Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith talks with officials against Nebraska during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

Here are some Penn State items to chew on while you are eating Thanksgiving leftovers through the weekend:

– You have to wonder if this is a situation that PSU athletic director Pat Kraft wanted to be in with the regular season ending tomorrow. The logic says that Kraft wouldn’t fire James Franklin just to bring in Terry Smith as the guy in 2026. But Kraft is in a position now that he has to seriously consider Smith to be the permanent man. Smith has done an incredible job, and he has the Lions playing their best ball of the season. That didn’t seem likely even three weeks ago.

– The majority of the fan base seems to have Smith as their guy now, and it would be hard for anyone to tell them differently. There are still some viable candidates out there, notably Eli Drinkwitz from Missouri. Drinkwitz has been outstanding with the Tigers. They may have had a shot at the College Football Playoffs had Beau Pribula not been injured midway through the season.

– It’s also notable that Penn State may be in the market for a quarterback next season, and it would be a good bet that Pribula would return to State College for his final season if Drinkwitz were the guy. Kraft can’t make a decision based on one season of Pribula, but Drinkwitz is now a proven program-builder. Think of what he could do with more NIL support and a program that has almost all the pieces he needs.

– Does any of this feel strikingly like Michigan just a couple years ago? Nobody that supports Michigan would have handpicked Sherrone Moore to replace Jim Harbaugh in the middle of the 2023 season. But judging from the circumstances Moore was dealt with Harbaugh suspended for much of his final season in Ann Arbor, Moore was the right guy at the right time when Harbaugh bailed for the NFL. A Michigan man was needed there.

– You could say that the program may need a Penn Stater right now. I’m talking about Smith, of course, and not Bobby Engram, who reportedly will be interviewed by Kraft. Engram has carved out a nice coaching career in the NFL and is currently on the Washington Commanders staff.

– It’s fair to wonder if the Pinstripe Bowl would jump at the opportunity to bring in Penn State like it did in 2014 if the Lions win Saturday. They were also 6-6 that year, and there were plenty of fans in New York with the Bronx being a short drive for both PSU and Boston College fans.

– Whoever the next coach is, that choice has to come by early next week…doesn’t it?

– Just for kicks, my pick is Smith. He’s earned it. It’s his locker room.

Andy Stine can be reached at astine@altoonamirror.com.