College Football Week 5

[SteelerFan448]

That last INT was underthrown but there was a DB coming over the top. If he put more air on it, that DB may have had the INT. He shouldn't have thrown it or just threw it OOB.

It's funny to hear somebody bring up Clifford. He was hated by most Penn State fans. First they wanted Will Levis, then they wanted Allar to start as a freshman. Maybe Allar will flame out in the NFL, but I think he will be a solid NFL QB. It's clear that this offense is built on having a running QB and without that it simply doesn't work.

This OC is not good enough to modify his offense for a pocket passer so Allar is literally in a no win situation against good teams. Unless the defense is poorly coached and they fall for simple ball fakes, the WRs will struggle to get open.

If Allar is told he does not have a 1st round grade, he should transfer and play for a team that knows how to pass the ball. Go to Miami after Beck leaves.

The throw was awful and never had a chance. There was a reason the OC took the ball out of Allar's hands late and should've stuck with it in OT.

There was a hilarious moment during ESPN's pregame show where they were talking about the struggles of Dabo Sweeney at Clemson. Saban then with a straight face said - Some of us old school coaches struggled with the idea of paying players.

Hilarious pretending that it was his electric personality that made him a great recruiter once he went to the SEC. I guess his advice to Dabo should be to hire a bagman to pay the players so he can pretend nobody is getting money.

He's not wrong in that sense. Dabo is going to be out of a job because he isn't adapting.

 

[WindyCitySteel]

Can’t believe anyone is still defending Allar.

 

[WindyCitySteel]

My Penn State thoughts.

First I'll start with the defense. This defense is for real. Jim Knowles is a great DC. They held down a potent Oregon offense and only gave up points late when the wore down.

Um, what?

https://x.com/DylanEveryday/status/1972147400539361626

 

[Black & Gold Bleeder]

You're probably right. Clifford wasn't the best, but he was a gamer. Allar has zero clutch gene and is getting very close to being undraftable for me.

If I had to rank QB prospects so far (in no order):
-John Mateer
-Dante Moore
-Fernando Mendoza
-LaNorris Sellers
-Carson Beck

youre always leaving out Haines King who is 3-0

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

Should not have been overturned

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

Arkansas fired their coach and promoted OC Bobby Petrino as interim HC. Smart move. Give Petrino a try out the rest of the year.

 

[steel dino]

Arkansas fired their coach and promoted OC Bobby Petrino as interim HC. Smart move. Give Petrino a try out the rest of the year.

good ole fashion butt whooping yesterday!
ND’s offense looking special and the freshman QB looking like a fifth year senior!

Arrows pointing up .

 

[slashsteel]

You're probably right. Clifford wasn't the best, but he was a gamer. Allar has zero clutch gene and is getting very close to being undraftable for me.

If I had to rank QB prospects so far (in no order):
-John Mateer
-Dante Moore
-Fernando Mendoza
-LaNorris Sellers
-Carson Beck

For me right now it is Moore and Mendoza with Mateer a dark horse in my running.

I have no interest in Beck and lowered Sellers on my wants.

Definitely a difference than my initial interests but that is why they play the game.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

I'm not sure Mateer has the arm to be a 1st rounder.

Mendoza is intriguing but I'd like to see him play a good defense when he doesn't have guys wide open.

Moore is probably the one every team is looking at now. He had it mostly easy vs Penn State. I don't recall any throws downfield. But he showed he could make accurate throws on the run and most importantly, at no point did he look rattled. He was calm at all times.

Carson Beck. I don't know. I've read that he had no friends on the Georgia team and seems not to have many at Miami. Something feels off about him, like he might have body parts in a freezer somewhere.

 

[SteelerFan448]

For me right now it is Moore and Mendoza with Mateer a dark horse in my running.

I have no interest in Beck and lowered Sellers on my wants.

Definitely a difference than my initial interests but that is why they play the game.

I suppose I should add that it's not the guys I necessarily want the Steelers to draft, just who I think the top 5 drafted QBs will be.

 

[Sarge]

The throw was awful and never had a chance. There was a reason the OC took the ball out of Allar's hands late and should've stuck with it in OT.

They should take the ball out of the OC’s hands. The guy is a clown, and save for 3-4 possessions, Penn State’s offense was pathetic. Again.

We’re stuck with Allar. You aren’t switching him out at this point in his senior season. But between those two, Penn State is going nowhere. I think Pribula would run this offense far better, but he is where he is and it’s looking like he made the right decision.

 

[slashsteel]

I suppose I should add that it's not the guys I necessarily want the Steelers to draft, just who I think the top 5 drafted QBs will be.

Who are you liking enough for them to draft?

 

[SteelerFan448]

Who are you liking enough for them to draft?

John Mateer
Mateer was having a nice season and it's unfortunate he hurt his hand. You want to see how he can hold up over a full season. I like his arm and gunslinger mentality. He has the ability to make plays with his legs. There's also that easy comparison of playing style to Baker Mayfield. I'd consider him at this point.

Dante Moore
A young QB, could add bulk. Thin frames worry me a bit. Huge improvement since 2023 at UCLA and proving to be a dual threat so far this season. Has looked good against all levels of competition, including making some big plays in OT at Penn State. Arm seems good and I like his ability to create. With a limited sample size, I would consider taking him.

Fernando Mendoza
I'm warming up to the idea of Mendoza. Lack of production early in his career has me worried with the big jump this year, but he's improved accuracy each year and is proving he can make all the throws this season. Limited mobility, but a good arm. Our next QB needs arm talent and the ability to be comfortable in the pocket. I'd consider Mendoza as well.

LaNorris Sellers
He's still very young, a bit raw. Physical traits are so intriguing if you can develop an offense around him. My concerns are he only has 4 TD passes and has taken a ton of sacks. I need to see more.

Carson Beck
Not interested at all. He just has a good arm and has looked good for most of the season.

Who are you considering as of today?

 

[slashsteel]

John Mateer
Mateer was having a nice season and it's unfortunate he hurt his hand. You want to see how he can hold up over a full season. I like his arm and gunslinger mentality. He has the ability to make plays with his legs. There's also that easy comparison of playing style to Baker Mayfield. I'd consider him at this point.

Dante Moore
A young QB, could add bulk. Thin frames worry me a bit. Huge improvement since 2023 at UCLA and proving to be a dual threat so far this season. Has looked good against all levels of competition, including making some big plays in OT at Penn State. Arm seems good and I like his ability to create. With a limited sample size, I would consider taking him.

Fernando Mendoza
I'm warming up to the idea of Mendoza. Lack of production early in his career has me worried with the big jump this year, but he's improved accuracy each year and is proving he can make all the throws this season. Limited mobility, but a good arm. Our next QB needs arm talent and the ability to be comfortable in the pocket. I'd consider Mendoza as well.

LaNorris Sellers
He's still very young, a bit raw. Physical traits are so intriguing if you can develop an offense around him. My concerns are he only has 4 TD passes and has taken a ton of sacks. I need to see more.

Carson Beck
Not interested at all. He just has a good arm and has looked good for most of the season.

Who are you considering as of today?

I like your top three for first round.

Definitely want to see more. See how the season plays out.

…problem I am having is I don’t know who really looks like a franchise. Some of that is due to the early nature of the season and some of it is due to the disappointment with overall play to date.

 

[Ye Black Knight]

Saw a funny thing on twitter that said “Penn State makes a living being ranked in the top 10 without actually beating anyone in the top 10”. So true.

 

[Stainless]

I heard the first thing Petrino did after being promoted to interim head coach was to run out and buy a motorcycle.

 

[SteelerFan448]

I like your top three for first round.

Definitely want to see more. See how the season plays out.

…problem I am having is I don’t know who really looks like a franchise. Some of that is due to the early nature of the season and some of it is due to the disappointment with overall play to date.

I think I'm having the same issue, but other than Joe Burrow, most of the top tier QBs had some flaws coming into the NFL (Allen, Herbert, Jackson, Mahomes). If the Steelers invest in a QB high this year, I want a big arm who can make plays both in and out of structure, but also has shown they can rise up in big moments.

 

[WindyCitySteel]

I think I'm having the same issue, but other than Joe Burrow, most of the top tier QBs had some flaws coming into the NFL (Allen, Herbert, Jackson, Mahomes). If the Steelers invest in a QB high this year, I want a big arm who can make plays both in and out of structure, but also has shown they can rise up in big moments.

Give me a guy who can read defenses pre and post snap and is accurate with the ball. Most dual threats are that way because they can’t do those things and are forced to run a lot.

 

[topseed]

If Allar is told he does not have a 1st round grade, he should transfer and play for a team that knows how to pass the ball. Go to Miami after Beck leaves.

Allar is a senior and has exhausted his eligibility. He can't "transfer and play for a team that knows how to pass the ball" in 2026. As a self-proclaimed guy who watches a lot of college football, you should know that. He will enter the draft, and he will become Christian Hackenberg v.2 in the NFL.

I was at the game. 64th row on the 45 yard line. I've never seen a quarterback with his pedigree release the football flat-footed as much as he does. Over and over again. Even on the the long touchdown pass, he did not step into his throw. That's why his accuracy is hit-or-miss. There is absolutely zero consistency in his mechanics. And you can blame AK until you're blue in the face, but go ahead and re-watch Allar's body of work here in 2025. Not just Oregon, but against the Villanovas and FIUs and Nevadas of the world. HE DOESN'T SEE THE FIELD WELL. No, the receivers aren't wide open all the time, but even when they get open, Allar just doesn't find them.

Oregon is a talented team. So is Penn State. The difference in this game, clearly, was that their redshirt sophomore 5-star quarterback is much better than our 5-star senior QB. Open and shut case.

 

[topseed]

I'm hoping and praying for Bama win but I'm not putting any eggs in that basket.

Hopefully a blowout loss will ship Coach Deboer out on Sunday morning???

Give DeBoer a chance. It's not easy taking over for a legend, and Saban is arguably the best college football coach of all-time. I've met DeBoer, and I was impressed with his demeanor. He has the chops to succeed in Tuscaloosa.

Losses from last year to this year by subpar teams and his terrible recruiting gives me anxiety. I have yet to get warm to his coaching...

He's had some bad losses, to be sure, but terrible recruiting? You'll have to explain that statement to me, because he had a top 3 recruiting class in 2025, and Alabama is still trending towards the top 5 for 2026.

 

[Black & Gold Bleeder]

Please make the week 6 thread!

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

Allar was pressured on 18 dropbacks. He only had 25 pass attempts with 2 sacks.

In the first half, Allar had 12 passes and 7 of those were on 3rd down.

He made his mistakes, but this offense is not helping him. When you're only throwing 25 times per game, every mistake is magnified, especially when so many throws are on 3rd down.

The easy schedule hurt them. They thought they'd have a dominant OL, but they used those 3 cupcake games to shuffle the OL and experiment. They looked out of sync vs Oregon. It got a bit better late in the game. Was that because they got better or because Oregon's pass rush started to fatigue?

My hope is now that they saw they don't have a great OL, that they open up the passing game. You can start by letting Allar take a snap without having to do a play fake that takes his eyes off the defense and fools nobody. They need to add more quick throws, like every other offense.

They get UCLA next. They may go 0-12. The goal should be 400 yards passing for Allar. Let him throw it 50 times if you have to. Get this passing game going or it's just Groundhog Day.

 

[SteelerFan448]

Allar was pressured on 18 dropbacks. He only had 25 pass attempts with 2 sacks.

In the first half, Allar had 12 passes and 7 of those were on 3rd down.

He made his mistakes, but this offense is not helping him. When you're only throwing 25 times per game, every mistake is magnified, especially when so many throws are on 3rd down.

The easy schedule hurt them. They thought they'd have a dominant OL, but they used those 3 cupcake games to shuffle the OL and experiment. They looked out of sync vs Oregon. It got a bit better late in the game. Was that because they got better or because Oregon's pass rush started to fatigue?

My hope is now that they saw they don't have a great OL, that they open up the passing game. You can start by letting Allar take a snap without having to do a play fake that takes his eyes off the defense and fools nobody. They need to add more quick throws, like every other offense.

They get UCLA next. They may go 0-12. The goal should be 400 yards passing for Allar. Let him throw it 50 times if you have to. Get this passing game going or it's just Groundhog Day.

Allar comes up small in big moments in big games. He didn't look dominant against the JV schedule Penn State played at the start of the year. At some point it's the player.

 

[topseed]

Allar was pressured on 18 dropbacks. He only had 25 pass attempts with 2 sacks.

In the first half, Allar had 12 passes and 7 of those were on 3rd down.

He made his mistakes, but this offense is not helping him. When you're only throwing 25 times per game, every mistake is magnified, especially when so many throws are on 3rd down.

The easy schedule hurt them. They thought they'd have a dominant OL, but they used those 3 cupcake games to shuffle the OL and experiment. They looked out of sync vs Oregon. It got a bit better late in the game. Was that because they got better or because Oregon's pass rush started to fatigue?

My hope is now that they saw they don't have a great OL, that they open up the passing game. You can start by letting Allar take a snap without having to do a play fake that takes his eyes off the defense and fools nobody. They need to add more quick throws, like every other offense.

They get UCLA next. They may go 0-12. The goal should be 400 yards passing for Allar. Let him throw it 50 times if you have to. Get this passing game going or it's just Groundhog Day.

If you can't throw the ball accurately when pressured, you're not any good.

God bless you, man. You are worse with Allar than some of the worst Kordell apologists way back in the day. And that's saying something.

 

[Sarge]

If you can't throw the ball accurately when pressured, you're not any good.

God bless you, man. You are worse with Allar than some of the worst Kordell apologists way back in the day. And that's saying something.

It’s not Allar specifically, it’s Penn State football. He loves it, and is an eternal optimist. I can appreciate that. I too love Penn State football, but the eye test should tell you something is wrong. If this was a one off, ok. But with Drew Allar, it’s becoming a trend. He’s just not an accurate passer. There is more than anecdotal evidence of that. It’s like he thinks or worries too much about making a mistake. When he steps into his passes and lets it rip he’s as good as anyone. He just rarely steps into it and lets it rip. He’s out there aiming the ball and throwing flat footed. Plus, he just doesn’t seem to fit whatever they are trying to do on offense. The whole offense just seems like this weird awkward operation that needs figured out.