Overview
- Penn State will face Clemson in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 27 at noon ET on ABC.
- Senior defensive tackle and captain Zane Durant announced he will skip the game and declare for the 2026 NFL Draft.
- Terry Smith is expected to coach the bowl game after James Franklin’s midseason firing, following Penn State’s hire of Matt Campbell to lead the program.
- Several Nittany Lions, including Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen and Nick Dawkins, have not committed to playing, and Clemson standouts Peter Woods, T. J. Parker and Avieon Terrell are also monitoring opt-out decisions.
- Both programs entered the season ranked in the AP top five but rebounded late to qualify for bowls, with Penn State finishing 6-6 on a three-game win streak and Clemson 7-5 after four straight victories.