The Penn State Nittany Lions have undergone a midseason turnaround since firing James Franklin last month. Under the direction of interim coach Terry Smith, Penn State is one win away from clinching a bowl berth should it beat the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
And that's Smith's main focus entering this Saturday.
“That will take care of itself when the time comes. My focus right now is, obviously, we’ve got to beat Rutgers," Smith said Monday afternoon. "We approach these last couple weeks as do-or-die, playoff-type games. This is another playoff game for us in our reality of our world.”
Smith then made his sales pitch, suggesting that he should remain in State College.
“No one knows Penn State better than me,” Smith said. "Of all the candidates that are out there, I know the history of Penn State. I know the culture, the DNA. I know the locker room. I know administration. I think I’m a good leader, I think I’m a leader of men.”
Smith credits the fan support over the last several weeks, hoping Athletic Director Pat Kraft hears him.
"The fans were unbelievable again tonight; this is back-to-back Beaver Stadium turnouts from our fans… just incredible support. We all like support. It encourages us. It motivates us. It gives us energy and it gave our guys energy tonight," Smith said Saturday night.
Should he keep winning, things will make it very interesting over the next month or so. If anything, though, Smith can only control what's in front of him right now which is winning the games he's supposed to.
At least for now, he's shown from an audition standpoint that he can sustain a program through difficult times. And that says a lot in today's era of college football, where everything is moving at a rapid pace.
By the end of Saturday evening, a lot will be made about where Penn State is headed moving forward.
But it must take care of business first, and luckily, the series history is on its side.