Tom Allen Set to Face Familiar Faces as Clemson Prepares for Penn State in Pinstripe Bowl
Tom Allen isn’t new to high-stakes college football, but this one carries a little extra weight. Less than a year after serving as Penn State’s defensive coordinator, Allen now leads Clemson’s defense into Yankee Stadium for the Pinstripe Bowl - and he’ll be staring across the field at a team he knows intimately.
Allen’s journey has been anything but linear. After a six-year run as Indiana’s head coach, he spent a season with the Nittany Lions before making the move to Clemson. Now, as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator, he’s got a unique vantage point heading into this matchup.
“I’m looking forward to seeing players and coaches and staff members that will be there,” Allen said this week. “I was only there for a year, but I still built some great relationships there. I think that sticks out the most.”
But the Penn State program Allen left behind has changed - and fast. The biggest blow came when starting quarterback Drew Allar was lost for the season due to injury. Allen, who worked closely with the team during Allar’s development, didn’t hide his emotions.
“I know how hard he worked, and everything he did to get ready for this season,” Allen said. “It was heartbreaking.”
Change has hit the coaching staff too. James Franklin, Allen’s former boss, is out. Terry Smith - who coached the defensive backs during Allen’s time in Happy Valley - is stepping in for one final game as interim head coach before transitioning back to an assistant role under incoming head coach Matt Campbell.
“Terry did a great job with our corners when I was there,” Allen said. “He’s just tough and gritty. It’s not a surprise to me that he’s done a great job.”
When this season kicked off, both Penn State and Clemson had loftier goals than a late-December bowl game in the Bronx. Penn State entered the year with top-10 aspirations.
Clemson, too, was eyeing a College Football Playoff run. But the Tigers stumbled out of the gate, opening the season 1-3 with losses to LSU, Georgia Tech, and Syracuse.
It wasn’t until the final month that Clemson found its footing, closing the regular season with four straight wins.
“We felt we could meet in the playoffs when I left Penn State,” Allen admitted. That’s how high the expectations were.
Now, the postseason reality looks a lot different - and for Clemson, the roster looks different too. Head coach Dabo Swinney recently said that as many as 27 players will sit out the bowl game, most due to injuries, with a handful opting out to prepare for the NFL Draft.
“You have to have the mindset of next man up,” Allen said. “It’s just part of the situation we find ourselves in.
We just focus on the guys that are there. What a great opportunity for them.”
Allen’s approach is clear: control what you can, and treat the bowl game as a proving ground for the next wave of talent. The Tigers’ defense, already leaning on youth, will be tested again - and Allen’s knowledge of Penn State’s personnel could be a subtle edge.
Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, younger brother of USC head coach Lincoln Riley, said Allen has been instrumental in helping the staff prepare.
“We just try to gain as much insight as possible on personnel,” Riley said. “It’s a different coach and a different system, but you try to get a pulse as much as you can.
Some of that information is helpful. He’s definitely a guy we bounce ideas off.”
Beyond the Xs and Os, this game has a little extra meaning for Allen. It’s his first time coaching at Yankee Stadium, and he’s soaking in the experience - especially with so many of his players set to enjoy their first trip to New York City.
“All the players and coaches I’ve talked to have talked so highly of the experience and being able to spend Christmas in New York,” Allen said. “A lot of our players have never been there at all. It’s going to be a special time.”
So while this isn’t the postseason destination either team envisioned back in August, there’s no shortage of storylines - and no lack of motivation. For Tom Allen, it’s a return to familiar faces.
For Clemson, it’s a chance to showcase the future. And for both programs, it’s one last shot to end a turbulent season on a high note.