Penn State’s return to bowl eligibility under PSU Interim head coach Terry Smith has changed the entire outlook of the coaching search. His late-season push has the strongest argument for PSU’s full-time candidacy, even ahead of Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, who earlier held a 23% chance at the job, per Kalshi.

What makes Smith’s rise so compelling is not flash or pedigree, but how he navigated the most chaotic stretch of Penn State’s year. His latest win, a 40-36 fight over Rutgers, marked his third straight victory and pushed the Nittany Lions to 6-6; all in only his sixth game holding the reins. It may also be his final audition, with AD Pat Kraft able to announce a permanent head coach at any moment. But Smith’s voice after the game revealed exactly why his name refuses to fade from the con

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