All eyes on Penn State's new starring Lion: 'There’s no doubt that we believe in him"

It's suddenly Devyn Ford's show at Penn State.

His childhood dream opportunity, his spotlight, his chance to prove why he was one of the nation's highest-rated recruits.

What a whirlwind the true sophomore from Virginia is being thrown into.

He's the guy following Saquon Barkley, Miles Sanders and now Journey Brown. He's the one gifted to run behind what many are calling the Nittany Lions' best offensive line in more than a decade. He's the starter at the place becoming known more for producing running backs than linebackers.

He will be the one helping lead these discontented Lions, backs against the wall, into a nearly-empty Beaver Stadium Saturday to play possibly the nation's top team.

Consider that his team is at serious risk of starting 0-2 for the first time since NCAA sanctions attempted to tear it apart in 2012. The team that just lost to Indiana for only the second time in forever.

This certainly won't be Ford's game to rescue, not by himself. Penn State still has a returning quarterback and that line of blockers and an All-American tight end and a defense that grabs onto you like an ornery bulldog.

But all eyes will be on Ford Saturday in the "white out" that really won't be because of COVID-19. He's the starter who was pretty much the No. 4 guy just last December.

But then Ricky Slade transferred to Old Dominion and Brown, an up-and-coming national star, was lost with an undisclosed medical condition. On Tuesday, newest starter Noah Cain was ruled out for the rest of the season after being injured at Indiana.

That leaves the deepest running back room in the Big Ten down to Ford and true freshmen Caziah Holmes and Keyvone Lee.

Turning Penn State's adversity into opportunity?

At the same time, this is a gift for Ford. A chance to earn his standing and make an early name for himself on the highest level.

He was probably the most promising talent among Penn State's stacked runners when he arrived on campus in 2019. It's just that his rapid promotion illustrates the unforeseen predicament Franklin's most talented team at Penn State must now conquer.

The Lions looked ragged in their delayed opener, so much so with penalties, turnovers and mistakes that it cost them a game they otherwise dominated.

They have lost key players to injuries, targeting penalties, false-positive COVID-19 tests and an unexpected departure to the NFL.

They are wounded and are forced to recover against No. 3 Ohio State, of all opponents.

To do that, Ford must shake off those pedestrian numbers from his first start (20 carries, 69 yards). He must clear his mind from that ill-fated decision to walk into the end zone in the final two minutes — which actually gave Indiana its chance to tie and then win.

He must roll with confidence by Saturday.

And while he's learning himself, he must mentor those rookies hard, because the Lions ultimately will need them, too. At times, the 230-pound Lee actually looked like the team's most effective runner in unexpected action.

"I thought he did some really nice things, I thought his mentality was really good," Franklin said of Ford's feature debut. (But) there's a difference from being a guy rotating in ... and being 'the guy.' 

"I think he’ll grow into that" new role. There's no doubt he has the talent to do that, and there’s no doubt that we believe in him."

To win Saturday, the Lions must find holes in the Buckeyes' re-shaped defense and apply constant pressure with frequent scores.

It seems the only way to survive.

Only now, that mission will rely on three runners still trying to find their way, in a sense.

How they embrace it could very well tell the story of the night.