Penn State hasn’t beaten Ohio State since 2016. That’s a big reason that James Franklin is no longer the head coach in Happy Valley. Franklin went 1-10 against the Buckeyes across his 11 years leading the Nittany Lions, but without Franklin, a ninth-straight loss for the program could be particularly ugly.
With Terry Smith in place as the interim head coach and redshirt freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer replacing the injured Drew Allar, Penn State fell to Iowa 25-24, allowing a two-play 75-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter that put the Hawkeyes ahead at Kinnick Stadium.