After falling to 3-6, Penn State had to fight back to bowl eligibility with a three-game win streak to end the year. Then, when it was reported that Penn State would be heading to the Pinstripe Bowl to face an ACC opponent, Nittany Lions fans understandably had dreams of ending the year on a high note with a rivalry win over Pitt.
Instead, Penn State will face Clemson at Yankee Stadium with a noon kickoff on Saturday, December 27. It is the program’s second appearance in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl and second-ever matchup with Clemson.
Unlike the storied history between in-state rivals Pitt and Penn State, the last and only time these two programs met was in the 1988 Citrus Bowl, a 35-10 Clemson win.
Preseason favorites, Penn State and Clemson, limp to Pinstripe Bowl appearance
This matchup isn’t just disappointing for Penn State fans because it’s not Pitt lining up on the other side, which would have easily been the most highly anticipated possible matchup for bowl season. It’s disappointing because neither of these two teams ever expected to be playing in the Pinstripe Bowl when this season began. You can argue that Penn State and Clemson are the two most disappointing teams in the country this year.
In the Preseason AP Top 25 Poll, Penn State was No. 2 and Clemson No. 4, just behind the reigning national champion Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 3. Texas was No. 1.
Coming off a trip to the College Football Playoff Semifinal in 2024 and returning a bevy of veteran talent, along with starting quarterback Drew Allar, Penn State was a popular national championship pick and the betting favorite to win the Big Ten. Then, as you well know, Penn State fired head coach James Franklin six games into his 12th season after three-straight losses to begin conference play.
Clemson held onto longtime head coach Dabo Swinney, but the Tigers were similarly underwhelming. The Tigers started the year with a home loss to LSU, before narrowly eeking out a win over Troy in Week 2. Then, in ACC play, Clemson lost back-to-back games to Georgia Tech and Syracuse, effectively ending its season and title hopes.
Clemson rallied to 7-5, ending the year on a four-game win streak, including a non-conference victory over its in-state rival, South Carolina.
Despite returning senior quarterback Cade Klubnik, a 2022 five-star like Allar, Clemson submitted its worst season since 2010, Swinney’s second year at the helm. This will be a critical offseason for Swinney, who has resisted the transfer portal era and suffered because of it.
Coming into the season, it was fair to imagine that Penn State and Clemson would be meeting in the CFP quarterfinals. Instead, the two will wrap up disappointing seasons at Yankee Stadium.