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The conditioning drills Irish linebacker/running back Travis Thomas did over the summer were no different than those he had done in years past–“primarily speed conditioning, bursting 40-yard type drills,” Thomas said. “I just did a lot more [of them] anticipating playing both sides of the ball.” The work paid off, as Thomas played a full game on defense at Georgia Tech, and rushed six times for 19 yards. . . . How big is Saturday’s game against Penn State? “Atmosphere’s pretty similar to the USC game last year, a lot of hype going on,” Thomas said. “Two top-rated teams, two great coaches, there’s definitely a lot of buzz.”