Penn State represents Iowa Hawkeyes’ 2023 litmus test
Alright, Hawkeye fans. Gather ’round. Come on, don’t be shy. Pull up a seat and let’s have a talk.
Our Iowa Hawkeyes are 3-0 to start the season. Let’s go! That’s awesome! We’re a ranked team, brought home the Cy-Hawk Trophy, and finally scored over 25 points in a game. Things aren’t going perfectly in Iowa City, the passing attack still isn’t great, but they’re pretty dang good.
And now here comes the big test. Penn State.
No offense to Utah State, Iowa State, and Western Michigan, but they aren’t in the same stratosphere as the Nittany Lions. They’re just not. James Franklin looks like he might finally have a team that can contend for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
The defense is one of the most complete in the nation, with stars like Kalen King and Abdul Carter all over the field. The defense has never been the problem for the Nittany Lions, though. The offense has always been just a step behind to be a true contender.
This year, Penn State fans hope that their fortunes on offense have changed. Three games in, they rank 14th in the nation in points per game with 43.7. The Nittany Lions feature a two-headed monster in the rushing attack, both Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton fully capable as featured backs. Treyson Potts has a good argument as the best third back in the nation as well.
Drew Allar is the big one for the Nittany Lions. Quarterback has been their biggest question mark over the years. Trace McSorley and Sean Clifford were capable college quarterbacks, but nothing special. They weren’t going to lead Penn State to greatness, at least not without a lot of help around them.
Things may be different with Allar though. A former five-star recruit, the Medina, Ohio, native can make throws that his predecessors couldn’t even dream of attempting. He has so much natural talent for his age, and has the makings of Penn State’s first starting NFL quarterback since Kerry Collins.
This is a massive game for the Hawkeyes, obviously. Penn State is the biggest opponent on Iowa’s schedule, ranked No. 7 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. They are the only remaining ranked team left on Iowa’s schedule, given that Rutgers doesn’t make their way on there with a win over Michigan.
Truly, Penn State is the litmus test for the Hawkeyes this year. Nearly everyone is counting Iowa out, despite the undefeated Hawkeyes also ranking in the top 25. If Iowa can keep this one close, give Penn State a fight until the very end, it shows that they are for real. They are more than likely the best team in the Big Ten West. Their game may be ugly, but it’s a winning brand of football.
Should Iowa pull off the upset, you might as well pencil them in for the Big Ten Championship game. They will be a tough out for whichever team meets them there. This isn’t an unfathomable result either.
Penn State may have defeated Illinois by 17 points, but they in no way won comfortably. The offense, particularly the passing attack, was affected by the Illini defensive line. They were bailed out by Luke Altmyer throwing to the wrong team the entire game. There is an avenue to Iowa pulling off the upset.
Should Iowa lose badly to Penn State, then it might be a good week to take a break from social media for Iowa fans. The entire national media circuit will call Iowa overrated, and say that they don’t have the offense to keep up with any legitimate teams. They only beat three lesser opponents. It will hurt to see that, because it will be true.
Saturday night in Happy Valley will tell us a lot about the 2023 Iowa Hawkeyes.
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