Copyright The Philadelphia Inquirer

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Former Penn State coach James Franklin recruited every player, hired every staffer, and had a say in nearly every decision within the football program since 2014. So after his firing, the players he developed relationships with, whose homes he visited, whose families he befriended, were devastated. “We all failed Coach Franklin,” interim coach Terry Smith said. “Sunday was traumatizing to [the players]. They are all hurt and torn, disappointed in what happened.” Franklin may no longer patrol the team’s sidelines or walk arm-in-arm with his offensive linemen as the Nittany Lions take the field, but his philosophies remain entrenched within the program, most notably his “1-0” mantra. The saying is still etched on the team’s locker room doors at Beaver Stadium. It still graces the video board outside Haluba Hall, the site of the team’s practice field. And it remains ingrained in the hearts and minds of Penn State players. » READ MORE: Penn State doesn’t intend to play scared under interim coach Terry Smith “[The 1-0 standard] is all I know. Since I’ve been here, that’s what we do,” defensive tackle Zane Durant said. “How can we win this one rep? How can we win this day? I’m going to continue to have that mindset, and Coach Terry preaches it, too. So we just keep pushing it throughout the team.” New quarterback under center After a much-needed bye week, the Nittany Lions will seek that first “1-0″ record against No. 1 Ohio State next Saturday (noon, Fox 29). Again they will have Ethan Grunkemeyer under center. The redshirt sophomore quarterback replaces Drew Allar, who is lost for the season after suffering a broken ankle against Northwestern. Grunkemeyer, who threw for just 98 yards without a touchdown in Saturday’s narrow loss to Iowa, inherits a sputtering offense searching for answers. Center Nick Dawkins, a team captain in his sixth season, said he has “all the confidence in the world” in his new QB. Durant said Grunkemeyer can “make all the throws.” Zakee Wheatley called the quarterback “100% ready.” Grunkemeyer will need the backing of his teammates when Penn State battles the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense. Entering that environment could sound daunting to some, but not to the 6-foot-2 quarterback, who, before the Nittany Lions’ game against Iowa, noted that he just wants to play ball. “I definitely feel prepared. … It is a bigger role, but the preparation has been the same,” Grunkemeyer said. “I’m a guy that likes to go out there and just play, so whatever [offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki] dials up, I’m ready for it.” » READ MORE: Saquon Barkley says Penn State firing his former coach James Franklin ‘definitely hurts’ ‘Do it for your brother’ Smith has been in charge for less than two weeks, but his fingerprints are visible throughout the program. He tells players to “check their feelings at the door.” The Nittany Lions entered last Saturday at 3-3. After consecutive losses to UCLA and Northwestern, they had a 0.1% chance to make the College Football Playoff, according to ESPN. Now, with the loss to Iowa, that vision is all but obliterated. And with three of Penn State’s five remaining games against Associated Press top-25 opponents, clinching a bowl game is not even a given. But two-time captain Dom DeLuca remains motivated. The fifth-year linebacker said Franklin took a chance on him when no one else would, which is all the inspiration he needs to go 1-0 in the next game. “Do your job. Do it for Coach Franklin. Do it for the guy to the left and right of you. Do it for all the Penn Staters who love the game and love the Nittany Lions,” DeLuca said. Durant added: “Do it for your brother. Do it for your goals. Do it for each other. [We’ve] got a lot of ball left.”