BWI Live: A Penn State football podcast from Blue White Illustrated

The Penn State football team lost 21-17 this weekend in another dud performance from the Penn State offense. So what has happened to the ordinarily high-flying squad under head coach James Franklin? Is it the new coaching staff or something else?   

Host Thomas Frank Carr takes you through the moments and stories off the field that all led up a 4th-and-2 pass to Cam Sullivan-Brown to end the game. He argues that James Franklin the recruiter has let down James Franklin the coach, not the other way around.   

The story's first and most crucial element is that James Franklin has not adapted and adopted the transfer portal. As a result, while players and talent have left the program, the influx of players has been drastically lower. While some teams can offset this in recruiting, T-Frank argues that Penn State is not one of them for one key reason.   

He also addressed the issue of coaching stability on the offensive side of the ball since 2018. While most people who follow the program point to the offensive coordinator position as the reason for lack of success, T-Frank highlights the issues among the positional coaches. Just how much of a mess has the receiver coach position been? T-Frank explains.  

From there, he addresses the recruiting aspect of Penn State's problems and how the portal, turnover, and other factors played into a brief talent dip. He also points out why recruiting alone cannot solve the problems the portal creates.   

Finally, he points out just how cyclical the issues at Penn State can become if Franklin and his staff begin to lose too many games.

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Penn State lost their fourth game of the season on Saturday, this time 21-17 to Michigan. The Nittany Lions were able to move the ball, but could not find the end zone, with 86 plays but going 3-4 in the red zone with two field goals.

What went into the loss? What does this mean for the program going forward? Listen to the BWI Live Monday recap show with host Thomas Frank Carr. He's joined by senior editor Nate Bauer and writer Dave Eckert to give you their reactions to the game.

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Penn State faced Michigan in a highly-anticipated showdown in the Big Ten East Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, they weren’t able to pull off the upset.

After going down 14-6 in the third quarter, Penn State managed to tie the game 14-14 following a Sean Clifford to Tyler Warren touchdown and a Jahan Dotson two-point conversion. The Nittany Lions then got a fumble recovery on the following drive deep in Michigan territory following an Arnold Ebiketie sack. However, they could only get a field goal out of it, leaving the door open for Jim Harbaugh’s squad.

Michigan TE Erick All made them pay with a 47-yard touchdown on 2nd and 9. The Nittany Lions then went four-and-out and were unable to stop Michigan from getting a first down.

Penn State is now 6-4 on the season with Senior Day set for next Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Host Thomas Frank Carr takes you through the key moments in the game, his thoughts on individual performances, and takes questions from the audience. 

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A packed Friday edition of the BWI Daily is now live.

Host Thomas Frank Carr is joined not by Ryan Snyder this week but instead by his colleague, Blue-White Illustrated report Greg Pickel.

T-Frank and Greg start the show by looking at a big surprise in the recruiting world from Thursday. Ohio four-star tackle Aamil Wagner picked not Kentucky or Penn State but instead Notre Dame. How did that come to be, and what does it mean for the Lions? Greg also shares his amazement at the fact that a surprise decision can still take place in 2021.

From there, the pair dive into a conversation about the state of the Penn State offensive line moving forward. T-Frank notes that there are a few offensive tackle commits in the PSU Class of 2022 and the Lions seemingly want to add another still with how Ryan has been talking about Penn State’s interest in Julian Armella. Does loading up at that spot make sense? T-Frank and Greg discuss the pros and cons.

Next, key questions are asked: What is the timeline for ‘help’ arriving on the offensive line? Who are some young guys on the offensive line that could make a move next season and become contributors if not starters? Transfers have to be part of the equation now too, right? Beyond the offensive line, what positions are the easiest to get in the transfer portal, and which should be prioritized? T-Frank and Greg answer them one by one while trying to assess how things could look in the future.

The show then moves away from recruiting and into a College Football Playoff rankings discussion. Is it shocking that Penn State was not ranked by the committee for a second-straight week? Does it matter? And what issues do T-Frank and Greg have with the committee? T-Frank calls it a Because we said so” group and explains why.

Finally, they end the week with Greg filling in for Ryan Snyder's Best Bets. You can see them below. The pair also goes in-depth on the Penn State-Michigan matchup. What must the Lions do to say in it? Why does Greg think the Wolverines could win by a touchdown? And, what are some key matchups to watch?

It's all addressed in the final BWI Daily edition of the week. Stay tuned to bluewhiteillustated.com and youtube.com/bluewhiteillustrated for continuing coverage of Penn State-Michigan plus the BWI Live postgame show with T-Frank!

As for Greg's picks while filling in for Ryan's best bets, this week's action includes:

CINCINNATI AT SOUTH FLORIDA (+23.5)

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Penn State football held open practice yesterday, and senior editor of Blue White Illustrated Nate Bauer joins the BWI Daily Edition to fill you in on what he saw. Host Thomas Frank Carr joins him to discuss their observations from open practice and what head coach James Franklin said after practice. 

The topics include:

Bauer and T-Frank then discuss how things could play out in a game that features two very different play styles. From an offensive perspective, Michigan has the very thing that Penn State is lacking from its running game. So how does Penn State combat that? T-Frank has an idea. He also gives his thoughts on the Michigan offensive system, how funky it is, and how the offensive line plays within it. 

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Penn State football faces Michigan in their second-to-last home game of the regular season on Saturday. So what do you know about the Wolverines? Clayton Sayfie of The Wolverine jones host Thomas Frank Carr to give an in-depth scouting report on Penn State's next opponent. 

As always, they start on the offensive side of the ball, but unlike most shows, T-Frank begins up front with Jim Harbaugh. Facing a crossroads this offseason, Harbaugh made significant changes on that side of the ball, resulting in a much more effective offense in 2021. What did he change? Sayfie fills T-Frank in on the details and how they've changed the Michigan front. 

They also go into how former Penn State assistant coach Josh Gattis' influenced the offense and blended the two philosophies. After that, they discuss some specific schemes that Penn State has struggled against historically and that Michigan has incorporated this season. Have they been effective? Sayfie gives an answer you might not expect. 

Next, they talk about the stars of the Michigan offense, the running backs. Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum are two of the top-10 leading rushers in the Big Ten and have been dynamic this season. Yet after an injury, last week, will this duo be ready to go this weekend? Sayfie also describes the duo's playing style and how they work off of one another. 

They shift their focus to the passing game, and T-Frank claims that quarterback Cade McNamara is the perfect quarterback for Jim Harbaugh. Does Sayfie agree? And what makes McNamara fit so well into the system? 

That conversation evolves into the passing attack, which may be down several players this weekend, according to Sayfie. T-Frank then asks if this unit can be explosive enough to compliment the rest of the team. 

After that, they shift to the defensive side of the ball to discuss the changes under new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. Macdonald was hired from the Baltimore Ravens this offseason and has changed the way the team plays dramatically. What are the most significant differences? Sayfie explains that the changes he has made have improved one unit drastically. At the same time, T-Frank gives his summation of that group. 

Next, they discuss some of Macdonald's changes since the loss to Michigan State and how that might change things for the Wolverines this weekend. 

Yet, the stars of the Michigan defense are along the defensive line. They talk about defensive ends David Ojabo and Aidan Hutchinson and just how good they have been this season. Sayfie also clues T-Frank into just how quickly Hutchinson has turned into an elite-level defender. His backstory is not what you'd think. After talking about the bookends of the defensive line, they discuss the rest of the front seven and how they complement those two players. 

Finally, T-Frank asks Sayfie what matchups he thinks will decide the game. 

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Penn State football faced Michigan on Saturday in one of the most anticipated home games of the season. After watching the film, looking up the data, and listening to experts, host Thomas Frank Carr has boiled the entire game down to just one key matchup. 

The path to victory for Michigan is clear. First and foremost, they need to win enough one-on-one battles on the edge of the pocket to force quarterback Sean Clifford to make a critical mistake. If they can disrupt the Nittany Lions' passing attack with quick pressures and sacks, Penn State does not have an effective means of moving the football. 

T-Frank also gives key pass rushing and pass protection stats to back up his theory. Then he discusses different ways to neutralize the duo from Ann Arbor. 

The wildcard in all of these paths to success for Penn State will be the play of Clifford. Has his game changed since his injury? T-Frank digs into the numbers about Clifford outside of his passing to find a dramatic shift in his playing style. 

Finally, he wraps up by giving an edge to one group or the other based on the evidence. 

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A new episode of the Blue-White Illustrated Penn State recruiting podcast is live!

Hosts Ryan Snyder and Greg Pickel focus on the Class of 2022 during the first half of this show. The pair discuss a commit who recently visited another school, share an overview of how solid the class is from a commitment standpoint overall, and review some top performances as high school football playoffs continue across the country. They close the first half of the show by discussing who the Nittany Lions are still targeting in the Class of 2022. What's the latest on Jaishawn Barham, Aamil Wagner, and other names to know?

During the second half of the show, Ryan and Greg focus on the visitors list for Saturday's matchup with Michigan. How does a Noon start change things? Who should fans expect? And are any players on commitment watch?

It's all covered in this edition of the Penn State recruiting podcast from Blue-White Illustrated. 

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Penn State got their sixth win of the season on Saturday to make the team bowl eligible. Yet inconsistencies on offense continue to be a problem, and the team still cannot run the football. It's causing some fans to question whether or not head coach James Franklin got the wrong guy in offensive line coach Phil Trautwein.

Trautwein was hired in the winter of 2020 after Franklin decided not to renew the contract for then offensive line coach Matt Limegrover, who has been with the team for four seasons. Trautwein was brought in and regarded as an upgrade at the position as both a technical coach and a recruiter.  

Thomas Frank Carr dives into Phil Tratuwein's resume before Penn State and finds that it's exceedingly short at his current position. He also looks at the situation that Tratuwein inherited both at Boston College and Penn State in 2020. Lastly, T-Frank tries to find a common link between all situations to form a conclusion on Tratuwein's coaching ability.

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The Penn State Football team pulled away late 31-14 over the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday. The BWI Live crew of Thomas Frank Carr, Nate Bauer and Dave Eckert discuss the game and what went into the Nittany Lions' victory. They talk about the season as a whole now that it is largely completed, and also answer questions from fans. 

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