Penn State Could Lose 10-Point Advantage Without 'Whiteout,' Urban Meyer Says
Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer long has been a fan of the Penn State "Whiteout." Well, fan might not be the proper word. More like admirer.
As a result, Meyer said he considered Penn State's home-field advantage with the "Whiteout" to be worth 10 points when he coached there four times. And that advantage will be neutralized when Ohio State plays Penn State on Oct. 31 in an empty Beaver Stadium.
"I told [Penn State coach] James Franklin this: That became the most difficult place I've ever coached in my career," Meyer said on Big Ten Network.
Meyer brought four Ohio State teams to Penn State for "Whiteout" games, going 3-1. The last three were agonizingly close, with Ohio State winning in double-overtime in 2014 and by one point after a fourth-quarter rally in 2018.
Penn State, of course, rallied in the second half for its historic 24-21 victory in 2016 en route to the Big Ten title. Before that game, Meyer said, "I wish they'd save the 'Whiteout' for other games."
Both Meyer and the Big Ten Network's Gerry DiNardo expect the Oct. 31 Penn State-Ohio State game to be played at night. But Meyer suspected the impact would be lessened significantly with the absence of fans.
"I mean, that [stadium] was as loud as I've ever heard, and we had street-fight games with them every game," Meyer said. "... In my mind, that is a 10-point differential when you play in that kind of game.
"That means you have to be on point. You remember the preparation days that drove you insane on Tuesday and Wednesday, to have that music and that jet engine blowing in your ear at practice, and you have to do it. But you can't make corrections at practice, so your coaching suffers that entire week."
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