CFB Bowl Preview 2025: Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
By Stiofán Mac Fhilib
Bowl season is in full swing, and we will be previewing every bowl game this year. This year’s Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl will be contested between the Penn State Nittany Lions and Clemson Tigers. Let’s take a look at the key matchups.
Where and When
Location: Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York
Date: Saturday, December 27
Time: 12.00pm EST / 5.00pm GMT
Story So Far...
One of the privileges of being a voter in the UK and Ireland college football media poll is submitting my preseason rankings. Back in August, I had the Tigers and Nittany Lions ranked #1 and #2, respectively, mainly on the strength of their returning talent, especially at QB. Had you told me then that they’d meet in the postseason, I’d have expected to see them in Miami Gardens, FL, rather than in freezing temperatures in the Bronx. Suffice to say, however, that neither team’s season went entirely according to plan.
Penn State began 3-0 before a home overtime defeat to Oregon began a six-game losing streak that cost James Franklin his job after 12 seasons in Happy Valley. Interim Head Coach Terry Smith salvaged bowl eligibility by winning their final three outings. Despite the appointment of Matt Campbell as Franklin’s replacement, Smith will coach the team in NYC.
The biggest issue he’ll face is precisely what roster he’ll have to coach. The Nittany Lions have fewer players missing than the Tigers, but still have significant losses to opt-outs. All-American OL, Vega Ioane, star RB, Nick Singleton, DT, Zake Durant, and S, Zakee Wheatley are among those who won’t be suiting up. But QB, Ethan Grunkemeyer, should still have leading rusher, Kaytron Allen (1,303 yards, 15 TDs), and leading receiver, Trebor Pena (44 catches, 452 yards, 1 TD), available.
Dabo Swinney’s two national titles have earned him enough leeway to be spared James Franklin’s fate even after the Tigers’ jaw-dropping 3-5 start. Beating both Florida State and South Carolina en route to securing four straight wins to end their regular season was a good start to convincing the Clemson faithful that 2026 can reignite the Tigers’ ACC and playoff aspirations, after their worst season since 2010.
But first, he has to navigate a bowl game with as many as 25 players unavailable, including seven starters on both sides of the ball. He, too, will have his starting QB, Cade Klubnik, behind Center, but the Tigers’ defense will be without DL, Peter Woods and T.J. Parker, LB, Wade Woodaz, CB, Avieon Terrell, and S, Khalil Barnes.
As with Penn State, though, they will still have their own leading rusher and pass catcher available, Adam Randall (779 yards, 9 TDs), and T.J. Moore (46 catches, 754 yards, 4 TDs). And with the losses on defense, they will need all the production possible if they’re to finish 2025 with five straight victories.
The Quarterbacks
After much vaunted NFL draft prospect, Drew Allar, went down for the season in the fourth quarter of the loss to Northwestern, redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer was called up to start the final six regular-season games. The Iowa, Ohio State and Indiana defenses would be quite the gauntlet for an experienced QB, let alone one in his first three starts, and he threw 1 TD and 4 INTs in the three defeats.
However, the experience gained was put to good use, as he had 4 TDs and no picks while leading the Nittany Lions to victory in their last three games. Their fans will hope to see him continue this momentum in the Bronx.
Senior Cade Klubnik threw for over 3,600 yards and a 36-6 TD-INT ratio in 2024, and a similarly impressive season in 2025 was expected to cement his status as a high first-round draft choice this April. However, with the Tigers’ season collapsing around him, he threw over 130 fewer passes, for almost 900 fewer yards and 20 fewer TDs. He only exceeded 300 yards on two occasions, both losses.
The bowl game will give him one final platform to showcase his talents, and with all the other personnel losses facing Clemson, the Tigers will need him at his best to finish 2025 with five straight wins.
Who to Watch
Penn State
Kaytron Allen, Running Back
The senior from Norfolk, VA, recorded his second successive 1,000-yard season, with his best production to date, 1,303 yards at 6.2 yards per carry and 15 TDs. He had five 100-yard games, including a very strong finish to the season. In the final three victories, he rushed for 181, 160 and 226 yards and 5 TDs.
Clemson
Adam Randall, Running Back
The redshirt senior from Myrtle Beach, SC, had only four carries before this season, but by the fourth game in 2025 he had cemented his starting role with a pair of 100-yard games. He would finish with another two, and almost 800 yards and 9 TDs.
Prediction
Clemson won the only previous matchup between the teams, a 35-10 victory in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day 1988. They have better continuity in their coaching staff, but with all the opt-outs, Penn State looks to have the slightly stronger squad, and I expect them to send Coach Smith out with a fourth consecutive win.
Penn State 23-20 Clemson
STIOFÁN MAC FHILIB
COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYST
A VERY LONG-DISTANCE SUBWAY ALUMNUS OF NOTRE DAME, COUNTY ANTRIM-BASED STIOFÁN HAS BEEN A FAN OF THE FIGHTING IRISH SINCE 2000. FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @SMACFHILIB.