Today’s Penn State football news headlines feature James Franklin’s initial thoughts on the program’s initial days post-Mike Yurcich’s firing, plus picks and predictions are in for the Lions’ Saturday home finale against Rutgers.

Franklin talked on Wednesday about how he has factored more into the team’s offensive planning since announcing Yurcich’s dismissal on Sunday, which Greg Pickel recapped for Blue-White Illustrated. He wouldn’t get into the logistics and strategy of how his interim co-coordinators Ja’Juan Seider and Ty Howle might go about calling plays on Saturday, but he did praise his players for handling the transition and talked about the cooperative feel of having a team of minds come together in Penn State’s game-planning efforts.

Penn State does still have a game on Saturday, which feels like an afterthought after the craziness of a coaching change. But the Lions are 20.5-point favorites for their noon kickoff against a Rutgers team that struggles to throw the ball and enters the week having lost back-to-back games. PennLive staff and special guests all figured the Lions would record a win within earshot of that point spread. The staff from Blue-White Illustrated also weighed in with their picks, as did The Daily Collegian and All Penn State.

Those headlines and more highlight today’s Penn State football news roundup:

Penn State vs. Rutgers Predictions: What should fans expect against the Scarlet Knights?

Penn State returns to Beaver Stadium this weekend for its final home game of the 2023 season. It’s been an interesting week in State College to say the least, as head coach James Franklin fired offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich Sunday following the team’s loss to Michigan. Sure, we’ve seen plenty of coaching changes over the past decade, but that’s the first time we’ve seen Franklin make a change during the regular season.

Now, co-offensive coordinators Ja’Juan Seider and Ty Howle will take the reins of an offense that struggled against its two most important opponents but has scored 30 points or more in each of Penn State’s eight wins.

If that dynamic isn’t enough to get fans interested, they’ll face a Rutgers team that’s already reached six wins, making them bowl-eligible. The last time that happened was in 2014 when the Knights went 8-4 before losing to North Carolina in the Quick Lane Bowl. Rutgers also played in a bowl game in 2021 following a 5-7 season when Texas A&M withdrew from the Gator Bowl. They lost to Wake Forest 38-10.

Not only has Penn State never lost to Rutgers since joining the Big Ten in 2014, but the Nittany Lions have won those nine games by an average score of 30-5. All-time, Penn State has won 30 of 32 games, with Rutgers’ last win coming in 1988.

Last year’s game in Piscataway was one of the more lopsided results we’ve seen over the past decade, with Penn State winning 55-10. The Nittany Lions outgained Rutgers 436 to 167, including 237 yards rushing.

So, what should fans expect this Saturday? Our staff provides their predictions below.

Nate Bauer (Season: 9-1)

Everything about this screams letdown. The same way Indiana was after Ohio State, Penn State is walking into the same circumstances, but worse, as it takes on Rutgers on Saturday afternoon. A noon start, in front of a home, ornery crowd, and the potential for ugliness abounds. And this time, the Nittany Lions will be doing it with an interim situation at offensive coordinator.

To make matters more precarious for Penn State, it’ll also be doing it against a Rutgers program that doesn’t surrender points easily this season. Now ranked No. 19 nationally in scoring defense, the Scarlet Knights gave up 35 to Ohio State, 31 to Michigan, and 24 to Wisconsin. Beyond that, and a primary reason for their 6-4 record this season, is the consistency with which they’ve performed.

Offsetting those challenges for the Nittany Lions are two important factors. One, Rutgers doesn’t score points itself. They’ll try to run the ball on Penn State and be content to punt, with the Nittany Lions likely better positioned to get off the field more than last week against the Wolverines. Two, Rutgers hasn’t been great on the road this season. Winning only once in four tries away from Piscataway, N.J., Beaver Stadium will be another challenging environment for Rutgers this week.

For a Penn State team that desperately needs a confidence boost, Rutgers isn’t likely to provide it. If anything, the Nittany Lions will have to find a way to fight through its dejection.

Penn State: 20
Rutgers: 17

Sean Fitz (Season: 9-1)

Penn State’s first game in the post-Mike Yurcich era will come against a pretty good defense. Greg Schiano has his guys playing well and although they’re not the deepest team on the schedule, the Scarlet Knights have been able to hang around with some good teams this season. The issue, however, has been points. Rutgers does not score them, especially on the road. They’re 1-3 away from Piscataway this season and have averaged under a touchdown a game in their three losses. That included a 22-0 loss to Iowa last weekend.

So, while the Nittany Lions may need some time to find their footing under the new playcalling scheme, there should be a buffer there to work with. I don’t know what we’ll see from Ja’Juan Seider and Ty Howle this weekend, but I do think depth and overall talent can wear down the Scarlet Knights. We may be in for another one that is close in the first half while the Nittany Lions pull away in the second.

Penn State: 26
Rutgers: 6

Thomas Frank Carr (Season: 9-1)

The Penn State offense is all that is holding the Nittany Lions back from an easy win in most games that we know. So when Rutgers comes to town with a smart, stingy defense, it doesn’t bode well for any easy points, no matter who’s calling the offense.

Or does it?

This week, there’s a certain amount of unpredictability with Penn State because we don’t know what changes and modifications we may see to the passing and rushing plans. Will the team be more aggressive with the passing game early? Or will they continue to push the idea of methodical chain-moving plays?

Defensively, we know the score. Penn State’s defense is good enough to make teams with a weak passing attack one-dimensional. I’d expect the Nittany Lions to sell out to stop the run and put the ball in Gavin Wimsatt’s hands. The wildcard here will be if the team has fixed its problems on third down. The team has been gashed by runs in its Prowler package when teams run at the smaller defenders or anticipate zone drops out of the look. Rutgers wants to run the ball at any point in a drive, so that will be on the table.

I’m going with a low-scoring win for Penn State.