What We're Hearing About Penn State During the Bye Week

Penn State news and notes as the Nittany Lions await their biggest home game of the regular season.

The Penn State Nittany Lions run onto the field at Beaver Stadium for their season-opener vs. the Nevada Wolf Pack. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Just because Penn State has a bye week, the Nittany Lions news cycle hasn't stopped. There's a bunch of Penn State football news to get to, including an intriguing logistical note for the Penn State-Oregon game.

So as Penn State coach James Franklin chases a weekend recruiting blitz, here's a look at the top Penn State bye-week stories.

Where is Oregon staying for its visit to Penn State?

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning leads his team on the field against the Northwestern Wildcats at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. | David Banks-Imagn Images

Interesting story here from the Altoona Mirror, which reported that the Ducks will set up camp in Altoona ahead of their Sept. 27 visit to Penn State. According to the paper, officials representing the Blair County Convention Center negotiated the Ducks' stay, which will be a first for the region.

Oregon, which hasn't visited Penn State since 1964, probably won't get a taste of the State College pre-game atmosphere, which will be lively with the White Out on deck. Altoona is located about 45 miiles southwest of State College, though Oregon will get a police escort right to Beaver Stadium.

Still, it's an intriguing decision by the Ducks, as most visiting teams stay in State College. The Penn State-Oregon game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff Sept. 27 on NBC.

RELATED: Oregon began preparing for the White Out before the season

Penn State-Oregon could be a 1-2 matchup — sort of

Penn State Nittany Lions coach James Franklin shakes hands with students prior to the game against the Villanova Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State was ranked No. 2 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, while Oregon was No. 6. But according to ESPN's SP+ rankings, Penn State and Oregon are the top two teams in the country, making next week's game even more intriguing.

Bill Connolly's latest SP+ rankings, which he released Sept. 14, listed Penn State at No. 1 and Oregon at No. 2. It's important to recognize what SP+ rankings are and aren't. According to Connolly, the rankings are "a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency" and aren't a "resume ranking." Penn State jumped six spots from the previous set of rankings.

Penn State (with a 28.3 rating) and Oregon (27.1) are separated by barely a point. Penn State has the No. 3 defense, and Oregon has the No. 2 offense. All three of Oregon's units rank in the top 10, while Penn State's special teams sit at No. 39.

Neither team has a particularly strong strength-of-schedule ranking, though, as Penn State is 20 spots below Oregon at No. 118. Oregon will be the first Power 4 team Penn State faces this season.

A dismal schedule ranking

Penn State Nittany Lions coach James Franklin on the sideline vs. the Nevada Wolf Pack at Beaver Stadium. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

So what can we really glean from Penn State's 3-0 start in which the team outscored its opponents by a combined score of 132-17? Very little, according to one strength-of-schedule ranking.

The Massey College Football Ratings assess Penn State's strength of schedule as No. 136 in the country. That's last behind Appalachian State, Maryland, Navy and Indiana.

Penn State's first two opponents, Nevada and FIU, are 120th and 112th, respectively, in the latest ESPN SP+ rankings. Nevada went 1-2 in its first three games. Villanova, which Penn State beat 52-6, is an FCS team headed to the Patriot League in 2026. So the Nittany Lions still have a lot of proving to do.

A key offensive topic for the bye week

Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Devonte Ross (5) runs against FIU Panthers defensive back Jessiah McGrew (23) during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Franklin convened a bye-week meeting with his receivers, running backs and tight ends to convey a message: Let's make some more big plays. The Nittany Lions have reached their explosive-play goal (15 percent) just once in the first three games. So Franklin gathered the group for a chat.

"If all those guys make the plays that they’re supposed to make, and then if each one of them makes one special play a game where they bring something more to the table than the O line or the scheme got them, we’re going to be in good shape," Franklin said.

Sean Clifford goes home

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford waves to the fans following the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew OHaren-Imagn Images

Remember when FOX Sports' Gus Johnson called Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford the "Cincinnati Kid," even though no one else did? Well finally, the nickname will fit. Clifford signed with his hometown Cincinnati Bengals this week after the team placed quarterback Joe Burrow on injured reserve.

Clifford, who joined the Bengals' practice squad, is from Cincinnati and led St. Xavier High to a state title as a senior. The Green Bay Packers waived Clifford in August after drafting him in the fifth round in 2026.

Jim Knowles does a self-assessment

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jim Knowles looks on from the sideline during the third quarter of the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Jim Knowles has been in the booth for three games as Penn State's defensive coordinator. His first-team defense has yet to allow a touchdown, and the Nittany Lions rank fifth nationally in yards-per-play allowed (3.59).

Knowles conducted a bye-week Zoom with reporters in which he was asked to evaluate players across his defense. He also was asked to evaluate himself. Knowles responded as a coach with 38 years of experience would.

"It's all about how you perform in that next game, is really how I evaluate myself," he said. More here from Penn State's veteran defensive coordinator.

Last word from James Franklin

Penn State football head coach James Franklin answers a question at a press conference during media day in Beaver Stadium. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sometimes, Penn State's head coach talks to his players, recruits and parents through the media. He appeared to do that during a bye-week media session after practice. Franklin was asked about developing youth during off-week practices.

Some players are ready to "take that next step," Franklin said, pointing to redshirt freshman Tyseer Denmark. And others, well...

"Then there’s other guys that are complaining that they should playing, and their parents are sending text messages," Franklin said. "And they’re going to get in a game and won’t be ready, and then we won’t be ready and we won’t hear anything from anybody. There's a little frustration with that, and there always is. It's a small percentage, but what I want to make sure as coaches, and myself included, is that you don’t get frustrated with the 2 percent compared to the 98 percent who are doing it the right way."