Game Preview: IU football travels to State College for noon clash with Penn State

Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer.

No. 2 Indiana football heads to State College for its penultimate road game with Penn State.

Last time out, the Hoosiers clobbered Maryland 55-10 in College Park for win No. 9 in as many games. The Nittany Lions, on the other hand, lost to No. 1 Ohio State, 38-14, in Columbus. The loss was the team’s fifth-straight loss, all in conference play.

Indiana landed at No. 2 in the first College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday. The ranking matches the US LBM coaches poll and AP poll.

Ahead of Saturday’s noon kickoff, here is Inside the Hall’s preview of the afternoon tilt between the Hoosiers and Nittany Lions.

Game information

Who: No. 2 Indiana (9-0, 6-0 in Big Ten) vs. Penn State (3-5, 0-5 in Big Ten)
Where: Beaver Stadium, State College, Pennsylvania
When: Saturday, November 8, 2025. Noon ET
TV: FOX, Gus Johnson (Play-By-Play), Joel Klatt (Analyst), Jenny Taft (Sideline)
Radio: Don Fischer (Play-By-Play), Buck Suhr (Analyst)
The line: Indiana -14.5, Over/Under 50.5 (DraftKings)
SP+ prediction: Indiana 32, Penn State 21 (77 percent chance of an IU win)

Meet the opponent

Penn State has been on a downward spiral since late October. Three straight losses led to the firing of head coach James Franklin. Now under interim head coach Terry Smith, the Nittany Lions are 0-2.

Ranked as high as No. 2 in September, Penn State has yet to win a conference game.

Star quarterback Drew Allar got hurt in a game against Northwestern, leaving the duties to redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer. In three games, Grunkemeyer has thrown one touchdown and three interceptions.

Known for a respected defense, the Nittany Lions remain a solid unit, ranking in the top 50 in points allowed per game. Penn State is 3-2 at home and will play its first home game under Smith.

Indiana is 2-25 all-time against Penn State, dating back to 1993 and 0-13 at Beaver Stadium. The last time the two programs met, the Nittany Lions defeated the Hoosiers 33-24 in State College on October 28, 2023.

Injury Update

After missing the Maryland game, Curt Cignetti expressed optimism that linebacker Aidan Fisher will play on Saturday. Cignetti listed wide receiver Elijah Sarratt as day-to-day in his Monday press conference.

Guard Drew Evans, who also missed the Maryland game, will not be available this week with no timetable to return.

The required Big Ten availability report will be released two hours before kickoff, at 10:00 a.m. ET on Saturday.

Storylines>

Can Indiana keep its poise on the road?

Although the Nittany Lions are in the midst of their worst season in more than a decade, Beaver Stadium remains one of the most challenging environments in the country. The ticket prices for this game have dropped by over $100 since September, but even a 70 percent-filled stadium is over 70,000 people.

This weekend marks the last regular-season games the Hoosiers will play outside the state of Indiana. Regardless of the opponent’s quality, winning on the road in the Big Ten is a challenging task.

In harsh environments like Iowa and Oregon, Indiana had its issues with pre-snap penalties, something center Pat Coogan deems drive killers. That said, Indiana dominated Maryland last weekend on the road.

The Hoosiers are in control of their own destiny in the final three games of the season. If Indiana can keep the penalties to a minimum, it should have no issues breaking the will of a lifeless Penn State team on Saturday.

Indiana’s health

Cignetti won’t admit it, but it is evident that Indiana’s most formidable opponent the rest of the season is injuries.

Last week in College Park, the Hoosiers struggled. Evans suffered an undisclosed injury during the week leading up to the game and Sarratt didn’t play the final three quarters.

Although Cignetti explained on Monday that the injuries were not serious, the situation grew worrisome as the medical tent became increasingly busy. The CBS broadcast appeared to show a carousel of Hoosiers entering and exiting the tent.

The Hoosiers are thin across most of their positional groups, so any long-term injury would be detrimental to playoff success. Staying healthy this week would set Indiana up in a great position, given the quality of its final two opponents.

Outlook

Saturday was supposed to be a game-of-the-year candidate – a top-five game between two playoff hopefuls. Despite Penn State’s struggles, the game still serves as a litmus test for the Hoosiers.

Including Penn State, the Hoosiers’ final three regular-season opponents are a combined 0-16. Beaver Stadium may not be filled, but the crowd will remain loud, especially in a close game.

The Nittany Lions are a defeated program and Indiana must capitalize on their mindset in the opening possessions. It won’t take much to break Penn State’s will, but the Hoosiers can do it early.

This game might stay close through the first half, but Indiana’s superior talent will shine as the game goes on. The Hoosiers are on track to prove their worth and secure their first-ever victory at Penn State.

(Photo credit: Penn State Athletics)

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