It doesn’t have the same feeling that other recent bowl games have had, but Penn State and Clemson will face off at the Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Coming into the season, some people thought this matchup would happen in the postseason.
But with both starting the year in the top four, people envisioned that matchup happening in the College Football Playoff– maybe even the national championship game– instead of NYC.
Nonetheless, both teams got hot in the last third of the season, with Clemson winning its last four games and Penn State winning its last three.
So the teams will be facing off, but both sides are going to look a lot different than usual.
OPT OUTS
At least 16 Penn State players will not be available for one reason or another. Most of these 16 have opted out of the game to focus on the NFL Draft, but some, such as LB Alex Tatsch (injury), DE Chaz Coleman, CBs Elliot Washington II and AJ Harris and OL Alex Birchmeier, are missing for other reasons.
The team will have a drastically different look, but as coach Terry Smith pointed out, Penn State has to play through it.
“The process is the same as anything,” interim HC Terry Smith said Dec. 9. “It’s going to be the next man up, the standard is the result, we’ll field a team that’s ready to compete, and, you know, we have our work cut out for us to play against Clemson.”
Here’s the full list of players who won’t be available for Penn State.
- DT Zane Durant (opt out)
- CB AJ Harris (transfer portal)
- S Zakee Wheatley (opt out)
- RB Nicholas Singleton (opt out)
- LG Vega Ioane (opt out)
- CB Elliot Washington II (transfer portal)
- LT Drew Shelton (opt out)
- C Nick Dawkins (opt out)
- TE Khalil Dinkins (opt out)
- DE Chaz Coleman (transfer portal)
- DE Daniel Jennings (transfer portal)
- LB Kari Jackson (transfer portal)
- OL Alex Birchmeier (transfer portal)
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.For Clemson, around 28 scholarship players are missing, although, per coach Dabo Swinney, most of them are injured.
HOW TO WATCH
For Penn State fans who won’t be making the trip to New York City, here’s more information on how to watch and listen to the game.
TIME: Noon
Channel: ABC
TV Announcers: Dave Pasch (PXP), Dusty Dvoracek (color), Taylor McGregor (sideline)
Streaming: FOX One + ESPN Bundle
Radio: Penn State Football Radio Affiliates
Radio announcers: Steve Jones (PXP), Jack Ham (color), Brian Tripp (sideline)
SiriusXM: Channel 385
