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This is the time of year when you're going to start hearing the word "retention."
With the college football season winding down - at least for the Nittany Lions - the focus will quickly shift to how many players and who will be transferring out and into the program.
The portal opens on Jan. 4 and runs for 10 days, and you'd have to be naïve to think commitments won't be made well in advance of January.
Though he's tried to stay true to living in the moment and not look that far down the road, Matt Campbell has dropped a couple hints lately about the inevitable roster movement.
He and his staff must be prepared — especially in an era where the players are being paid handsomely.
After the Lions beat Purdue two weeks ago, Campbell praised the team's focus in breaking a four-game Big Ten losing streak, saying, "They've just gone to work and tried to correct the areas and grow themselves forward. I wouldn’t say everybody in that locker room has done it, but I’d say the bulk majority has."
A week later, in discussing a win at Washington, Campbell said he didn't like some of his team's demeanor while the Lions were squandering a 28-6 lead and flirting with another come-from-ahead loss.
"There was a lack of poise by some young players on the sidelines," he said.
He said the performances of the leaders should serve as an example of how to handle in-game adversity, and he specifically mentioned Rocco Becht, Chase Sowell, Anthony Donkoh and Carson Hansen.
"When things were turning (south) and when you can put the video tape on and say, 'Watch No. 3 (Becht), watch 0 (Sowell), watch 68 (Donkoh), watch 21 (Hansen)," he said. "Man, it may not be going good for a second, but watch how they carry themselves. And they never waver. Those are video tape evidence of this is who we're going to be and where we're going."
And then he added: "And you're either with us or you're not."
The transfer portal has necessitated recruiting your roster on practically a daily basis.
Stay tuned.
Nitpicking...
The decision by the College Football Playoff to expand to 24 teams effective next year is just the latest example of a system that has gone haywire. Wreckless transferring, out-of-control spending on players - some of whom may never sniff the NFL - and now opening the door for three- and maybe even a four-loss team to crack the postseason field. It will cheapen what used to be the best regular season in sports.
Many of the top pro prospects haven't wanted to play in bowl games for years when the season was only 12 or 13 games. Now it could be as many as 17 games, though the top seeds will be closer to 15.
Upsides of the new structure will be the elimination of conference championship games, which mean nothing in the playoff era, and bridging the gap between the regular season and the playoffs, which will begin Dec. 9.
Ohio State's 0-2 record since the injury to starting quarterback Julian Sayin underscores the lack of quality backup QBs at the upper levels. Why? Because quarterbacks are in such demand that backups can secure million-dollar offers to programs that previously couldn't attract players of their caliber.
As Cory Giger elaborated on in the Mirror's point-counterpoint this past week, Mississippi State will pay its QB, somebody named Karmario Taylor, in the neighborhood of $7.5 million next year. No misprint - Mississippi State. Ask Michigan how it's $10 million deal with Bryce Underwood is working out.
Campbell's explanation that he didn't want to shift into hurry-up mode on second-and-11 from the Lions' 29 with 53 seconds left in the first half at Washington and three timeouts available - already with a 28-6 lead and getting the ball back to start the third quarter - is understandable. But it's also the second time he's done it (paid price vs. Wisconsin) and a strong indicator of his commitment to conservatism.
If I were Rutgers, I would have kept Greg Schiano, too. He deserves the benefit of the doubt, and it's hard to imagine Vince Lombardi could lead RU to Big Ten success.
If USC wins at Indiana today and then beats UCLA to end the season, it's likely the Big Ten title game would be a rematch a week later between the Trojans and Bruins.
Neil Rudel can be reached at nrudel@altoonamirror.com.