Penn State Football: Ranking 2019 opponents by toughness
By Shane Lunnen
The Hoosiers have played the Lions tough in Bloomington throughout the years, getting their lone win in 2013. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, this year the game is in Happy Valley which makes an upset unlikely.
The good news for Indiana is they have a new offensive coordinator this year with Kalen DeBoer taking the reins. He should be able to get more out of an offense that has weapons but was not explosive enough last season.
The bad news for Indiana is Penn State’s defense should be able to neutralize most of what the Hoosiers are trying to do on offense. Expect the Lions to put this one away early.
The 100th meeting between Pitt and Penn State will also be the last for a while. The two schools do not have any current discussions to renew the rivalry and no openings on their schedules until after the 2026 season.
Pitt is coming off a 7-7 season but hey, they did somehow manage to win the lukewarm ACC Coastal division, which was just another term for “sacrificial lamb for Clemson”. Quarterback Kenny Pickett is back and should be better but he needs the receivers and running backs to step up around him. The Panthers defense has some talent, but important pieces need to be replaced.
The Panthers will be up for this game, wanting to tie up this four year series before it goes on hiatus again. They will likely give the Lions trouble early on before Penn State takes over and posts a convincing victory.
Now we get into what could be some tricky matchups for the Lions. Penn State’s annual homecoming game will welcome Purdue to Beaver Stadium for the first time in six years.
As long as quarterback Elijah Sindelar can stay healthy, the Purdue offense should be one of the best in the conference. Wide receiver Rondale Moore is a stud and the Boilermakers have a lot of other talent at the position as well. On defense, the defensive line and linebackers looks good but the secondary must improve after getting torched a year ago, allowing 285 yards per game.
Head coach Jeff Brohm has the Boilermakers moving in the right direction and they could make some noise in the Big Ten West if the cards fall right. This game kicks off a tough stretch for the Nittany Lions so they better be at their best to come out with a victory.