QB Ethan Grunkemeyer says playing against Ohio State is a dream come true

Penn State football prepares to take on No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday, Nov. 1 for another game in the Big Ten rivalry. For quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, though, it's more than just a heated contest, it's a full-circle moment.

The Lewis Center, Ohio native will face a team he grew up watching and admiring. This is something former starting quarterback Drew Allar can relate to as Allar grew up in Medina, Ohio and took his collegiate career to Happy Valley as well.

"Since I was a kid, I dreamed about playing in that stadium, so it's gonna be cool to go back home &[and] be able to have the chance to do that," Grunkemeyer said, according to Lions247's Daniel Gallan. ". . . The opportunity to play in front of my family [and] people that live out back home will be super exciting for me."

The redshirt freshman was a four-star recruit from the class of 2024 out of Olentangy High School. He played about 25 minutes from Ohio Stadium. Grunkemeyer visited the Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) during his recruitment several times, but never received an offer from the program. Instead, the Nittany Lions (3-4, 0-4 Big Ten) took a chance on the young quarterback.

With just one game under his belt as a starter following Allar's ankle injury in Week 7, Grunkemeyer showed poise and confidence. Grunkemeyer is set to face a defense currently ranked first in the country in a stadium he dreamed of playing at. He'll have another opportunity on Saturday to show off his quick decision-making and early potential for the rest of his Penn State career.

"Going back home, it's definitely something that, since I was a kid, I've dreamt about playing in that stadium," he said, according to Basic Blues Nation. ". . . I obviously always watched them on Saturdays. I think just going back into that environment that I grew up in is definitely motivating. But I'd say at the end of the day, football is football. Just got to go put the ball down and play."

Interim head coach Terry Smith said he was pleased with Grunkemeyer's first starting performance against Iowa. While his stats were not anything to rave about, he handled the situation with maturity and put his head down to work after very short notice.

Though Ohio State is a big challenge for the underdog Nittany Lions, Saturday is a significant day for Grunkemeyer win or lose. He gets to take part in a rivalry he grew up loving and gets to show his worth on a big stage.

"I always watched the Penn State-Ohio State games," Grunkemeyer said. "It's kinda like a dream come true to be able to play in it."