Terry Smith's metaphors aren't cutting it anymore in the face of inevitable loss

Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith all but eulogized the 2025 season for the Nittany Lions (3-5, 0-5 Big Ten) following a loss to No. 1 Ohio State. In the face of disappointment, Smith returned to his tried-and-true metaphor about powering through the storm, but this time his heart didn't seem to be in it.

"They're obviously hurting," Smith said of his players in his postgame press conference. "We're in the middle of the storm and we just can't figure how to get out of it. The seniors are hurting, I feel awful for those guys to end their careers this way. It's very challenging, it's challenging for all of us, but we have to figure out how to keep fighting. We're going to keep chopping wood. The one positive of the game: these guys did not quit."

Instead of his usual, determined speeches about not allowing any quitter mentality, Smith was down in the dumps, reflecting what is most definitely the atmosphere in the locker room.

However, Saturday was not a game that Penn State realistically was going to win. It went up against an undefeated Buckeyes team that's first in the nation with its second string quarterback and broken program overall. That's not a recipe for success, no matter how well the Nittany Lions played.

Week 10 was about a moral win for the blue and white, not one that snaps their losing streak. They needed high energy and a whole lot of fight going into the game, during the game, and after the game. With the way Smith was talking after the loss, that fire, passion, and fight got lost as quickly as they found it.

Taking on this new role following former head coach James Franklin's firing, Smith was all about "infinite possibilities," focus, playing football, and reclaiming the locker room. Against Iowa in Week 8, that winning mentality remained high even after losing by one point. Losing 38-14 put Penn State in another mental hole in 2025. Against the Buckeyes, it was never going to be a one-point or one-possession game, though, and the Nittany Lions shouldn't have expected that.

Smith can talk about fighting through the storm and chopping wood all he wants, but it's time for Penn State to realize that inevitable losses cannot affect the atmosphere nearly as much as it did on Saturday. No. 2 Indiana isn't going to be much of a difference, which means Smith's team won't know how to escape "the storm" for another week. In better news, the Nittany Lions have a three-game finish to the season against Michigan State, Nebraska, and Rutgers. If Smith is already hosting a funeral for his seniors, that's who the team should be fighting for in those last few weeks, not writing fairytale endings.