Patrick Mahomes predicts winner of Penn State-Indiana game

Patrick Mahomes as a NFL quarterback is a superstar, but as a college football picker? Well, that particular question is still open. Mahomes joined the set of College GameDay as CGD is at his alma mater of Texas Tech. As is traditional in his role as celebrity picker, Mahomes weighed in on the day's biggest games, rendering his pick on a Big Ten showdown of Indiana and Penn State.

Before the season, Indiana and Penn State was more likely to hold College Football Playoff significance for the Nittany Lions than the Hoosiers. But in three weeks, the No. 3 Nittany Lions faded to unranked and the school fired head coach James Franklin. Now, it's 9-0 Indiana who is ranked No. 2 nationally while Penn State is scuttling at 3-5. Mahomes followed suit with the rest of the CGD crew in rendering his pick for the game.

Patrick Mahomes's pick

I think Coach Cignetti has got those boys rolling. It's going to be a lot of fun, and I think Indiana is going to go out there to Happy Valley and take it.
Patrick Mahomes

Respect for Penn State's crowd and massive stadium (Beaver Stadium is the second largest seating capacity venue in FBS football) has probably held public sentiment closer than expected the game. Penn State is an underdog by right around two touchdowns and ESPN's FPI gives the Nittany Lions a 17.3% chance at pullilng the massive upset.

Indiana's impressive season

To Mahomes's point, Curt Cignetti certainly has the Hoosiers rolling. Indiana is tops nationally in scoring offense (46.4 points per game), second in total yardage (504.9 yards per game), third in scoring defense (10.8 points per game allowed), and seventh in defensive yardage (248.3 yards per game allowed).

Fernando Mendoza is in the thick of the Heisman Trophy conversation in a season where he passed for 2,124 yards and 25 touchdowns. Indiana's ground game is split between Kaelon Black (619 yards, four TDs) and Roman Hemby (601 yards, five TDs). Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Surratt are both on pace to top 60 catches and 1,000 yards receiving if both remain healthy.

Penn State's struggles

Penn State has struggled mightily in a five-game losing streak. QB Drew Allar was lost for the season due to injury and his backup, freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer, is still learning on the job, with one touchdown and three interceptions so far. The Nittany Lions are still holding opponents to 21.8 points per game and four of their five losses have come by six points or fewer.

But Mahomes and the rest of the College GameDay crew have all gone all in on the Hoosiers, another sign of the growing respect Indiana is getting across football today.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti got some praise from Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes on College GameDay. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images