Penn State lost its way, and its coach, this season, one that will go down as perhaps the most confounding in program history. The Nittany Lions went from preseason No. 2 to a head-coaching search in just six games. And James Franklin is the team's former coach promising to win a title elsewhere.

Ohio State leads the series 25-14. The Buckeyes have won eight straight meetings. Penn State's most recent victory came in 2016. Penn State has not won back-to-back meetings in the series since 1978 and 1980 (Fiesta Bowl). The Nittany Lions earned victories in the first four contests between 1912 and 1964.

Former Heisman winner and current Matt Leinart joined the Pardon My Take podcast recently to discuss all things college football, including the Penn State program. Leinart shared his thoughts on the Nittany Lions going from national title contenders to firing head coach James Franklin in just a few weeks.

Riverside three-star defensive lineman Tavian Branch has become a hot commodity in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle as the December Early Signing Period

This time, a season that began with as much promise as any in decades was stripped bare in a 22-21 homecoming loss to Northwestern at Beaver Stadium.

How has Penn State fared in past White Out games at Beaver Stadium? Here's what to know ahead of Saturday's game vs. Oregon:

Top-ranked Ohio State is favored by 17.5 points against its Big Ten foe, according to FanDuel. It’s the largest spread between the teams since OSU was an 18.5-point home favorite in 2021, according to Odd Shark’s database. The spread is a result of two things: the Buckeyes’ dominance and the Nittany Lions’ struggles.

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg recently ranked the seven open jobs, and he has Penn State at No. 1. Rittenberg considered on-field performance, access to the College Football Playoff, roster building, university leadership and financial support as he compiled his rankings.

In their ranking, ESPN discussed Penn State's prestige as the premier Northeastern program, talking about its resume under Franklin and how they have started to break through into college football's elite.

Everyone who works in and around college football expects a great deal of coaching turnover this offseason. A crazy coaching carousel appears all but assured after a flurry of midseason firings, as some of the bluest of blueblood programs are already looking for their next head coaches.

The Nittany Lions’ offensive production has plummeted through seven games. The group has gone from averaging 430.2 yards per game to just 355, which ranks 97th among FBS programs