Terry Smith reveals how much influence he has on Penn State staff changes as interim head coach

It has been a nightmarish season for Penn State, which opened the year ranked No. 2 in the country with National Championship aspirations. Nine weeks into the season, however, the Nittany Lions are 3-4 and have yet to beat a Power Four opponent.

Following its third loss over the course of its four-game losing streak, Penn State parted ways with head coach James Franklin, who had been with the program since 2014. Associate head coach/cornerbacks coach Terry Smith was promoted to interim head coach and will lead the way for the remainder of the season.

Smith’s first game as head coach occurred last Saturday, as the Nittany Lions fell to Iowa on the road 25-24. Penn State took a 24-19 lead with 4:56 remaining in regulation, but a go-ahead touchdown with 3:54 remaining propelled the Hawkeyes to the win.

Heading into its matchup against undefeated No. 1 Ohio State this weekend, Smith was asked about the influence he has on staff changes as the interim head coach. He revealed that he has full jurisdiction, but doesn’t feel the need to overhaul anything at this point.

“I’m the head coach and they told me I can make all final decisions,” Smith said. “There’s no need to make any changes right now, so that’s how I see it.”

Penn State has beaten Ohio State just twice since 2009

Prior to the season, this weekend’s matchup in Columbus seemed like it would have massive aspirations for the College Football Playoff. Ohio State is 7-0 (4-0) and looks well on its way to making yet another appearance in the CFP, while Penn State‘s season became a lost cause following its firing of Franklin. Along with prepping for games, the program is also in full search for a new head football coach.

“I’m extremely happy with our players and how we approached the bye week,” Smith continued. “The energy in the building has been very positive. Proud of our leadership in the locker room and how connected this group is right now. We have a tremendous opportunity here on Saturday to go to Ohio State. They’re a very well-coached team, very talented. Coach (Ryan) Day that is done an amazing job with those guys.”

Even without this much adversity and an interim head coach, beating Ohio State would have been a massive task for Penn State. The Nittany Lions have won just two meetings against the Buckeyes since 2009 (2011 and 2016). A win this weekend would be extremely validating for Smith, who has been with the program since 2014 in some capacity.