(Photo: Via Clutchpoints)

Intriguing Game- NCAA Football, Week Four 

(24) Iowa Hawkeyes at (7) Penn State Nittany Lions

Iowa: In a sport where creativity right now is the highest that it’s always been, this has been one of the few teams that stays within their box. The saying really is true, if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it and their way works. I’ll also add that there aren’t any surprises with them and this is a football team that wants to run the football down your throat until you can do something to stop it, Over the last few seasons, they’ve been able to run the ball, have one of the best Offensive Lines in the country and the defense handles the rest. All they’ve needed from the Quarterback was to not lose the football game. Control it, make a throw when the opportunity presents itself and most importantly, keep your team in the game. The Hawkeyes used the Transfer Portal and were able to land Quarterback Cade McNamara and if his name looks familiar, yes, this is the guy that was once the starting Quarterback for Jim Harbaugh at the University of Michigan. He’s a tremendous upgrade over Spencer Petras who was far too inconsistent for my liking. I think this has been the most balanced attack that Kirk Ferentz has had in years and listen to these stats. They average 208 yards rushing and 259 yards passing the ball. Balance is still key, even in a sport when it’s very Quarterback driven and pass happy today. As a defense, they’ve surrendered 12 points per game and defense is one thing that’ll never change with Iowa as they will always have one of the best units in the country. On Saturday night, they will face a tough test in Happy Valley.

Penn State: When I was on an episode of College Football Showdown with Israel Rivera during the summer, we both said we were putting this team over the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten East and they’ve officially become the biggest threat to dethrone the Michigan Wolverines to take the division. Last week when I watched them against the Fighting Illini and one thing I noticed was the passing game wasn’t clicking. Also on the defensive side, they were vulnerable and gave up a few plays in the secondary, but still, they cruised to a 17-point victory in Champaign. What excites me about this Penn State group is the duo of Running Backs they have in Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton. I think this is the best duo of backs in the country because they can both put a hurting on a defense when given the green light. Kaytron is that tough runner that wants to get in between the tackles and he’s tough! He won’t go down without a fight! Meanwhile, Nick has phenomenal burst and straight-line speed. Penn State also leads the Big Ten in time of possession and is ranked seventh in the nation in TOP as well. Drew Allar is now Quarterbacking this offense and he’s taken tremendous care of the ball so far. This defense is physical and athletic which is quite the combination. They return home on Saturday night and welcome an undefeated Hawkeyes team to town.

Iowa X-Factor: Cooper DeJean– The Junior for the Hawkeyes does a little bit of everything for this defense. Cooper has played Cornerback and Safety and is productive wherever you put him. Last season, he set a school record with three pick-sixes. He’s a ballhawk and that energy for one of the best defenses in the nation. Outside of his secondary play, Cooper also contributes to Special Teams as well.

Penn State X-Factor: KeAndre Lambert-Smith– So far, he’s been their best weapon on the offense this year. KeAndre ranks fourth amongst receivers in the Big Ten with 220 yards receiving on 13 receptions and three touchdowns. Illinois didn’t even bother to cover him last weekend and in this showdown, he could see more chances and gates opened if fellow receiver Tre Wallace has to sit out again.

Three Things I’m Watching

1. Penn State Passing Attack: They struggled to get the passing attack going for some of their game last week against Illinois. It appears the only time it could get clicking was when they took a shot down the field and we all know that won’t always be presentable at times. Yes. they were able to cruise to another victory, but I need to see more consistency from this passing attack and Drew Allar.

2. Never Change: James Franklin pointed out that you know what you’re going to get when you play the Iowa Hawkeyes. They come into Happy Valley with a much improved offense which has averaged 28 points per game so far this season. Quarterback Cade McNamara has been instrumental in this improvement, and the team will look to maintain their goal of averaging at least 25 points per game this year.

3. Opener: It’s the Hawkeyes first game in conference play. Right now, they enter this game in first place in a very unpredictable Big Ten West. For Penn State, it’s white out night! One of my favorite traditions in our sport. This is going to be such an electric atmosphere on Saturday night. I feel this game will tell us more about both of these teams after this game is all over. Expect a physical showdown that is the Big Ten.

Final Analysis: This is an exciting week of college football. I remember when I previewed this matchup a few years ago back in 2021. The game took place in Iowa City and the Hawkeyes came away with a victory in a close game. There are a few matchups I’m watching in this game. The first is the Iowa secondary against the Penn State passing attack. Iowa plays a ton of zone coverage and I want to see if these Nittany Lions receivers can find some spots in the zone scheme. Next, Iowa’s defensive front against the Penn State ground attack. It’s no secret the Hawkeyes want to plug those lanes and dare Drew to beat them. Penn State must start quickly and the same can be said for Iowa to take the crowd out of the game. If Penn State can make this a shootout, they will be just fine. I like the Nittany Lions at home here.

Prediction: Penn State 29, Iowa 14