After defeating Michigan, I was in a bit of a euphoric state, and while others were left thinking about the mistakes, I was happy with the end result and looked forward to what I'm sure will be another tough week. It felt good, but for sure there were plenty of moments where we didn't execute well enough to win.
For some fans, they were extremely critical, one going so far as to say we won in spite of Franklin.
And that's something I'd like to take just a quick second to remind us (myself included) just how hard this really is.
Penn State is in the midst of what could very well be a special season resulting in our first playoff birth (Michigan State). As the eyes start to look to who will remain undefeated (Michigan State), and who can play spoilers (Michigan State), Penn State is the realistic underdog to start taking the reigns in the college football world.
We are really just looking at them as players and not as real people with real lives outside of the game.
Those kids that just delivered an electric experience to a whole bunch of people are in class today, in meetings today, going through practice today, studying tonight and probably taking some tests and writing some papers as well.
They are being asked to keep with a great tradition of people who are able to balance both major collegiate athletics with major collegiate academics.
One of the lessons I've learned both from coaches and professors alike is the importance of being consistent. Trying to be great the day after you pass that first big test. It's not enough just to pass, but something you should try to achieve again on the very next test and the next. The test, in some ways, is in being consistent, and that can be applied to nearly everything in life as a model of self-improvement.
Over the past few weeks I've seen some commentary in newspapers, message boards, and social media from some fans that level their critiques of the team in an extremely personal and negative way. I find it to be pretty divisive language and not something that I would endorse to help make us better as a team or a community.
To me, it does no good to be critical of a coach or kid at a personal level. They are people, and from what I can tell, they are good people trying their best to represent themselves, their families, their coaches in the best possible light. They have embraced a positive culture in which they can combine many forms of competition to bring out the best in themselves and each other.
If you have a critique about something specific in a game, think about how you would talk about it as if you knew them personally and wanted them to get better.
If you thought the line didn't get off blocks as well as you'd hoped, or they called more pass plays then you would have, that's fine, but to use hyperbole to express complete outrage does a disservice to the greater aspect of what is happening with Penn State football. Instead, just rationally explain that you wished the team ran the ball better, and maybe stuck to more run plays in the late second to third.
A simple criticism doesn't have to involve animosity or sarcasm.
While on the topic, I think it's important to realize that two guys, who should absolutely go down as legends here for their time, both bought into Franklin's system. We can't lionize those guys and not also give credit to Franklin for finding them, as well as a TON of others, and convincing them that Penn State was right for them.
At 7-0, the team will rightfully be considered as one of the top programs in the country. Whether or not they stay there will be up to them and their opponents. And that begins today, trying to do the little things to make them ready to pass the very next test. (Michigan State).
For some fans, they were extremely critical, one going so far as to say we won in spite of Franklin.
And that's something I'd like to take just a quick second to remind us (myself included) just how hard this really is.
Penn State is in the midst of what could very well be a special season resulting in our first playoff birth (Michigan State). As the eyes start to look to who will remain undefeated (Michigan State), and who can play spoilers (Michigan State), Penn State is the realistic underdog to start taking the reigns in the college football world.
We are really just looking at them as players and not as real people with real lives outside of the game.
Those kids that just delivered an electric experience to a whole bunch of people are in class today, in meetings today, going through practice today, studying tonight and probably taking some tests and writing some papers as well.
They are being asked to keep with a great tradition of people who are able to balance both major collegiate athletics with major collegiate academics.
One of the lessons I've learned both from coaches and professors alike is the importance of being consistent. Trying to be great the day after you pass that first big test. It's not enough just to pass, but something you should try to achieve again on the very next test and the next. The test, in some ways, is in being consistent, and that can be applied to nearly everything in life as a model of self-improvement.
Over the past few weeks I've seen some commentary in newspapers, message boards, and social media from some fans that level their critiques of the team in an extremely personal and negative way. I find it to be pretty divisive language and not something that I would endorse to help make us better as a team or a community.
To me, it does no good to be critical of a coach or kid at a personal level. They are people, and from what I can tell, they are good people trying their best to represent themselves, their families, their coaches in the best possible light. They have embraced a positive culture in which they can combine many forms of competition to bring out the best in themselves and each other.
If you have a critique about something specific in a game, think about how you would talk about it as if you knew them personally and wanted them to get better.
If you thought the line didn't get off blocks as well as you'd hoped, or they called more pass plays then you would have, that's fine, but to use hyperbole to express complete outrage does a disservice to the greater aspect of what is happening with Penn State football. Instead, just rationally explain that you wished the team ran the ball better, and maybe stuck to more run plays in the late second to third.
A simple criticism doesn't have to involve animosity or sarcasm.
While on the topic, I think it's important to realize that two guys, who should absolutely go down as legends here for their time, both bought into Franklin's system. We can't lionize those guys and not also give credit to Franklin for finding them, as well as a TON of others, and convincing them that Penn State was right for them.
At 7-0, the team will rightfully be considered as one of the top programs in the country. Whether or not they stay there will be up to them and their opponents. And that begins today, trying to do the little things to make them ready to pass the very next test. (Michigan State).
