Indiana Football: Was Penix Jr the better choice over Ramsey?
By Adam Childs
Ramsey was the better option
Peyton Ramsey stayed last year and it paid off, but the thought of sitting the bench for his senior season was too much and he decided to leave and give Northwestern a try. Hoosiers fans may have been disappointed but they had to understand the reason he left. The Hoosiers could have kept him from leaving if they would have chosen him to lead Indiana last year.
As we stated above, Ramsey was coming off a good 2018 season but was prone to throwing interceptions as he averaged just over one a game. He did throw for 19 touchdowns during the year, but the Hoosiers still failed to make a bowl game. That should not have all been blamed on him as the defense struggled a lot during 2018.
Ramsey came in last year and played great for the Hoosiers when Penix Jr went down to injury. He nearly led them to an upset of Penn State in State College and also had them on the verge of winning their first bowl game in 29 years. He also found a good rapport with leading receiver Philyor and did a good job protecting the ball.
He struggled against Michigan, but he was without Philyor in that game and also lost starting running back Stevie Scott for most of the game.
Ramsey had the respect of his team and it showed as they rallied behind him when he came in for the injured Penix Jr. He was easy to root for and will be missed by the Hoosiers.
Ramsey ended up 30th in the country and fourth in the Big Ten last year in passing efficiency. He played well without making many mistakes.
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Yes, the Hoosiers would have had only one more year with Ramsey, but he has proven to be able to stay on the field which is still something that Penix Jr hasn’t shown he can do. If Penix Jr. can’t stay on the field this year who is going to the guy to step up in his place. Obviously Ramsey wasn’t going to stay as a backup, but you could do a lot worse than having Ramsey as your starter.
This argument won’t be solved until the end of the 2020 year, but it was a big decision for the Hoosiers and one that will shape their next few years, good or bad.