The Penn State Nittany Lions look to keep things going in the right direction when they visit the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday, November 11th. The start time is scheduled for Noon ET and the contest can be viewed on the ABC or the ESPN2 Networks. As of Thursday, the Nittany Lions are a -7 point favorite and the over/under is set at 58.
Penn State is starting to get mentioned as one of the two best two loss teams in the FBS. Their 10th ranking shows that the experts are starting to catch on. Interestingly enough, an early loss to Pittsburgh and a 39-point defeat at Michigan had some questioning about James Franklin’s job. All that is gone by the wayside, and after blowing out Iowa 41-14 last week they are poised to claim a major bowl bid.
#10 (Penn State):
With smart play and accurate passing, Chase McSorely has lead the Nittany Lions to a five-game win streak. This season, McSorley has completed 134 passes for over 2,000 yards with 14 touchdowns and only three interceptions. If he keeps this up, a ten win season may very well be on the horizon with match-ups against Rutgers and Michigan State to close out the season.
Saquon Barkley is coming off another huge performance, scampering for over 160 yards and a score against the Hawkeyes. Now, Barkley is averaging 8.3 yards per carry over his last four games and also has combined for 114 yards receiving over the last two. In 2016, the talented runner has amassed 1,055 yards over the ground and 11 touchdowns. Barkley also has caught 15 balls for over 250 yards and two scores.
It’s move the ball by committee in the Nittany Lions receiving department this season. Four Penn State wide outs have accumulated 105 catches for over 1,500 yards and nine trips to pay-dirt. Chris Godwin is Chase McSorley’s go-to guy, reeling in 34 passes for over 500 yards and a position-high five scores.
The Nittany Lions are coming off their best defensive performance of the season. Penn State held the Hawkeyes to just 234 total yards. This week, they could be in for a tougher test against Indiana’s offensive unit that ranks third in the conference. The Nittany Lions secondary is starting to stand-out, ranking 27th in the country. The Penn State defenders are allowing only 198 yards per game.
Indiana (5-4):
Some things have changed in Indiana in 2016, the Hoosiers aren’t playing spoiler on Saturday. In fact, they can become bowl-eligible for the second straight season by pulling off the upset. Over the last two weeks, Indiana has beaten Maryland and Rutgers to get into that position.
For the Hoosiers this year, it’s been Richard Lagow giveth or Richard Laglow taketh away. Last week’s game is a prime example, as the signal-caller finished with 394 yards and three touchdowns against Rutgers, but he also threw two interceptions. Lagow has 13 on the season, tied for the most in the Big Ten. On the year, Lagow has over 2,500 yards passing with 15 touchdowns.
The first option out of the Hoosier’s back field is Devine Redding. The shifty tail back has held his own during the 2016 campaign. Thus far, he has ran for nearly 800 yards on 167 carries and three scores. The return of All-Conference and arguably the best offensive lineman in the Big-10 Dan Feeney, should help out Redding’s cause against Penn State.
Three Hoosier wide receivers compete for passes form quarterback Richard Lagow. All three have performed equally, snatching over forty passes a piece for almost 1,900 yards and eight scores.
The Hoosier’s defense is the epitome of average. They rank 60th or 61st in three of the five major defensive categories. Rutgers gained only 93 yards on the ground but the Scarlet Knights have one of the league’s worst rushing attacks. Penn State averages nearly a full yard more and has scored 22 touchdowns on the ground.
Trends and Notes:
The Nittany Lions are 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
The Hoosiers are 3-6 SU when playing at home over their last 9 games.
The OVER is 7-2 in the Nittany Lions last 7 games.
The UNDER is 4-2 in the Hoosiers last 4 games.
The Hoosiers are 1-16 SU in its last 17 games when playing Penn State.
Game Prediction:
The Penn State Nittany Lions are certainly on a roll coming into this match-up with the Hoosiers. Running the table and finishing 10-2, well inside of the FBS top 10, is quite the achievement after a 2-2 start. That’s the goal of these Nittany Lions and it all starts in Bloomington on Saturday.
The Hoosiers have a lot to play for as well. Their 5-4 record means a win and they’ll get a bowl bid for the second straight year. That’s a pretty big deal for a football program that plays second-fiddle to the basketball team every year.
Penn State’s running back Saquon Barkley should have another big day against an average defensive front. Indiana’s third ranked BIG-10 offense should find some ways to put up some points on the Nittany Lions as well. The big question is, can the Hoosiers keep up with the Nittany lions for all four quarters. No, they wont. Take the -7 with Penn State and the better defense for a full 60 minutes.
