It's Penn State-Indiana week: Time, TV channel, early storylines, point spread, more

Indiana week is here, Penn State fans. The Nittany Lions close out the October portion of the schedule with a visit from the Hoosiers on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Head coach James Franklin’s team is looking to bounce back after a disappointing 20-12 loss at Ohio State last weekend.

“Give Ohio State ton of credit,” Franklin said in Columbus. “I’m not sure. We’ll watch the tape. I’m not sure if we didn’t just watch two of the best teams in college football, obviously, specifically, on the defensive side of the ball. But you got to give credit. We went into this knowing that we needed to have an awareness of the effect and limit the impact that [Marvin Harrison Jr.,] in the game.

“We had a hard time doing that. Guy’s a heck of a player. Got to give a lot of credit. To me, really the story, the game came down to third down. We weren’t able to stay on the field on third down on offense, which was the biggest difference in the game, in my opinion. So give Ohio State a ton of credit.”

Get ready for the game with our early preview below.

Time and TV info

Kickoff is set for Noon ET on CBS. A broadcast team has not yet been revealed as of Monday morning. The game will stream on Paramount+.

What is the Penn State-Indiana spread?

The Nittany Lions were an underdog for the first time last weekend. However, it is a double-digit favorite this week for the seventh time in eight games. The spread is 30.5. And, the total is 44.5.

Lions’ game week schedule

There will be no media availability on Monday. On Tuesday, head coach James Franklin will hold his first news conference of the week around lunchtime. He will also speak after Wednesday’s practice and during the second half hour of the Penn State Coaches Show on Thursday, which runs from 6-7 p.m. ET. Select players will be made available to reporters on ZOOM or after practice in person Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. And, an assistant coach will chat with the media Thursday morning.

What’s up with Indiana?

Penn State could win its 25th game in 27 meetings with the Hoosiers this weekend. Tom Allen has been the team’s head coach since 2017. This is one of his worst teams. Indiana is 2-5 and among the worst teams in the Big Ten. It is fresh off a 31-14 loss to Rutgers, which marks the team’s third loss in a row. Indiana led first and had the game tied at 14 in the second quarter. But, the Scarlet Knights scored 17 unanswered points to become bowl eligible.

“Did some things that were positive, without question, but still got to generate more in the throw game,” Allen told reporters. “Bottom line is we have ran the football better against a really good defense in the box, but not good enough in the throw game to create points, which is what we’ve got to do… It’s just the reality of how you’ve got to win. We know that.”

Brendan Sorsby took over at quarterback for Indiana in this game. He was 15 of 31 for 126 yards and one touchdown. The team could go back to Teyven Jackson under center at Penn State. Either way, Indiana has problems under center. Jaylin Lucas and Christian Turner are used evenly in the backfield. They have combined for 422 yards and four touchdowns. Lucas catches passes, as well. Donvan McCulley (20 catches for 224 yards and a touchdown) and Cameron Camper (16 receptions for 278 yards and a score) are the top receivers. Linebacker Aaron Casey is the top defender with 50 tackles and three sacks on the season.

This is not a threatening foe coming to town on Saturday.

What is the weather forecast?

The current weather forecast is 62 degrees. Partially sunny skies are in the early report. Penn State should not have to deal with win or rain for this home game. A nice fall day is is on the horizon.

Early Penn State-Indiana storylines

–Will Chop Robinson be back for Penn State? The defensive end left the field in the first half. He was later carted off to the locker room in the second quarter. He did not return to the field. But, he was outside of the Nittany Lions’ locker room after the game. The Lions would not need to rush him back for this game if he is not ready.

–Can Penn State get its offense back on track? This was easily the worst performance from that unit of the season. They could not pass the ball. The run game was a challenge. And explosive plays were non-existent. This defense should be a cure for all that ails the Lions.

–What will the fan reception be like at Beaver Stadium? This is a frustrated fan base without question and with good reason. If the team starts slow, which it often has this year, how loud will the groans be?

–Is Penn State capable of not letting one loss turn into an unexpected two? We’ve seen that be an issue in the James Franklin era. But, it should not be against this opponent.