Penn State is in the middle of what many feel is its most disappointing season ever.
Interim coach Terry Smith is known as “the ultimate truth teller,” and one can’t tell the truth without first knowing the truth.
“We’re in the middle of the storm,” Smith told reporters after the team’s 38-14 loss at Ohio State in Columbus Saturday afternoon “and we just can’t figure out how to get out of it. The seniors are hurting. I feel awful for those guys to end their careers this way.”
“The storm” started with a big-game loss to Oregon.
Penn State was ranked No. 3 in the country at the time and favored to beat the No. 6 Ducks.
But before a White Out crowd, Penn State lost in double overtime.
After that, all hell broke loose.
Penn State was favored by 20+ points against UCLA Oct. 4 and Northwestern Oct. 11, and lost both games, the first time such a thing had ever happened.
The day after the Northwestern loss, Penn State fired James Franklin, leading to Smith taking over in the interim.
EFFORT= NOT THE PROBLEM
Photo by Eddie Provident, Nittany Sports Now
One thing Smith stressed in his introductory press conference Oct. 13 was that, under his watch, Penn State wouldn’t lose a game because it didn’t have enough passion.
“If we lose, it’s going to be because that team beat us, and they were just better,” Smith said. “We won’t answer questions about how we lost the last three games (to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern). There is not one of those teams that we could arguably say was better than us, including Oregon.”
Penn State lost Smith’s debut against Iowa 25-24 Oct. 17, but didn’t lose because of a lack of effort.
Smith didn’t feel that was an issue the next week against Ohio State, either.
“The one positive of the game is these guys did not quit, and that’s a tale to who they are as well,” Smith said. “We’ve just got to figure some other things out.”
OHIO STATE WAS JUST TOO GOOD
Photo by Eddie Provident, Nittany Sports Now
Penn State’s first four losses came by margins of seven, five, one and one points, respectively. In all of those games, the outcome could have been different is one more drive or even one more play went Penn State’s way.
The wasn’t the case in Columbus.
Ohio State simply had the better team.
But no matter how it happens, losing is always brutal to deal with, especially for the Penn State players that were only have a few games left.
“They’re obviously hurting,” Smith said. “It’s very challenging. It’s challenging for all of us, but we have to figure out how to keep fighting. We’re going to keep chopping wood.
Penn State will keep “chopping wood” next Saturday against No. 2 Indiana at Beaver Stadium. Kickoff for that game is at a time to be determined.
