Ryan Day Warns OSU Against Penn State's 'Nothing to Lose Mentality' Ahead of Matchup

Penn State has had an ugly season up to this point, but Ryan Day knows better than to look past the Nittany Lions.

The Ohio State head coach preached the importance of staying focused against a team with "nothing to lose" after starting the year 3-4 and parting ways with head coach James Franklin.

He said the Buckeyes "have to be on high alert at all times for things" and to "expect the unexpected."

Penn State came into the season with championship hopes after reaching the College Football Playoff semifinal a year ago, and a 3-0 start kept those hopes alive. The Nittany Lions have now lost four straight, including a loss to Northwestern that preceded Franklin's firing.

But Penn State's disaster of a season makes it a dangerous opponent heading into Saturday's rivalry game. The Nittany Lions don't have to worry about a loss impacting their CFP resume or their chances of reaching the Big Ten championship because their hopes of a successful season are already crushed.

Instead, Penn State will head into the game with "nothing to lose," just hoping to salvage its season with an upset win over its rivals.

While the Nittany Lions have "nothing to lose," Day and the Buckeyes have everything to lose. A loss wouldn't ruin their chances of a Playoff berth, but it would make things much more difficult moving forward.

Day appears to have his players locked in this week, but anything can happen in a rivalry game.