Penn State is looking to bounce back this weekend against a struggling Indiana team that could be the perfect medicine for a Nittany Lion squad looking to put an embarrassing offensive performance against Ohio State in the past. Every game is different but sometimes the keys to victory are the same. Check out five storylines to follow this weekend as Penn State looks to knock off the Hoosiers.
Win The Crowd: One would imagine that Penn State will get the least enthusiastic cheers of the season when it takes the field this weekend and one imagines that James Franklin will almost certainly hear more than his fair share of boos when it comes time for the scoreboard to shout his name. That’s not to say fans have mailed it in, but the Nittany Lions are going to need to do some good things on Saturday to win over the hearts and minds of a fan base that has done this song and dance before. That’s not to say people are jumping off the wagon, but that’s not to say they’re jumping on either.
Find Your Niche: If Penn State is going to have any chance against Michigan in a way that doesn’t feel like death by a thousand three-and-outs it’s going to need to get good at a few things and get good at them quickly. There is maybe a tendency to want to see Penn State work on its explosive passing game this upcoming week but in reality it seems safe to say that just isn’t going to be in the cards for Penn State this year. The challenge instead is finding a niche and getting even better at it. That might not be sexy and it almost certainly won’t be flashy, but if Penn State can get a few things under their belt even better than before, they might be able to lean on that against the Wolverines.
Put It In The Past: Penn State can’t let Ohio State beat it twice, the Nittany Lions are going through their first iteration of losing as this team and can’t afford to let a very bad Indiana team take advantage of it being bummed about last week. Indiana is bad, which helps, and Penn State’s defense seems immune to the emotions of the day, but it’s going to be hard to blame the Nittany Lions if they come out a little flat. That being said, they shouldn’t, and good teams put losses behind them. Easier said than done, but some games are lost between the ears as much as on the field itself.
Do It Again: Whatever you want to say about Penn State’s offense, Penn State’s defense has been putting teams in a chokehold all season long. There’s no reason to think that Manny Diaz’ defense won’t be ready on Saturday, but nothing will help this turn into a “take our your emotions” game quite like Indiana getting pounded defensively. It’s hard to imagine this group not showing up to play, but life is confusing in the world of 18-to-22 year old humans. This unit is a bunch of future pros though, so have to think they’ll be ready from the first snap.
Ground And Pound: It’s hard to imagine Penn State beating Michigan in a few weeks without a consistent ground game and if James Franklin and company learned anything this past weekend it’s likely that throwing the ball won’t be the key to victory. The Nittany Lions have something to prove this weekend and the offensive line has as much as anyone to say about how the ground game goes. Nick Singleton doesn’t need to crank out a 80-yard run for this to be established, but for as good as this line is supposed to be, it has spent a lot of the year being “fine” instead of “great.”
