STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Bill O’Brien’s mid-November concern is more about how his Penn State team will play down the stretch — not whether it has something to play for.
The second-year coach has been able to motivate his Nittany Lions time and again after facing adversity. And now — as that has happened again — this is just the way he’s going to handle it.
Like it or not.
“People question, ‘What is there to play for?’ There’s a lot to play for,” O’Brien said Tuesday. “There’s the respect of your opponent, there’s your teammates, there’s the tradition of Penn State football.
“At Penn State, there will never be a question of what is there to play for.”
O’Brien stressed that team morale is not an issue. Instead, inconsistent play throughout a 5-4 season tops his checklist heading into Saturday’s home game against Purdue (1-8).
