Another week, another Big Ten loss.

Penn State football dropped its fourth Big Ten contest to Michigan 21-18 in Michigan Stadium on Saturday behind three backbreaking Rocco Becht turnovers and a strong second-half Wolverine rushing attack.

The Nittany Lions had multiple chances to capitalize and snatch a big win for Matt Campbell to hang his hat on, but Penn State failed to refrain from shooting itself in the foot once more.

The loss sent Penn State fans onto social media, where they didn’t hesitate to voice their hot takes. Here’s what our staff thinks of some of them.

Penn State’s 2027 Recruiting Class Will Fall Outside The Top 30

Cadyn Gill: That viral clip of Campbell speaking to recruits before the White Out certainly helped his PR.

However, I worry that his demand for selfless players who want to develop as men, rather than players, could actually set him back when recruiting a dangerously immature generation in the world of NIL.

Penn State’s Class of 2027 is ranked No. 20 in the nation, led by offensive tackle David Tarawaile, defensive lineman Stanley Montgomery, and cornerback Kei’Shjuan Teffler.

My main concern is that Penn State’s 2026 struggles could reopen commitments from unimpressed 2027 recruits and, all of a sudden, Campbell is back to square one.

We saw this with three-star quarterback Will Wood, who jumped ship on Sunday, flipping to Boston College. Hopefully nobody else follows.

Jamie Lynch: Penn State football is looking a lot like Iowa State right now, to be quite frank.

Campbell’s highest-ranked recruiting class with the Cyclones was in 2022, when it was No. 39 in the country. The rest of Campbell’s time in Ames, Iowa, the classes ranked in the 40-50 range.

It’s not crazy to say the Nittany Lions’ 2027 class will follow suit, and Wood’s recent transfer was not a promising sign, but Derek Hoodjer and Pat Kraft play an equal role in this as Campbell.

I’m not sure what happens behind the scenes regarding Penn State’s NIL allotment, but if Penn State can’t compete financially with some of these other Power Four schools, it will undoubtedly enter a dark era of recruiting in Happy Valley.

Oscar Orellana: I hate to be negative, but Penn State needs to seriously steer the ship in the right direction with a solid recruiting class. Its current class is very defense-heavy, with three cornerbacks and its highest-rated recruit coming at the hands of Terry Smith.

The rest of the group is littered with three-star talent that is good for depth, but Campbell and Co. need to gain some traction with top-level talent to bolster it. I know it’s not peak commitment time just yet, but Penn State needs to get some wins down the stretch to make a point.

I will treat Wood’s flip to Boston College as an outlier. Quarterback is such a unique position for such a monumental decision. While Rocco Becht has been awful, Campbell’s previous long-term quarterback project is one of the NFL’s current MVP frontrunners. Wood’s decision falls outside the scope of recruiting as a whole.

To answer the question, though, I do think Penn State will fall out of the top 30 as Campbell tries to pull it together in the back half of the season. I don’t think his recruiting message is the strongest in the current college football landscape, but one can only hope he can reach the hearts of high-end talent.

Rocco Becht Is Penn State’s Worst Quarterback Of The Last Decade

Cadyn Gill: Woof. I truly did not anticipate how bad Becht would be for Penn State this season. I thought his veteran presence would raise the Nittany Lions’ floor on Saturdays, but lately it’s been the opposite. His inaccurate throws, inexcusable interceptions, and overall lack of playmaking have plagued Penn State’s already-underperforming offense.

Still, I won’t engage in historical discourse spanning back a decade, when Becht has played just seven games in the blue and white.

If you lined up the best version of Trace McSorley, Sean Clifford, Drew Allar, Ethan Grunkemeyer, and Becht and told me I had to pick one to win a Big Ten game, I’d say Becht probably wouldn’t be my last choice.

Jamie Lynch: Each time a new Penn State quarterback takes the reins, folks seem to find a new “worst.”

I remember the days when I thought watching Clifford was torture, not-so-patiently waiting for the five-star from Medina, Ohio, to arrive in Happy Valley.

Then the promised one came along, and after watching Allar play in the big moments during his freshman season, fans seemed to be yearning for Clifford once again.

Allar lacked the clutch gene and grittiness that people began to realize Clifford had to some degree. Allar’s yips continued throughout his collegiate career, as his poor decision-making ultimately cost Penn State a spot in the national championship. That being said, it’s become increasingly evident that coaching malpractice was likely at fault.

Becht has not played well at all. But is it crazy to say I trust him more than I trusted Allar? Becht’s interception against Michigan was about as bad a pick as I’ve seen, but he’s also threaded the needle more times than I noticed when watching Allar. I don’t want recency bias or revisionist history to get the best of me.

Also, are we accounting for guys like Ta’Quan Roberson in this hot take?

Oscar Orellana: I was a huge Becht defender up until Saturday. In no world should a fifth-year quarterback with his experience be making horrid throws directly to the other team.

I’ve always said that no loss can be pinned on a single player at any level of football, but Becht’s performance on Saturday is the closest I’ve ever seen. All three of his turnovers led to all 21 of Michigan’s points.

In my eyes, Becht has been the worst Penn State quarterback in the last 10 years, through four Big Ten games. He just looks lost out there, and the worst part is that all signs point to the fact that he shouldn’t.

Matt Campbell Refusing To Bench Rocco Becht Will Completely Lose The Fan Base

Cadyn Gill: I think he already has, unfortunately.

But truthfully, Penn State fans will literally complain about every single part of a team after a loss. Nobody is safe, and everyone is at fault.

That said, Campbell won’t let fans’ opinions determine who he plays at quarterback.

Backup Alex Manske likely hasn’t shown nearly enough in practice to warrant Campbell benching the quarterback he’s gone to war with for four seasons.

Jamie Lynch: Part of what irked fans so much about James Franklin was his radical loyalty to specific players. It’s the reason Liam Clifford got so much playing time, presumably over Koby Howard.

Penn State fans love Campbell as a person, if not as a coach. Franklin checked off neither category. The blue and white faithful genuinely want to see Campbell succeed, while at many times it felt like they rooted for Franklin’s downfall.

I think refusing to bench Becht will turn a lot of people off, but I don’t think it will completely alienate the fan base, as we saw last season. I would say most Nittany Lions fans have an “anyone but Franklin” mentality, and nothing Campbell does this season would change the majority’s opinion.

Plus, the fifth-year senior has only a handful of games left in blue and white, and with little left to play for, I think Campbell’s roster decisions for next season will be more impactful.

Oscar Orellana: If Becht continues to struggle as much as he has against the likes of Purdue, Washington, Minnesota, Rutgers, and Maryland, and still hasn’t been benched to see what Manske can do, I think the fans will give Campbell a really rough time heading into the offseason.

Penn State fans can be unnecessarily angry at times, but the frustration is warranted. This Penn State team might not even make a bowl game. What’s the problem with throwing Manske in there?

I think Campbell and Becht’s loyalty to one another is a good story and all, but this isn’t a random coaching job. This is Penn State. Every game needs to be a genuine attempt at getting better. This year was always going to be a building year. Campbell needs to start treating it as such.

If Penn State loses to Purdue in another Becht stinker, I wouldn’t be surprised by genuine “fire Campbell” social media reactions when the Nittany Lions face off against Washington on November 7.

The Missed Safety Call Would Have Completely Changed The Game For Penn State

Cadyn Gill: Nope. That play would have helped, but are we going to sit here and act like an extra possession would have magically let this offense drive down the field and score?

The Nittany Lions ran 37 offensive plays in the first half and scored just three points.

A safety there would have been a whopping two more points on the board, likely followed by another Nathan Tiyce punt.

Still, it was poor officiating and shouldn’t be rationalized just because it happened to a bad team.

Jamie Lynch: Negative. I don’t think it really mattered much at all.

What I think would have changed the game is if Penn State went for it or attempted a long field goal on fourth-and-5 at the Michigan 39. Tiyce executed a great punt, but the Wolverines were struggling to move the ball anyway, so I think Campbell should’ve at least tried to chase points in that scenario.

Oscar Orellana: Are we seriously going to come up and complain about this? Penn State lost this game due to its own self-inflicted wounds.

Zion Tracy literally picked Bryce Underwood off to end that drive. Penn State punted on its ensuing possession. It wouldn’t have changed anything.

Penn State Will Make A Bowl Game

Cadyn Gill: Nope.

Selfishly, I really wanted Penn State to figure it out, string together some wins, and finish bowl-eligible so the Onward State football beat and I could travel and cover some bonus college football, but this team simply has no way to win three more games.

Even with Purdue, Rutgers, and Minnesota on the slate, this team is fundamentally broken. The team isn’t playing complementary football, mostly because it lacks a rushing attack and pass rush.

It’s played better in recent weeks against tougher Big Ten competition, but when chances to win have presented themselves, Campbell’s squad has failed to take command every single time.

Despite his emphasis on adversity and learning from failure, the team hasn’t improved, even after four straight losses that should have prompted valuable self-evaluation.

Jamie Lynch: It’s possible.

I don’t think this group of Nittany Lions has given up on the season. Three of the last four games have been one-score affairs, and Penn State had three late opportunities to tie or win.

However, I do think the Nittany Lions need to beat Purdue next weekend to have a shot at bowl eligibility. Maryland and Rutgers are two games the Nittany Lions should win. Minnesota always scares me (so does PJ Fleck for different reasons), and I’m chalking the cross-country road trip to Washington up as a loss.

While the Boilermakers have exceeded my expectations this season, they are the weakest “wild card” team Penn State has left. It also helps that the matchup is in Beaver Stadium, partially under the lights.

Oscar Orellana: Purdue, Washington, and Minnesota are no pushovers. Penn State has shown nothing to say it can beat any one of those three teams.

That leaves Rutgers and Maryland, who might be the only two Big Ten teams in a worse position right now. If the Nittany Lions were to gut out those two wins, that leaves them with *checks notes* … five wins.

Unfortunately, I don’t see bowling in Penn State’s future.