How to Watch Clemson Tigers vs. Penn State, TV, Injuries, Betting

CLEMSON, S.C. – The Clemson Tigers are officially back in action for the Pinstripe Bowl against Penn State, seeking to get their second-ever win over the program.

Entering 2025, both Clemson (4) and Penn State (2) were ranked in the top four of the Preseason AP Poll, having just concluded extremely successful seasons that saw them both advance to the College Football Playoff.

Additionally, a majority of each team's key contributors were making their way back to campus in hopes of seeking a National Championship, as some analysts even projected the two programs to meet there.

However, things quickly turned sour as the Tigers had their worst start through eight weeks since 1998 (3-5), and the Nittany Lions lost their starting quarterback, Drew Allar, to a season-ending injury in the midst of a three-game losing streak that led to the firing of longtime head coach James Franklin.

Nevertheless, both programs finished their respective regular seasons on a high note.

Ahead of the contest, Clemson is 7-5 and riding a four-game winning streak, having defeated Louisville, Florida State, Furman, and South Carolina. Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions are 6-6, finishing their regular season on a three-game winning streak, with wins over Michigan State, Nebraska and Rutgers.

While the Tigers are facing a load of opt-outs, there are still plenty of familiar names set to play in the contest. Senior quarterback Cade Klubnik is one of them, who recently expressed the reason to stick with the team for the bowl game: momentum.

"That's what I'm continually fighting for and really want to, you know, strain to get that finish for those guys really coming back," he said, "but also just finish well in my career and the guys that are done after this one."

Klubnik may not have started the year out on the highest note, especially for someone touted as a top-five pick in the preseason, but he was able to return to form and turn it around in the latter half of the regular season, even while dealing with injuries.

In his last six games, the dual-threat quarterback threw for 1,500 yards and six touchdowns to two interceptions. He also added 51 yards and three touchdowns on the ground in the stretch.

Unfortunately, though, the Tigers will have to play without three of their top six receivers, as Bryant Wesco Jr., Antonio Williams and Cole Turner are out with injuries. Due to the circumstances at hand, sophomore TJ Moore will lead the pack as the No. 1 option alongside former Freshman All-American Tyler Brown.

Moore and Brown both burst on the scene as true freshmen at Clemson, but have had entirely different paths since.

In 2024, Moore emerged as a reliable target as a true freshman alongside Williams and Wesco, posting 45 receptions for 651 yards and five touchdowns. His breakout moment came in the College Football Playoff against Texas, where he caught nine passes for 116 yards and a touchdown.

Although his production dipped early to start this past season, Moore regained momentum after Wesco's injury, settling in as the No. 2 option behind Antonio Williams. He capped the 2025 campaign with the best season of his career, recording 46 catches for 754 yards and four touchdowns.

On the other hand, Brown made an immediate impact in 2023, leading the team as a true freshman with 52 receptions for 531 yards and four touchdowns, a performance that earned him Freshman All-American honors. However, that momentum came to a stop during an injury-plagued sophomore campaign in 2024.

He returned fully healthy for the 2025 season, but was never able to carve out a consistent role in the offense. However, with three wideouts now officially ruled out for the bowl game, Brown is ready to seize the opportunity in front of him.

“[I’m just going to] take advantage of the opportunity,” he vocalized. “When God opens a door, you want to go into it full force, no holding back. I’ve been putting in the work all season and have been ready for the opportunity to go show what I can do.”

In the offensive trenches, the Tigers will be without three starting offensive linemen in Brayden Jacobs, Walker Parks and Collin Sadler. Their replacements will be Tristan Leigh, Dietrick Penninton/Ronan O’Connell and Harris Sewell. However, they do have standout Blake Miller ready for the contest as he looks to finish his Clemson career without missing a single game in his four-year tenure.

Out of the backfield, Adam Randall had a stellar first — and possibly only — season at running back, accounting for 1,025 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns. True freshman Gideon Davidson also emerged behind him, earning more consistent snap counts to end the year. Over the past five games, Davidson has put up 272 all-purpose yards on 49 total touches.

On the other side of the ball, Clemson's defense enters the matchup with Penn State facing far more uncertainty than it did down the stretch of the regular season. While the Tigers made notable strides against the run — finishing No. 15 nationally — in Tom Allen's first year as defensive coordinator, Penn State will test Clemson's unit immediately due to a wave of injuries and opt-outs along the front seven.

Clemson will be without four of its top-five defensive linemen (Peter Woods, T.J. Parker, DeMonte Capehart, and Jahiem Lawson), as well as starting linebacker Wade Woodaz and key pieces in the secondary, such as Avieon Terrell, putting added pressure on an inexperienced interior rotation.

The availability of Stephiylan Green looms large as the lone proven defensive tackle, while other linemen, such as Vic Burley, Champ Thompson, and Hevin Brown-Shuler, will be asked to step into expanded roles. Luckily, though, Penn State will be without four of its five starting offensive linemen.

Per usual, Penn State's offensive approach is expected to center on establishing the run, especially with the program's all-time rushing leader, Kaytron Allen, suiting up for the contest, who ran the ball 210 times this season for 1,303 yards (10th-best nationally) and 15 touchdowns.

Clemson's priority must be limiting early down success and forcing the Nittany Lions into passing situations, considering redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer will be under center following Drew Allar's early-season ACL tear. Grunkemeyer has been efficient on short and intermediate throws but offers little as a runner, allowing the Tigers to focus on clogging run lanes and disguising pressure.

If head coach Dabo Swinney and company can contain Allen and avoid giving up explosive plays, the defense should be able to keep the game within reach and give the offense a chance to control the outcome.

Considering the ACC only does mandatory injury reports for conference games, we don't know all the exact specifics of injuries or the progress players have made. But we do know that Clemson has a whopping total of 29 opt-outs (potentially 30).

The “potentially 30” comes from the shakiness of Stephiylan Green’s health — which was mentioned earlier — as Coach Swinney announced during his Friday press conference that Green is questionable to play in Saturday’s bowl game, though he says “we hope so” on whether he would be available.

20 of the 29 opt-outs came due to injury, including key starters such as Antonio Williams, linebacker Wade Woodaz, offensive tackle Brayden Jacobs, offensive guard Walker Parks, defensive end Jahiem Lawson, among others.

The nine other opt-outs come from players who have already entered the transfer portal or declared for the draft.

Five players have entered the portal, including safety Khalil Barnes, running back Keith Adams Jr., cornerback Shelton Lewis and linebackers Dee Crayton and Jamal Anderson.

Players who have already declared for the draft include defensive end T.J. Parker, cornerback Avieon Terrell and defensive tackles Peter Woods and DeMonte Capehart.

Now here's everything you need to know for the Pinstripe Bowl matchup against Penn State, including broadcast information and betting odds, as well as other game day information for those attending the game.

Clemson Tigers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions: What You Need to Know

Where: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY.

When: Saturday, Dec. 27, Noon EST.

Other Game Day Info:

9 a.m.: Tiger Tailgate Show presented by Upcountry Fiber
12 p.m.: Kickoff on ABC and the ESPN App

Watch: ABC

Play-by-Play: Dave Pasch
Analyst: Dusty Dvoracek
Sideline Reporter: Taylor McGregor

Stream: Via ESPN or the ESPN app

Weather: Light snow during the morning will give way to cloudy skies during the afternoon. It’s estimated to be a high of around 30 degrees fahrenheit, with winds north at 10-15 mph and the chance of snow being 40%, according to the 10-day weather forecast.

Radio: The ROAR: 105.5 WCCP-FM and WAHT(AM)

Odds: Clemson is considered a 2.5-point favorite over Penn State, according to FanDuel. The over/under is set at 48.5 points.

Disclaimer: Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER

Series History: Clemson leads the series, 1-0, over Penn State. The only time the Tigers faced the Nittany Lions was in the 1988 Florida Citrus Bowl, where they dominated Penn State 35-10, fresh off an ACC Championship. Clemson finished the season at No. 9 in the final AP Poll.