A week after securing his first win as Penn State’s interim head coach, Terry Smith led the Nittany Lions to an impassioned 37-10 Senior Night win over Nebraska at Beaver Stadium, and the calls couldn’t be louder for the former Penn State wide receiver to take over the program full-time.
However, you don’t fire James Franklin to keep the guy who wasn’t even a coordinator on his staff. Even with the momentum building for Smith to stay in Happy Valley, it’d be a massive shock for him to land this job. So, who are the other candidates to take it, and how did they fare in Week 13?
Off the board with extensions:
- Curt Cignetti, Indiana
- Matt Rhule, Nebraska
- Mike Elko, Texas A&M
Not likely to leave:
- Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
Not likely to leave for Penn State:
- Lane Kiffin
Vanderbilt will need some help, but the Commodores are still alive for the College Football Playoff. Clark Lea would be fantastic in State College, but the problem is, he’s already fantastic in Nashville. Vandy is on the verge of flipping five-star quarterback Jared Curtis from Georgia, and with the buzz in that city for the Commodores, there’s no reason to think he’s newfound success at his alma mater isn’t sustainable.
Early in the process, at least once Curt Cignetti came off the board, Matt Campbell felt like a clear No. 2 to Matt Rhule. Yet, since Rhule has signed his extension to stay at Nebraska, there hasn’t been much momentum for Campbell to leave Iowa State.
While he’s not the sexiest name on the list, Campbell is a proven winner at a place where it isn’t easy to succeed. Coming off an 11-win season in 2024, Campbell notched his seventh win of the year on Saturday. Before Campbell arrived in Ames, the program's record in a single season was nine wins.
James Madison entered Week 13 as a 13.5-point home favorite over Washington State and needed a late touchdown score to escape with a win and keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive. But the thing is, JMU got that late touchdown and did stay alive. Chesney continues to emerge as a real candidate for the Penn State job, and though his team likely won’t be the Group of Six representative in the CFP, the fact that he’s in the mix just two years after Curt Cignetti took JMU’s entire roster to Indiana is noteworthy.
Eli Drinkwitz got his quarterback back in Week 13, but Beau Pribula wasn’t able to manage more than six points against one of the best defenses in the country. Missouri is a well-coached and its defense put up a fight, but Drinkwitz’s lack of fourth-down aggressiveness with a disaster of a kicking situation wasn’t his finest moment.
Both Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate were out for Ohio State against Rutgers in Week 13. It was the perfect opportunity for Brian Hartline to display the embarrassment of riches that he’s amassed in the Ohio State wide receiver room; however, Ohio State wide receivers combined for just 4 catches and 33 yards.
As an offensive coordinator, it’s impressive that Hartline was able to build an entire passing game around tight ends and that his quarterback, Julian Sayin, still finished 13-for-19 for 157 yards and two touchdowns without Smith and Tate. Still, it feels like a wasted opportunity for Hartline to display his recruiting prowess.
Louisville has been ravaged by injuries down the stretch, but Jeff Brohm has been unable to stave off a full-blown collapse, and that’s definitely dinging his stock. He was never coming off the board a few weeks ago as Louisville was working towards an extension, but with three straight losses, it’s unlikely that Penn State or any other program in the country will come calling to pry him away.