Penn State heads back on the road Saturday as it continues to fight for bowl eligibility. The Nittany Lions will play the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in Week 14 of the college football season in the program’s ninth Big Ten game of the year. Here are some final thoughts and predictions ahead of the matchup.
Do younger players see increased reps?
Penn State’s regular season is coming to an end and its goals have been out of reach for a while, which should incentivize interim head coach Terry Smith — who wants the permanent job — to get a good look at more players on the roster who could contribute moving forward. That does not mean he should bench starters or anything like that, but it does mean there should be more rotating at every position where it can reasonably be done. That starts at corner, with a player like Daryus Dixson, and linebacker, with LaVar Arrington II and Alex Tatsch. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles should look to feature those players more now that they’ve burned their redshirts.
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On offense, that should mean more reps for Koby Howard and Tyseer Denmark at receiver, Cooper Cousins on the offensive line and Andrew Rappleyea at tight end. Because, while the Nittany Lions are still playing for bowl eligibility, the most important thing moving forward for the health of the program is figuring out who can and should be contributing on next year’s team.
A Nebraska defender can’t stop Penn State tight end Andrew Rappleyea as he runs in for a touchdown during the game on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, at Beaver Stadium.
Can Grunkemeyer continue improving?
Redshirt freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer went from looking completely out of place in his first start at Iowa to playing at a high level last week against Nebraska. Grunkemeyer has made significant strides to the point that it would be a surprise if he wasn’t starting somewhere next year — whether that’s Penn State or elsewhere. His comfort level in the pocket has increased to the point that he is able to get through his progression without feeling like he has to scramble. And, even when pressure comes, he’s been able to evade it and keep his eyes downfield.
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Grunkemeyer’s development has been one of the biggest surprises for the program since head coach James Franklin was fired on Oct. 12. If he can continue building on what he’s done thus far, he will make the quarterback decision a difficult one for the next head coach. Because, after it looked as if the Nittany Lions would need to go elsewhere to find their starting quarterback for 2026, that might not be the case any longer.
Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer looks to make a pass during the game against Nebraska on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, at Beaver Stadium.
The end of an era
Regardless of Penn State’s bowl status, this game will mark the end of an era. This will be the last time this group — coaching staff and players — will all be on the same field and on the same sideline. Even if a bowl berth happens, there will be the aforementioned opt-outs and there will almost certainly be coaching turnover between Saturday and the bowl. Which means Saturday’s matchup will be the last time James Franklin’s final team will play for Penn State in its entirety — even with Franklin already off to Virginia Tech.
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The group departing, especially veterans like Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zane Durant, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, will go down as one of the most successful in program history. The Nittany Lions fell short of their goals this season, but made the College Football Playoff semifinal in the 2024 season and were able to consistently win prior to this season. And that’s a major part of this, too — the failures this season. The era is ending because Penn State failed to live up to the expectations. And a win Saturday, especially a decisive one, will surely have those on the team wondering what could’ve been if not for an out-of-character pair of losses to UCLA and Northwestern.
Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) stands with Drew Allar and his teammates for the alma mater after the loss to Indiana on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025.
Final predictions
Penn State 31, Rutgers 6: The winner of this game gets bowl eligibility, and I would be surprised if that’s not the Nittany Lions. They’ve been playing much better in recent weeks and have taken care of business against weaker opponents in Michigan State and Nebraska. The Scarlet Knights don’t have nearly the talent that Penn State does and will have a hard time attacking a defense that has taken its game up a notch. The Nittany Lions should control this one from start to finish.
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MVP: Penn State wide receiver Koby Howard. The Nittany Lion passing game has taken a big step forward in its last two games and Howard has begun to play a little bit more. While he hasn’t had a breakout game yet, this could be his chance to do that. As things stand — yes, a lot is going to change because a new coach is coming in at some point — he is the future of the wide receiver position for Penn State. This will be his last chance during the regular season to show how valuable he can be for the offense regardless of who the head coach is next season.
The last word
Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith on why he’s the best candidate for the full-time job:
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“I think no one knows Penn State better than me of all the candidates out there. I know the history of Penn State. I know the culture, the DNA. I know the locker room. I know administration. I think I’m a good leader. I think I’m a leader of men. That will take care of itself when the time comes. My focus right now is obviously we have to beat Rutgers. We approach these last couple weeks as do-or-die, playoff-type games, and this is another playoff game for us in our own reality of our world.”
Penn State fans hold up a sign about interim coach Terry Smith during the game against Nebraska on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025 at Beaver Stadium.
