Will the Penn State Nittany Lions recover from their shocking loss or will the Indiana Hoosiers be able to pull off the upset at home?
Last week, the No. 18 Penn State Nittany Lions were dealt a horrific loss that essentially ended their quest to claim the Big Ten East in 2018. Michigan State was able to mount a miraculous comeback and defeat the Nittany Lions in Happy Valley in heartbreaking fashion. The loss was Penn State’s second on the season and the second for them in Big Ten play, giving James Franklin’s team a 1-2 conference record.
While all of that was happening, the Indiana Hoosiers were getting crushed by the Iowa Hawkeyes. Indiana’s loss was their second in a row and pretty much showed everyone that the Hoosiers weren’t necessarily much of a threat in the Big Ten. Every game that the Hoosiers have lost so far has been against teams that are currently ranked.
In this game, Indiana will need to find a way to generate plenty of offensive firepower. If the Hoosiers are to end their two-game losing streak, they will need to go score-for-score with Trace McSorley and Mile Sanders. McSorely has been prolific through the air, throwing for 1,242 yards and 11 touchdowns, but he’s only completing 54.4 percent of his passes. On the ground, McSorely has added 447 yards and six touchdowns. Alongside McSorley in the backfield, Sanders has gained 700 rushing yards and seven touchdowns of his own.
To counter that duo, Indiana is trusting Peyton Ramsey and Stevie Scott, who has led Indiana’s offense this year. Ramsey has completed 68 percent of his passes and thrown for 1,624 yards and 12 touchdowns, but he’s also thrown seven interceptions. As Ramsey’s companion in the backfield, Scott has run for 557 yards and four touchdowns, but he’s only getting 4.8 yards per carry. These are decent numbers, but this duo will need to outplay McSorely and Sanders. That won’t be easy.
How to watch and bet on Penn State vs. Indiana
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 20
- Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Bloomington, Indiana
- Stadium: Memorial Stadium
- TV Info: ABC
- Odds: Penn State -15.5
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
Prediction: It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Indiana Hoosiers both enter into this game with a bit of a hangover from their respective losses. Both of these teams enter into this game with underwhelming energy after falling short in their previous two games. Penn State is a more talented team with a more notable coaching state. The Nittany Lions should win here, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them get off to a slow start.