It took until Week 12, but Penn State has finally beaten a Power 4 opponent in the 2025 season. Interim head coach Terry Smith got his first win since taking over for James Franklin on Saturday, beating Michigan State 28-10 for the Land Grant Trophy. Still, it hasn’t been a great week for the Penn State football program.
While James Franklin nears a deal with Virginia Tech, which will take a considerable chunk out of his $50 million buyout, Penn State’s options to replace him keep coming off the board. On Saturday morning, before orchestrating the biggest comeback in program history, New Jersey native Mike Elko finalized a six-year contract extension with Texas A&M.
It was a pipe dream for Penn State to ever land Elko, but even that dream is dead. Elko joins Curt Cignetti and Matt Rhule as potential candidates who signed extensions, and Louisville’s Jeff Brohm is working to be next.
There isn’t a huge pool of candidates for the 12 head coach openings across the country, so Penn State’s coaching search is starting to look bleak after Week 12.
Off the board with extensions:
- Curt Cignetti, Indiana
- Matt Rhule, Nebraska
- Mike Elko, Texas A&M
- Jeff Brohm, Louisville
Not likely to leave:
- Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
Not likely to leave for Penn State:
- Lane Kiffin
Penn State head coach candidate power rankings:
Eli Drinkwitz has lost his top two quarterbacks for the season, but he refuses to let his team bottom out. With four-star true freshman Matt Zollers behind center, Drinkwitz’s offense put up 49 points on Mississippi State in Week 12 behind 25 carries for 300 yards from Ahmad Hardy.
Not only does Drinkwitz do a great job hiring offensive assistants to keep his team productive on that side of the ball, but he’s a great talent evaluator, plucking Hardy off Louisiana Monroe’s roster and turning him into one of the best running backs in the country.
The No. 1 team in the country is being cautious with its best players. Carnell Tate was out for the second straight week, nursing an injury, and Jeremiah Smith exited in the first half of the Buckeyes’ 48-10 win over UCLA after entering the week questionable.
Still, without two of the best wide receivers in the country on the field, Ohio State’s offense was humming. It was a chance for Brian Hartline to showcase the depth of his wide receiver room, and former top recruit Mylan Graham looked like another future star.
Hartline’s ability to recruit is the biggest reason to consider him for the job, but he also did a good job as a play-caller in this one, activating a stagnant running game for 222 yards on the ground.
Both Vanderbilt and Iowa State were off in Week 12, so no big moves for Clark Lea or Matt Campbell. Both are intriguing candidates, but with Lea thriving at his alma mater, Campbell is much more likely to be pried away.