It’s been a rough season for the Penn State Nittany Lions. From starting 3-0 in non-conference games to 0-4 in conference play, the program is stuck in a drastic downfall, and they had to let go of their long-time head coach, James Franklin. The interim HC Terry Smith is trying to dig them out of their losing streak. But it has been a difficult start, as they suffered a 1-point loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes. Up next is Ohio State, and a win there is as likely as Penn State landing Nick Saban as their next head coach. But the interim coach will try out some key changes to somehow get an upset.

Terry Smith addressed the change in focus for the Penn State offense during his recent appearance at the Penn State Coaches show. Smith addressed Senior RB Kaytron Allen’s 30 touches at Iowa and revealed that he’s going to be the focal point for the Nittany Lions against the Buckeyes.

“Kaytron Allen running the ball really, really well,” Terry Smith said. “He’s arguably running the ball better than any running back in the country… We made a point of emphasis to get him touches. And you know, Saturday, we’re going to make the same point of emphasis.” Smith revealed that the reason behind the change has numerous reasons and pointed out two. “One, for our offense to get going. Two, for their offense not to be on the field, to stop their explosiveness.”

Smith applauded Kaytron Allen, “So he’s running the football the way you want him to run it. He gets the tough yards. He’s a positive yard gainer. Very seldom does he have a night of minus play. We’re just super happy where he’s at.”

In the game against Iowa, Allen turned a career-high 28 carries for 145 yards and 2 touchdowns and also received 3 times for 7 yards against the tough Hawkeyes’ defense. Throughout the season, he carried 98 times for 612 yards, with an average of 6.2 yards per carry. This is more than double of that of Penn fellow RB Nicholas Singleton, who was considered a preseason All-American Candidate.

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Terry Smith also reported that they are looking to make more plays with true freshman WR Koby Howard to help spark the Nittany Lions’ passing attack. “We’re going to get Koby involved in the pass game. We got to try to figure out something different to get the pass game going,” Smith said. Koby has shown flashes like that 14-yard reception against Iowa. Since the high-profile transfer trio of Kyron Hudson, Trebon Pena, and Devonte Ross haven’t had any major impact for the Lions, Koby could be the x factor.

Terry Smith’s Penn State is set for their biggest challenge

Penn State visiting Ohio State was supposed to be a major clash in the Big Ten schedule this weekend. But the reality is far different, as the Buckeyes stay on top without a loss, leading the AP poll rankings, and the Nittany Lions are stuck in a 4-game losing spiral without a permanent head coach or their original starting QB.

This naturally keeps Ohio State as the 20.5-point favorite amongst the oddsmakers. However, things were totally different before PSU’s loss to Oregon and the firing of James Franklin. They still have good players. Kaytron Allen is considered the primary offensive weapon for Penn State. However, it would be challenging for him to go against the No.1 defense in the country. The Buckeyes have restricted their opponents to just 3.81 yards per play, with 0.57 yards per drive.

On the other hand, Julian Sayin remains the key player for Ohio State, with an 80% completion rate and 87.9 QBR. He’s one of the most accurate passers, passing at an average of 12 yards per completion. He posted 19 touchdowns with 1872 yards and is one of the elite QBs in the conference. Everything is against Penn State this week, which would keep the interim coach under pressure, but a win over the Buckeyes could change the entire trajectory of PSU’s season.