The Lions are under new leadership, and will attempt to get into the win column for the first time in nearly a month against Iowa. How does the staff see this one playing out?
Chris
Life comes at you fast. Just
a couple short weeks ago the Lions were leading Oregon in overtime, and here they are with an interim coaching staff. I’d like to say that this gives Penn State an advantage, as there’s sure to be SOME sort of coaching changes in scheme, but with both coordinators still there, it may be less than expected. Perhaps the remaining players circle the wagon a la Mike Mauti in 2012, but given how lackluster they’ve played the last couple weeks, I find that unlikely.
Iowa pairs its usual stingy defense with newfound offensive success, and humbles the Lions in Kinnick.
Iowa 31, Penn State 10
Lando
Kinnick at night against a team that just shut out a conference foe (I know Wisconsin is not good, but how much better is Penn State playing right now?) 37-0 on the road? This could be bad.
The Grunk era starts inauspiciously against Iowa. On the bright side, Tyseer Denmark and Koby Howard get more playing time(??), and Kaytron Allen has another solid outing.
Iowa 24, Penn State 14
Note, I almost picked PSU, but couldn’t do it.
Tim
Well, at least Ethan Grunkemeyer should have fewer false starts than the last backup quarterback who played at Kinnick Stadium…I get the feeling we’ll see an offense playing more loose and to its strengths, which should mean a lot of feeding Kaytron Allen and hopefully getting Devonte Ross involved like he was last year at Iowa when he was torching them in a Troy uniform. Unfortunately, there is still that issue with defense and their inability to slow down opposing run games. I think the Lions put up a valiant effort in Terry Smith’s head coaching debut, but come up short. Also, because this is Iowa, you have to factor in a safety being scored.
Iowa 22, Penn State 16
Bennett
Kinnick at night for a young starter? No thanks. Iowa’s own offensive struggles keep them from running away totally with this. But Penn State drops its 4th straight – on its way to a school record 6 straight.
Iowa 24, Penn State 7 – and that could be a field goal and two safeties. Who knows!
Eli
The combination of:
- Drew Allar being out for the year, leading to having to prepare for someone who’s had maybe two snaps,
- James Franklin being gone, which means different philosophies will be at play, and,
- Having nothing to lose, as their CFP hopes went up in smoke two weeks ago
should mean a team playing more lose, but there’s also the “who cares” factor at play, so, until they prove it, I remain skeptical. Would be funny if Iowa is the team they bounce back against.
Penn State 56, Iowa 17
Jared
(Originally appearing in the Game Preview)
Sometimes a change in messaging can help a reeling team following a coaching change. I’m not sure even the most rousing speech from Terry Smith can help get a win this Saturday.
The reality of an inexperienced quarterback making a start against a defense that makes it difficult to move the ball in front of a hostile crowd on a rainy field is far from ideal. There’s also a defense that has struggled against the run going against a run-heavy offense with a deep rotation. It’s a poor match-up all around, not considering the emotional toll of the past week.
Hopefully the team comes out swinging and proves the rest of the season is not a lost cause. However, expecting them to go into Kinnick and pull out a victory probably isn’t on the table with the current state of the team.
Iowa 24, Penn State 10
