Well, folks, this feels familiar.

Penn State football disappointed again, losing 24-20 to Wisconsin after jumping out to a 17-0 lead.

A sputtering second-half offense and questionable coaching decisions from Matt Campbell in his Big Ten opener left Nittany Lions fans leaving Beaver Stadium upset again.

Our staff was in and around Happy Valley for the contest. Here’s what we saw.

Different Coach, Familiar Spot

While Penn State canned James Franklin in 2025 to build better records in the Big Ten, a conference opening loss isn’t new for coaches in their first season at Penn State.

Franklin’s first loss as head coach of the Nittany Lions was a 29-6 thumping by Northwestern in the 2014 Homecoming game. Sound familiar?

Campbell and Penn State fell in the first test of the new tenure, but hey, there’s still time to turn the season around.

Attendance Problems

For a 5 p.m. Homecoming game against a formidable conference opponent, large patches of empty seats are not acceptable.

Penn State has a legit attendance problem, and whether it is due to price gouging, poor on-field performances, the renovations, or a broader trend in sports fandom, the higher-ups need to figure it out.

Maybe stop selling student tickets to students at branch campuses two hours away from Beaver Stadium?

Rocco Becht & Iowa State East

For all the heat Penn State took for essentially taking half the formidable players from a 2025 Iowa State team that was average at best, Saturday may have proved the haters right.

From Rocco Becht to offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser, Penn State did not look like a dominant force of brain power or physical presence.

Becht’s 12-for-29 for 114 yards and an interception was the worst display from a Penn State quarterback in years.

The Penn State faithful were promised a “let your nuts hang” offense this year under Becht and Mouser. Saturday looked about as free-flowing and loose as the Howell Turner Tunnel.

Have We Accepted Mediocrity?

Happy Valley and Penn State fans have gained a reputation for being some of the nicest fans in the country. That was proven again after Saturday’s game, as the student section stayed and clapped the team off the field despite the embarrassing loss.

While I love the support for the team, a part of me does wonder if that acceptance of mediocrity affects the greater culture of a program.

I can almost guarantee James Peoples was never clapped off by the Ohio State faithful after a loss at the Shoe.

Pain

As Jameis Winston once said, “Just pain. It was pain everywhere, so we gotta keep on pushing through and being resilient.”