Is the offensive line a concern for Penn State football against Indiana?
Penn State football is a heavy favorite over Indiana on Saturday, but will injuries keep the game close?
Penn State football would like to get back in the win column after a tough loss against Ohio State last weekend.
The Nittany Lions are heavy favorites for their road trip to Indiana this weekend. The 6-2 Lions are ranked No. 15 in the College Football Playoff standings, while Indiana is just 3-5.
Penn State is clearly the more talented team, and the record and stats reflect that. On paper, this should be a comfortable win.
Games aren’t played on paper though and anything can happen once the opening kickoff is returned.
One reason for the Nittany Lions to have some concern Saturday is their offensive line.
No, not the unit’s play, but it’s health.
Penn State could be down as many as three starting offensive linemen in this game. Star left tackle Olu Fashanu left the game against Ohio State and did not return. Starting right tackle Caedan Wallace and left guard Landon Tengwall did not play against Ohio State.
During the media availability this week, Wallace returned to practice, but Tengwall and Fashanu were not seen.
Under normal circumstances, this would be an issue. It’s even a bigger issue considering the way Saturday’s game may go.
It’s expected to be a rainy and gusty day in Bloomington, meaning both teams will have to put an emphasis on the run game. Indiana is one of the worst rushing teams in the country, averaging just 80 yards per game. Penn State averages 170 rush yards per game but has yet to play a game with this many injuries on the offensive line.
If Penn State wants to put Indiana away and keep this game out of reach, it will have to have success on the ground early and often. In order to do so, young offensive linemen like Jimmy Christ and Vega Ioane may have to play key roles.
A silver lining may be that Indiana’s defense is nothing special against the run. The Hoosiers give up 157 yards per game on the ground, which includes them giving up 192 rush yards to a struggling Rutgers offense last week. Penn State may not need to be at full strength to get by in this one.
So much of the attention this week has been on the Penn State football quarterback situation, but the bigger question is how a battered offensive line will hold up in a game in which it will be called upon to do a lot of the heavy lifting.