Inside the Impromptu Penn State Players Meeting

Let’s get inside the impromptu Penn State players meeting.  Penn State’s 24-20 home loss to Wisconsin was a real punch in the mouth. The Nittany Lions had firm control over the game for about three and a half quarters and let it slip away with a cataclysmic final few minutes.

The first loss of the Matt Campbell era at Penn State felt like déjà vu, but on a more concerning level. Several times during James Franklin’s tenure, it felt like he was coaching to avoid losing to top opponents. Campbell admitted to doing the same, but against 2-1 Wisconsin as a 10-point favorite.

“I think a little bit of the football game, you’re playing with such a lead early on that you don’t want to screw it up,” he said on Saturday when asked about the conservative third-and-long play calls.

The loss severely damaged Penn State’s chances to make the College Football Playoff in 2026. The Nittany Lions will likely need to win out, which means beating tough opponents like No. 18 USC, Michigan, Washington, and Northwestern this week.

Penn State must bounce back, so the players took it upon themselves to make sure everybody is on the same page before heading to Evanston.

On Monday, the Penn State locker room organized a players meeting to discuss goals, preparation for Northwestern and what the future holds for this year’s team.

“Really just making sure everyone’s on the same page. I’d say that was the purpose of the meeting,” junior guard Trevor Buhr told reporters via Zoom on Tuesday. “Just kind of getting everyone together and being able to move forward.”

Campbell and the seniors organized the meeting, according to quarterback Rocco Becht. Becht said it wasn’t scheduled, but felt it needed to happen.

“I think having those player meetings is huge for us because it does bring us closer together,” Becht said. “It does [help us] find out about one another, and we’ve just got to continue the grind and move on.”

Penn State will have a shortened week before facing the Wildcats on Friday night. Whatever discrepancies exist in the locker room must be squashed before they leave State College.

“We really just needed to talk about our standard and where we’re at and what we need to do moving forward,” said senior defensive tackle Keanu Williams.

“Whatever the problems we’re having, lay it on the table,” he continued. “We all kind of got to sit here and just talk it out. Whatever it is, we need to talk out whatever problems we’re having. We need to sit there and be on the same page with that.”

While a playoff appearance is unlikely, it hasn’t been ruled out yet. Penn State still has an 8.1% chance to win out and a 9.2% chance to make the CFP, according to ESPN’s FPI.

“I think we have a lot of veterans on this team, a lot of seniors on this team, and we’ve been through a lot,” Becht said. “I think all of us have the same mindset, and that’s to win the rest of our games.”

It all starts with Northwestern. The Wildcats suffered a close 29-23 road loss to No. 5 Indiana last Friday and are still searching for their signature Big Ten win under head coach David Braun. Northwestern has come up short against No. 23 Illinois, No. 18 Michigan and now No. 5 Indiana all in the last three seasons.

Even if Penn State gets past Northwestern, No. 18 USC and a road game with Michigan will be waiting immediately after. It’ll be a tough stretch for the Nittany Lions after the disappointing loss.

Typically, a players’ meeting this early in the season is a red flag, but the players say it was needed. Friday will determine if the meeting was beneficial or if the season is at risk of spiraling out of control.

“It’s not anything too big,” Williams said. “It’s not a crazy thing we’re doing. It’s just making sure all the problems that we are having it’s just out there.”

Main Photo: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images