Oct 31, 2025
Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) gets set for a play during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Iowa, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Ethan Grunkemeyer grew up in Lewis Center, Ohio — about 30 minutes from the Horseshoe.
Saturday, he’ll make his second career start with the Nittany Lions (3-4 overall, 0-4 in the Big Ten) against the nation’s top-ranked team, the 7-0 Buckeyes (noon, Fox).
“Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of playing in that stadium so it’s going to be cool,” Grunkemeyer said earlier this week. “Just the opportunity to play in front of my family and people back home, I’m super excited.”
Grunk’s mother, Megan, played basketball at OSU so there was plenty of scarlet and gray in the house.
“Everyone from where I’m from is a Buckeye fan,” Grunk said. “I know and am friends with a lot of the guys on their team.”
Grunkemeyer attended many games at Ohio Stadium and recalls the Lions’ 2017 game that Saquon Barkley opened with a kickoff return for a touchdown, but the Lions couldn’t hold a second-half lead and lost, 39-38.
“That one sticks out,” he said.
When it came time to be recruited, he visited OSU but wasn’t offered a scholarship.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day said of Grunk this week: “I think he’s a very talented young man. This is just his second start, but you can see the talent on the field. You can see that he has leadership skills.”
Grunkemeyer said he’s motivated by the snub “a little bit,” but that is offset by the opportunity — and challenge — he and the Lions face as they attempt to break a four-game losing streak.
“Right now, we need to play together,” Grunk said. “We have a lot of seniors that came back who could have gotten drafted. Just the opportunity to play it out with those guys and being ready for it is what motivates us.”
Interim coach Terry Smith is “demanding” offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki employ a more vertical passing game. Smith later amended his choice of words and said Kotelnicki agreed.
“When I go to him, I’m saying ‘Hey, listen, this is what I’m thinking,”’ Smith said. “He’s like, ‘Yeah, you know I was thinking the same thing.’ We’re on the same page.”
Grunk was pleased with his management of the line of scrimmage at Iowa — the Lions had no offensive line or pre-snap penalties — and now wants to improve on his 15-of-28 for 93 yards performance.
“The comfortability in the pocket and the bye week helped,” he said. “When the opportunities present themselves (to throw downfield), I think we’ll be able to take them.”
Smith said the Lions need to lean on their run game.
“We can’t ask him (Grunk) to go out there and throw the ball 45 times and be effective and win that way,” he said. “We have a veteran offensive line. We’ve got to create the run game and have some pass plays off the run game. We have to be able to give him some throws that are one- or two-read type throws and not overcomplicate it for him.”
Jaxon Smolik was hurt at Iowa, possibly leaving freshman Bekkem Kritza as the new backup.
Original starter Drew Allar, who suffered a broken ankle against Northwestern and is out for the year, has returned to the Lions after not making the trip to Iowa.
“Drew has been super helpful, talking about what they do on defense and what he sees,” Grunkemeyer said. “They do a lot of good stuff on defense and being ready for it is a big thing this week.”
Knowles move ‘abrupt’
One of the biggest offseason headlines in college football came when Penn State hired Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and made him the highest-paid assistant coach in the country, signing him for a $9.3 million contract over three years.
The move did not work out for the Nittany Lions, whose defense has allowed 29.7 points per game in Big Ten play compared with Ohio State’s 25 total points in four conference games.
Knowles has not been available for media interviews this week, but Buckeye coach Ryan Day addressed the topic.
Knowles spent three years in Columbus.
“Like any relationship, when it breaks off, sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad,” Day said. “There really hasn’t been much communication. He did a great job when he was here, helped us win a national championship. It (departure) was abrupt, but we respect the work he did when he was here. We try not to take those things personal, but we’re human.”
Former New England Patriots assistant and Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia is Ohio State’s new DC.
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