Penn State still reeling from loss

Originally Published: November 5, 2003
By Herb Gould | Special to ESPN.com
It will be interesting to see how Penn State responds to a wrenching 21-20 loss to Ohio State in its next two games. After five straight losses, the last three to ranked teams, the Nittany Lions face better matchups against Northwestern and Indiana. But they'll need to shake off blowing a 17-7 third-quarter lead to the Buckeyes.

  • Legendary Joe Paterno, who's been facing calls for him to retire, put a lot of emotion into this game. After impressing his players with his intensity in practice all week, Paterno made an animated speech at a Friday night pep rally. "I'm exhausted," Paterno said. "It was a week where we worked like dogs to work up to a crescendo."

    If Penn State continues to struggle against the Wildcats and the Hoosiers, the calls for Paterno to step down will only gain steam.

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    Herb Gould

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