Super Bowl is on a school night

INDIANAPOLIS — Wearing two hats a challenge for Patriots’ O’Brien

If Bill O’Brien’s focus had strayed a bit during the past week, he could not be blamed.

The Patriots offensive coordinator and the Penn State coach in waiting has had more on his plate than a glutton at a smorgasbord.

What has he had to concern himself with?

The biggest game of his life.

The career opportunity of his life.

Jason Pierre-Paul and arguably the best group of pass rushers in the NFL.

National Signing Day.

Rob Gronkowski’s ankle.

Assembling a staff of assistants at Penn State.

Leaving friends and a special situation.

Moving to a new city.

Friends, family and co-workers from two jobs pulling him in a hundred directions.

How has he done it?

By trying his hardest to live in the moment.

“The hat and the heart are in one place and that’s to, along with the offensive staff here, do the best job we can to put together a great game plan for the Patriots,” O’Brien said. “There’s only one focus that you can have when you’re in a game like this. We have a great staff back at Penn State that’s in charge of what’s going on there right now. I’ll start there early next week.”

The plan is to report to Happy Valley on Monday night or Tuesday morning, skipping possible victory parades and celebrations. A human resources meeting Tuesday at Penn State beckons.

In the meantime, O’Brien has leaned on friends to see him through, especially former Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, who had a similar experience when he committed to be Notre Dame’s coach in 2005, and Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

“Bill has been tremendous with his advice to me,” O’Brien said. “He has been tremendous with his help back in New England assigning a couple of people to help me with Penn State things as they roll through, like emails and phone calls. … It’s about people at both ends.”

The events of the week have made O’Brien appreciative for a lot of reasons.

He is grateful to be in such a special situation, working with Belichick, the Kraft family, Tom Brady and an elite NFL team.

“We’ve been through a long season. There were a lot of ups and downs. I’ve learned a lot from these guys and how they carry themselves,” O’Brien said of his fellow assistant coaches..

He also is appreciative Penn State recruits such as offensive lineman Anthony Stanko, wide receiver Eugene Lewis and running back Akeel Lynch have stuck to their commitment to the school despite the turmoil amid an alleged sexual child abuse scandal and the resignation and death of coaching icon Joe Paterno.

“One thing that I made clear to the administration at Penn State was that whoever had committed to the previous staff, we were going to stand by that commitment because they’re a part of our family,” O’Brien said. “We can’t wait to coach them and watch them grow as men. It’s a testament to them that they stuck with us.”

For now though, us is the Patriots. And them is the Giants.