There were some significant changes to Penn State's matchup predictions following the firing of James Franklin and loss of QB Drew Allar.
What was hyped to be a season with legitimate national championship aspirations has now seemingly turned into a battle for bowl eligibility for Penn State. Following a third striaght loss, and a second straight as a massive favorite, Penn State made the decision to move on from James Franklin as head coach just as the toughest three-game stretch on the schedule has arrived.
ESPN's updated matchup prediction win percentages have been trending against Penn State in recent weeks, understandably so, and the current analytics suggest the Nittany Lions will be in severe bowl jeopardy in November. The odds have been dwindling in the upcoming games against Ohio State and Indiana in recent weeks, but now the Nittany Lions are also on the short end of the win prediction probabilities this week against the Iowa Hawkeyes, where Terry Smith will coach his first game as the interim head coach and Ethan Grunkemeyer takes over as the starting quarterback following a season-ending injury to Drew Allar.
Here is an updated look at Penn State's remaining schedule with the latest matchup predictions from ESPN Analytics.
Oct. 18 at Iowa
- Kinnick Stadium (Iowa City, Iowa)
- Predicted Winner | Penn State
- Nittany Lions Win Probability | 42.8% (was 61.5%)
- All-Time Series | Penn State leads 18-14
- Projected Running Record | 3-4
Nov. 1 at Ohio State
- Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio)
- Predicted Winner | Ohio State
- Nittany Lions Win Probability | 13.7% (was 19.1%)
- All-Time Series | Ohio State leads 26-14
- Projected Running Record | 3-5
Nov. 8 vs. Indiana
- Beaver Stadium (University Park, Pennsylvania)
- Predicted Winner | Penn State
- Nittany Lions Win Probability | 28.7% (was 38.6%)
- All-Time Series | Penn State leads 25-2
- Projected Running Record | 3-6
Nov. 15 at Michigan State
- Spartan Stadium (East Lansing, Michigan)
- Predicted Winner | Penn State
- Nittany Lions Win Probability | 80.4% (was 77.2%)
- All-Time Series | Penn State leads 19-18-1
- Projected Running Record | 4-6
Nov. 22 vs. Nebraska
- Beaver Stadium (University Park, Pennsylvania)
- Predicted Winner | Penn State
- Nittany Lions Win Probability | 58.9% (was 62.1%)
- All-Time Series | Nebraska leads 10-8
- Projected Running Record | 5-6
Nov. 29 at Rutgers
- SHI Stadium (Piscataway, New Jersey)
- Predicted Winner | Penn State
- Nittany Lions Win Probability | 70.7% (was 74.2%)
- All-Time Series | Penn State leads 32-2
- Projected Running Record | 6-6
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: ESPN FPI predictions for Penn State's schedule after firing Franklin
Category: General Sports
