Indiana football 2023 opponent preview: Penn State

As college football season draws ever-closer, we’re running down Indiana’s schedule to preview its opponents for 2023.

Indiana will head to University Park to take on Penn State at the end of October, in one of the toughest road games on the schedule this season. The Nittany Lions demolished IU last season in Bloomington, their second straight win over the Hoosiers following the memorable 2020 matchup highlighted by Michael Penix Jr.’s game-winning 2-point conversion. Indiana has never won at Beaver Stadium.

• Opponent: Penn State
• Date/Time/TV: Saturday, October 28, TBA
• Location: Beaver Stadium, University Park, Penn.
• 2022 record/postseason result: 11-2, 7-2 Big Ten, beat Utah in the Rose Bowl

Returning production, offense: 55 percent (per Bill Connelly/ESPN)

Offensive outlook: Only Northwestern has less returning offensive production than Penn State does. Notably, the Nittany Lions will have a new starting quarterback for the first time since 2019 in sophomore Drew Allar. He saw playing time in 10 games last year, and flashed his immense potential. Allar is than Sean Clifford was, so the Nittany Lions could be more of a downfield threat this year. Allar’s play, obviously, will determine a lot about how far Penn State can go this year.

The team also lost its top two receivers from last year, Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley, and tight end Brenton Strange as well. Look for junior KeAndre Lambert-Smith, redshirt sophomore Harrison Wallace III, and redshirt senior Kent State transfer Dante Cephas to step up at wideout this year.

PSU brings back one of the top running back duos in the Big Ten and the country in sophomores Nick Singleton (156 carries, 1,061 yards, 12 rushing touchdowns in 2022) and Kaytron Allen (167 carries, 867 yards, 10 touchdowns). Both also showed playmaking ability in the passing game as well. If those young players improve off already strong debut seasons, this could be a lethal rushing attack. The Nittany Lions’ offensive line should be stout as well, with All-Big Ten tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu leading the way. PSU will have three to four returning starters on the line, depending on how position battles shake out.

Returning production, defense: 75 percent (per Bill Connelly/ESPN)

Defensive outlook: Penn State’s defense had a good season in 2022. The unit could be even better this year. All-Big Ten linebacker Abdul Carter finished fourth in the Big Ten with 6.5 sacks last year as a freshman, and all-Big Ten defensive lineman Adisa Isaac finished sixth with 11 tackles for loss. Those two will be crucial on both sides of the ball and could form a destructive pass rush along with junior Chop Robinson. Redshirt seniors Hakeem Beamon and Dvon Ellies are back at defensive tackle and should wreak enough havoc to free up outside rushers.

PSU lost All-Big Ten first teamer Joey Porter Jr. in the secondary, but junior Kalen King could be one of the best cornerbacks in the country this year. He and Johnny Dixon comprise one of the better cornerback duos in the Big Ten.

Run defense could be a bit of a question mark for the Nittany Lions, as all-Big Ten defensive tackle PJ Mustipher could be hard to replace in that department. Penn State’s run defense was strong last year, ranking 17th in the country at 111.2 yards per game. The Nittany Lions have a lot of talent on defense, but their performance against the run will be the differentiator between a good defense and one of the best in the country.

Returning starters, special teams: kick returner Nick Singleton

Special teams outlook: Penn State saw a lot of turnover with its specialists this offseason. Kicker Jake Pinegar and punter Barney Amor graduated; senior Columbia transfer Alex Felkins steps in at kicker, and senior FAU transfer Riley Thompson at punter. Singleton is an electric playmaker, and he scored one return touchdown last year. Redshirt freshman receiver Kaden Saunders appears set to take over punt return duties after Parker Washington departed.

Overall Outlook: The discourse about the best team in the Big Ten has largely surrounded Michigan and Ohio State the last several years, but don’t overlook Penn State in that discussion. The Nittany Lions are loaded. They could have a real shot to upset the Wolverines or Buckeyes this year, and should that happen, PSU could be looking at its first-ever College Football Playoff berth. And even if things don’t break Penn State’s way this year, the team should still be one of the better squads in the conference. This is a group with a high floor and a high ceiling.

Prior Outlooks:

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