Penn State football: 5 Nittany Lions that are key to victory over Iowa

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 05: Micah Parsons #11 of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts after recording a sack against the Purdue Boilermakers during the second half at Beaver Stadium on October 5, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

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STATE COLLEGE, PA – SEPTEMBER 14: Sean Clifford #14 of the Penn State Nittany Lions looks to pass as Kylan Johnson #28 of the Pittsburgh Panthers defends during the first half at Beaver Stadium on September 14, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

1. The O-Line as a whole

Okay, so I cheated on this one this week — forgive me. Even if the entire offensive line has a good game, and one guy struggles, that still creates a lousy scenario for Penn State as a whole. The entire offensive line needs to be on its A-Game this week as the competition gets stiffer.

The Nittany Lions’ quarterback, Sean Clifford, is facing his toughest test yet. Yes, we’ve said this multiple times this season, but almost every week has gotten more robust for the first-time starter. If Penn State wants to avoid stalling out on offense again, they need to work like a well-oiled machine for four quarters. It will start up front in the trenches.

This week, we should expect more of a balance between passing and running. The offensive line needs to be efficient in creating lanes for the runner and also keeping the pass rush in check so that Clifford can settle into his role.

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