Official PSU - Nebraska '25 game thread

[pendal1]

You can dismiss Coach Smith as next year's head coach all you like. He's given this squad an identity, and they are performing at the highest level all season.

I'm thrilled for him and this team.

That said, gotta win the damn game.

No doubt. This team is playing harder and with more energy and passion and quite frankly they appear better prepared.

 

[PSUForever]

I love this power football. Franklin had no control over AK.

 

[Nittering Nabob]

I don’t know where to look.

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You did well.

 

[Ludd]

You are probably right, but Coker and Dabo won Nattys.

Again, Coker won it after inheriting a NC caliber roster then buried the program. We don’t have a NC roster for Terry Smith to inherit.

 

[cntblvitsbutter]

Why did we not call these plays from the first game this year????

Can find the answer below the mason dixon line.

 

[KingLando]

As are you.

You're entitled to that opinion
His speech is exactly why he'd never have the ability to make the decision
He used air time to try to get his way as he knows many of our fan base are Paterno loyalists and will buy that nonsense.

 

[LMTLION]

Why did we not call these plays from the first game this year????

A broken bitter man ruined the team early in the year.

 

[PAgeologist]

Wife #5? Shocking.

He must be shooting for 409 as well.

 

[Ludd]

Terry is growing on me as well. Love his even demeanor. Much like Cael.

Can he get a top OC and DC? He was already an important recruiter. And he will get kids to play for the school.

The culture already seems to be changing.

I’m actually warming up to Knowles now that he’s learned we’re better playing aggressive.

 

[cntblvitsbutter]

Again, Coker won it after inheriting a NC caliber roster then buried the program. We don’t have a NC roster for Terry Smith to inherit.

It's not an empty cupboard either, especially with the portal.

 

[LB99]

Terry is growing on me as well. Love his even demeanor. Much like Cael.

Can he get a top OC and DC? He was already an important recruiter. And he will get kids to play for the school.

The culture already seems to be changing.

I could see him keeping Knowles. The defense has gotten better. AK, not so much. I could see him moving on on his own.

 

[LB99]

Again, Coker won it after inheriting a NC caliber roster then buried the program. We don’t have a NC roster for Terry Smith to inherit.

Dabo.

 

[trufan]

Terry has brought this team back from the dead.
Franklin's team would be struggling here with Nebraska.

 

[LB99]

He must be shooting for 409 as well.

There’s a common denominator there.

 

[Paws057]

I saw that. It’s the commemorative 409 win pin. But I can’t find it any where for sale?

Yeah I see that one is gone already

 

[anon1793628996]

Going to be a 6-6/7-5 team somewhere that doesn’t want to get Penn State in their bowl game.

 

[JoePaMajorCFBrecord409Ws]

TY Coach Smith .

Good for Terry. This is a fellow PSU alum Terry (as are 2 brothers, a sister and my father) and luv the JoePa 409 Pin. Awesome!

 

[rudedude]

I saw that. It’s the commemorative 409 win pin. But I can’t find it any where for sale?

https://xaktimpressions.com/products/409forever-milestone-wins-button-set

 

[Lil Nicky Scarfo]

Quite simply, Terry replaced gimmicks with toughness.
I have missed this.

They are hitting!!

 

[Ludd]

It's not an empty cupboard either, especially with the portal.

Then the question is would Terry be able to work the portal well enough to rebuild? That’s what we don’t know.

 

[Fred8811]

They are hitting!!

OL is impressive!

 

[Meats Lab]

You can dismiss Coach Smith as next year's head coach all you like. He's given this squad an identity, and they are performing at the highest level all season.

I'm thrilled for him and this team.

That said, gotta win the damn game.

 

[Ludd]

Dabo.

That’s one….not a big sample size.

 

[cntblvitsbutter]

Then the question is would Terry be able to work the portal well enough to rebuild? That’s what we don’t know.

I'm not necessarily advocating for Smith, but how would we know that about any of the names that's been mentioned. My take is the players look for money and opportunity.

 

[m.knox]

OL is impressive!

Glad we finally got to see it.....

 

[KingLando]

Clemson wasn't a brand when Dabo took over
Guys like Pat Fitzgerald with being a DC at the college level isn't something that happens at our level of a program
Especially not after firing BGJ

 

[Nitt1300]

Then the question is would Terry be able to work the portal well enough to rebuild? That’s what we don’t know.

The portal seems like an un-Penn State way to build a roster

 

[LB99]

That’s one….not a big sample size.

Agree.

 

[Paws057]

The portal seems like an un-Penn State way to build a roster

It does but we don’t have much of a choice right now

 

[JoePaMajorCFBrecord409Ws]

Terry is doing a good job, That said, it's a huge jump from position coach to HC and too much of a gamble. imo.

So what's the downside? You're likely paying him relatively nothing versus top-paid FBS coaches and can replace him with minor expenses. Nothing but upside with Smith, unless I'm missing something, and he has the additional bonus that he can begin immediately at tying-down and stabilize the 2026 roster including 2026 recruits. So what is it that I'm missing???

 

[KingLando]

The portal seems like an un-Penn State way to build a roster

The portal didn't exist under Paterno--there's nothing "unlike Penn State" about recruiting the best--which is what the portal is

 

[Tom McAndrew]

4th & 9 for kNU: Durant with sack/perhaps a small gain on a scramble by Lateef (kNU QB)

PSU takes over on downs

 

[Ludd]

I'm not necessarily advocating for Smith, but how would we know that about any of the names that's been mentioned. My take is the players look for money and opportunity.

Some of those names have shown they can do it….Smith has not.

 

[olelion]

I love this power football. Franklin had no control over AK.

Unless AK was doing Franklin's bidding. I'm wondering about that

 

[Lil Nicky Scarfo]

Nebraska is starting to feel like Custer’s men as the new waves of Lakota warriors came riding over the ridges and down the draws. This is an ambush

 

[KingLando]

So what's the downside? You're likely paying him relatively nothing versus top-paid FBS coaches and can replace him with minor expenses. Nothing but upside with Smith, unless I'm missing something, and he has the additional bonus that he can begin immediately at tying-down and stabilize the 2026 roster including 2026 recruits. So what is it that I'm missing???

The downside is he's not prepared for this job and you take a massive step back then look for a coach again next year
Stabilizing 2026 isn't a factor in anything that an intelligent AD would be considering.

 

[PAgeologist]

I could see him keeping Knowles. The defense has gotten better. AK, not so much. I could see him moving on on his own.

They are definitely playing better. Can we recruit the players he needs to run his system? I believe the knock on him was his system was hard to learn and required specific types of players?

 

[cntblvitsbutter]

So what's the downside? You're likely paying him relatively nothing versus top-paid FBS coaches and can replace him with minor expenses. Nothing but upside with Smith, unless I'm missing something, and he has the additional bonus that he can begin immediately at tying-down and stabilize the 2026 roster including 2026 recruits. So what is it that I'm missing???

His position would have been much, much better if they'd beaten Indiana.

 

[Ludd]

So what's the downside? You're likely paying him relatively nothing versus top-paid FBS coaches and can replace him with minor expenses. Nothing but upside with Smith, unless I'm missing something, and he has the additional bonus that he can begin immediately at tying-down and stabilize the 2026 roster including 2026 recruits. So what is it that I'm missing???

It could put the program in a hole we don’t dig out of for years. I’m not saying it would, but there is definitely a downside as other programs have found out.

 

[MM1994]

This team is fun to watch. They play hard for Coach Terry Smith.
I think Franklin had them playing way too tight. Especially Allar, he was afraid to throw the ball.