Penn State Football: 3 bold predictions vs. Indiana in Week 5

2. Saquon Barkley finally outruns J.K. Dobbins

One of the more interesting things to watch so far in the 2017 college football season has been the absolute dominance of junior runningback Saquon Barkley.

Barkley, arguably the best player in all of college football, has been on a tear for the Nittany Lions and near single-handedly willed his team to a 4-0 record.

But even after amassing an incredibly 1,013 all-purpose yards in only four weeks, there are some who question if he is even the best running back in the Big Ten.

While there is a small group of people who will swear by Northwestern running back Justin Jackson, most fans will argue over just who is better: Saquon Barkley or Ohio State freshman phenom J.K. Dobbins.

In only four games as a Buckeye, Dobbins has amassed an impressive 520 yards on only 69 carries, a number that currently leads all freshman, and is the most of any back in the Big Ten. And while Barkley’s 1,013 all-purpose yards nearly double that of Dobbins (543), he still only ranks seventh in the nation in total rushing yards and trails Dobbins by two yards.

But in Week 5, Saquon Barkley could finally put his foot down and show his freshman counterpart who’s the Big Ten’s best back.

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After the first third of the season, Indiana’s defense currently ranks 102nd in the nation against the run, a deficiency that Penn State will surely exploit early and often especially after how effectively Barkley ran against Iowa’s 69th-ranked rushing defense.

As Barkley inches himself closer to the 2017 Heisman Trophy, and his eventual spot atop the 2018 NFL Draft board, his performance in Week 5 could finally clear up any confusion as to just who’s the best back in the nation.