In the wake of James Franklin’s firing, Penn State football has been navigating one of its most emotional stretches in recent memory. Interim head coach Terry Smith has been tasked with steadying a shaken team still reeling from the loss of its longtime leader. After back-to-back defeats to Iowa and top-ranked Ohio State, the Nittany Lions must win three of their final four games to reach bowl eligibility. In his weekly press conference ahead of the matchup, Smith revealed how one unexpected call from Indiana’s Curt Cignetti offered strength in a moment when the program needed it most.

Both current and former players admitted the week following Franklin’s firing was one of the toughest they’d ever experienced. “Sunday was really traumatizing to them,” Smith shared, noting how every day

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