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indianmustang wrote:

dalpony wrote:In the Armstrong Fieldhouse, they play a static machine that is so loud that you canΓÇÖt hear the person next to you who is talking without them talking directly into your ear

good to know but it seems really uphill and we need to play clean game no jitters

I think we will have fewer jitters this time around because A). this is not our first big-time game (though it is the biggest so far), and B). we are the underdog so less pressure.

highlander wrote:We need to win the TO battle AND the penalty battle (which we have less control over).

We are 100% going to lose the penalty battle. Look at the terrible calls in the last game that were all against us or not called against Clemson. That is going to be worse against PSU. The fact is PSU draws much bigger TV ratings. The powers that be are going to do all they can to help them move forward.

sail420s wrote:

highlander wrote:We need to win the TO battle AND the penalty battle (which we have less control over).

We are 100% going to lose the penalty battle. Look at the terrible calls in the last game that were all against us or not called against Clemson. That is going to be worse against PSU. The fact is PSU draws much bigger TV ratings. The powers that be are going to do all they can to help them move forward.

We'll see. Stranger things have happened. For us, barely losing the penalty battle is the same as winning the penalty battle.

sail420s wrote:

highlander wrote:We need to win the TO battle AND the penalty battle (which we have less control over).

We are 100% going to lose the penalty battle. Look at the terrible calls in the last game that were all against us or not called against Clemson. That is going to be worse against PSU. The fact is PSU draws much bigger TV ratings. The powers that be are going to do all they can to help them move forward.

Another thread says these will be SEC refs. I think that might change things.

Pony ^ wrote:Franklin is 3-19 vs top 10 opponents.

One thing is for sure, SMU will be loose and have nothing to lose. Draw back of course is 30 degree weather. That is absolutely brutal. No question that hurts us. That and their long grass

Penn State fan who was lurking to see what you all were saying about the game so thought I'd chime in here.

First though, really excited to play you. It should be a great game and being able to host a school we haven't played in decades is awesome. State College is a giant pain in the [deleted] to get into, so sorry for anyone trying to make a trip. Almost the entire stadium seating is metal bleachers. Bring something to sit on or you will be numb from the waist down before the game ends. The food in town is also terrible and any decent restaurants will likely have no reservations available due to graduation so come with low expectations there. Also get breakfast at the waffle shop on College Ave.

Franklin's record against the top 10 is definitely subpar, no way around it but he's also been the underdog in every single matchup. One, mostly irrelevant, point. The stat uses the AP top 10 because the cfp doesn't rank teams in the earlier weeks. SMU is 12th in the AP so this game won't contribute to his Top 10 record one way or another, and therefore his failures against top 10 teams is now completely irrelevant (kidding). He also hasn't benefitted from any fraudulent top 10 matchups, not that it makes a huge difference, but it might look a little better. Brian Kelly is 4-13 vs the AP top 10 (also bad) none of the 4 teams he beat finished in the top 10. 3 finished unranked. Only 2 of his 22 top 10 opponents finished outside the top 10 in the final ap (Iowa and one of the Michigan teams, both losses).

I'd compare this game to a NY6 bowl. He's 3-2 in those games with wins over #12 Washington, #8 Utah and #15 Memphis. The losses are the 52-49 Rose Bowl game to #9 USC in 2016 and last season's Peach Bowl against #11 Ole Miss without the offensive, defensive and special teams coordinators and most of our NFL draft picks opting out. Do not recommend playing Lane Kiffin without both starting cornerbacks and your number 1 pass rusher.

There's also a weird narrative, at least within the fanbase, where going into a lot of matchups they are "big games" (not necessarily limited to top 10) then he wins it and then its not a big game in retrospect. We don't have any signature wins this year and get bashed for the schedule but were also picked as upset specials in half of our games by quite a few members of the national media (WVU, Illinois, USC, Wisconsin, Washington and Minnesota). Its a strange dichotomy to play a weak schedule and simultaneously get picked as an upset special in half your games. Overall I think this season is by far his best coaching job on the whole and this is probably his best team.

Illinois this year is a good example of big game -> not a big game. If Franklin loses it, Illinois finishes 10-2, probably in the top 10 and the playoff and then everyone gets to say Illinois is another big game he lost. same team either way, but only "big" if its an L. I'd imagine the same rules will be in play if we are lucky enough to win this game. The narrative/question going into this is can he win the big game? Narrative after will be its an SMU team that lost to BYU and Clemson. Happened before/after all 3 NY6 wins.

Anyways if you made it through all of that rambling, kudos to you. For those making the trip, safe travels and I hope you have an awesome time in Happy Valley minus the 3-4 hours immediately after kickoff. I'm sorry you won't get to see a full sized student section for the white out.

chittownnit. sent a PM question on traffic

bubba pony wrote:chittownnit. sent a PM question on traffic

Share it here for those of us who will be driving in.

At this point, my only concern about the game is James Franklin's reputation.

Peruna88 wrote:

bubba pony wrote:chittownnit. sent a PM question on traffic

Share it here for those of us who will be driving in.

bubba pony wrote:
thanks for coming to ponyfans.com
we are driving to State College and will try and park at either Hub Parking deck or Eisenhower parking Deck. as I look at google map I'm thinking of taking East College Road which turns into Benner Pike and then taking Shiloh Road to highway 99. Will I avoid stadium traffic with this route?

If not any suggestions.

Thansk. 5 NJ Mustangs



Disclaimer, I graduated in 09 and haven't been back for a game in a few years.

Traffic is generally unavoidable. If its incredibly cold you might catch a break but on top of the 110,000 for the game tons of fans will come just to tailgate. The road system is just inadequate because you've basically got 1 way in/out from each direction. There's always potential for really bad gridlock.

So Eisenhower is smack dab in the middle of campus. the hub is as well but its slightly easier to access from college ave since you just drive a couple hundred feet up/down shortlidge to get in and out.

Of the two I'd take the Hub. There are also parking decks downtown that are easier, but you'll need to be ok with a longer walk to the stadium, or hopping on a cata bus (either of the loop buses are free). I typically park in the McAllister or Pugh street decks (there are several others as well) to avoid campus all together, and that's what I'd recommend.

College avenue is a 1 way street heading west after you pass High Street. Beaver Avenue is one block south of College Ave and is the 1 way going east. So to get out of town you'd take Beaver avenue til High Street, "turn" left on High. Technically Beaver continues straight, but the main flow of traffic all bends left onto High. You'll then take High up a block and veer right onto College. If you look on google maps it should make sense.

Hope that is helpful! You can also post the question on the Penn State forum linked in this post and you might get other suggestions from fans who go more often or more recently than myself.
chitownnit


___

thanks chitownnit.

SMU and Penn State have a story in common. From the internet
-------
The phrase ΓÇ£We Are Penn StateΓÇ¥ has multiple origins, including a 1946 incident and a 1976 cheer:
1946
The phrase is rooted in a civil rights incident when the Penn State football team refused to play a segregated opponent. The team's first Black starter, Wally Triplett, recalled that white teammate Steve Suhey said, "We are Penn State. There will be no meetings" when Southern Methodist University (SMU) wanted to discuss the Black players. The team went on to play in the Cotton Bowl, a game that symbolized desegregation in college athletic

chitownnit wrote:

Pony ^ wrote:Franklin is 3-19 vs top 10 opponents.

One thing is for sure, SMU will be loose and have nothing to lose. Draw back of course is 30 degree weather. That is absolutely brutal. No question that hurts us. That and their long grass

Penn State fan who was lurking to see what you all were saying about the game so thought I'd chime in here.

First though, really excited to play you. It should be a great game and being able to host a school we haven't played in decades is awesome. State College is a giant pain in the [deleted] to get into, so sorry for anyone trying to make a trip. Almost the entire stadium seating is metal bleachers. Bring something to sit on or you will be numb from the waist down before the game ends. The food in town is also terrible and any decent restaurants will likely have no reservations available due to graduation so come with low expectations there. Also get breakfast at the waffle shop on College Ave.

Franklin's record against the top 10 is definitely subpar, no way around it but he's also been the underdog in every single matchup. One, mostly irrelevant, point. The stat uses the AP top 10 because the cfp doesn't rank teams in the earlier weeks. SMU is 12th in the AP so this game won't contribute to his Top 10 record one way or another, and therefore his failures against top 10 teams is now completely irrelevant (kidding). He also hasn't benefitted from any fraudulent top 10 matchups, not that it makes a huge difference, but it might look a little better. Brian Kelly is 4-13 vs the AP top 10 (also bad) none of the 4 teams he beat finished in the top 10. 3 finished unranked. Only 2 of his 22 top 10 opponents finished outside the top 10 in the final ap (Iowa and one of the Michigan teams, both losses).

I'd compare this game to a NY6 bowl. He's 3-2 in those games with wins over #12 Washington, #8 Utah and #15 Memphis. The losses are the 52-49 Rose Bowl game to #9 USC in 2016 and last season's Peach Bowl against #11 Ole Miss without the offensive, defensive and special teams coordinators and most of our NFL draft picks opting out. Do not recommend playing Lane Kiffin without both starting cornerbacks and your number 1 pass rusher.

There's also a weird narrative, at least within the fanbase, where going into a lot of matchups they are "big games" (not necessarily limited to top 10) then he wins it and then its not a big game in retrospect. We don't have any signature wins this year and get bashed for the schedule but were also picked as upset specials in half of our games by quite a few members of the national media (WVU, Illinois, USC, Wisconsin, Washington and Minnesota). Its a strange dichotomy to play a weak schedule and simultaneously get picked as an upset special in half your games. Overall I think this season is by far his best coaching job on the whole and this is probably his best team.

Illinois this year is a good example of big game -> not a big game. If Franklin loses it, Illinois finishes 10-2, probably in the top 10 and the playoff and then everyone gets to say Illinois is another big game he lost. same team either way, but only "big" if its an L. I'd imagine the same rules will be in play if we are lucky enough to win this game. The narrative/question going into this is can he win the big game? Narrative after will be its an SMU team that lost to BYU and Clemson. Happened before/after all 3 NY6 wins.

Anyways if you made it through all of that rambling, kudos to you. For those making the trip, safe travels and I hope you have an awesome time in Happy Valley minus the 3-4 hours immediately after kickoff. I'm sorry you won't get to see a full sized student section for the white out.

Thanks for posting and the info. I was on the '78 SMU team that played Penn State that year. The roads sucked back then and hotel accommodations were 30 miles away and subpar. I hope things have changed.

We were ahead until Penn State made a long sustained late 4th quarter drive to win the game. At the time it was a record crowd (stadium expansion so new record at next home game).

What impressed methane was the Penn State fans were the best fans I played against in a road game. At the end of the game, 78000+ stood up and gave us a standing ovation as were left the field.

I hope that hasn't change. I think this will be a better game than many expect. Can't wait till kickoff.

Oh, and Kick 'em Stangs!

bubba pony wrote:

Peruna88 wrote:

bubba pony wrote:chittownnit. sent a PM question on traffic

Share it here for those of us who will be driving in.

bubba pony wrote:
thanks for coming to ponyfans.com
we are driving to State College and will try and park at either Hub Parking deck or Eisenhower parking Deck. as I look at google map I'm thinking of taking East College Road which turns into Benner Pike and then taking Shiloh Road to highway 99. Will I avoid stadium traffic with this route?

If not any suggestions.

Thansk. 5 NJ Mustangs



Disclaimer, I graduated in 09 and haven't been back for a game in a few years.

Traffic is generally unavoidable. If its incredibly cold you might catch a break but on top of the 110,000 for the game tons of fans will come just to tailgate. The road system is just inadequate because you've basically got 1 way in/out from each direction. There's always potential for really bad gridlock.

So Eisenhower is smack dab in the middle of campus. the hub is as well but its slightly easier to access from college ave since you just drive a couple hundred feet up/down shortlidge to get in and out.

Of the two I'd take the Hub. There are also parking decks downtown that are easier, but you'll need to be ok with a longer walk to the stadium, or hopping on a cata bus (either of the loop buses are free). I typically park in the McAllister or Pugh street decks (there are several others as well) to avoid campus all together, and that's what I'd recommend.

College avenue is a 1 way street heading west after you pass High Street. Beaver Avenue is one block south of College Ave and is the 1 way going east. So to get out of town you'd take Beaver avenue til High Street, "turn" left on High. Technically Beaver continues straight, but the main flow of traffic all bends left onto High. You'll then take High up a block and veer right onto College. If you look on google maps it should make sense.

Hope that is helpful! You can also post the question on the Penn State forum linked in this post and you might get other suggestions from fans who go more often or more recently than myself.
chitownnit


___

thanks chitownnit.

I should have said ΓÇ£please share.ΓÇ¥

Thank you for sharing. #PonyUp

ponyte wrote: Thanks for posting and the info. I was on the '78 SMU team that played Penn State that year. The roads sucked back then and hotel accommodations were 30 miles away and subpar. I hope things have changed.

We were ahead until Penn State made a long sustained late 4th quarter drive to win the game. At the time it was a record crowd (stadium expansion so new record at next home game).

What impressed methane was the Penn State fans were the best fans I played against in a road game. At the end of the game, 78000+ stood up and gave us a standing ovation as were left the field.

I hope that hasn't change. I think this will be a better game than many expect. Can't wait till kickoff.

Oh, and Kick 'em Stangs!

UW fans had a good time earlier this year if you want to read the experience of a fan base we don't have any real history with. The only real problems I hear about are people who wander into big student tailgates/somehow end up near the frats/start some form of Sandusky-Ped State chant. Evidently you also don't want to be Jason Kelce.

So avoid big groups of drunk students, don't be a [deleted], don't be Jason Kelce and you should have nothing but positive interactions.

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw- ... -of-white/

The roads still suck, but I'd imagine they're better than the 70s. The stadium only held 76,000 back then though. Attendance record is 111,000 so there are a lot more people coming into town. Graduation the same weekend is going to be brutal.

There are more hotels but anything in town is outrageous if its still available. This isn't unique for this game. I'm looking at hotels for the Oregon game next year, and the Best Western in town is 1500 a night for that weekend.

I'm expecting a good game. Every single team in this tournament is beatable. We'll need to play a clean game to prevent horse on horse violence in the second round.

One other update seeing the forecast. Coldest game I ever attended at Beaver Stadium was the final game against MSU in 2008. It was to clinch the big ten title/rose bowl so no one left early. It was a really long game, MSUs coach saved all his timeouts and used them at the end of a blowout to extend the game like a petty sob, then you had the trophy presentation. Older fans were literally tumbling down the steps leaving their seats they were so cold/numb by the time the game and trophy ceremony wrapped up. You're going to need more than a heavy jacket.

Dukie wrote:

sail420s wrote:

highlander wrote:We need to win the TO battle AND the penalty battle (which we have less control over).

We are 100% going to lose the penalty battle. Look at the terrible calls in the last game that were all against us or not called against Clemson. That is going to be worse against PSU. The fact is PSU draws much bigger TV ratings. The powers that be are going to do all they can to help them move forward.

Another thread says these will be SEC refs. I think that might change things.

Sure, the 'bama leaning refs will treat us right .