1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Jake Bockoven and Nick Sehnert Discuss the Potential for Matt Rhule to Entertain the Penn State Job Opening: October 13th, 11:00am

Episode Date: October 13, 2025

Jake Bockoven and Nick Sehnert Discuss the Potential for Matt Rhule to Entertain the Penn State Job OpeningAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's time to go one-on-one with D.P. Coming at you live from the heart of Lincoln America, a 93-7-the-ticket and the ticketfm.com. Here is your host, Derek Pearson, brought you by Canopy Street Market. Yes, we are live here on one-on-one on a Monday afternoon, and there's a little bit to talk about here today. I'm Jake Bockerman sitting in for D.P. He is still out on, he went to the road drive. He went to the Maryland game and is going to stick around for the Monday night football game as well. So hopefully D.P. is out there having fun.

In the meantime, we've got a little bit to talk about a lot to talk about Nebraska. Of course, what a ball game. I don't know if you know that. But also there's been a lot of speculation around the Penn State opening after James Franklin was let go. Of course, Matt Ruhl, an alumni there had worked for their athletic director at Temple considers him a close friend. So lots to kind of speculate and think about here in the next hour here on one-on-one on 93-7. The ticket next day will be joining me here in a few minutes. So giving him a little bit of a break. Of course, he's been added on radio here for a little bit.

And he's also kind of our Adam Schaeftery. He just got a phone call. I mean, he's got to take his phone calls. Maybe we got something coming. But no, plenty of stuff to talk about pretty exciting as we as we move forward i mean because all of this uh there's so many different angles to come at it from obviously you know pen state losing to northwestern after losing to UCLA once thought of to be uh the most difficult game remaining on Nebraska schedule now how do we view that um UCLA destroyed Michigan state over the weekend and Nebraska struggled with so they certainly looked like they're going to be a challenge now northwestern perhaps more of a challenge than we originally thought Penn state certainly less of one

Um, you know, as you kind of follow that stuff along Iowa, shut out Wisconsin. So they look like they're going to be, uh, pretty darn good USC with the win over Michigan. Um, so just kind of shifting around are the, the level of difficult that we think these remaining games are going to be. And on the flip side, Buck, here's the honest truth is, uh, that Wisconsin program is in a wild spot right now. You think about it to where Wisconsin has Oregon or excuse me, Ohio State this week, Oregon next week, and then a buy.

Things are shaping up perfectly for it look, to get fired that week after the Oregon game. And I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet. I've been kind of looking at that all along. And this one was a big one, particularly for them. They gave it 42 points to Iowa last year. And therefore, every practice in the spring, they would finish with 42 push-ups.

And so this was kind of their whole, you know, you don't want to circle one game, make it bigger than the other. But Wisconsin, Iowa is a big rivalry to them. Obviously, things were already going off the rails earlier this season. but put that much of a focus on it and to lose 37 to nothing to. Again, an Iowa team that doesn't traditionally score 42 or 37 points, not the greatest look for Luke Fickle in Wisconsin.

But just a lot, again, a lot to kind of break down. Nick, like I said, there was actually a game as well over the weekend that was very exciting, very interesting how all of this kind of factors in. If Nebraska loses to Maryland and then the Franklin situation happens, there as much speculation for Matt Rule? Thinking over at Penn State, it's just all of just a crazy weekend. It is.

We do have a statement from Penn State's athletic director, Pat Kraft. He says that the school will conduct a national coaching search. Craft said, quote, our next coach will be somebody who embodies everything Penn State stands for. Integrity, accountability, toughness, humility, and an elite motivator. Elite. Oh, no.

It's like they've been talking. Elite. Like their friends or something. Sounds like they use the same terminology. No, that's like grasping at straws. But that is from Pat Kraft. He's speaking right now regarding their national coach search. But I mean, and again, we can't get to the game,

but it's hard to overlook the fact that, you know, as you kind of look at Penn State's opening, there's, of course, all different odds and ideas about who's going to be the front runner or might be there to replace James Franklin. And Matt Rule is coming up in all of them. And again, a lot of that is partially due to Nebraska, year three, starting to turn around, right?

I mean, you're winning these close games. They're moving up the kind of rankings in the Big Ten. And now, of course, top 25, Oscars after winning last week. And all of this is happening, by the way, on a short week, we have to go to Minnesota, PJ Fleck. That's always a game that at least that Minnesota's Nebraska's number in over the last several years.

But, you know, I said before, and I've been saying this the last couple of weeks, is that I didn't think there was really much of a chance that Franklin would get fired and rule would go take that job. But the bigger part of that was that Franklin would get fired. I didn't believe James Franklin was going to get fired, but two back-to-back weeks of being favored by 20 plus and they lose. Yeah. Kind of changes the conversation.

Let's start there, Nick. is Penn State, do you understand where they're coming from? I mean, you understand where they come from. Did they make the right move in firing games, frankly? I think so because I think this coaching carousel is shaping up to be a wild one. Like, oh, as wild as we've ever seen. And that's in consideration to the Brian Kelly, Lincoln Riley whole situation that happened a couple of years ago.

I think there are, there are, in college football right now, there are no, to use this word, elite coaches. There's not a Nick Saban out there right now. There's not. I would also say that there are very few coaches that are untouchable right now. And so I'm sure Penn State, this is what Pat Kraft said as well. I am confident in Penn State's future and in our ability to attract elite candidates to lead our program. If Penn State truly feels that way or anybody, Florida feels that way, and a lot of that's probably just coach speaker, direct athletic director speak. And I get that.

but if they truly feel like they can go out and get somebody to elevate their program, which is hard to do in addition to James Franklin, this is a coach that had an overall record of 104 and 45. He was the second winningest coach in the history of Penn State football. Do you realize the expectation that's going to be for this next guy? Then the next person in there, it's, well, they've been to the state, or state semifinal, college football playoff semifinal, who can take them to the national championship.

That's what Penn State was missing. Now, they've had a couple of bad losses. But once again, it is, I get where they're coming from. I think it's an indication of where college football is at right now. And number two, they must feel like they can go out there,

swing a big stick around, and bring somebody notable in. And I think they can't. I mean, that's, without a doubt, you look at kind of the openings that are open as of now. They're clearly at the top.

And that's when, That's why you've got a question here from the text. I'm not really a question a statement, but I'll just be going to fire back at it. Is somebody texts in 115-4, let's be honest, going forward, who's set up better for the future in football, Nebraska or Penn State?

I'd say Nebraska. Well, I would fire back inside Penn State. Penn State has Nebraska at some, at one point was one of those jobs, right? But it's just, I mean, look at the last, look at the James Franklin tenure. They're just chimed out major bull wins, top 10 finishes, Micah Parsons, you know, Sequin Barclays.

And Nebraska has just not been there. Matt Rule has reestablished Nebraska into the top 25 for now. Yeah. Nebraska's had some visits to the top 25 over the last 10 years, usually in these spots, 24, 25th, and then quickly ducked out. So there's still more work to be done. And while it is good that Nebraska is winning games that, that they haven't won in the last 10 years, those close games, right?

At the same time, if you take all of the, the curse of the history of Nebraska football the last several years of not winning those close games, you might say, if you're just looking at it from a different point of view, is that they're kind of playing with their food and it's going to catch up to it at some point. At some point, another quote from Pat Kraft on Penn State's next head coach. He says, quote, this person has to fit Penn State. They need to represent the toughness, the blue collar work ethic. and the class that defines this institution.

So there you go. And again, who fits Penn State? Yeah. And Matt Ruhl again, an alumni there, started his coaching career there, has had nothing but great things to say about Penn State over the last several years, even at Nebraska. And again, the biggest thing, I mean, if those aren't big enough, is, you know, Pat Kraft, having worked for him at Temple, we know this about athletic directors.

We can sit on the outside and say, you know, this guy should be hired or that guy should be hired. there's a comfortability of having success at Temple from an athletic director in coaching standpoint. You already know how you work. You know, the athletic director is already in the spot at Penn State. And so it's, I mean, if if offered, it would be something that, I mean, again, I've thought about this since Nebraska hired Matt rules. If he had success, the mid-state job comes open, it's one you really couldn't blame him for taking. I mean, that's the going home. That's the whole idea.

And sorry to bring it up this way, but the Scott Frost hire is not just if he does well. And you take that chance. Then you think you've got him for 25 years because what other job is going to attract him more so than the one he has? Maybe the NFL. And that's always going to be something with Matt Rule, by the way, as well as he always has success. If he continues to have success, I should say. And so for Penn State, I mean, the allure of Matt Rule might even be the extra part of that is if he's here, he's here to stay. I mean, you might have, you know, then that's a place that.

has had, what, three coaches since 1966 or something like that. So they are, that would be, that would be definitely attractive to them as you kind of break down some of those things. Now, I think, I think it was we talk about any job, whether it comes open. If, you know, it's Michigan State, Florida, the jobs that are open now, the first call for everybody is going to be Kurt Signetti. And just to see, I mean, it has to be. Yeah, because, I mean, you talk about an elite candidate and, and Kurt, I believe it's

from Pennsylvania. but ultimately you talk about all the things that come with him. Certainly. I think I'll say, I think it's a two-horse race. I think it is Kurt Signity or Matt Rule. I think those guys fit what Penn State needs. Not necessarily, more so obviously Kurtzignetti than Matt Rule because Kurt's won the big games.

Coach Signetti's won the big big games. And Matt hasn't. Matt Rule hasn't. But once again, for a year, university in Penn State that is on the horizon and on the doorstep of a 700 plus million dollar renovation. The connection that we know there is with Pat Kraft, right? There's a lot of things surface level wise. I told, I said this on the show earlier, Bach. I said, look at the schedules. Like, as from a coaches standpoint, which place is going to be easier to win

in the next three years? Penn State. Penn State schedule the next two years is what Nebraska's was this season. Nebraska's schedule the next two seasons is a gauntlet. And as quick as things can change, as much as we are revering Matt Rule right now and talking about how he's like this national candidate, first off, the discourse around Matt Rule has changed dramatically as soon as Penn State opened up.

Any other job could have opened up. And we'd still say the same things that we were talking about Penn State, or excuse me, about Matt Rule last week, about how he can't win the big games, but hey, he's doing a good enough job for Nebraska. right, but from a national standpoint, well, now Penn State opens up and he's this national candidate. So the discourse has been kind of alarming and it's kind of giving me some whiplash. Second off is on top of it all, things can change in the blink of an eye and these things

line up and timing is everything in this business. And you never know when you say no to an opportunity, especially one like this. If given the chance, if given the offer, you know. never know if it's going to be able to be, you know, offered to you again. You never, you, you have to operate in the, we're not going to take it. Scott Frost is a perfect example. He admits as much as you want to hate him, he admits, probably shouldn't have taken the job. But that very well could have been the only job or only time that he was ever offered

the Nebraska job. Because not only do you as a coach at your current stop have to be successful, but then the job that you want, your dream job that you want, has to be open and available and wants you at the same exact time. Those things, they, it's hard to get those to line up. And when they do, it's a hard opportunity to say no to. Yeah, absolutely. And there have been, I mean, if you are kind of thinking about it from that standpoint, too,

there have been cases where we're been denied by, by your alumni. And there's a long time. There's speculation as the Michigan job came, came open unless Miles was at the top. He's an alumni there and never went back. So, I mean, it's, it's possible that he's offered and turns it down and maybe believes in what he's got at Nebraska. And I think that that's without a doubt. I mean, he's, and that's what all this is.

Like you said, it's kind of on two fronts there is if, it's not the Penn State job that comes up and the Met rule is not one of the top names. Like any other, any other job, he's not necessarily one of the top names. It might be a name you throw in there at some point, especially as Nebraska continues or hopefully this trajectory upward and has success.

But, you know, and so, you know, you kind of looking at that way, The one thing that I did see, and I think you're right, I've seen lots of, there's a name thrown out here from Mississippi Muddog that Lane Kiffin, what might be a good name. And Ole Miss is up there. That would not be a bad idea, a name that I haven't seen thrown out there. But a lot of what we've seen nationally is it feels like Matt Ruella, Kurt Signetti. Again, those things can change day-to-day based on the Nebraska hire we even saw.

Matt Rul was that one time the top name and then he wasn't, and then he took the job. So things can't change pretty quickly there. But it's just going to be fascinating to see the next steps here for Nebraska. I have seen, though, too, is the idea some people try to pair, okay, yeah, Matt Rule, I mean, he could bring Dylan Riola along. And I go, well, I don't think you understand why Dylan Ryola is at Nebraska. I think Marwell might be part of that. But I don't know if it's continued.

To something I heard you say, too, earlier on the drive, it's intriguing to what would be the reaction from Nebraska. Obviously, you have to make the next higher. But it's a good thing when your coaches are being desired from the outside, right? I mean, Bo Pellini at one time was desired and talked about with Penn State, and I heard behind the scenes from some

reporters. So he didn't like the churches there. I don't know if that necessarily always plays in the biggest factor there. I always thought that was funny. But it's good that your coach is desired. That means he's doing something well and things are going well. And it could be a point to where if he does leave, again,

I couldn't necessarily fault him for it. I also don't think Nebraska would be in the worst position, right? I mean, you hopefully would just kind of want to try to continue that build upward. He doesn't necessarily have the track record of post whatever happens this season, right? Of what is year four look like? So you don't necessarily know, you know, and we'll see there's just a lot to kind of break down there. again, the one thing that doesn't fit for Penn State in this search as they look for it is James Franklin's biggest problem. Of course, the last couple weeks were kind of the straw that

broke the candles back, right? But the bigger problem at Penn State has been their top 10 program, not a top five program. James Franklin at Penn State was four and 21 against top 10 teams, but even worse, one in 18 against top 10 big 10 teams. And so, you know, that's why I say, I mean, I think it's a little bit crazy. I think he is a, top 20 coach at the very least in college football right now. And so it is a little bit of a, of a, definitely a risky move on Penn State side. I think part of this too is they did have a little bit of lull in 2020 and 2021, where this is kind of signaling another lull sometimes as a long tenured coach,

you can go through one lull, but you don't necessarily want to make a habit of it. So I think that was part of it. But again, all those big game problems for James Franklin in, in Matt rules, what, lost his last 17, 18 games against top 25 opponents. That's the other part of it that I kind of think. I don't know if that necessarily it would be the most exciting part of that. But again, if you're Penn State, you have to kind of come from the angle that a lot of those games are a rebuilding program, right? Temple and Baylor and then certainly to Nebraska to the standard.

That's the point. A couple of things. I agree 100% there. Rules lost 17 in a row versus top 25 teams. the other part of that is that you're right. What does Rule do best? And he builds programs. Penn State doesn't need a program builder.

They need a program elevator. That's what I said actually to end the drive today is I said, I think both Nebraska and Penn State, this is rules opportunity in Nebraska to prove that, hey, I can take a team. He's never been at a spot longer than a couple of, years also. That's the other thing that we have to look at is if you look at Matt Rule, and this is where it can get a little dicey for Husker fans, I'll say this, you look at his

tenure of where he's been and for how long. And there's patterns. He was at Temple for four years. Then he was at Baylor for three, had success and left. While he was on the, one of the top coaches in college football, he was recognized as that left, goes to Carolina, gets fired after a couple of years. Then comes to Nebraska. Here he is year three. We don't know what Matt Rule looks like after year three. There's not a sample size. There's not a litmus test. There's not a study of what Matt Rule looks like. We don't know if he's a program of elevator. We don't know if that is because he's never been in a spot long enough to where we have, okay, this is what he did from year three to year four. This is what he did from year three to year six. This is what it looks like.

we haven't seen that from Matt Rule. And so that's what I think is a little, it would be a little disappointed if he did choose to take the Penn State job because I think there still is uncertainty. But once again, I think you'd be dumb not to take it. I think you'd be dumb not to take the job. And that's not what Nebraska fans are going to want to hear.

But we'll find out five or six minutes here. Usually Matt Rule is pretty punctual on time. Five to six minutes here, he's going to be talking to the media and we'll see what he has to say. And that isn't that, most fascinating part of all of it, right? It's, it's tough to even trust coach. I mean, Matt Rule is forward.

I mean, he has, he's got a podcast. He's the most open coach, I think I've ever seen. It may be in the profession. Yeah. And yet there's, there's been so many times. And what is he supposed to say? Exactly. You know, other than that he's committed to Nebraska.

And so I always kind of think it's funny when you use that to go back against him. Again, if he leaves, even if he says he's committed to Nebraska, they ends up leaving, I'm not going to hold these. comments against me. What if he says something, Bach, along the lines of, what does he have to say for you to believe him that he's not going to entertain any opportunity? I don't think he can say anything.

Really? So if he came out and was like, hey, I wish, you know, my friend Pat Kraft, the best of luck, find a replacement, it's not going to be me. Would you believe that? Because that's as, that's as cut and dry as you can get. And the fact of your hesitation, that should tell everybody a lot. Well, yeah, again, back to your point, though. be dumb not to at least consider it.

Yeah, you got to consider it. Yeah. Yeah. And I said it at the start of the drive. It is malpractice on his agent's part if he doesn't get him more money out of this from Nebraska. Yeah. And again, it's, it's already getting paid a ton. It's, yeah.

And the next couple years of his contract at Nebraska are the most lucrative. Yeah. I mean, Penn State's definitely going to have to pay him. But that was part of their idea. And, you know, I saw some people like trying to figure out, you know, obviously this buyout is the second most behind Jimbo Fisher. $49 million. Yeah. They're not worried.

That's not what they're worried about right now. Because they knew when they made that move, first they're going to have to pay his payout and the idea that you, your Penn State, you're not going to go to find somebody on the bargain bin deal. They're going to be paying top in top college football money for their next head coach, no matter who that is.

So it's crazy. I have feelings about this. So, hold on. I got to find the right year. Hold on. one second. Um, as we get ready. Do we have, is there cash splits today? Uh, not on one. Okay. No, I want. Okay. Sorry. But we are due for a break. So okay. Go ahead. Yeah. We can touch on it after.

Yeah. We've got to next look. I want to, I want to respond to see Mundon's text when we come back about Nebraska and a blue blood program. Oh, good. Yeah, good talking point. Uh, we'll do that because there is a lot of, you know, we maybe need to clarify a little bit. Maybe why we would believe that Matt Ruhl should at least entertain the Penn State job over Nebraska. We'll do that coming up next year on 93-7. The ticket on one-on-one. Download our app by searching 93.7, the ticket in your app store.

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