Interim head coach Terry Smith reinvigorated Penn State football after former head coach James Franklin was fired with an 0-3 start in Big Ten play. Since Smith took over to close out the 2025 season, the Nittany Lions' locker room immediately glued back together and played on the field with a level of fight that was absent at the start of the season. Even after losses, Penn State returned with a fire to win, putting the past in the past.
After winning back-to-back games, Michigan State and Nebraska, the impact Smith has on the team cannot go unnoticed.