> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://my-stupid-alma-mater-is-driving-me-nuts.ghost.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # And now, some stuff I think out of the bye - URL: https://my-stupid-alma-mater-is-driving-me-nuts.ghost.io/and-now-some-stuff-i-think-out-of-the-bye/ - Published: 2026-10-31T14:52:16.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-31T14:52:16.000Z - Author: Bill DiFilippo *If this is your first time reading My Alma Mater Is Driving Me Nuts, hi! I'm Bill. I am a Penn State fan who appreciates you checking this out. If you like what you see,* [*please subscribe*](https://my-stupid-alma-mater-is-driving-me-nuts.ghost.io/) *and share this newsletter with whomever you think would enjoy it. And if you can,* [*please also subscribe to Roar Lions Roar*](https://linktr.ee/roarlionsroar?ref=my-stupid-alma-mater-is-driving-me-nuts.ghost.io)*, the goofy podcast I host with other carnival barkers who went to Penn State.* The vibes could be higher. Penn State is 3-4 and winless in Big Ten play for the second year in a row. I'm not very happy! You probably are not, either. But the second half of the season starts today against the mighty Trains of Purdue and their [big drum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purdue%5FBig%5FBass%5FDrum?ref=my-stupid-alma-mater-is-driving-me-nuts.ghost.io). Before kickoff, here is some stuff I think about this Penn State team through seven games and one lovely bye week. 1. **Penn State has two good coordinators** I am not someone who is going to do really detailed or intricate film breakdowns — [Thomas Frank Carr](https://x.com/ThomasFrankCarr?ref=my-stupid-alma-mater-is-driving-me-nuts.ghost.io) and [Josh Yourish](https://x.com/JYourish3?ref=my-stupid-alma-mater-is-driving-me-nuts.ghost.io) are two of the best we’ve got at that stuff in this fun little ecosystem. I am, however, someone who can usually look at football and see what teams are going for. And with both of Penn State’s coordinators, I see the vision. Let’s start with Taylor Mouser. Since [Joe Moorhead’s yankee ass](https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/news/college-football/joe-moorhead-after-mississippi-states-egg-bowl-win-youll-have-to-drag-my-yankee-ass-out-of-here/?ref=my-stupid-alma-mater-is-driving-me-nuts.ghost.io) went to Mississippi State, I do not think the Nittany Lions have had a better guy at designing a passing game. I swear, any time you see Rocco Becht drop back, he has someone open somewhere. Whether the football actually gets to them, that is another story. It is perfectly fair to ask questions about the running game. It is extremely weird that Penn State is this hopeless at running the football. And the way guys like Becht, Carson Hansen, Brett Eskildsen, and Ben Brahmer have struggled since coming to Happy Valley is odd. But I am willing to chalk a lot of this up to a step up in competition — for a bunch of OL, for Hansen, and for pieces in the passing game — and think backing in the transfer portal will got a long, long way for Mouser. As for D’Anton Lynn, listen, I am very willing to say he is trying to MacGyver a defense out of guys who are just not at the level. The defensive line, the linebacker room save for Tony Rojas, and the safeties (hold this thought) are all pain points. If Terry Smith decides he wants to pursue a head coaching job, maybe the cornerback room becomes a huge problem. It’s a lot, and you can see Lynn trying to do different stuff in each game. They really sped up Colton Joseph and Bryce Underwood, and while trying to rush three against Jayden Maiava did not work, I got the idea. Once this defense gets worn down, it’s bad — if they had one more guys they trusted at each level of the defense, I think they beat Wisconsin. They need guys, lots of them. I am concerned they won’t be able to do it all in one portal cycle. But if they can, and they can build around some guys who I do like (Yvan Kemajou, Armstrong Nnodim, Alexander McPherson, Josiah Zayas, Daryus Dixon, Jahmir Joseph, etc.), I'm confident the multiplicity Lynn loves will come. 1. **Penn State should want a redo on hyping up Alex Manske** Yeaaaaaaaaah, so. About Mouser… "Alex Manske is one of the most talented guys on the offense," Mouser said before the season, per [Tyler Donahue of Lions247](https://247sports.com/college/penn-state/article/penn-state-football-qb-rocco-becht-alex-manske-change-291555617/?ref=my-stupid-alma-mater-is-driving-me-nuts.ghost.io). "We're not gonna be able to keep him off the field this year. He's forced us to have to play him, and he's been really good, especially going through what he did." Completely get what he was going for here. It’s hyping up your guy who you believe will be the future. I do not doubt they wanted to get Manske on the field where they could this year to get him reps and prepare him for 2027, if he does indeed end up being the guy, but I am skeptical they actually wanted him to, like, rotate with Rocco Becht or anything. The obvious problem here is there’s zero chance they expected Becht to be this bad. He has Sean Clifford's penchant for doing stuff that hurts them, without Cliff's penchant for doing stuff that keeps them in games when they needed him. And yet, I completely buy that he gives them a better chance to win right now than Manske. The dude's chest got cut open and his heart got operated on this year. Plus, as much as fans understandably want to focus on next year, maximizing the odds of a good finish to the year is always going to be the No. 1 priority of a coaching staff. Matt Campbell needs proof of concept. If Rocco Becht helps him show that better than Alex Manske does, this is a pretty short (albeit very frustrating) conversation. Everyone knows the backup is the most popular guy on campus when things are going bad. That's happening right now. Let's return to this conversation after the Washington game. But one thing is for sure: This staff needs to learn how to toe the line between "hyping up our guys" and "hyping up our guys too much." "We're not gonna be able to keep him off the field this year. He's forced us to have to play him." Saying that and then never having a role for a guy is an unforced error, and it gives fans a quote to throw back in your face if the starter struggles. It's a tough lesson to learn, but hopefully they do — because Manske was by no means the only guy who got hyped up like this before the season but hasn't lived up to that hype. Just look at the guy above him on the depth chart for proof. 1. **This season will be worth it for two offensive linemen** I really, really hope Malachi Goodman and Brock Riker get retained. Both have struggled with consistency — Goodman looks the part as a pass blocker for the most part, while run blocking is a work in progress. Riker, meanwhile, has flashed when he’s been healthy as a center who can move and has some nastiness to his game. He’s making the transition to this level, which is gonna lead to bumps in the road, but I think he’s generally acquitted himself well. An offensive line in 2027 built around these two and Cooper Cousins (who was put on earth to be a Penn State Dad™ someday) has the potential to be really, really good. I’m very interested in how these two look after the bye, because Riker with another week of getting his body right and Goodman getting a chance to catch his breath could pay huge dividends down the stretch. 1. **We probably should’ve felt a lot worse about Caleb Bacon switching positions** Of all the Iowa State defensive transfers, Bacon is the one I feel the worst for. He doesn’t have a deep bag of pass rushing moves and him getting caught in no-man’s land on that screen against Wisconsin is gonna stick in people’s minds, as evidenced by you going “oh yeah” when you read that a second ago. And yet, I think if he had an extra year, I’d be optimistic about what he could be as an all-around edge — he’s shown me something against the run, and I would like to see what he could do with a full season + offseason of working on rushing the passer. The bigger issue is that, in retrospect, it was probably not a good sign for the defensive line that they needed to move a guy to a new full-time position in his final year of college football, especially as he got used to life in a new place. Penn State has nine sacks this year. Tony Rojas has five of them. That's shocking. What happens if they keep Bacon at LB, rotate him with Kooper Ebel, and bring Cael Brezina along more slowly? Would that be an option right now if Max Granville doesn’t get hurt? Is the greatest irony in life that the day where everyone gathers to celebrate a person is after they die? The answer to all of these is: I dunno, man, but I hate thinking about it. 1. **Josiah Zayas will be an All-American someday** If you would like a reason to believe in this staff’s ability to find guys who can cut it at this level, here you go. Zayas is a monster. He’s big, physical, athletic, and has outstanding ball skills. The fact that this staff identified him, got him to commit to them in Ames, and then got him to follow them to Penn State is a gigantic point in their favor. They cannot highlight him enough down the stretch. The fact they feel comfortable moving an excellent corner in Zion Tracy to safety so Zayas can get on the field more speaks volumes. It’s a bit different from the Bacon to EDGE bit, because while that was out of necessity because of a lack of game-changers at the position, this is *because* they have a game-changer at the position. And the guy they moved is good! Tracy rocks. Zayas just rocks, too. And finding him, developing him, and coming up with a plan to play him as often as possible is a point in this staff's favor. 1. **Carsen Hanson will be happier to see Koby Howard than Rocco Becht is** Becht needs Howard back very, very badly. I am convinced he struggles to see the middle of the field because he's a shorter dude behind a huge offensive line, but when Howard is there, the picture becomes a bit clearer. He is that good. But man, the running game needs all the help it can get, and a passing game that takes a ton of pressure off of them certainly helps. My hunch is that Howard doesn't suddenly turn them into a team that can go for 200+ yards against Big Ten competition or anything. However, the mix of him giving defenses something to fear over the middle of the field, Goodman/Riker continuing to progress, and me sending positive vibes from my couch should hopefully all coalesce into something powerful: A run of more than nine yards against a Big Ten defense. 1. **The most surprising Iowa State guys to struggle?** I’ll say a pair of safeties: Marcus Neal and Jeremiah Cooper. Neal make a little more sense. Even at ISU, he was a safety but also kinda not a safety. The entire thing with him was that he could play downhill much, much better than he could play centerfield. More Marcus Allen, less Zakee Wheatley. But even then, Allen wasn’t getting benched for entire games due to his lack of coverage skills. I really wonder how this season goes for Neal if he moves to linebacker when Bacon moves to defensive end, and if Tracy goes back to safety straight away. At the very least, a big back half of the season is coming up for him, because if he shows something at linebacker, he could be an important guy to keep around for 2027\. If not? No clue. Cooper I am legitimately shocked by. Yes, he’s coming off of a season-ending knee injury, but he was a really good football player in Ames, someone who had the versatility to play corner or safety at an All-Big 12 level. For him to struggle as much as he has — the indecisiveness he showed on USC’s first touchdown was not something you expect out of a guy with his pedigree — really surprises me. They’re both good players, and I was willing to bet on the familiarity Campbell and Deon Broomfield had with the two of them easing their transition to life in the Big Ten. Neal’s limitations as a deep safety and Cooper’s general rustiness are problems, but not things that should be impossible to overcome. Instead, both have been outright benched for huge stretches in conference play, and one doesn't even play safety anymore. 1. **If you have a lot of money and a Penn State degree you have an obligation to make sure a season like this does not happen again** I’m going to be real here: I think a lot of Penn State fans convinced themselves the program had one singular problem. That one singular problem was holding Penn State back in a unique way, and by replacing that one singular problem, we would usher in an era of Nittany Lion success that we have not seen in decades. That one singular problem is now in charge in Blacksburg. And right now, if you put the one singular problem’s team on a field against this Penn State team, Virginia Tech would win, I think. It was really easy to blame James Franklin for everything because, well, he could be annoying. It reminds me a bit of when Jürgen Klinsmann was in charge of the USMNT: yes, he was right about all the structural stuff that needs to be fixed, but the way he went about expressing that clearly rubbed people the wrong way. The problem is money. Penn State can be super weird about trying to do things the "right" way — remember their NIL rollout? [Read this](https://gopsusports.com/news/2021/07/01/penn-state-making-a-statement-on-name-image-and-likeness?ref=my-stupid-alma-mater-is-driving-me-nuts.ghost.io) and count how many times you groan at how high and mighty this is, particularly when this was the approach they settled on when it was clear money cannon go brrrrrrrrrrr wasn't happening. Money gets you better players. Money builds out your coach’s staff. You need the right players, and you need the right staff, and you need a million other things to go right, but it all starts with maximizing every dollar you spend. Having more dollars to do that reduces your margin of error. Thinking about college football like this sucks, but it's reality for now. Odds are, you and me are not rolling in the kind of dough to make a huge impact. Think of fundraising like putting a lineup together in baseball: If you’re a team that has to manufacture runs by doing a lot of little things right en route to four runs, awesome. But if the other team has six huge galoots who hit home runs, their path to a win is much wider. You and me are the former. A group of 100,000 of us can all give $10\. That’s $1 million. Four guys with more money than God are the latter. They can give $500,000 each — a rounding error for the richest among us — and they have doubled up what 100,000 of us giving $10 can do. The ball’s in Pat Kraft’s court here. He doesn’t have an egg on his face so much as he has a gigantic six-egg Denver omelet on his face. He needs money to start pouring in, and he needs to get it while not forgetting about the rank and file in our fanbase. [I have my concerns](https://my-stupid-alma-mater-is-driving-me-nuts.ghost.io/on-our-big-ass-stadium-and-fandom/). 1. **If you are Matt Campbell, same** I would love to get a Campbell’s full and honest thoughts on everything. The NIL situation at Penn State compared to what he expected, the state the program was in when he came here, if he thought they were going to have a first year of Cignetti at Indiana-y “fake it ’til you make it” season in his first season here, if he expected he’d need to lean this hard into “well, we’re building something here, so.” I get the sense — not from reporting or anything, just off of actions and vibes — that Campbell was a lot more aware of how having broad support from the program’s lettermen could help him than Franklin was. Totally cool, no problems there, I’d even agree with him. Leaning into Success With Honor, having Sue talk to the team, YMMV on that stuff, but I land on “I get why he’s doing that.” The problem is that, for as much as that stuff endears him to fans, nothing will endear you to fans as much as winning does. Campbell assuredly knows this. It also just hasn’t happened. Watching him lean into some habits he had when things were hard at Iowa State, like talking about growing and getting better and having the humility to learn from adversity or whatever, is infuriating. Every coach does some version of this. The infuriating part is the losses. This stuff is just infuriating on top of the root problem, which is the other team scoring more points. I really hope when Campbell looks back on this year, he learns a lot about the kind of personnel/traits that players need to have to succeed in the Big Ten. But more than anything, I really don’t want this to feel like we are all on this grand journey by which we have the privilege of growing and getting better because our team is losing. I want Penn State to win a lot more than I want that. A place to start away from the football field: Campbell has to get recruiting right. High school recruiting has never been less important, but it still is a thing to prioritize. I know his reputation is that he doesn’t obsess over this the way Franklin did. But man, he has to be better at keeping local kids home — them building their 2027 class around out of state kids because those were the relationships they already built ran the risk of backfiring, [which we've seen](https://onwardstate.com/2026/10/25/former-three-star-penn-state-football-linebacker-commit-blake-betton-flips-to-wisconsin/?ref=my-stupid-alma-mater-is-driving-me-nuts.ghost.io) a [few times](https://www.si.com/college/auburn/recruiting/auburn-robs-blue-chip-wr-from-penn-state-flip-deshawn-hall?ref=my-stupid-alma-mater-is-driving-me-nuts.ghost.io) this [cycle](https://www.masslive.com/highschoolsports/2026/10/inside-xaverian-qb-will-woods-flipped-commitment-to-boston-college.html?ref=my-stupid-alma-mater-is-driving-me-nuts.ghost.io). He has to be more willing to recruit during the season (and, credit to him, [going to see Jordan Hall](https://x.com/aberegg%5Fnoah/status/2113823005876887590?ref=my-stupid-alma-mater-is-driving-me-nuts.ghost.io) the day before he committed was a good thing, even if the bye made it easier to justify). Little things like this. Adjust on the fly and show that you view Penn State as a place that wants to win football games, and not a place filled with people who are excited to chop wood and carry water. I promise, it'll go a long way. As will, of course, winning football games. “I’ve always said the greatest climb in life is the climb back,” [Campbell said at his introductory press conference](https://gopsusports.com/news/2025/12/8/head-coach-matt-campbell-introductory-press-conference-2025?ref=my-stupid-alma-mater-is-driving-me-nuts.ghost.io). We won’t know until next season exactly what that looks like. But I do know Penn State’s climb back to relevance has to start today against Purdue.