Copyright Mechanicsburg Patriot News
Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith made it clear early Wednesday night in his post-practice session with the media that his players are looking forward to the challenge that awaits them against No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday. Smith was quick to talk about his players’ speed and effort in workouts. He could also tell his Nittany Lions are feeling fresh. Penn State (3-4, 0-4) is coming off a bye week. So, too, is Ohio State (7-0, 4-0). The two Big Ten teams play at noon in Columbus. “They’re working really hard,” Smith said of his players. “Practice has been great. When we talk to sports science people, and we talk about how the effort and the output of practice has been, yesterday was the second-best Tuesday we had all season. “Today was a pretty good day, as well. So, the guys are ready. They know what’s in front of them. “No one’s giving them a chance. We’re just going to stay together and we’re going to play hard.” Smith continued: “Speed numbers are up. Effort numbers are up. Numbers where we’re running faster, longer distances are up, as opposed to your normal week. “So, part of that is the fact that we’re playing Ohio State, right? And then the other part is, we’re coming off a bye week. We’re a little more rested. The guys are eager to get after it.” But Smith did not want to bury the lede. It is Ohio State week. Penn State is 1-10 in its last 11 matchups with the Buckeyes. Starting quarterback Drew Allar is done for the season. Backup Ethan Grunkemeyer will have to find his way against an Ohio State defense that has allowed just 41 points in seven games. The Buckeyes’ ‘D’ is ranked No. 1 in the nation in fewest yards allowed and fewest points allowed per game. Can a PSU team that lost to prohibitive underdogs UCLA and Northwestern earlier get back to the way it was playing late in the 2024 season? “I feel really good,” Smith said. “You know, (Wednesday) really is your last hard, padded practice day. We’ll fine tune some things tomorrow. “(I) feel good about what the offense is doing. Obviously, we want to try to control the game. We have to outrush Ohio State to have a chance. We don’t do that, it’s going to be a long Saturday. “And then we have to make some plays in the pass game. We have to make some critical third downs when necessary and when needed, especially in the fourth quarter. Defensively, we have to make critical stops.” In short, Penn State must do all the things it could not do in its four-game losing streak that followed the Lions’ 3-0 start. And Penn State must do it against the No. 1 team in the country.
