Penn State’s offensive performance at Ohio State was as inept as they come. The Nittany Lions managed only two field goals before the game was out of reach, converted 1 of 16 third-down attempts and averaged 3.53 yards per play, the program’s lowest since 2016.

To lose in the way Penn State did — failing to find any semblance of offensive rhythm and failing to support an outstanding defensive effort — falls on a lot of people’s shoulders. Two people in particular who bore much of the blame were Mike Yurcich and Drew Allar.

Yurcich, Penn State’s third-year offensive coordinator, came under fire from a fan base frustrated with how lost the Nittany Lions looked. Allar, the first-year starting quarterback, played his worst game to date, completing 18 of 42 passes for 191 yards and a late touchdown.

Coach James Franklin was asked after Wednesday’s practice how both Allar and Yurcich have managed the past few days in the aftermath of losing to Ohio State, 20-12.

Franklin said Allar has been “good.” The sophomore was not made available to the media this week but was honest and emotional during his postgame interview. Allar said he “sucked” against the Buckeyes and answered for the offense’s woeful performance while wiping away tears in the Ohio State visiting media room.

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“He puts a ton into this,” Franklin said of Allar. “He was pretty upset after the game, which a lot of people were. But he’s moved on. For a lot of us, when that next opponent comes out and that next game plan comes and the film and the next challenge and the next opportunity, that helps. It allows you to pour all your energy into that next battle.”

Franklin said the coaching staff, including Yurcich, has had a similar approach.

Yurcich, many would argue, went away from the offensive identity that helped get Penn State to a 6-0 record and a No. 7 ranking in the national polls. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen combined for only 18 carries. None of the trick plays worked. Penn State struggled mightily on third down thanks to average distance to gain of 7.5 yards.

Yurcich was not made available to the media after the game, which is standard operating procedure for Penn State. Franklin has always served as the lone voice from the coaching staff postgame and during the week, aside from a Thursday call with a rotating assistant. Reporters spoke to Yurcich over the bye week and might not until before the bowl game.

“It’s challenging. It’s challenging on all of us,” Franklin said, asked about how Yurcich has handled post-Ohio State criticism. “One of the things we try to do in the way we operate is try to eliminate as many distractions as we possibly can. It’s not always fun for me to come to the press conferences, but it allows the rest of the staff to focus on the job at hand and move on.

“Now, are we completely in a submarine? No. But on Sunday, just like a lot of people, we were in there. There were tough film sessions and tough conversations. A lot of transparency, a lot of honesty, a really good discussion from the entire staff. That’s hard to hear sometimes, but it’s also needed. It’s also needed. It was a challenging night, and it was a challenging next day.”

Now, the Nittany Lions are tasked with turning the page on a challenging weekend and improving. They have Indiana this week, followed by a trip to Maryland. Then, Michigan comes to town for what should be another top-10 matchup.

By that point, the Nittany Lions need to improve. Earlier this week, tackle Caedan Wallace said he didn’t want one performance to define Penn State’s offense. That’s fair. But it’s also fair to look at what Penn State did at Ohio State and recognize it can’t happen against Michigan.

Not all of the blame should fall at the feet of Yurcich and Allar. There are other position coaches on staff. The line has been solid but not dominant. The running game hasn’t popped even when given the chance to do so. And, perhaps most importantly, the wide receivers are failing to create separation and get open for Allar, which in turn makes Yurcich’s job more difficult.

When asked specifically about a passing game averaging 6.5 yards per attempt (97th in the FBS) with only 13 plays of 20-plus yards (125th in the FBS), Franklin was honest.

“We’re behind. We’re behind in the passing game,” Franklin said. “We’ve shown some flashes. I think Trey (Wallace’s) injury when we didn’t have a whole lot of proven guys before that (had an impact). I think some guys that have come in have transitioned slower than we had hoped. But this is an opportunity to take a step this week and build confidence moving forward.”

We’ll see how Allar, Yurcich and the offense fare against Indiana — and eventually Michigan.

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