It’s been over a month since Penn State cut ties with James Franklin. But the Nittany Lions are finally shaking off the aftershock. Interim coach Terry Smith did not have the smoothest ride, winning just two of five games. Amidst this chaos, the locker room just signaled something big. The Franklin era is done, and they’re moving forward.

After landing the Nebraska Cornhuskers a fresh 37-10 defeat on November 22, Smith faced the media. Basic Blues Nation tweeted, “Nittany Lion players hold ‘Hire Terry Smith’ signs as Smith declares, ‘It’s my locker room’ in his postgame remarks. Quite the statement from the Penn State locker room. #WeAre #PennState.”

If anyone needed proof that Penn State is moving forward, Saturday’s performance delivered it. Under Smith, the Nittany Lions racked up 412 yards, dominated with 21 first downs, and powered through a handful of penalties to roll to a victory, their second in a row.

Ethan Grunkemeyer couldn’t miss, completing 91.7% of his passes for 181 yards and a score. Kaytron Allen owned the ground game with 160 yards and two touchdowns, crowning himself as Penn State’s all-time leading rusher. Nicholas Singleton added his own spark with 44 rushing yards, two scores, and 51 receiving yards. 

If anyone needed signs, the Penn State players stepped up for Smith. The interim head coach faced the media, and there came a mic drop moment. “The emotion is I love my guys. I love my locker room, and you see how hard my guys play,” Smith said. “These guys play inspired football. They’re motivated. And we finished once again tonight. These guys listen to me. They trust me. And they’re going out there playing great football. It’s my locker room.” While fans were already concentrating on Smith’s speech, there came the sweetest distraction. 

The Terry Smith movement has gone from whispers to a full-blown campaign season. A Penn State player slipped into the backdrop clutching a “HIRE TERRY SMITH” sign, and fans quickly piled on. Then PSU throttled Nebraska before 105,038 faithful, who sent the team off with a booming “Terry” chant. With Franklin now coaching in Blacksburg, the locker room is feeling the clock tick; someone needs to grab the headset, and soon.

However, the damage from Franklin has already left huge craters back in the Happy Valley. But at least Smith can be happy to see a silver lining in their bowl game path.

Bowl hopes are still breathing for Terry Smith and Penn State 

Penn State’s 2025 ride has been anything but smooth, but Smith and Co.’s season isn’t dead yet. At 5-6 with one final shot, the Nittany Lions can still claw their way into bowl season by hitting that magic sixth win. USA Today’s Erick Smith even has a path mapped out, sending PSU to the GameAbove Sports Bowl for a December 26 showdown with Western Michigan. 

It would be the first-ever meeting between the two teams, staged inside Detroit’s Ford Field, where Penn State last steamrolled Michigan State 42-0 behind Drew Allar’s demolition job. Scott Dochterman of The Athletic has a spicy matchup on deck. Smith’s squad is renewing its rivalry with Pitt under the lights of Yankee Stadium in the December 27 Pinstripe Bowl. Already, Smith might be a little worried about Franklin trying to poach players and coaches away from Penn State. 

As reported by PSU Recruiting on November 16, 17 commits had left Happy Valley after they showed Franklin the exit door. Amidst all this gloom, if Smith wants a motivational boost, he must be thankful to rival head coach Matt Rhule. 

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Even after Penn State handed Nebraska a gut-punch loss, their head coach couldn’t bring himself to say a single bad word about Terry Smith. “I think Terry’s an interim head coach, people have a tendency to rally around him. he’s a Penn Stater. He’s a lifer. You know, I’m proud of him. I gave him his first job. I think he’s done a really nice job out there,” said Matt Rhule. When the head coach you just beat is vouching for Terry Smith, the writing’s on the wall. What’s Penn State waiting for?