Penn State is taking an underdog mentality into the Ohio State clash

Ten days after James Franklin’s firing, the reverberations are still being felt in Happy Valley, the home of Penn State’s football team. On ESPN’s College GameDay, Franklin stated that his “goal hasn’t changed,” insisting he plans to chase a national title elsewhere following a 3-3 start and a swift dismissal after losses to Oregon, UCLA, and Northwestern.

In the wake of Franklin’s departure, the Penn State football team has turned to longtime assistant Terry Smith as interim head coach while a broader coaching search continues in the background. The immediate task, however, is stabilizing a locker room ahead of its biggest test yet.

This context frames a week built around belief and response rather than résumés alone. Speaking ahead of the upcoming game, Terry Smith said about Penn State versus No. 1 Ohio State: “No one is giving us a chance, and I’m going to re-emphasize that to our team. I don’t think we’ve ever been a 20-point underdog since I’ve been here, but it’s motivation. No one believes in us. We’re going to come out and fight.”

Smith’s message is simple: lean into edge and execution. After a turbulent October and an interim handover, he is trying to convert doubt into fuel. This week is as much about clarity as it is about tactics — penalties, situational football, and red-zone decisions have all swung close games the wrong way this season.

The underdog framing also resets expectations without lowering standards, a balance Penn State needs to strike facing a top-ranked opponent on deck.

Fan sentiment hasn’t been subtle since the transition. In the first post-Franklin game, a 25-24 loss to Iowa, social media reflected familiar frustration—flashes of promise smothered by late miscues, special teams swings, and a fourth quarter that slipped away. That game felt like the season in miniature and added more weight on Smith’s first marquee week to re-center the team’s focus and confidence.

The Penn State football team doesn’t control the spread or the outside noise. What it does control is effort and precision. Smith’s public refrain—that belief and fight travel—sets a clear baseline for Saturday’s showdown in Columbus.
https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/penn-state-football-news-nittany-lions-taking-underdog-mentality-into-ohio-state-clash