Penn State Football: 3 bold predictions vs Iowa

1. Penn State will win in a blowout.

While this shouldn’t really be a bold prediction, many pundits around the country are declaring Penn State’s Week 4 bout against Iowa a trap game and that the Hawkeyes seem primed to unseat the No. 4 team in the nation. That is totally ridiculous.

Even though Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium is typically considered one of the more challenging place to play a game in college football, I can’t see a single reason why this game would be close.

Many will say that Penn State’s defensive line is suspect against a power running game, as shown in their Week 2 game against Pitt, While Pitt was able to rush the ball 45 times for 155 yards, they did it behind Qadree Ollison, the 2015 ACC Rookie of the Year. Iowa’s running back stable on the other hand has seen better days.

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The Hawkeye’s lead back, senior Akrum Wadley, is currently nursing an ankle injury, and their second-string back James Butler is officially been ruled out for the next four games due to an elbow injury. Penn State’s defense has given up 821 total yards on defense in only three games.

They are currently ranked 22nd in total defense overall because they simply don’t give up points. This season, the Lions have only given up 14 points, good for less than five points per game, a feat that’s almost unheard of in modern football. While the Hawkeye’s offense may struggle to put up points on the Nittany Lion’s defense, Penn State’s offense definitely wont return the favor.

It doesn’t matter how good Iowa’s coverage fundamentals are, or how well they mask their defensive alignments, having a receiver like Juwan Johnson, Saeed Blacknall and do-it-all playmaker Tommy Stevens lined up against a linebacker is a mismatch every time. In Week 4 it will be exploited early and often.

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While James Franklin’s 2017 Penn State team is not without its flaws, they are the No. 4 ranked team in the nation by the AP Poll for a reason. Iowa will find out the hard way. Expect an absolute blowout in Iowa City.