Regardless of the opponent, could you ever, in a million years, imagine Frank saying something like this in front of a camera?
I can't see Frank saying this on or off camera because I don't think it fits his personality. As I said, I think this is a comment that reveals a lot about O'Brien's personality. Over the last week or two I have formulated an opinion on his personality, and I may be right or wrong, since it is only based on the public appearances. I see him as a cocky perfectionist, one that can be demanding, and harshly critical when you fail to meet his expectations. I said when they announced the ability of players to transfer that it would be a referendum on the new coach, and when nine left, I view that as a sign of an undercurrent of unhappiness, which isn't uncommon under a demanding perfectionist.
With that in mind, I now have an opinion of how the game will play out. I see PSU coming out full bore, with intense emotion, and good precision. Ohio will have a hard time holding up to that initial assault. As Solich said, if the game is decided in the first few minutes, it will probably not be decided in Ohio's favor. If, however, Ohio does hold up early, and particularly if they force some PSU mistakes, I think PSU will not react well, and Ohio has an excellent shot of staying in the game, and winning. I see the same thing for the PSU season - if they win early and often, they will continue to win, but if they struggle early, the season could go very differently.