Where Does Penn State Go From Here? Breaking Down Two Straight UGLY Losses
BWI Live: A Penn State football podcast from Blue White IllustratedShow Notes
A day after Penn State's 34-13 blowout loss at Northwestern, we're trying to make sense of a team that keeps finding new things to break each week.
Nate Bauer and Sean Fitz join to break down a defense that allowed 413 rushing yards against an offense that entered the night ranked 92nd nationally in rushing, linebacker play that fell apart without Cam Smith available at Mike, and whether Caleb Bacon or Alex Tatsch should slide into that role going forward. We debate whether Penn State's roster-building strategy — built heavily around Iowa State transfers brought in under serious time constraints — set the program up for this stretch, and dig into Rocco Becht's continued struggles and Matt Campbell's public loyalty to him.
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The Penn State football team has faced adversity and setbacks on the field this year, and those problems are now spilling over into recruiting. The team’s chosen quarterback for the Class of 2026, Will Wood, decommitted from the program this week. We’ll discuss the fallout and the decisions behind the move on today’s BWI Live Recruiting Show. We’ll also discuss the team’s movement with other Class of 2027 prospects, including players they’re pursuing from other programs. Will Penn State be the hunted or the hunter during flip season?
The Penn State football team is on its bye week, getting a needed reset for the second half of the 2026 season. Today on the BWI Live Show, we’re going to review what we learned through the first half of the team’s tumultuous season with our midseason superlative show. First, we’ll discuss Penn State head coach Matt Campbell’s Tuesday morning comments to the media. We’ll also discuss the latest news from the Big Ten with Mike Locksley’s firing from Maryland. Finally, we’ll wrap up the show with our superlatives.
Penn State lost 21-18 at Michigan, and the morning-after conversation is heated. Thomas Frank, Nate Bauer and Sean Fitz recap the game. They debate how much of the loss belongs to Rocco Becht, and whether an offense that can’t run the football asks too much of its quarterback. They also cover the defense’s struggles in sudden-change situations and the long Michigan touchdown runs, and ask whether this roster simply lacks the talent and clutch plays to win close Big Ten games.
It was another Big Ten slugfest for Penn State football, and once again, Penn State didn’t execute well enough to get the win. The Nittany Lions fell to Michigan after a 14-point third-quarter surge by the Wolverines put the game out of reach for the struggling Penn State offense. Starting quarterback Rocco Becht threw two costly interceptions that led to two Michigan touchdowns. The team is now 3-4 and heads into its bye week to lick its wounds.
Penn State wrestling is 27 days from its opener. On this week’s Penn State wrestling show, Thomas Frank and BWI wrestling reporter Greg Pickel look ahead to the U23 World Championships and break down the 2026-27 schedule.