First Look: Penn State Vs. Indiana
After losing to Ohio State in 2022, Penn State began its 11-game win streak the following week against Indiana. Once again, the Hoosiers show up on the Lions schedule at just the right time.
Penn State hosts Indiana on Saturday looking to right itself following last weekend's bitter 20-12 loss to the Buckeyes. Who better than Indiana, which is 2-20 in the Big Ten since 2021? Here's the first look at Penn State vs. Indiana.
Penn State (6-1) Vs. Indiana (2-5)
When: Noon ET Saturday
Where: Beaver Stadium
TV: CBS
Streaming: FuboTV (Start your free trial)
Betting Line: Penn State is a 30.5-point favorite, according to DraftKings
Series History: Penn State leads 24-2
Last Meeting: Penn State 45-14 in 2022
Streaks: Penn State is 12-0 at home against the Hoosiers
About the Lions: So that scoring streak, 12 straight games of 30+ points, was it legitimate or a mirage? Ohio State's defense exposed some issues that bubbled beneath the surface of Penn State's offense, notably the relationship between quarterback and receiver. Drew Allar and his wideouts have strained to develop a rapport in connecting throws to routes and fusing their timing. Moreover, the receivers have been unable to get open even against weaker secondaries. Against UMass, Allar dropped back on his first offensive play and looked deep. He ended up throwing the ball away. He also threw away the ball on a first-half trick play against Ohio State with no one open. Allar's offense has not helped shepherd his growth.
"Obviously when you look at [the Ohio State game] and the combination of lack of success on third down and lack of explosive plays, we’ve got to look at that hard," Penn State coach James Franklin said of his receivers. "I think there are some things that we can do in terms of how we’re calling the play and I think there’s some things that we need to do from a fundamentals standpoint. But Drew needs some guys to make some plays for him on a more consistent basis, there’s no doubt about that."
About the Hoosiers: Indiana dropped its fourth Big Ten game last Saturday, falling 31-14 at home to Rutgers to slide deeper into a funk. The Hoosiers have allowed 42.3 points per game in their last three losses (to Rutgers, Michigan and Maryland) and rank 13th in the Big Ten in scoring defense. Even worse, the Hoosiers are last in the conference in scoring offense, averaging just 17.9 points per game. They have scored just 15 touchdowns in seven games. As a result, the Hoosiers need to play mistake-free football but don't. They had a punt blocked and muffed a punt against Rutgers, leading to 10 points. Indiana is 2-20 in the Big Ten since 2021. This is a get-right game for the Lions.
More on Penn State
When will Penn State truly 'close the gap' on Ohio State?
Penn State lost ground in the Big Ten tiebreaker, too
An emotional Drew Allar challenges himself after Penn State's loss to Ohio State
Where does Penn State's offense go from here?
The Penn State-Ohio State report card
Ohio State 20, Penn State 20: Breakdown of an offensive breakdown
AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.
