Victory Bell Rings
Fansided

Penn State vs. Indiana Prediction Roundtable

By Barry Leonard Jr.

facebooktwitterreddit

The five-game homestand for the Penn State Nittany Lions draws to a close this week when the Indiana Hoosiers come to Beaver Stadium for a conference battle on Homecoming. This has the makings of a great game, as both teams enter with an identical record of 4-1.

More from Victory Bell Rings

Although they are riding a four-game winning streak, the Nittany Lions come into the game with some issues. Injuries to key players have piled up over the last few weeks and the offensive struggles were out in full force last week against Army West Point.

Indiana comes in with much more momentum, having put a major scare into No. 1 Ohio State last week. Had it not been for injuries to starting quarterback Nate Sudfeld and running back Jordan Howard, the Hoosiers would have had an excellent opportunity for a shocking victory.

Both Howard and Sudfeld seem to be on track to play against Penn State this weekend.

Interestingly enough, the Nittany Lions opened the week as eight-point favorites according to Vegas. That line seems high for a team that could barely move the ball against a very bad Army defense last week.

If there’s one thing we learned last week, it’s not to ever ask head coach James Franklin about the point spread. So let’s get down to it and get to the picks for this week’s Big Ten showdown.

Lead Editor Barry Leonard Jr. 

This has been a tough year to predict Penn State’s games. I keep giving the Nittany Lions too much credit on offense, and each week they disappoint. With that said, I’m not ready to throw in the towel. I still believe that it can’t get any worse and at some point there’s too much talent on the roster to be this bad.

I want to believe that this will be the week offensive coordinator John Donovan finally opens the playbook and takes the reigns off Christian Hackenberg. Hack has had success throwing the ball downfield, he just hasn’t been given many opportunities to do so. This is the week it all comes together, and Hackenberg will finish with 300 yards and two touchdowns.

In keep with the positive vibes, I also think that freshman running back Saquon Barkley will be back this week. The offense is completely different with him in the lineup. I think Barkley returns in a big way and goes over 100 yards and finds the end zone at least once.

Sure, the defense struggled at time last week against Army, but don’t forget that the triple option is tough to defend. Also, defensive coordinator Bob Shoop spent the game rotating in backups to get them experience. I think the first unit defense is back to normal this week and the combination of Anthony Zettel and Carl Nassib will be too much for the Hoosiers.

Like always, it’ll start close, but in the end, Penn State will pull away for the 31-24 victory.

Staff Writer Shane Lunnen

This game depends on a few things.  For Penn State’s offense, if Saquon Barkley plays they should be able to move the ball against the Hoosiers defense.  If he doesn’t, I’m not sure this offense can be trusted to do much.  It really is a night and day difference with or without Barkley.

For Indiana, it depends on the health of quarterback Nate Sudfeld and running back Jordan Howard after both were injured in last week’s game versus Ohio State.  Sudfeld and Howard are the Hoosiers best players on offense and will be a real test for the Nittany Lion defense if they play.

As of now the weather doesn’t look like it will be a factor as it has been in all but one of the Penn State home games so far.  This one is a really tough one to call and I’ve gone back and forth on my pick, but I’m settling on Penn State and a Barkley led offense.  As long as he plays, and he is practicing, I don’t think Indiana will have an answer for him and maybe it will finally open up the passing game a little bit.  I also think Indiana will be emotionally drained after a close loss to the Buckeyes last week.

That being said, I would not be surprised if this one goes the other way just because Penn State’s offense is so hard to trust right now.

Penn State wins a close one 20-17.

Staff Writer Nick Lemon

The Nittany Lions find themselves in a precarious position having to rely heavily on recently injured running back Saquon Barkley to jump start an anemic offense.  Luckily for Penn State the Hoosier defense is prone to giving up big plays and enters the game ranked 118th in FBS in total defense.

This week Barkley will be the playmaker that the Nittany Lions desperately lack, accumulating nearly 200 yards of total offense and multiple touchdowns. Christian Hackenberg continues to serve as the conservative game manager until the second half when he confidently directs a crucial go-ahead drive to clinch the victory.

The Nittany Lions defense will give up significant yardage to the potent Indiana offense and their dangerous quarterback/running back tandem. However, in the end the Lions get the stops when they need to, force a few turnovers and limit the Hoosiers to enough field goals to stay within striking distance.

With the game on the line Hackenberg and the offense demonstrate they are capable of digging deep, making plays and providing late game heroics and Penn State gets an equally gutsy effort from the defense.

The Lions narrowly defeat Indiana in a pivotal game, 24-23.

Staff Writer Ryan Lance

The Nittany Lions struggled a week ago against Army as they only won the game by six points. They were hampered by the injury bug as Saquon Barkley, Akeel Lynch, and Brandon Bell all missed the game.

The Penn State offense was once again less than stellar, especially with the absence of Barkley.

The defense played solid in the first half but was later worn down by the Army triple-option attack. However, they did just enough to hold on for their fourth victory of the season.

Now Indiana comes to town for one of Penn States toughest tests of the season. The Hoosiers played the defending National Champions tough last week, which was their first loss of the season. They have some injuries of their own and most notably to their running back and quarterback.

I think this game will come down to how healthy each team will be and which players can gut it out. I’m not 100% convinced that Barkley will be a full-go so I’m hesitant to pick the Nittany Lions. I’m really torn on this weeks prediction as I think there are a number of tangible and intangible factors that will play into the outcome. However, as it stands today, I think Indiana will squeak out a close game 20-17.

Home/Penn State Football