Five reasons why Penn State could lose at Indiana
Penn State is coming off a loss to Ohio State where they fell apart in the fourth quarter. This week, they’ll head to Indiana to take on Tom Allen and the Hoosiers.
Indiana is looking for their second conference win of the season, and their second conference win of the season since defeating Illinois on September 2nd. They haven’t won a game since September 17th, which was a non-conference game against Western Kentucky. That game was won in overtime by the Hoosiers.
As for Penn State, they are on their third game off their bye week, losing to Ohio State last Saturday in a game that was played like the potential to be an upset at home over the Buckeyes. But they fell apart and lost the game.
Both teams are looking for a bounce-back game. This wouldn’t really be a game on upset watch this week, but anything can happen.
Here are the top five reasons why Penn State will lose to Indiana.
Sean Clifford
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
Penn State probably should have lost by more than what the final score was to Ohio State last weekend. At one point, [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] had thrown two interceptions, yet Penn State still had a 14-10 lead. Sure, Indiana quarterback Conner Balazek isn’t much better. But the Hoosiers as a whole are a struggling team. Penn State also has seemed to fall apart in the second half of games, and it showed in the Ohio State game. Which Sean Clifford will show up on Saturday? That’s the biggest question.
Penn State Linebackers
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Penn State is going to need help getting to the quarterback, and that doesn’t just mean their defensive line room. With the loss of Brandon Smith and other key defensive players, it has stood out at times in certain areas. Linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] is the next man up, but we haven’t really seen a ton of production from him yet this season. Sure, he has shown flashes, but not enough to help the Nittany Lions win crucial games, and the Hoosiers can take advantage of that.
Penn State can't play four-quarter football
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Sure, Penn State has a winning record and they are a top-25 team in the country. But, for the past few games, they can’t seem to play four-quarter football. They barely beat Northwestern, with a final score of 17-7. Sure, they crushed Minnesota, but they fell apart in the fourth quarter against Ohio State. There are always teams that lose games they shouldn’t be losing, and this one for Penn State against Indiana on Saturday.
Penn State's lack of depth
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Penn State doesn’t have the depth in certain places, and it has shown at times. Devyn Ford recently left the program to focus on his academics, leaving the Nittany Lions with one less player in their running back room. Not only that, but we have also seen a good number of freshmen play this season, and that all started in their first game against Purdue, which Penn State won 35-31. The Nittany Lions don’t have a ton of depth, especially at certain positions, and the Hoosiers should be able to take advantage of that.
Connor Bazelak
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Indiana has quarterback Connor Bazelak, who transferred from Missouri this season. Bazelak has played better than Clifford this season, despite having the worse record. Bazelak has also been an efficient quarterback against conference teams, posting a 55.9 completion percentage, along with a 105.4 quarterback rating. Bazelak also played well against Michigan, the number five team in the nation, posting a 51.0 completion percentage, along with an 88.5 quarterback rating. Bazelak has been consistent in big games this season, especially ones against ranked teams.
Anything can happen, and this game is Penn State’s to lose, and the Hoosiers can break their losing streak and hopefully end their season on a high note with a win over the Nittany Lions on Saturday.
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