Column: Penn State football’s loose Ohio State nod signals significant shift
The deflection was so effortless for Manny Diaz, it almost seemed earnest. Meeting with reporters on Tuesday afternoon, the Penn State defensive coordinator was asked about down-the-line preparation.
An extension of James Franklin’s comments after the Nittany Lions’ latest win, a 41-13 decision at Northwestern on Saturday afternoon, the inference was clear. And, soon after, it was made formal.
If he had any, then, what were Diaz’s early thoughts or impressions of Ohio State this season?
Deftly, Diaz dove into the details for everything but the unbeaten, No. 4-ranked Buckeyes.
“We always work ahead,” Diaz said. “We have a great group of analysts here that are always working on our next couple of opponents. So, what everyone’s going to do during the bye week is, you’re always going to watch not just your next opponent. You might watch the next two or three opponents to try to get a feel for what’s going on down the league.”
The Big Ten picture
What’s “going on” in the Big Ten is fundamentally unchanged from the picture drawn before the start of the 2023 campaign.
Now 5-0, the Nittany Lions are ranked No. 6 nationally. The two Big Ten programs ranked ahead of them before the start of the season, No. 2 Michigan and No. 4 Ohio State, remain the same.
All three vying for a conference championship and a College Football Playoff berth in the final season before it expands to 12 teams, the first domino is set to fall among the contenders when the Nittany Lions travel to Columbus on Oct. 21.
That date with the Buckeyes in the Horseshoe is separated by two games for the hosts and another for Penn State. Welcoming Maryland this weekend, Ohio State must knock off the fourth and final Big Ten unbeaten team, Maryland. Then, the Buckeyes will travel to Purdue on Oct. 14 leading into the showdown with the Nittany Lions.
Penn State, meanwhile, will play host to a 1-5 UMass team next weekend. The Minutemen are riding a five-game losing streak heading into a home game against Toledo this weekend.
Refusing to deviate from the consistent message demanding focus and attention on every individual opponent, this year has taken a slight, but important, turn in approach. Beginning with his round of summer interviews, Franklin publicly acknowledged the importance of this season’s games with Ohio State and Michigan from the outset. Pounding the table on West Virginia back in May, he also noted that work started for the Buckeyes and Wolverines.
“I’ll be honest, I won’t give you a total coach speak here. We are getting ready for West Virginia and we have done our first four opponents. We’ve just finished those breakdowns,” Franklin said. “But then we will get a head start on Michigan and we will get a head start on Ohio State. We understand the importance of those two games, specifically on our side of the conference.”
Taking a turn in approach
Returning to the subject for the first time in months, Franklin again danced around that reality last weekend. Asked about the program’s impending approach to the bye week, Franklin stressed, as he did to his team, that it’s not an off week. Improvement is essential. Recovery must be maximized. And, self-scouting on offense, defense and special teams will allow the Nittany Lions to turn toward the back half of the schedule understanding their strengths and shortcomings so far.
Part of that maximization though, he said, would include a look toward the future.
“I’m kind of dangling this carrot, which I shouldn’t do, but we’re also going to get ahead,” Franklin said. “The coaches will get ahead on the schedule as well during this bye week. But, next week will be totally, obviously, on our next opponent. So those are the things that we’re looking at pretty hard, pretty heavy.”
Penn State eyes future opponents
The result is a Penn State coaching staff giving, ever-so-slightly, an acknowledgment of the same this week. Wrapped largely in the art of obfuscation, the explanation offered a window without naming names.
That is until Diaz went ahead and did.
“In addition to self-scouting ourselves, we’re definitely paying attention to the games we have coming up,” Diaz said. “Whether it’s Ohio State week or whoever else is coming down the line. (We’re making sure) that is not the first time we get off the field Sunday night around six o’clock, come back up on the film and it’s not the first time you’re watching and getting a feel for who these guys are this year.
“So, we’re absolutely doing all of that. And, my opinions are absolutely very strong and they’re absolutely going to stay to myself.”
A small but important step in the program’s public evolution, Penn State’s place at the table of the national college football conversation this year is secured. That the Nittany Lions are fully prepared for the moment’s arrival, it is now clear, is as well.
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