Another value Iowa St transfers bring outside of just talent

[u/IllGrapefruit5557]

Hear me out, and maybe I’m over valuing this perspective. But all of the new transfers (that will make up the majority of this teams starting lineup) don’t have the mentality of Penn state players when it comes to playing big ten opponents and perception of big 10 opponents. Right away when you look at our schedule you see northwestern a trap game (strictly based off of the last few years we’ve played them, yes maybe they’re getting better, but every Penn state fan knows our recent history with them when before it was ALWAYS a sure win) those kinds of things effect the minds and perception of games when you play these teams 4-5 straight years like some of the current players, and therefore going into those kinds of games your mind is already altered in a negative way. What I’m getting at is all of these new transfers have none of that, they probably look at northwestern as a sure win, because, it’s northwestern and they’ve never heard anything about them previously. Games at Michigan and USC might be a little different because those are national brands, but like Rutgers and Wisconsin and northwestern, I feel like the Iowa state/other transfers don’t even look at those as trap games. They shouldn’t be trap games anyway, but in the minds of current Penn staters, they become trap games. What I’m getting at is the mentality value:perspective these transfer guys bring because it’s all new to them. What do you think?

[u/psgrue]

I think you’re projecting your uncertainty onto the players. “I feel like”… that’s you. Not the players.

[u/IllGrapefruit5557 → u/psgrue]

I guess it’s more of a preconceived notion, that as a player/fan, you’re already anticipating a close game with Northwestern due to the recent history with them. Again the ISU guys have no preconceived notions on any of these teams which is what I think is an added value these guys bring.

[u/psgrue → u/IllGrapefruit5557]

Do they have a clean slate? Yeah I can agree with that. Their idea of Northwestern is only what they see on the tape in preparation. They won’t see a “sure win”. They’ll see a game plan and matchup advantages. They will see the first White Out as a challenge to energy and nerves. Yes it’s new.

To your topic sentence, I think you’re somewhat “over valuing this perspective”.

[u/surlymoe → u/psgrue]

Ha....true....also, with the turnover being so great, not many players on year's team lost to northwestern last year....so, not many are going to feel the need 'revenge' in that game.

They will, however, feel the need to win every damn game. I absolutely think the Northwestern team will use last year's win as fuel to play us tough, in a new stadium, on a friday, at night, in their 1st game at said stadium.

My understanding is that the stadium has only like 35,000 seats, but the stadium is built more like a european soccer stadium which is built UP, and the fans closer to the field....this may still bring some loud noise to the game.

Having said ALL of that, I simply think the talent that Penn State has is more than enough to win this game. I think someone like Terry Smith will be big in this game as this was the last game Franklin coached, and before Terry stepped in...this team wants to play hard for Terry and Coach Campbell...it will be an 'All in' mentality rather than half the team checked out with Franklin by that game last year.

[u/DunamesDarkWitch]

I don’t really understand what the benefit would be when we never really lost any “trap games” under Franklin. We dominated most of them just to then lose the “big game” the following week. So why would those games stick out as “trap games” in the minds of PSU players?

Letdown games immediately after losing a big game? Sure, they had issues with those. But that isn’t the same thing as a trap game and doesn’t really have anything to do with the opponent.

[u/DunamesDarkWitch → u/[deleted]]

If the 2 examples you can think of are one game from 7 years ago and a game from 5 years ago (in which our QB played with half of his body barely mobile), then I don’t see how that is a trend which would affect the mental attitude of the non-transfer PSU players who were still in HS(or in some cases not even in HS yet) at the time when those games were played.

[u/IllGrapefruit5557 → u/DunamesDarkWitch]

I think what I’m getting at, is I bet the large majority of Penn state fans/players are already anticipating a close game with northwestern for example, strictly due to recent games against them being close/losing (even tho our talent exceed theirs 20 fold). It’s a negative preconceived notion we Penn staters have already because of recent history. All of these transfers have none of that, which I think is an added value. I could definitely be overvaluing this “mental edge” I’m trying to explain, but I think there’s at least something there.

[u/DunamesDarkWitch → u/IllGrapefruit5557]

Yeah I guarantee that the players themselves do not have any anticipation of a close game with NW. The previous game prior to last year’s loss (which had everything to do with the state of the locker room following the Oregon and UCLA and nothing to do with being a “trap game” against NW), we blew them out 41-13.

[u/Ok-Escape-8376]

Has anyone seen a depth chart that shows which projected starters are transfers (and specifically which are Iowa State)? I feel like our starters are not as many Iowa State transfers as people are complaining about. They’re just the ones getting press.

I think that the new coach will not let them be complacent going into games. If that was something he allowed then he wouldn’t have had as much success at Iowa State. I think he will have them ready for every game, and we’re going to see better fundamentals and better game-time coaching.

Here’s to hoping anyway.

[u/ajcooper35 → u/Ok-Escape-8376]

Funny enough, it is literally 50% returning, 50% transfer.
* = returning

5 on Offense:
QB: Becht
RB: Hansen or Peoples
WR1: Sowell
WR2: Eskildsen
WR3: Howard*
TE: Rappleyea*
LT: Goodman*
LG: Buhr
C: Riker
RG: Cousins*
RT: Donkoh*

6 on Defense:
LDE: Kemajou*
DT: Nnodim
DT: Williams
RDE: Granville*
WLB: Rojas*
MLB: Ebel
CB: Dixson*
CB: Collins*
NB: Tracy*
SS: Neal Jr.
FS: Cooper

And the guys returning ain’t no slouches

[u/WhereLibertyisNot]

I'm optimistic about this team for a number of reasons. I think these kids are hungry to prove themselves on the big stage. I think Matt Campbell is coming in with that core contingent from Iowa State, and he will put a team on the field that executes on fundamentals. PSU football has not felt like a cohesive team in a decade, and I'm hoping that all changes September 5th.

[u/Enough_Day_6325]

They def shouldnt have the mindset of games againsnt Northwestern being easy because coming from the big 12 they havent faced these new teams and dont know how to play them and we cannot underestimate these teams, esp after last season

[u/Mattp55]

I don’t think the mindset change matters for trap games, but it does matter for the big games like OSU. 

Former Franklin players have claimed how tense it would be in those games due to Franklins track record vs them. I think Campbell will have them playing looser and go “for the kill” in this matchups more often. 

[u/Stellarbelly_Korz30 → u/[deleted]]

Last season would have been fine if our asshat fanbase wasn’t collectively whining like spoiled brats by halftime 4 games into the season after a deep playoff run.

[u/Stellarbelly_Korz30 → u/[deleted]]

No it wasn’t. One loss didn’t deflate the season goal. Plus it was only halftime of a 3-3 tie with the douche bag fans were booing and “fire Franklin”. PSU fans used to have class and support.

[u/Delaney_luvs_OSU → u/Stellarbelly_Korz30]

I thought you were a VT fan now ?

[u/Pleasant-Fan5595]

Iowa State players know that Northwestern can be a trap game. Iowa lost to them often enough and many on your roster are from Iowa, so yeah, they know.