Despite a miserable 3-6 start to the season, Penn State football did what only nine percent of teams in college football history in their situation have done and rallied to finish with six wins and secure bowl eligibility. Barring something unexpected, Penn State is going bowling, with a destination to be determined on Sunday, December 7.

Yet, it’s possible that with the program in the midst of a potentially transformative offseason that a bowl game is deemed an unnecessary distraction. After James Franklin was fired as head coach in October, Penn State has gradually lost all but two members of their recruiting class and figures to deal with the repercussions of a fired coach when the transfer portal opens on January 2.

There is precedent to opting out of a bowl game. Before the NCAA went to a sole transfer portal window this offseason, Marshall had to opt out of the 2024 Independence Bowl due to not being able to field a roster. There have even been coaching-related opt-outs in the past, with Notre Dame opting out of the 2009 EagleBank Bowl after firing Charlie Weis and Missouri removing its name from consideration in 2015 after firing Gary Pinkel.

On the other hand, a bowl game provides weeks of extra practice and a chance to showcase younger talent who might not have had the opportunity to play in the regular season. It also allows the locker room to rally around Terry Smith one more time.

Michael Zeno: There Are Bigger Priorities Than A Bowl Game

I’ve always had a soft spot for bowl games, regardless of how meaningful. I was locked in on the Outback Bowl and Citrus Bowl when Penn State failed to make the New Year’s Six in 2018 and 2021, respectively, and I always enjoy scraping through bowl projections to see my Nittany Lions play one last time. I even remember how special those first bowl games felt after the sanctions, even if the Pinstripe and TaxSlayer Bowls weren’t as prestigious as the ones we’ve recently been accustomed to.

Even with the absolute disaster of a season this has been, I don’t agree with opting out of a bowl game because of preseason expectations. That’s silly. However, this isn’t a normal situation.

Franklin was fired in October, but Pat Kraft still hasn’t found his successor. A bizarre coaching search has, as of Wednesday, continued to come up empty, and Penn State signed exactly two recruits on National Signing Day. They have players mouthing off on social media about the search and its twists and turns. Everything has been super ugly.

It creates a tension that, unless Terry Smith ultimately gets the job, I don’t see how it makes sense to extend this season into late December for a meaningless game. It’s very likely to assume that a small army of players will depart in the transfer portal in January. The perk of a bowl game when you aren’t fighting for a national championship is extra practice time for returning players, but we don’t know who’s going to return.

If Penn State plays in the bowl game, but proceeds to lose a lot of players to the portal, all that practice did more for other teams than for itself. Additionally, some players might opt out of the game due to the NFL Draft or to protect their health ahead of the portal, so you’d be playing with an incredibly reduced deck.

This wouldn’t be the first time Penn State has opted out, as the Nittany Lions elected not to extend their 2020 season despite being able to go to a bowl game due to a COVID-19 year exception. That year, it made sense to opt out because of the constant obstacles of playing through a pandemic, but the team could’ve kept playing. Just like this season, they rallied off a win streak to end the season after starting 0-5. Just like that season, we can elect to end this season on a high note.

If the team was full throttle and they could use the bowl game as valuable playing time for the foundation of the 2026 team, that’d be great. I’m just not confident they manage that with this ongoing mess.

Brian Kriley: Penn State Football Shouldn’t Opt Out Of Its Bowl Game

It obviously goes without saying that this season has been nothing short of a disaster for Penn State football. A team that came into the year with national championship aspirations and expectations now sits at 6-6, barely reaching bowl eligibility. However, even with the disappointing season and the likelihood that Penn State will not be playing in any prestigious bowl game, the Nittany Lions should still participate, despite some fans having had enough of this season.

For starters, bowl games give teams and players extra reps and practices. With potentially a new coaching hire on the horizon, an extra 15 practices and a game will allow a new coach to get a head start in establishing a new culture for Penn State football. It will also allow players to get more film out for the draft or the transfer portal if they opt for it. Younger players will also get a chance to get real game reps if some veteran players opt out.

Ethan Grunkemeyer is just a redshirt freshman and has a great chance at being the Nittany Lion quarterback next year. I think any chance he or any other young player has to develop is worth capitalizing on.

It’s also important to note the message that opting out of a bowl game would send. For a historic program, this would be seen as quitting on the season. The recruiting fallout is bad enough; an opportunity to impress any potential recruit and show some sense of stability is one Penn State should take.

Opting out of the bowl game will also punish the players who stayed with Penn State. Many players will transfer before the bowl game, but for the guys that stay, or who came back for their senior year, they deserve a full season and one final shot to play for the blue and white.

Overall, college football is a game in which culture is paramount. Abandoning a season instead of developing young players, leaving a positive impression on recruits, and giving a new coach some momentum going into his first season would set a precedent against what Penn State football is all about. Get the next era of Penn State football going in the right direction and play the game.