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College Football 2019: 5 teams that will be on upset alert in Week 7

By Dante Pryor

PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 17: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions runs onto the field with his team before taking on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at HighPoint.com Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 17: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions runs onto the field with his team before taking on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at HighPoint.com Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) /
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STATE COLLEGE, PA – OCTOBER 05: Sean Clifford #14 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after making a first down against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at Beaver Stadium on October 5, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA – OCTOBER 05: Sean Clifford #14 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after making a first down against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at Beaver Stadium on October 5, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

Scouting Report. 5. player. 806. Pick Analysis. 5-0. at Iowa. Penn State Nittany Lions

This might be one of the marquee games this weekend, so if Penn State loses this game it wouldn’t be a huge upset. However, the Lions are favored by 3.5 points in this one. This is a pivotal game for James Franklin and Penn State; they are one of a handful of really good teams looking to make that extremely difficult next step to being counted among the nation’s elite.

How do you do that? Win difficult games on the road and it doesn’t get much more difficult than Kinnick Stadium at night in Iowa City. These are the games elite programs win.

James Franklin, however is 3-0 all time versus Iowa. With the exception of 2016 every game has been close. This year will be no different. Ladies and gentlemen styles make fights, and Iowa’s defense will give Penn State’s offense fits. Iowa’s secondary is one of the best in the B1G if not the entire country, and they have a really good pass rush — even if AJ Epenesa hasn’t hit his stride yet.

Penn State has speed all over the field on both sides of the ball, and will have to trust their run game if they want to win this one. Iowa is coming off a loss at the Big House their defense gave them every opportunity to win. They are coming back home, and are quite ornery. Be careful coach, the Hawkeyes will circle the stadium ready to swoop and strike.

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