Joe Paterno | EnoughJOEPATERNO's Blog

As you can see by my user name, I've been in the Paterno must go camp. Even with the recent success my biggest criticism of Penn State football under Paterno has been the recruiting. How can your head coach not recruit!!? I'm old enough to remember when PSU joined the Big 10 when Paterno was still in the buisness of recruiting and I remember top 10 classes most years, when PSU owned PA and battled with Michigan and Ohio State for the top non-PA recruits in the area every year. Over the last 8 years, the *uckeyes and Pitt have gotten as many top PA recruits which drives me nuts. If a super-recruit wants to get away from the Midwest and head were the weather and women are more attractive, I'm ok loosing a 5 star guy to Florida or USC once in a while but getting horsewhipped by Ohio State for PA recruits!!! I'm also understanding when Pittsburgh kids go to Pitt. But a program like Penn State should dominate Pennslyvania, and compete for recruits all through the Northeast. They have done very well thanks to Larry Johnson in MD lately, but that has been the one bright spot. Derrick Williams was a Penn State fan and he did more recruiting for the 05 class than Paterno did!

The early start to this year's recruiting might be changing my mind. Out of the top 10 PA recruits, Penn State has locked up 4. Pitt got a DT from Pittsburgh who wasn't offered by the Nittany Lions (they got 2 similary ranked DTs from NY and VA over the last couple days), and BC got a OT from Phili who also hadn't been offered by the Lions. PSU has also gotten a couple big time guys from the surrounding areas...VA, MD, NY.

Before you recruting fanatics nail me, I do understand that there are some top prospects in state that aren't recruiting because of acedmics, team need, character issues, not fitting a system, ect. I don't knock Penn State recruiting based on the prospects they don't offer scholarships too, but on the battles they have lost in the past. Hopefully this productive spring of recruiting will start a new trend where the Lions win most in-state battles, and compete across the Northeast and Midwest. PSU has won enough lately to prove it isn't a fluke and the awful first half of the decade is behind them. Lets see the results on the field and watch as more high profile recruits pour in yearly!

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June 29, 2009 01:08 PM ET

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As a Buckeye fan first and a Big 10 fan second I keep wondering how far of a leash they will give old Joe. Between his not recruiting, not being on the sidelines due to injury, or the occasional run in with the students on the roadways of PSU asking "Do you know who I am?" I also think its time Joe goes away.

Roy Hobbs fan

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July 1, 2009 10:33 AM ET

I understand the recruiting frustration for PSU. I really do.

But can you decisively point to JoePa as the reason recruits are not going to PSU? Bradley, Hall, and Johnson are all very good recruiters. However, Tressel's staff is second to none, east of the Mississippi. Wandstadt and Rodriguez also brought "shiny new" programs during the last several years.

When Tressel joined the Big 10 in 2001, they did an outstanding job of winning the NC in 2002 and dominating the region. tOSU was the hottest program in the country at that point. However, some of the novelty has worn off and recruits are now flocking to USC, Florida, etc.

PSU has survived that tOSU onslaught, taken 2 of the last 4 Big 10 championships, and is re-establishing the recruiting base in the Northeast.

I agreed with you after the 2004 season... but not now.

PSUinToolbox

Total Comments (10910)

July 12, 2009 08:26 PM ET

QUOTE(#2):

Originally posted 10:33 AM ET 07.01 by PSUinToolbox

I understand the recruiting frustration for PSU. I really do.But can you decisively point to JoePa as the reason recruits are not going to PSU? Bradley, Hall, and Johnson are all very good recruiters. However, Tressel's staff is second to none, east of the Mississippi. Wandstadt and Rodriguez also brought "shiny new" programs during the last several years.When Tressel joined the Big 10 in 2001, they did an outstanding job of winning the NC in 2002 and dominating the region. tOSU was the hottest program in the country at that point. However, some of the novelty has worn off and recruits are now flocking to USC, Florida, etc.PSU has survived that tOSU onslaught, taken 2 of the last 4 Big 10 championships, and is re-establishing the recruiting base in the Northeast. I agreed with you after the 2004 season... but not now.

PSU is definitely making head way stealing the tOSU recruits from western PA.
(J/K)

This could be a good year to crack the Vests recruiting. Next year could bring similar opportunities.

A series of successfuly recruiting classes has his bench stacked with an excess of 4 and 5 star recruits at nearly every position thru 2011 except FB (has a top FB but is moving him to TB), and QB (only 1 4+ star QB). He has 4 and 5 star recruits at 17 of the 23 positions for 2012 as he enters the 2010 recruiting season (I add an extra WR).

Not a lot of top recruits are going to want to wait around until their 4th or later season to start.

Regardless of who gets credit, JoPa is still winnig conference titles, back to relevance in the NC picture, and still putting together some great recruiting classes.

I doubt his successor would have as much success. I see no reason to force a change at this point, every reason to stay the course.

If it wasn't for his age, I don't think any NCAAF program would be calling the resignation of a coach with his current success.