STATE COLLEGE −Sean Clifford and Penn State had to have this night.
The White Out. A wounded opponent. A victory in any form or fashion.
The Nittany Lions could not afford to lose to Michigan twice, so to speak. As in losing a second game immediately after the first, like they had in four of the previous five seasons.
They also needed a proper recovery for this: to have a shot at Ohio State.
Because much of Penn State’s season will ultimately be judged by how it performs in Beaver Stadium against the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes.
Losing is one thing. The Nittany Lions won’t be expected to win in most any scenario leading up to this affair. But it must be able to fight and stay close and compete.
Something it didn’t do in the second half at Michigan. Something it actually usually finds a way to do against the Buckeyes.
Because if a rejuvenated Sean Clifford and this defense can stay close, it means it has a shot. If you put repeated pressure on an opponent, no matter how talented, they have a greater chance of making costly mistakes (see Ohio State, 2016, 2019).
Penn State won the first of those and lost the second. But it found a way to compete, which, no matter how much grumbling fans make about losing, is what they ultimately desire, to start.
They know, deep down, that if you give yourself a chance you can find a way to win. Win even against Top 10 opponents, which is what they most resent James Franklin for not being able to do since arriving in 2014.
Yes, they have lost almost every time in those scenarios, true enough.
But if you stay close you can win games they did not in 2017 and 2018. Win those two times instead of losing by a point or two and this Top 10 curse feels completely different.
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And the key to staying close is getting the best from Sean Clifford and his pass game. It finally showed life against Minnesota.
“As you guys know, I’m proud of Sean,” Franklin said after the White Out. “And he’s a battler and he’s resilient and he’s tough. If you look around the country, there’d be a lot of programs that would be super-excited and happy about Sean Clifford as their quarterback − (after how he played) against one of the better defenses in the country.
“As you guys know, I’m a supporter of Sean Clifford.”
Who really knows what Clifford will provide against Ohio State, if you consider how he was off-kilter for three-straight weeks before finding his tight ends and receivers and himself vs. Minnesota.
But he did find success.
And he also, remember, did play his best game of last season, injury and all, at Ohio State.
He is tough, sure enough. And he seems to dial in when things are about as rough as they can be. Like getting booed by a White Out crowd in the first quarter vs. Minnesota.
So 23-of-31 passing with four touchdowns and 295 yards would suffice for getting things together.
He showed resilience. And maybe hope, even.
Which is about all you can ask for at this moment against this kind of opponent coming next.
Not good enough?
Maybe not in the overall scheme of Penn State football and James Franklin.
But it’s more than they owned just a week ago.
And that is something.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on Twitter @YDRPennState.
