Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer throws a pass against Ohio State during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer went to high school only 16 miles from Ohio Stadium, making for quite a homecoming in just his second start as a Nittany Lion.

Although it wasn’t the result he wanted with the Lions’ 38-14 loss to Ohio State, it was a day he will surely remember fondly someday in the future.

“My younger self would be psyched to see myself out there,” Grunkemeyer said. “It was a good experience. I saw a lot of football games in this stadium. It’s obviously pretty cool, but we lost and it’s not good enough.”

It wasn’t good enough for a win as the Buckeyes once again showed an explosive offense that has a chance to produce another championship, but nobody was complaining about Grunkemeyer’s performance, either.

Grunkemeyer went 19-for-28 for 145 yards without throwing a touchdown or an interception. However, the Buckeyes’ defense, which has been almost equally as impressive as their offense, sacked Grunkemeyer four times and caused many problems down the field.

“We continue to struggle in the vertical pass game,” Nittany Lion interim coach Terry Smith said. “Ethan threw some nice balls and some nice conversions. I have to get that fixed. It’s something that I have to go and talk with the staff. There’s no exceptions. I have to fix this.”

Grunkemeyer engineered perhaps the best drive Penn State has put together all season that led to its first touchdown of the game. The drive lasted 15 plays and went 75 yards, with Grunkemeyer going 5-for-7, including a 13-yard strike to Liam Clifford on third-and-10.

“I think we were just in a rhythm in the first half,” Grunkemeyer said.

That rhythm didn’t last. Ohio State dominated possession the second half while the Lions were held scoreless in the final 30 minutes.

There’s a lot more football to see from the redshirt freshman, and there’s plenty of searching for a win in Big Ten play. But it’s a positive step for Grunkemeyer in just his second career start.

“He managed the offense in a hostile environment,” Smith said. “I thought he did what was expected of him. I thought he got much better from game one to game two. I continue to look forward to him getting better week-by-week.”