Penn State Football: Grades vs. Indiana

Penn State got back in the win column with a 34-27 win over Indiana at Beaver Stadium Saturday afternoon to move to 9-1 on the season.

A noon kickoff vs. a good Indiana team on a cold, mid-November day following the first loss of the season? We pretty much got exactly what we expected: a win that wasn’t easy and wasn’t pretty, but a win nonetheless.

Penn State’s 34-27 win vs. Indiana marked the first time since 2016 that the Nittany Lions haven’t followed up their first loss with a second loss in their next game.

Despite winning the game, Penn State was haunted by the same problems that lost it the game vs. Minnesota: the pass defense. The Nittany Lions’ secondary was concerning once again, as they allowed Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey to complete 31 of his 41 passes for 371 yards and a touchdown. With the Ohio State game looming, there’s no doubt that Brent Pry and the secondary need to figure out these issues.

On the bright side, the Penn State offense was as good as it has been all season, as the Nittany Lions put 34 points on the board, the most they’ve scored since the Purdue game on October 4.

Looking ahead, the win kept Penn State’s playoff chances alive, and New Year’s Six Bowl hopes alive. In addition, Minnesota’s 23-19 loss to Iowa not only helped Penn State in terms of making a New Year’s Six Bowl but making the best bowl, not in the College Football Playoffs, the Rose Bowl.

As long as a Big Ten team makes the College Football Playoff (which looks likely), the second-highest ranked team in the conference will play in the Rose Bowl. If Penn State doesn’t win out, then this may end up being a potential scenario.

That being said, let’s get to this week’s positional grades.