Not many things will grant Penn State fans closure after yet another disheartening loss. However, unlike last week after their loss to Wisconsin, head coach Matt Campbell actually seemed to take accountability. In his first year with the program, he may finally be realizing that the Big Ten gauntlet may be more challenging than he initially thought. While the Wisconsin loss was somewhat unlucky, they simply looked lifeless against Northwestern. As a result, it's back to the chopping block for Campbell and Co.
“I think the frustrating thing for me is the standard of what this program plays football with, the attitude, the effort, the toughness," Campbell said after the Friday night loss at Northwestern, according to Blue White Illustrated. "We
lacked it in every way, shape, and form tonight, and I put that, and I put a lot of that on me."
For many Penn State fans, it won't heal the wounds of the performances we've seen on the field from them. When you look at the statistics from this game, it doesn't even look like the Nittany Lions tried to put up a fight. Carson Hansen was the team's leading rusher with only 19 yards. Rocco Becht threw two more interceptions in this game after last week's debacle. So while it's one thing to be frustrated, there has to be some sense of a turnaround.
“We have the right human beings in that locker room, and we certainly have the right coaches in that locker room," Campbell went on to say later in his postgame press conference. "The challenge will be getting ourselves aligned back to who we want to be, where we need to be, and fundamentally the team we need to be to be able to win."
Right now, that seems easier said than done. Games against USC, Michigan and Washington now seem much more daunting than they were to start the season. Perhaps the sheer weight of expectations this team has faced ever since Matt Campbell took over has become a little too much for even Matt Campbell to handle at this point in time. If he doesn't soon, his tenure as Penn State head coach may be over sooner than expected.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Matt Campbell finally assumes responsibility for Penn State woes
