Gesicki, veterans amped for last Ohio State showdown
When Mike Gesicki made his decision to return to Penn State for his senior season, this weekend's was the type of game on his mind.
This Saturday’s tilt with No. 6 Ohio State will be the third time the tight end has taken on the Buckeyes over his collegiate career, but this game is different. The second-ranked Nittany Lions enter Saturday’s game with conference title hopes and College Football Playoff aspirations hanging in the balance.
Presented the opportunity to pursue a career in the NFL after his junior season, the possibility of playing in this kind of spectacle is what helped draw Gesicki back for one final year.
“I think coming back to Penn State was a great decision, I’m happy I made it for a bunch of reasons,” he said. “A game of this magnitude and the success that we’re having this season is a big reason why... I didn’t want to miss out on this team and the success that we’re about to have this year.”
Gesicki has used this season to improve his blocking ability in the passing game. He said he had never blocked in high school, and was asked to do something totally new upon arriving at Penn State.
Coach James Franklin described Gesicki’s growth in that area as dramatic, and it’s showed in his team’s on field results.
“I think if you look at us right now and our running game, our perimeter blocking with the tight ends as well as with the receivers, I think it's probably maybe one of our most improved areas on our team,” Franklin said.
Gesicki’s decision to return wasn’t made in isolation. A number of Nittany Lions with NFL futures, including star safety Marcus Allen, made a similar choice to return to State College for a final go-around. It’s those choices that have helped set Penn State up for a titanic clash with the Buckeyes -- one that could very well shape the outcome of which team wins the Big Ten East, with no shortage of secondary implications.
For Gesicki, though, there’s an extra layer to his trip to Columbus.
Ohio State was a major player in his recruitment until the very end. He remembers watching the Buckeyes win the national championship during his freshman year and some of the interactions that came after.
“People were tweeting at me and saying stuff to me and all that kind of stuff,” Gesicki said. “I knew that it’s a long journey and a long four years and there’s a lot that goes on. Ultimately, I’m happy with where I’m at. I couldn’t have made a better decision for me, especially with the guys that I’m playing with and my teammates.”
Gesicki didn’t leave a significant impact against the Buckeyes in his first two seasons with the blue and white. He caught just a single pass for three yards playing against Ohio State on the road as a freshman and didn’t play in the game a year later.
Penn State’s only victory over the Buckeyes in Gesicki’s tenure came in last season’s stunning upset in which the tight end hauled in four passes for 46 receiving yards.
The Nittany Lions might match up better on paper against Ohio State than at any other point in Gesicki’s three years at Penn State. Even so, if Penn State is to emerge from the Horseshoe victorious, his impact will likely need to be significant.