PSU likely will be Iowa’s last ... and biggest test
Remaining foes probably will not sway playoff voters
Big Ten Conference supremacy and a possible College Football Playoff berth won’t get handed to No. 3ranked Iowa Saturday if the Hawkeyes defeat Penn State. But based on Iowa’s remaining schedule, the Nittany Lions could be the final ranked opponent Kirk Ferentz’s team faces in the regular season.
Iowa already defeated instate rival Iowa State, and the Cyclones were in the top 10 before the Hawkeyes beat them at Kinnick Stadium. A win against Penn State could solidify the Hawkeyes as a contender. Losing wouldn’t end their hopes, but the Hawkeyes would need Nebraska, Illinois or Minnesota to change the course of their respective seasons to create a matchup voters will care about.
The Iowa State win doesn’t smell as sweet because the Cyclones lost a game against Baylor. Winning a rare topfive matchup matters to both teams, but Penn State has more chances to bolster its case for a playoff with games against No. 7 Ohio State and No. 9 Michigan. Even Michigan State is in the top 25 at 11.
How does a team handle the pressure? Hawkeyes quarterback Spencer Petras, who has 943 passing yards with seven touchdowns and one interception this season, is attempting to embrace the moment while not becoming overwhelmed.
“It’s a great opportunity. It’s important not to make it more than it is, because it is just a football game,” Petras told Iowa reporters this week. “We’ve played five, and this is our sixth one. But it’s a big deal. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
“This is why you play football, for games like this.”
Iowa is a slight favorite at most Las Vegas sportsbooks. Both teams are sound defensively and move the ball well on offense. It should be a tight game that likely will come down to which team makes the fewest mental errors. Hawkeyes center Tyler Lindenbaum, whose matchup with Nittany Lions defender PJ Mustipher will impact the game immensely, expressed belief in his team’s plan.
“It’s going to come down to execution. How can we do on getting first downs? How can we do on executing third downs?” Linderbaum told Hawk Central. “When we get in the red zone, can we put up points? Can we score touchdowns? I think that’s going to be the difference-maker, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Two great defenses are going against each other, and we need to do our part.”
Numbers game
2.40: Iowa’s turnover margin of 2.40 leads Football Bowl Subdivision. The Hawkeyes are stingy on defense. The scoring offense is a pedestrian 44th, but the defense makes up for it by allowing just 11.6 points per game. Of course, the Nittany Lions shut out Indiana last week and allow a paltry 12.0 points per game. Saturday could have an oldschool Big Ten feel at Kinnick. Penn State head coach James Franklin, for one, respects the Hawkeyes defense.
“Their defensive coordinator [Phil Parker] is maybe one of the most respected defensive coordinators in college football,” Franklin told reporters Tuesday during his weekly news conference. “There’s been consistency there. He’s been there for 11 years as the coordinator but was there a lot longer, before that, as a defensive backs coach. But they do a great job. They’re consistent.”
Keep an eye on
Chase Brown: Bret Bielema has an arduous task trying to get the Illini back to relevance. He’s thankful that Brown is his lead running back. Brown posted a careerhigh 257 yards and tied a career-high with two touchdowns in Illinois’ 24-14 win over Charlotte. He added a 17yard reception and scored an 80-yard touchdown on the ground.
Game of the week
No. 4 Penn State at No. 3 Iowa: Come on, what other game would it be? According to ESPN’s Chris Fallica, this the first top-five Big Ten regular-season matchup not involving Ohio State since 1997, and the first since 1962 involving neither Ohio State nor Michigan. This game is a massive deal. No offense to Michigan State-Rutgers, but the Iowa-Penn State game is the one to watch this weekend.