
In a landscape where opt-outs have become a major storyline outside of the College Football Playoff, does losing a New Year's Six game mean anything at all, really?
Donnie and Sam also discussed the theme of the season further, the apparent lack of development of the wide receiving corps, which didn't record a catch in the Peach Bowl until the fourth quarter. The hosts discuss that position, and even got some breaking news during the recording about a top transfer target committing to the Nittany Lions who could have a major impact on the position next year.
All that, and more. Including pressing discussions on...

• Hypothetically, would the Penn State fans who want to move on from James Franklin as head coach be welcoming to a replacement who might be eager to take the job, Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin?
• Why would the College Football Playoff even consider putting a Group of Five team in the 12-team championship tournament if they fall outside the top 12 in the rankings?
• Who will win the national championship?

To contact Donnie, drop an email at dcollins@scrantontimes.com, or send him a message on Twitter @PennStateTT.

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And so it ends for Penn State in 2023.
The Peach Bowl kicks off on Saturday at noon, and the Nittany Lions are a prohibitive favorite to end the 2023 season with 11 wins and hope for the 2024 season.
But, will whatever happens on Saturday in Atlanta at Mercedez-Benz Stadium against No. 11 Ole Miss matter going forward?
Hosts Donnie Collins (The Scranton Times-Tribune) and Sam Fremin (Citizens Voice) discuss that and just about every other topic surrounding Penn State -- opt outs, the transfer portal, and even some recruiting -- in their breakdown of the 2023 Peach Bowl.

To contact Donnie, drop an email at dcollins@scrantontimes.com, or send him a message on Twitter @PennStateTT.

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