In a division with the likes of Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan, the Indiana Hoosiers get lost in the shuffle. But the job Tom Allen has done with this Hoosiers squad should not go unnoticed. Allen has Indiana at 7-2 on the year, including 4-2 in conference. Granted, it has not been against the strongest of opponents. But in that same vein, Minnesota hadn’t played the toughest schedule and still knocked off the Nittany Lions 31-26. If the Hoosiers use the same formula the Golden Gophers did, it could be a second straight loss for Penn State.
The formula
There were three things that Minnesota did extremely well last weekend that Indiana will look to replicate. First, they controlled the clock. The Gophers won the possession battle 35:01 to 24:59. They did this by using smart passes and running the ball well when it mattered. If you hadn’t heard, Indiana RB Stevie Scott III is a stud. He’s gone for 737 yards on the ground, averaging five yards per carry and added nine touchdowns to his name. The Hoosiers are not afraid to feed him early and often.
Penn State’s rush defense is 3rd in the nation, but what Indiana does well is mixing in quarterback runs as well. Peyton Ramsey has gone for 122 yards on 42 attempts this season. Michael Penix Jr had gone for 119 yards on 22 attempts before a season-ending injury. Pulling off an upset will start with Scott and Ramsey running efficiently out of the backfield to dominate the clock. Minnesota was outgained in every aspect of last weekend’s game, but by controlling the clock and keeping the ball away from Penn State as much as possible, they were able to come away with a huge win.
Second, the Gophers featured a very efficient passing game. Tanner Morgan went 18-20 for 339 yards and three touchdowns, exposing the Nittany Lions secondary. For Indiana, Ramsey has completed a whopping 72% of his passes this season. While he doesn’t usually throw in high volume, Ramsey is among the best in the nation at completing his passes. Making those big third-down throws will be the biggest difference in controlling the clock and keeping Penn State on its heels.
The final perhaps biggest key for Indiana to winning a huge road game is winning the turnover battle. Last weekend, Penn State turned the ball over three times while only forcing one turnover themselves. That was a huge swing in the momentum of the game. Indiana has not been great in this department, losing the ball 10 times and taking it away 11, good for a +1 turnover differential. Penn State is at +5 on the season. That being said, the Hoosiers have guys up front in Turner Coxe and Delontae Scott that are no strangers to forcing fumbles.
Final thoughts
Indiana possesses all the tools to win this game. A star running back, an efficient quarterback and a defense that is among the best in the nation. The Hoosiers have allowed just 310 yards per game this season and are especially good against the pass. If that secondary led by Reese Taylor and Jaylin Williams can force a couple of interceptions, I like the Hoosier’s chances not only to cover but to come away with a program-defining win. Indiana has to turn this into a grind it out, earn every yard slugfest. But if they do this, the Nittany Lions better watch out because this Indiana program is on the rise.
