From the moment Penn State lost its third game of the season, officially fell out of College Football Playoff contention, and fired James Franklin, the season became about evaluation. Not just of interim head coach Terry Smith, but of redshirt freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, who replaced the injured senior Drew Allar.
Grunkemeyer has shown flashes, particularly in the second half against Indiana when the Nittany Lions took the lead over the No. 2 team in the country, and he finally began to push the ball down the field. However, Penn State’s Week 12 win over Michigan State revealed a concerning flaw in Grunkemeyer’s game.