UNIVERSITY PARK— Penn State can still reach its ultimate goal, and one of its captains wants the school’s passionate— and, right now, aggravated after another loss to Ohio State— fan base to know it.
After the game, Penn State LB Kobe King was asked (by me) what his message is to this fan base after another loss to Ohio State, Penn State’s 12th in 23 years.
“Next week, we’re going to need the crowd more than we needed it today,” King said. “We need to stay the course — players are going to stay the course, coaches are going to stay the course. We still have a national championship to go get.”
I asked LB and captain Kobe King what his message to Penn State fans is.
“We still have a national championship to go get.” pic.twitter.com/h97GZy6Qmk
— Joe Smeltzer (@joesmeltzer775) November 2, 2024
A REMATCH?
COLUMBUS, OH – OCTOBER 21: Quarterback Drew Allar #15 of the Penn State Nittany Lions passes the ball while under pressure by linebacker Cody Simon #30 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on October 21, 2023. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire)
It’s a different college football world now than it was a year ago. The main reason is because of the College Football Playoff. Before this season, the CFP only took four teams. Now, it’s taking 12. So in short, if 7-1 Penn State wins its next four games— vs. Washington, at Purdue, at Minnesota and vs. Maryland— it will be in the Playoff and hosting a team at Beaver Stadium.
This would open up a variety of possibilities, including running into Ohio State again.
King would be all for that.
“We want to play them again,” King said. “We can play them at 7 o’clock…we can do it over again.”
Thanks to the expanded College Football Playoff, a Penn State-Ohio State rematch is a realistic possibility.
Penn State LB Kobe King: “We’ll hopefully get another chance to see those guys again and make things different.” pic.twitter.com/rZRs9wMpkT
— Joe Smeltzer (@joesmeltzer775) November 3, 2024
JAMES FRANKLIN’S MESSAGE
In his postgame presser, Penn State coach James Franklin was asked what his message was to Penn State fans, some of which booed and threw things on the field on response to the loss.
Franklin took accountability. He said he understood the frustration and that he “owns all of it.”
He also pointed out that college football has changed. Penn State can take advantage of it.
College football has changed,” Franklin said, “and we have an opportunity moving forward to write some wrongs from today, and that’s what we’re going to focus on. I get it. We get an unbelievable crowd here, we get unbelievable support, you don’t do that without passion, and there’s great things that come from that and there’s hard things that come from that. That’s part of the job. That’s part of the job.
Although the new college football world could benefit Penn State soon, it didn’t do anything to help Tyler Warren’s mood in the moment.
“Right now, no,” Warren said. “Losing is losing. That’s not what we’re trying to do. But being able to focus on the next game and understand it’s still in our hands and not over yet, is obviously something that we’re aware of.”
