College football has gotten plenty messy this fall, and the uglier side of it has spilled well beyond the field.
That was on display this week after Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said a fan hurled an expletive at his 13-year-old daughter following a last-minute home loss to Washington. It also surfaced when USC coach Lincoln Riley, leaving the field with his family after the Trojans beat Ohio State, answered an insult from the Buckeyes’ athletic director. James Franklin has dealt with similar behavior before, with his daughters taking taunts after big Penn State losses.
There’s no excuse for any of it. Young family members don’t belong in the middle of that kind of postgame chaos, especially after emotional defeats.
And schools also keep creating the same problem by sending teams through the same tunnel to enter and exit. That’s asking for trouble.
NIL and the constant roster churn may have made fans more frustrated, but that still doesn’t make this behavior acceptable.
Penn State’s trip to Washington brings its own set of storylines, starting with the fact that the Nittany Lions are making their first visit there since taking a train in 1921 and winning 21-7. On the field, one of the biggest developments for Penn State has been the rise of cornerback Audavion Collins.
He’s become a lockdown corner and has helped stabilize what looks like the team’s strongest position group. The Lions’ fastest player, with a 4.28 time in the 40-yard dash, even got a snap on offense last week and turned it into an 11-yard gain.
That could matter more now with injuries piling up at receiver. Koby Howard is likely still out today, Zay Robinson is questionable and Chase Sowell is probable.
Collins wears No. 2, the same number as Robinson, who also plays offense, and two players with the same number can’t be on the field at the same time. Robinson wasn’t out there when Collins ran the jet sweep, but the play still fooled the TV announcers, the public-address announcer and, apparently, Purdue too.
Franklin also found time last week to complain about travel at Virginia Tech. After previously suggesting Penn State needs a longer airport runway, he said, "I think when you're in places like Blacksburg, Virginia... it becomes more complicated to travel than maybe some other locations because you don't have an international airport within 45 minutes of campus." Excuses, excuses.
His name has already been tied to the opening at Florida State, which fired Mike Norvell this week. With the president and athletic director who hired him at Tech already gone, Franklin could get restless quickly.
But if it were up to me, Duke head coach and former Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, a Florida State alum, would be the hire before Franklin. Diaz’s name has also been mentioned at FSU.
Elsewhere around the sport, Bill O’Brien’s run at Boston College remains rough. He’s 13-20 in his third season, 4-4 this year, and is coming off a 47-2 loss at Duke.
Indiana and Minnesota delivered a wild finish of their own, with consecutive 60-yard field goals in the final 20 seconds - something that has to be a first in college football history. Indiana then won in overtime.
As for Penn State’s crowd, the thousands of fans disguised as empty seats for the Wisconsin and Purdue games suggest the same look could show up again for the night kickoff against Minnesota, set for 7 or 7:30 on Sunday, pending the final time. A 3:30 start would have been far more appealing, especially if the Nittany Lions can build some momentum with a win today.
Penn State also drew a significant traveling crowd in Seattle, and it’ll be worth seeing whether those fans can make a difference.
And one more thing: unless Matt Campbell has decided Alex Manske isn’t good enough to be Penn State’s starting quarterback in 2027 and plans to find someone better in the portal - which is entirely possible - he ought to get Manske at least 10 series over the next four games, or five if the Nittany Lions reach a bowl. After all, Penn State is 4-4, not 8-0.
In Other News...
Penn State Wrestling Lineup Just Got A Huge Preseason Shakeup
Penn States wrestling plans took a hit this week when Levi Haines was ruled ineligible for a fifth season, a decision that immediately changes the look of the lineup heading into the opener against Bloomsburg. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the NCAA in denying additional eligibility for athletes from the 2022 class who did not redshirt, closing the door on a possible return for one of the programs most accomplished recent wrestlers.
Haines leaves after four seasons in Happy Valley with multiple titles to his name, and his recent world championship at 79 KG only underscored how much firepower he would have brought back. Instead, Penn State now has to sort out weight class assignments and adjust quickly before the season begins, with the ripple effects likely felt well beyond just one spot in the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Wasted A Breakout Night In Another Brutal Collapse
Shea Busch gave Penn State exactly the kind of offensive jolt it needed at Pegula Ice Arena, scoring twice for the first goals of his college career in a game that looked like it might finally turn in the Nittany Lions favor. Justin Poirier and Lev Katzin also chipped in, and Penn State built a lead of two goals twice while showing the kind of attack that has been missing at times this season.
But the night unraveled again in the kind of finish that has become too familiar. Notre Dame answered with three straight goals, then ended it in overtime on Evan Werners winner, leaving Penn State with a 5-4 loss and another frustrating reminder that a strong start has not been enough to protect it when the game gets tight late. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Have Plenty To Say About These Offseason Changes
Penn State Athletics spent part of the offseason giving fans a clearer picture of what is changing around the program, and Beaver Stadium remains front and center. The renovation update included new chairback seats and more legroom in the west lower bowl, a small but meaningful comfort upgrade for a fan base that knows every inch of the stadium well. Alongside the construction news, the department also rolled out a student rewards program designed to keep campus crowds engaged by offering extra entries into the 2027 football ticket lottery for attending sporting events.
There was plenty more in the latest wave of updates, too, with the 2027 baseball schedule now out and set to begin with a series in the Bahamas. Wrestling also got a boost in the recruiting conversation, as three Penn State commits were ranked among the top 10 in the 2027 class by MatScouts. For a program that lives on constant momentum across sports, it was the kind of offseason news cycle that reminded fans there is always something developing in State College. [Read more 🡒]