3 Predictions for Indiana Football versus Penn State
We are just over 24 hours away from the Hoosiers kicking off for the first time in the 2020 season. Here are three predictions for their exciting matchup against Penn State.
Michael Penix Jr throws for over 400 yards
Peyton Ramsey was the quarterback for the Hoosiers in last year’s battle with Penn State. Ramsey had arguably the best game in his career that day, throwing for 371 yards and a touchdown with a 75.6 completion percentage.
Ramsey is no slouch, but he isn’t Michael Penix Jr. Penix takes an A- offense to an A+ offense. It helps IU that Penn State has lost much of its talent on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos was a second-round pick in the NFL Draft, and All-American linebacker Micah Parsons opted out of the season due to COVID-19 concerns.
Ramsey almost threw for 400 yards against Penn State last season, so look for Penix to do much of the same against a more depleted roster.
Hoosiers hold Sean Clifford to under 200 yards through the air
This isn’t much of a stretch given what happened last season. The Penn State running attack was the main reason for their offensive success. Quarterback Sean Clifford only threw for 179 yards with an atrocious 47.8 completion percentage. However, he was able to beat the Hoosiers with his legs, rushing for 55 yards and two scores.
Clifford was horrible in this matchup last season and is coming into this season with a very inexperienced receiving core. On top of that, star running back Journey Brown was just announced to be potentially out for the season with an undisclosed medical condition.
Considering his past performance against IU and the loss of talent around him, Clifford may have a rough opening game. He can still do some damage with his legs, but the Hoosiers should be able to manage the passing attack fairly easily.
Indiana beats Penn State
Perhaps it may be biased fandom, but I would be surprised if Indiana doesn’t win on Saturday. On paper, they are just as talented as Penn State after the unexpected losses of Journey Brown and Micah Parsons.
The Hoosiers have a much more dangerous offensive attack than their foe on Saturday. If their defense can do their job against an inexperienced Penn State offense, then I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t win. Inexperience is a huge factor in all sports given the way the pandemic has affected the team’s ability to prepare their team before the season.
Indiana, however, is returning the majority of its starters. This gives them a huge advantage in week one and perhaps beyond. I think the Hoosiers walk off the field the victor on Saturday, and it may be by a comfortable margin.