Penn State Nittany Lions vs Clemson Tigers Pinstripe Bowl Prediction - 12/27/2025
Updated December 26, 2025
Updated December 26, 2025
College football fans will turn their attention to Yankee Stadium on Saturday, as the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl takes place between the Penn State Nittany Lions and Clemson Tigers. Both teams endured disappointing campaigns after starting the year with lofty expectations, and this bowl game represents a chance for a positive finish to a negative season. Here, I break down this contest and give you my Penn State vs Clemson prediction on the gridiron.
Pick: | Under 47.5 |
Confidence: | 3/5 |
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Both Clemson and Penn State began the season with national title hopes, yet neither team reached those heights. Penn State rallied late to become bowl eligible, closing its schedule with key wins over Big Ten opponents in three straight games to finish 6-6, providing them with some momentum for this matchup. Clemson climbed out of a 1-3 hole and won four of its last five games to close at 7-5, continuing its streak of postseason appearances and showing resilience under head coach Dabo Swinney.
Both of these teams are in disarray heading into the Pinstripe Bowl. Opt-outs and personnel changes have affected both rosters, particularly on defense, which could lead some problems for both teams on that side of the ball. But the defenders that do take part in this game could have the upper hand given the struggles both teams have had at quarterback at times.
Clemson’s offense revolves around Cade Klubnik, who has thrown for 2,750 yards this season with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing about two-thirds of his passes. But Klubnik has never lived up to the standard set by Trevor Lawrence before him and Klubnik will try to finish strong in this matchup.
Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer has shown efficiency and improved accuracy late in the season, completing a high percentage of his attempts and making key throws when needed. But the Nittany Lions' winning streak late in the season came against some of the worst teams in the Big Ten and Grunkemeyer will need to prove himself in this spot.
I don't feel all that confident in either team going into the Pinstripe Bowl. But I'll take Clemson to win and cover the spread in New York. The Tigers at least have some quarterback continuity to lean back on in this game, along with a coaching advantage with Dabo Swinney against an interim coach.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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