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Gametime: 12:00 pm
Records: Indiana: 4-6 (1-5); Penn State: 8-2 (4-2)
Series Record: Penn State leads, 12-0
TV: Big11Ten Network
Audio: Here
Weather: Cloudy, High of 57
Last home game. Be there.
Well, after last week's crushing blow against the jackasses from Columbus, you can officially file this season in the "okay, but not great" folder. If the Lions win their last two games, they'll have a 10-2 record, a spot in a New Year's Day bowl game and still an outside chance at a BCS bowl (although we don't think it's crazy to say they don't really deserve that, at least if you base things on how teams perform on the field). For a lot of teams this would be a ringing success. For Penn State, not quite, but it's still not too shabby.
Of course, they still have to win those last two games, including the last home tilt this weekend against Indiana. And for those of you still pining for another Penn State tailgate after this weekend, you are indeed more hardcore than us, because an eight home games in one season is an insane tailgating schedule.
But anyway, back to the game. Indiana comes in sporting a 4-6 record this season, and that looks a lot worse than it actually is. The football Hoosiers have lost three games this year by a combined seven points. They were also up 14 at Iowa before imploding in the fourth quarter. We know winning close games is the mark of a great team, but still, a couple calls go the other way and Indiana gets a bounce here or there, we could be looking at a team with a 7-3 record instead of 4-6.
Of course, lest you think we're singing the praises of the crimson a little too highly, don't get us wrong, the numbers show that Indiana is a worse-than-average Big11Ten squad. Pretty much the only reasons they've been able to stay in games is because of the passing game, led by QB Ben Chappell, who has really flown under the radar this season. So far, he's completed 63% of his passes for 2377 yards and 13 TDs. In case you were wondering, that's a better YPG average than Daryll Clark.
Wide receiver Tandon Doss has been Chappell's favorite target this year, hauling in 65 catches for 843 yards, good for second in the conference in receiving yards. Chappell can spread it around a little too, as Indiana has four players with 20 or more receptions.
But that being said, the rest of the picture is pretty dismal for Indiana. The run game is tenth in the conference with 116 ypg and the defense is horrendous. The Hoosiers are ranked tenth in the conference in scoring defense and dead last in pass defense. If this surprises you, remember that this team gave up 28 points in one quarter to Iowa, a team with an offense few would describe as "explosive."
So the mission for Penn State is pretty simple, in our minds anyway. Pay a lot of attention to Doss and shut down the passing game as much as possible. And on the offensive side of the ball, just let it fly. If there were ever a game for the playbook to be wide-open, this is it. We won't be shocked if the team looks a little low-key at the start (it's been that way half the season), but if the Lions can't score at will at some point during this one, we'll be shaking our heads. Hopefully this ends up being a good confidence builder for Clark, Royster and the O-line before next week's matchup at Mighican State, which is always tough.
Indiana Player(s) To Watch: QB Ben Chappell and WR Tandon Doss
Like we said, the passing game is the only legitimate threat Indiana brings to the table, and these two are what make it go. If they're hooking up early and often, this one could be a shootout.
Penn State Player(s) To Watch: Offensive Line
It's not been a good year for the O-line. It started out rough, got even rougher against Iowa, but then things started to pick up and they looked like they were gaining serious momentum. Then last week. Ouch. This is a defense they should be able to push around, and we hope they do just that. If these guys don't come out in this one looking to crush someone, we'll be surprised. They've taken enough criticism this year to motivate them for the rest of their careers.
3 Bold Predictions:
- Clark will throw for 300+ yards.
- Royster will rush for 125+.
- Sean Lee will injure someone.
Game Prediction: Penn State 31, Indiana 17
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