Penn State’s Terry Smith Faces Stark Truth—Can He Overcome It Against Ohio State?

So, here we are: days after James Franklin’s shock exit, Penn State’s football squad is stepping into a new chapter under interim coach Terry Smith, a guy who’s not just embracing the underdog label but practically savoring it. Question is, can a 3-4 team, rattled by quarterback changes and roster upheaval, really transform doubt into diesel against a juggernaut like No. 1 Ohio State? Smith’s not sugarcoating the odds—they’re big, maybe historic—but he’s dialing in on the details: cleaner execution, smarter field position, and a fierce hunger to prove the skeptics wrong. Is this the kind of gritty turnaround story college football fans dream of, or a cautionary tale waiting to happen? Either way, the Nittany Lions are set to fight like their season depends on it… because, well, it does. LEARN MORE.

A few days after James Franklin’s dismissal, the Penn State football team is resetting under interim coach Terry Smith and leaning into an underdog mindset ahead of a trip to face No. 1 Ohio State. The Nittany Lions are 3-4 and searching for stability; Smith’s focus this week is less about outside narratives and more about channeling belief, urgency, and cleaner situational football as they confront their steepest test yet.

“Obviously, no one’s giving us a chance,” Smith said during his weekly news conference at Beaver Stadium on Monday. “And I’m going to re-emphasize that to our team. I don’t think we’ve ever been 20-point underdogs since I’ve been here, but it’s motivation. No one believes in us, and we’re going to come out and fight like we did at Iowa, or we’re going to fight a little harder.” 247Sports reported the comments.

That message tracks with what this week demands: edge and execution. For a team that has been close but undone by penalties, red-zone stalls, and late-game slips, Smith is trying to redirect frustration into fuel. The interim coach’s public stance also reframes the matchup without lowering the bar—acknowledging the spread while insisting Penn State can still dictate effort, detail, and response.

Within the building, the plan is straightforward: simplify, protect field position, and win leverage downs to take some oxygen out of Ohio State’s passing game. Offensively, that means staying ahead of the sticks and limiting negative plays that have short-circuited promising drives. Special teams, so often a swing factor in one-score outcomes, will be under the spotlight as well.

The broader backdrop remains fluid. Franklin’s exit, coupled with the quarterback shuffle after Drew Allar’s season-ending injury, has tested roster cohesion. Smith’s tone suggests he’s embracing the doubt as a unifying tool, something tangible the locker room can own on the road in Columbus.

Recruiting ripples have already appeared across the landscape. After Franklin’s firing, four-star wide receiver Jahsiear Rogers flipped his commitment from Penn State to Oklahoma, he told Hayes Fawcett for Rivals. The 6’0”, 175-pound Delaware native had been pledged to the Nittany Lions since July and chose the Sooners in the wake of the change.

All told, the Penn State football team arrives with humility and a chip on its shoulder. The numbers say long shot. Smith’s challenge is to make the fight and the details loud enough to matter for four quarters.

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