James Franklin took his players souls today.
That is going to be the lede for the rest of today's updates. That is the lede of the day in college tackle football.
10:09 pm
Okay, last time around the horn here:
#1 Alabama 29 @ #3 LSU 0. #1 at #3 and it's a 29-0 blowout shutout. Nobody gonna beat the "Tide" this year lest its Clemson.
Including #4 Notre Dame du lac. (Please let's don't have a rematch of 'Bama and the "Lakers" for the national championship, puh-lease). The "Fighting Potato Eaters" squeezed by Northwestern in Evanston 31-21.
#6 Georgia made no doubt of it in Lexington against #9 Kentucky. Georgia wins the SEC East Division 34-17.
FU U lose to Mizzou? Si, 38-17. In the Quagmire tu. You no #11 no mo FU.
#13 West Virginia 42 #17 Texas 41 in Austin. TUFF loss for the 'Horns.
Herm Edwards got his biggest win at Hairy Boner State over #15 Utah 38-20. I cannot believe Edwards has won five games. Underestimated him. He hadn't coached in the millenium I don't think.
Purdue (goo ba club Purdue) beat #16 Iowa 38-36 in West Lafayette. Which is in Indiana.
Auburn beat #20 A&M 28-24 on the Plains.
#22 BC 31 VaTech 21 in Blacksburg.
How many more of these...
Okay, that's all I'm doing of the top 25. Miam-UM lost its third in a row--sounding a lot like the "Heat"--at home to Duke. "The boos fell like rain" when coach Mark Richt's image appeared on the scoreboard in the 4th Q.
There is one final game I want to report on. UConn at Tulsa. The "Edsels" vs the "Golden Showers." 1-7 v 1-7. In the Shower Stall. Both of these teams...Well, UConn would be a mid-level Div 1AA team they are so bad. Tulsa despite twinning the "Poodles" 1-7 record have actually almost beat some teams. And the answer is...
UConn 19
Tulsa 49
I would love to know what the actual attendance, asses in seats, was for this Dream Matchup. Let's see what the "official" was...
17,451 at 30,000 seat "Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium."
Why does anybody attend the University of Tulsa? It's a third-rate university and a third-rate sports school. Depressing.
Good night.
Ball
Erik the Great tinkered with his starting lineup again tonight. As if to make his point if positionless basketball perfectly clear Erik has not played a point guard the entire eve-ening. I am not making this up. Goran Dragic is not hurt as far as the box score indicates. He has just not played a goddamned minute. Here’s Erick’s starting lineup:
Olynyk PF
McGruder SF
Winslow SF
Whiteside C
Richardson SG
TELL ME YOU HAVE SEEN THAT STARTING LINEUP BEFORE!
You will be surprised that Miam-Uh-Oh is losing 122-118 to HotlantaNot! with a minuto and a half-o to go-o. That group did not “jell” or something, “congeal,” whatever. IT SUCKED! And Erik was soon thinkering so’mo! Here are the five guys who have played the most minutes.
Richardson 37
Winslow 35
McGruder 33
Adebayo 30
Wade 26
And t’is ovah. Miam-Uh-Oh has lost its third in a row, guess what the final score was? Go ahead, I want you to, it would please me. I’ll give you a hint:
Sacramento 123 “Heat” 113
Charlotte 125 “Heat” 113
Atlanta___? C’monc’monc’mon 123 GOOD! “Heat”___a little bit off the new normal, they scored 118 tonight.
8:11 pm
WPXI-TV Pittsburgh
53 mins ·
James Franklin is starting to feel the heat as the Nittany Lions got routed.
There is an EvilJamesFranklin Twitter account. https://twitter.com/JamesFrankwin
Dan Wolken
@DanWolken
James Franklin is going to take a ton of crap for this, particularly coming off the last five weeks. It wouldn’t be the worst move in the world for him to maybe look around.
3:57 PM - 3 Nov 2018
That is a good point. Franklin will not be fired over this. Rather, if and when firing day ever comes this will be remembered and he might want to stay one step ahead of the law. There is no going back from this.
Dale Lolley
@dlolley_pgh
I wonder if James Franklin will berate reporters again today for doing their job and asking questions about the status of his quarterback?
3:27 PM - 3 Nov 2018 from Gaithersburg, MD
You see? That guy is a media guy. Franklin has lost them. There is contempt and anger toward him--all justifiably so!
Greg Pickel
@GregPickel
Trace McSorley is coming back into this game. Why, is unclear, with the Lions down 35-0.
6:39 PM - Nov 3, 2018
At this point, the game is out of reach, and keeping McSorley in the game is just wrong.
Audrey Snyder
@audsnyder4
Trace McSorley back in the game with PSU down 35-0. Franklin always says no game is out of reach, but.... And McSorley is picked off.
3:40 PM - 3 Nov 2018 from Ann Arbor, MI
7:12 pm
This may be the beginning of the end for Franklin at PSU. This is beyond Franklin being stupid-funny. Franklin's actions with QB's McSorley and Stevens are indefensible and unforgivable.
There is already anger in the media and PSU community over this. Franklin has lost them. He will never live this down. There is no going back from this. Will he lose the players? Probably not...not publicly...they won't quit...some of them might privately...I don't know. This is so bad that I don't know what the players reactions are going to be. Franklin gave up on their leader, the "Star College Football Quarterback," one who Franklin just recently touted as a Heisman contender. Now he benches him? That is the kind of disingenuity that can lose a coach his team.
Franklin took his players souls today. And showed that he does not have a good soul.
6:42 pm
my goodness.
That is going to be the lede for the rest of today's updates. That is the lede of the day in college tackle football.
10:09 pm
Okay, last time around the horn here:
#1 Alabama 29 @ #3 LSU 0. #1 at #3 and it's a 29-0 blowout shutout. Nobody gonna beat the "Tide" this year lest its Clemson.
Including #4 Notre Dame du lac. (Please let's don't have a rematch of 'Bama and the "Lakers" for the national championship, puh-lease). The "Fighting Potato Eaters" squeezed by Northwestern in Evanston 31-21.
#6 Georgia made no doubt of it in Lexington against #9 Kentucky. Georgia wins the SEC East Division 34-17.
FU U lose to Mizzou? Si, 38-17. In the Quagmire tu. You no #11 no mo FU.
#13 West Virginia 42 #17 Texas 41 in Austin. TUFF loss for the 'Horns.
Herm Edwards got his biggest win at Hairy Boner State over #15 Utah 38-20. I cannot believe Edwards has won five games. Underestimated him. He hadn't coached in the millenium I don't think.
Purdue (goo ba club Purdue) beat #16 Iowa 38-36 in West Lafayette. Which is in Indiana.
Auburn beat #20 A&M 28-24 on the Plains.
#22 BC 31 VaTech 21 in Blacksburg.
How many more of these...
Okay, that's all I'm doing of the top 25. Miam-UM lost its third in a row--sounding a lot like the "Heat"--at home to Duke. "The boos fell like rain" when coach Mark Richt's image appeared on the scoreboard in the 4th Q.
There is one final game I want to report on. UConn at Tulsa. The "Edsels" vs the "Golden Showers." 1-7 v 1-7. In the Shower Stall. Both of these teams...Well, UConn would be a mid-level Div 1AA team they are so bad. Tulsa despite twinning the "Poodles" 1-7 record have actually almost beat some teams. And the answer is...
UConn 19
Tulsa 49
I would love to know what the actual attendance, asses in seats, was for this Dream Matchup. Let's see what the "official" was...
17,451 at 30,000 seat "Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium."
Why does anybody attend the University of Tulsa? It's a third-rate university and a third-rate sports school. Depressing.
Good night.
Ball
Erik the Great tinkered with his starting lineup again tonight. As if to make his point if positionless basketball perfectly clear Erik has not played a point guard the entire eve-ening. I am not making this up. Goran Dragic is not hurt as far as the box score indicates. He has just not played a goddamned minute. Here’s Erick’s starting lineup:
Olynyk PF
McGruder SF
Winslow SF
Whiteside C
Richardson SG
TELL ME YOU HAVE SEEN THAT STARTING LINEUP BEFORE!
You will be surprised that Miam-Uh-Oh is losing 122-118 to HotlantaNot! with a minuto and a half-o to go-o. That group did not “jell” or something, “congeal,” whatever. IT SUCKED! And Erik was soon thinkering so’mo! Here are the five guys who have played the most minutes.
Richardson 37
Winslow 35
McGruder 33
Adebayo 30
Wade 26
And t’is ovah. Miam-Uh-Oh has lost its third in a row, guess what the final score was? Go ahead, I want you to, it would please me. I’ll give you a hint:
Sacramento 123 “Heat” 113
Charlotte 125 “Heat” 113
Atlanta___? C’monc’monc’mon 123 GOOD! “Heat”___a little bit off the new normal, they scored 118 tonight.
8:11 pm
WPXI-TV Pittsburgh
53 mins ·
James Franklin is starting to feel the heat as the Nittany Lions got routed.
There is an EvilJamesFranklin Twitter account. https://twitter.com/JamesFrankwin
Dan Wolken
@DanWolken
James Franklin is going to take a ton of crap for this, particularly coming off the last five weeks. It wouldn’t be the worst move in the world for him to maybe look around.
3:57 PM - 3 Nov 2018
That is a good point. Franklin will not be fired over this. Rather, if and when firing day ever comes this will be remembered and he might want to stay one step ahead of the law. There is no going back from this.
Dale Lolley
@dlolley_pgh
I wonder if James Franklin will berate reporters again today for doing their job and asking questions about the status of his quarterback?
3:27 PM - 3 Nov 2018 from Gaithersburg, MD
You see? That guy is a media guy. Franklin has lost them. There is contempt and anger toward him--all justifiably so!
James Franklin Getting Crushed For What He Did Late vs. Michigan
https://thespun.com/college-football/james-franklin-getting-crushed-for-what-he-did-late-vs-michigan:Greg Pickel
@GregPickel
Trace McSorley is coming back into this game. Why, is unclear, with the Lions down 35-0.
6:39 PM - Nov 3, 2018
At this point, the game is out of reach, and keeping McSorley in the game is just wrong.
Audrey Snyder
@audsnyder4
Trace McSorley back in the game with PSU down 35-0. Franklin always says no game is out of reach, but.... And McSorley is picked off.
3:40 PM - 3 Nov 2018 from Ann Arbor, MI
7:12 pm
This may be the beginning of the end for Franklin at PSU. This is beyond Franklin being stupid-funny. Franklin's actions with QB's McSorley and Stevens are indefensible and unforgivable.
There is already anger in the media and PSU community over this. Franklin has lost them. He will never live this down. There is no going back from this. Will he lose the players? Probably not...not publicly...they won't quit...some of them might privately...I don't know. This is so bad that I don't know what the players reactions are going to be. Franklin gave up on their leader, the "Star College Football Quarterback," one who Franklin just recently touted as a Heisman contender. Now he benches him? That is the kind of disingenuity that can lose a coach his team.
Franklin took his players souls today. And showed that he does not have a good soul.
6:42 pm
my goodness.
6:35 pm
A Star College Football Quarterback Has Been Benched
JAMES!
Onward Sports
@OnwardStSports
6m6 minutes ago
Trace McSorley is back in the game for Penn State.
Onward Sports
@OnwardStSports
17m17 minutes ago
Tommy Stevens is back in at quarterback to start the 4th quarter.
Onward Sports
@OnwardStSports
21m21 minutes ago
Trace McSorley is back in the game at quarterback.
Onward Sports
@OnwardStSports
Trace McSorley is back in the game for Penn State.
3:40 PM - 3 Nov 2018
David Jones
Verified account
@djoneshoop
And now Stevens is back? This is insanity.
Onward Sports
@OnwardStSports
6m6 minutes ago
Trace McSorley is back in the game for Penn State.
Onward Sports
@OnwardStSports
17m17 minutes ago
Tommy Stevens is back in at quarterback to start the 4th quarter.
Onward Sports
@OnwardStSports
21m21 minutes ago
Trace McSorley is back in the game at quarterback.
Onward Sports
@OnwardStSports
Trace McSorley is back in the game for Penn State.
3:40 PM - 3 Nov 2018
David Jones
Verified account
@djoneshoop
And now Stevens is back? This is insanity.
3:26 PM - 3 Nov 2018
David Jones
Verified account
@djoneshoop
@djoneshoop
None of this makes any sense. You are showing no confidence in either QB. Either McSorley is hurt or he's not. Either you want Stevens to take over to "provide a spark" (or protect McSorley as it gets ugly), or you don't. Nonsense.
3:22 PM - 3 Nov 2018
Pitt and its running backs. How do they find them?
And that guy is good, Darrin Hall. I watched the highlights. He put some moves on tacklers like they was cadavers. And they've got two good backs, Qadree Ollison is the other and the better known (to me).
Coach Pat Narduzzi said after the game,
"We did it the old fashioned way, running the football for 250 yards."
Ain't nothin' wrong with old fashioned, Coach! Why not earlier in the year?
Pitt's offensive line also blew a huge hole for Hall on his 75 yard TD run that sealed the game.
Hall said after the game:
"Even on short yardage, I was getting 4 yards before I was even touched."
I thought the O-line was supposed to be a problem for Pitt this year. Or am I embarrassing myself again.
That AP writer. That AP writer who in his write-up of the Syracuse game wrote that Pitt ought to just scrap the passing game and go to the triple option...That AP writer made a good point.
As did the players!
Pittsburgh senior running backs Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall made a request to head coach Pat Narduzzi as the clock wound down against Syracuse on Saturday.
"We asked for the game to be on our backs," Ollison said. "Just put it on us. Put it on the backs. Put it on the offensive line. Put it on the seniors really. I think that's what we did."
Pitt...behind Hall, Ollison and an offensive line that did whatever it wanted whenever it wanted.
"It's just playing with an attitude," Hall said. "They know what's coming. They know what plays we're about to run and they can't stop us. That's the mindset we had that whole second half, `Hey, we're just going to run it down their throat until we win."
"Those two backs are unbelievable," Pickett said. "They showed it today. They've been showing it all year. I think everyone knows we had a two-headed monster backfield with those guys."
I think, I said I think, that it was after the 'Cuse game that one of the offensive linemen went up to Coach Narduzzi and said, "Coach, we got this."
Pitt ran the ball 42 times
As far as I "know" this turn to the run began in the Notre Dame game. Christ, on their first possession Pitt held the ball for 9:43!, drove 88 yards, running 11 times including the last 7, passing 6, to take a 7-0 lead. But they're run/pass for the game was dead even 30-30.
Ran it 52 times against Duke to only 19 passes.
I dunno, QB Kenny Pickett can be good but as he said himself after Syracuse, "Those two backs are unbelievable."
4:05 pm
wait what? Pitt already played? Last night?
I
Didn't
Know
That
Been checkin' the scores and didn't see 'em heh heh heh.
Been checkin' the scores and didn't see 'em heh heh heh.
Yes, they did. The Beloveds went into Naziville and beat #25 Virginia 23-13! Pitt now 5-4 on the season (would have been 6-3 but for UNC). Boy. I guess we are to UVA as UNC is to us. Fourth year in a row Pitt has beat the Cadavers. The ESPN headline is
Hall runs wild and Pitt beats No. 23 Virginia, 23-13
who?
There is only so much embarrassment I am required to inflict upon myself and this is it for today. "Hall" is senior (ouch) Darrin Hall. Darrin ran for 229 yards and 3 TDs for the "Panthers" in the win. Pitt has three chances left to get win number six and become bowl eligible: home to VaTech on November 10 which is...Yes! Next Saturday; in the Forest Nov. 17 and at Miam-UM Nov. 24.
Short Pants
The main event ended 1-1 in London. Livers scored first, ex-City boy James Milner in the 61'. Lacazette earned the draw for the Gunners.
'Pool now first with an * by a point. City play tomorrow at #16 Southie.
Tackle
Ohio State is 21 seconds away from holding on against Nebraska. And now it has gone final. 36-31 Bucks. Ugly win for OSU. No turnovers in the 2H for either te...Oh no, I take that back. OSU threw an INT on their first possession of the second. So I don't know if there is a "lesson," e.g. "Nebraska better than expected!" or "Urban Meyer is losing his touch," in this game.
Oh boy. #2 Clemson laid 77 on Louisville today. 77-16. Clemson is racking up style points in its annual push for the college football playoff and a fourth meeting with Alabama for the national championship. That's a bullshit play by Clemson.
Iowa State. My goodness gracious Iowa State is #24 and just won again at Kansas 27-3. Cyclops 55-3 on the year. I don't know who their coach is but he's good.
#19 Syracuse just won again. The Orangemen are 7-2 on the year and beat Wake 41-24 in the Forest.
Rutgers...Same as it always was.
North Carolina...Same. Always beat Pitt, lose most everything else. 38-28 today in Apple Chill to fall to 1-7.
2:31 pm
OSU took the punt after the NEB INT down the field zip zip zip and this time SCORED! 23-21 OSU, 5:39 3Q.
2:21 pm
Tackle
So, Ohio State took the (successful!) Nebraska kick off to start the 2H and moved from their 25 down to the Nebraska 18 zip zip zip. At which point their zipper became undone and Nebraska intercepted in the end zone.
2:04 pm
Short Pants:
The Main Event
Arsenal 0 Liverpool 0, 40'.
Tackle:
Man. That has been a Keystone Kops Classic in ‘Umbus. I just checked the half-time box score. Nebraska can’t punt too good neither. Had one blocked in the end zone for a safety.
Ohio State went for it on their first possession on 4th and 2 at the Nebraska 23 trailing 7-0. (?)
Then came the safety. Then an OSU TD.
Then a Nebraska fumble and another OSU TD.
Then another Nebraska fumble but OSU had to punt.
Then a Nebraska punt.
Then an OSU fumble and a NEB TD.
Then ANOTHER OSU fumble and NEB TD.
Then it was half-time. AND NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON!
1:51 pm NPT
Tackle:
NEBRASKA LEADS #10 OHIO STATE 21-16 HT!
In ‘Umbus too! That screenshot though: the frigging Nebraska kicker whiffed on a kickoff! Good grief, son. Never saw that before. Hope I never do again.
12:46 pm NPT
It's over at St. James Park. Newcastle have held on for a 1-0 win over #8 Watford!
That result moves Newcastle out of the relegation zone with an *. Fulham, 19th place, 5 points, play Monday at Town. Win and they would bump Newcastle down to 18th.
Neil Klerck
@NeilKlerck
10-mins to go! Please, please, please Newcastle ... don’t throw it away.
#NUFC #watfordfc #NEWWAT
9:37 AM - 3 Nov 2018
Big match for Tynesiders and the Toon Army. Winless (!) Newcastle are at home to 'Arry the Elk Hornet. Rooks took the lead in the 65' and now it is about time. 89' minute and they still lead.
Newcastle had gone 11 games in all competitions without scoring until Ayoze Perez' goal. Newcastle are pathetic.
11:28 a.m. in the morning Normal Cop Time
Oh! Marcus Mumford at the death in Bournemouth for United! "Bucs" win 2-1. Crushing loss for the "Martinis."
9:30 a.m. in the morning Normal Cop Time
Important match going on right now in short pants. AFC Bournemouth, yes Bournemouth, sixth in the table with 20 points are hosting eighth, yes eighth, Manchester United and they are level at HT 1-1.
The match if the day is at 1:30 pm NPT in London, #4Arsenal-#2Liverpool. An early-ish test of the Gunners bona fides.
