Well, folks, the 2025 season is about to come to an end. Whether for good or for worse, Penn State has just one game left in the Terry Smith era, as Matt Campbell will take over head coach duties after Saturday.

First, though, the Nittany Lions will play in the preseason national championship game against Clemson in the Bad Boy Mowers Pin Stripe Bowl.

The last time Penn State made the trip to the Bronx was in 2014, the Nittany Lions’ first bowl game back from sanctions and James Franklin’s first bowl game as head coach in Happy Valley. That game ended in a 31-30 win over Boston College with plays from the likes of Chris Godwin, Jesse James, and Christian Hackenberg.

It’s only right that the start and end of the James Franklin era will take place in Yankee Stadium in the Pin Stripe Bowl.

The Team

Similar to Penn State, Clemson started the season with National Championship aspirations. The Tigers were No. 4 in the preseason AP Poll, but after a week one loss to LSU, their season started to unravel. Clemson is now 7-5 and 4-4 in the ACC.

Clemson’s best wins were against Florida State, Louisville, and South Carolina. The Tigers’ big issue was losing to a team they should not have, especially 3-9 Syracuse.

Dabo Swinney will lead Clemson out of the tunnel for the 22nd time in a bowl game. He originally took over as head coach of the Tigers in an interim position in 2008 and was given the full-time role before the following season. He has a 12-9 record in bowl games with two national championships in 2016 and 2018.

The offensive coordinator for Clemson is Garrett Riley, who also serves as the quarterbacks coach, roles he picked up in 2023. Riley has been an offensive coordinator since he became SMU’s in 2020. He spent just two seasons with the Mustangs before moving to TCU, where he won the Broyles award, given to honor the best assistant coach in college football, in 2022.

Penn State’s former defensive coordinator, Tom Allen, will lead the defense for Clemson. Allen was the Nittany Lions coach for one season during 2024, when they made it to the college football playoff semi-final, but left for Clemson shortly after.

Penn State has played against the Tigers once before, during the 1988 Citrus Bowl. No. 14 Clemson beat the No. 20-ranked Nittany Lions 35-10. Terry Smith was on that Penn State team.

The Offense

For a team missing over 25 players due to opt-outs, Clemson’s starting offense will look really similar to it did during the regular season. Three-year starting quarterback Cade Klubnik highlights the players who decided to stick around and play in the bowl game.

Klubnik was seen as one of the top quarterbacks and players in the country heading into the season, with hopes of going in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He did not live up to that hype and posted 2750 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions on 66.6% throwing.

He will have two of his better receiving options available in T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. The two receivers combined for two touchdowns and over 1200 yards. Wesco Jr. was another Tiger player with huge prospects for the 2025 season, but injuries kept him out of five games.

Clemson will be without its top receiver, Antonio Williams. He also did not play in every game, but he did lead the team in receptions with 55.

Adam Randall, the team’s No. 1 rushing option, will also play for Clemson. He finished the 2025 season with 800 yards and 9 rushing touchdowns on 157 carries. He also added 31 receptions for 246 and three touchdowns.

The Defense

On the defensive side, Clemson is dealing with almost an entirely new starting lineup.

All four typical starters on the defensive line, TJ Parker, Peter Woods, DeMonte Capehart, and Jahiem Lawson, will not play on Saturday. Likely, Will Heldt, Stephiylan Green, Vic Burley, and Cade Denhoff will step up for the Tigers. Also look out for 6-7, 270-pound redshirt freshman Darien Mayo off the edge.

Another expected high draft pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Avieon Terrell, has opted out as well. He is No. 20 on the PFF Big Board and has been a bright spot for the Tigers all season. Expect players like Ashton Hampton and Branden Strozier to step up in the secondary. The team’s best safety, Khalil Barnes, will also not play.

In the linebacker room, Wade Woodaz will not play due to injury. Instead, Sammy Brown and Jeremiah Alexander will likely start. Alexander transferred from Alabama, but has yet to work his way into the starting lineup. He had 25 total tackles and one sack during the 2025 season.

Special Teams

Both the punter, Jack Smith, and the kicker, Nolan Hauser, will play in the Bad Boy Mowers Pin Stripe Bowl. Hauser has made 13 of his last 14 field goals after starting the season three for five. The opponents have gone 17 for 25 on field goals when playing Clemson this season.

Smith has done all but four punts this season, averaging 42.5 yards per kick with a long of 52.