One month ago, the College Football world told itself that the 4-team playoff would be filled with ease once again. At the time, the SEC, ACC, Big 10, and Big 12 conferences each presumed to be represented by their champion. Only the Big 12 conference’s presumed representative is the same as prior with the top of the rankings left to chaos. Oklahoma continues to hum past the remainder of the Big 12. The following list withhold the schools who were in the top 6 a month ago and still are today: Alabama. That’s it. The cast of teams surrounding the dominant

Alabama squad has shifted a great deal week by week. However, the phrase of “dominant” cannot be attached to Nick Saban’s team following last weekend’s contest. Upsets shake the world of College Football once again.

Throughout the previous month, the shapings of the playoffs have begun to take form. No team outside of Wisconsin and Central Florida makes out of the regular season unscathed. #1 Alabama fell to #6 Auburn in the Iron Bowl. The same outcome befell #2 Miami as they lost to an unranked Pittsburgh. Just two weeks prior, #9 Washington fell. #1 Georgia steamrolled #10 Auburn and #3 Notre Dame exposed by #7 Miami.  #6 TCU battles and loses to #5 Oklahoma. And lastly, #6 Ohio State received a beating in Iowa City to the unranked Hawkeyes.

Penn State fell off the planet after being ranked second in the nation a month earlier before losses against #6 Ohio State and #24 Michigan State. Upsets have completely ravaged the top 10 of the College Football rankings week after week.

Playoff Ramifications

Despite all of these upsets eliminating teams from playoff contention, eight teams still have a chance at making the playoffs. This amount of teams is the highest by such a large margin in the history of the playoffs. The following teams are currently contending for the top 4 spots: Clemson, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Auburn, Alabama, Miami, Georgia, and Ohio State. Among these, there are no certains. None whatsoever. Here are all the likely possibilities.

If Clemson, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Auburn all win in their respective conference championship games, each of them will compete for the playoffs in no particular order. This particular scenario plays out with Alabama being the first team out of the playoffs. Alabama losing to Auburn head to head and Auburn winning the SEC championship defends this scenario. If Clemson loses, Miami will make the national semifinal game in Clemson’s place. If Wisconsin or Oklahoma lose, however, the outcome may not be so simple. Alabama may take one of those places, so Ohio State or even potentially Georgia could retain the spot. If Auburn loses to Georgia, Georgia simply replaces Auburn in the playoffs. However, of all these contingencies, as a lifelong sports fanatic since birth and self-proclaimed expert since, the following is my prediction for the playoffs.

#1 – Auburn. After beating Georgia and Alabama in three weeks with both teams being ranked one at the time and defeating a #7 Georgia again in the upcoming week in the conference championship, Auburn rises the number one slot in the playoffs.

#2 – Clemson. First, this Saturday, Clemson will defeat Miami for the ACC Championship. Second, I cannot put Clemson at number one in the nation for only two reasons. Syracuse and schedule strength. The lone loss in Clemson’s repertoire is facing Syracuse. A loss against Syracuse is inexcusable. Despite Clemson defeating Auburn in a head to head matchup and Auburn having two losses to Clemson’s one, Auburn has proven in the last three weeks and will continue to prove once again this week that Auburn is the hottest and the best team in the nation.

#3 – Oklahoma. The Sooners hold strong in a rematch against TCU in the Big 12 Championship game and retain their previously given slot from the College Football Playoff Committee. Oklahoma deserves to be in the Playoffs but does not own the resume to be placed higher than here.

#4 – Alabama. The Big 10 will miss out of the playoffs for the first year. A two-loss Ohio State Big 10 champion will not make the playoffs as a two-loss Big 10 champ in Penn State missed out on the playoffs in 2016. Wisconsin has not faced a single worthy opponent all year and Ohio State has faced Oklahoma and Penn State as well as rivalry games against Michigan and Michigan State. The Big 10 will do as the Big 12 has done multiple times and beat itself out of the playoffs. This leaves Alabama to enjoy a rematch of the Iron Bowl against Auburn in the National Semifinals on New Year’s Day.

This Saturday will without doubt deliver with multiple conference championship throughout the day. Oklahoma-TCU at 11:30 CST on FOX. Georgia-Auburn at 3:00 CST on CBS. Clemson-Miami at 7:00 CST on ABC and Wisconsin-Ohio State at the same time on FOX. Each of these games will determine College Football Playoff selections with the official ranking show occuring on Sunday, December 3rd at noon.

The post Chaos Brews for College Football Playoff Committee appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Once to a Penn State team with arguably the most dynamic player in college football. The other, at the hands of an improving Michigan State team. One came at home, the other in East Lansing.

Four wins and two losses at the midway point sets the Hawkeyes on track to equal last year’s record. Another eight win, four loss would be shooting par in Iowa City.

Although, these two losses have a different value. Both, through a fairly short connection chain, trace back to an undefeated team.

Penn State is simple, they are still undefeated. They’ve risen in the polls from fourth, the ranking given to them prior to traveling to Kinnick, to second after some losses above them. Only the juggernaut Alabama leads the Nittany Lion in the polls.

A close loss to Penn State helps. Obviously a win would’ve carried a greater weight but to play the number four team tough speaks as well.

The loss on the road against Michigan State is slightly more difficult to track. There is a middle man between the Spartans and the unbeaten. Michigan State has one loss to Notre Dame.

Notre Dame, who has snuck unnoticed into the top-15, also only has one loss. Theirs came at the hand

of Georgia. The Bulldogs are the other undefeated with ties to the Hawkeyes.

Both Georgia and Penn State are ranked in the top-three. Both appear, at least thus far, to have a team capable of competing with the Crimson Tide. It won’t be long until the “We Want Bama” signs appear on College Gameday from the Penn State or Georgia faithful.

Iowa, coming off a bye week, gets Northwestern followed by rival Minnesota. Only then do they face the challenge of handling Ohio State and undefeated Wisconsin. If 8-4 is the projected outlook, those are the two games that will drop.

They have their noted struggles but maybe this team isn’t all that bad. It’s a bold move to make but the Hawkeyes get someone every year. Ohio State and Wisconsin, one of them might end up on the wrong side.

The post Glimpse at Iowa’s Losses appeared first on KRUI Radio.

This storied conference is rich in past glory, but the teams continue to make history every year. All fourteen teams are in a constant battle for supremacy in the conference and the 2017 Big Ten season is just getting underway.

14. Rutgers – 0 AP Votes – Notable Wins: N/A

(1-3, 0-1) Next Game: vs #11 Ohio State

Before losing in Lincoln, Rutgers got its first win on the season against the Morgan State Bears. The Scarlet Knights have struggled to get much going so far this season, but put up a fight against Nebraska.

Looking for its first conference win since Oct. 17, 2015, Rutgers has a tough test against Ohio State coming. Senior quarterback Kyle Bolin has thrown for a subpar 642 yards this season and they’ll need a more impressive outing from him if the team wants to beat a ranked team for the first time since 2009.

13. Illinois – 0 AP Votes – Notable Wins: N/A

(2-1, 0-0) Next Game: vs Nebraska

Illinois lost its first game on the season against #22 South Florida, but it wasn’t all that close. Quarterback Chayce Crouch was benched midway through the game in favor of backup Jeff George Jr. It wasn’t just the offense that struggled, the Illini defense allowed 680 yards of offense on Friday night.

Illinois has a good chance of getting a win at home and tying last season’s win total. Tanner Lee has been struggling for Nebraska and freshman running back Mike Epstein should thrive against a Nebraska defense that allows upwards of 350 yards a game.

12. Nebraska – 0 AP Votes – Notable Wins: vs Rutgers

(2-2, 1-0) Next Game: at Illinois

The nonconference has been a disappointment for the Huskers. A 1-2 start got athletic director Shawn Eichorst canned and head coach Mike Riley cannot afford to lose this one. Considering the next two games are Wisconsin and Ohio State, this contest becomes all the more important.

Junior QB Tanner Lee has disappointed for Nebraska by leading the Big Ten with nine interceptions through four starts. He’s thrown 146 times for 898 yards, but has cost his team plenty of chances down the stretch. This will be a great stage for Lee to prove that he’s worth his weight.

11. Northwestern – 0 AP Votes – Notable Wins: N/A

(2-1, 0-0) Next Game: at Wisconsin

Northwestern was a sleeper pick to win the Big Ten West this season, but after the walloping at the hands of Duke, it’s not looking as likely. Clayton Thorson has been uninspiring thus far and the defense hasn’t backed him up.

The Wildcats have turned the ball over seven times in three games and they head to Camp Randall Stadium for its toughest test of the year. Wisconsin has a Big Ten best +5 turnover margin so far and will not make it easy for Thorson.

10. Maryland – 0 AP Votes – Notable Wins: at Texas

(2-1, 0-0) Next Game: at Minnesota

You’ve got to feel for this Terrapins squad. Both Tyrell Pigrome and Kasim Hill have suffered season-ending injuries and the team is now relying on sophomore Max Bortenschlager. Regardless of who’s throwing, the team will depend on star wide receiver D.J. Moore who leads the conference in receiving yards (323) and touchdowns (four).

Winning in Minneapolis is much easier for an east coast team now than in frigid mid-November, so that’s one solace the Terps can take. The team has done well to take care of the ball thus far and Bortenschlager will have to improve quickly to compete at TCF.

9. Indiana – 0 AP Votes – Notable Wins: at Virginia

(2-1, 0-1) Next Game: at Penn State

Freshman running back Morgan Ellison ran for 186 yards and two scores in his first career start which is great news for Indiana. The team struggled on the ground in its first two games and Ellison will need to exploit Penn State’s linebacking corps to stand a chance.

There’s no real chance that Indiana wins this football game in Happy Valley and the near future doesn’t look much better for the Hoosiers. However, the team gave Ohio State a run for its money in the first half a month ago and can still air it out despite the defense’s deficiencies.

8. Michigan State – 0 AP Votes – Notable Wins: N/A

(2-1, 0-0) Next Game: vs Iowa

Getting dismantled in East Lansing by Notre Dame is no way to end the nonconference slate, but no one expected an insane Spartan resurgence this season. After a forgettable 3-9 season, MSU sophomore Brian Lewerke leads the charge to kick off the Big Ten schedule against Iowa.

Sparty is favored in this one, but the team will have their hands full against the Hawkeyes. The team’s only test thus far has been a home blowout, so the team will need to reset for the Big Ten schedule. The team is already much better than last year and improvement is certain.

7. Purdue – 0 AP Votes – Notable Wins: at Missouri

(2-2, 0-1) Next Game: BYE

The Boilermakers have been an oddity of sorts in the Big Ten. Purdue has gone from nearly upsetting the defending Heisman winner on opening weekend and dismantling Missouri last week to losing handily at home to Michigan and its backup QB.

Switching between Elijah Sindelar and David Blough has been a roller coaster for the team with both QBs notching over five touchdowns so far. Heading into a bye week will give the coaching staff enough time to evaluate its shot caller scenario before the Minnesota game.

6. Minnesota – 3 AP Votes – Notable Wins: at Oregon State

(3-0, 0-0) Next Game: vs Maryland

PJ Fleck has rowed the boat to an undefeated nonconference schedule and his defense has dominated. The Gophers have allowed three touchdowns in as many games and have six takeaways so far.

At home against Maryland, Minnesota and its running game should roll over an already depleted Maryland squad. The Terps have allowed 39.5 points per game in their two contests against FBS opponents and its third-string QB will struggle to keep up.

5. Iowa – 16 AP Votes – Notable Wins: at Iowa State

(3-1, 0-1) Next Game: at Michigan State

A heartbreaking loss in the final seconds has Iowa reeling, but the team showed that it can fight to the finish with any Big Ten team if they’re at Kinnick. However, the team will be in East Lansing against Michigan State and hasn’t faced the Spartans since the Big Ten Championship in 2015.

Sophomore quarterback Nate Stanley has put up impressive numbers through four games, passing for 12 touchdowns and only one pick. The reason for Iowa’s success, however, his supporting cast. Linebacker Josey Jewell led the team in tackles and managed a fumble recovery and interception in the loss versus PSU. The defense will put plenty of pressure on the Spartans, but there will be memories of the championship game two years ago.

4. Ohio State – 1016 AP Votes – Notable Wins: at Indiana

(3-1, 1-0) Next Game: at Rutgers

Since losing at home to Oklahoma, the Buckeyes have rolled over some relatively measly competition at home. Traveling to New Jersey, OSU is favored by 30 against a team struggling to put up points.

Freshman running back J.K. Dobbins leads the conference in rushing yards (520) and will likely keep pushing the bar against Rutgers. J.T. Barrett is regaining form since his dud against the Sooners and doesn’t get another true test until Penn State on Oct. 28.

3. Wisconsin – 1023 AP Votes – Notable Wins: at BYU

(3-0, 0-0) Next Game: vs Northwestern

The Badgers are rolling on defense, allowing 10 points per game entering this home contest. Hoping to take an early lead in the Big Ten West, Wisconsin is touting a prolific offense to pair well with the intimidating defense.

Freshman back Jonathan Taylor is hitting the ground running 438 yards on only 53 carries. This is good news for the Badgers as the Wildcats have allowed over 150 rushing yards per game. A fast start is in the cards for this team as NW doesn’t match up well in any category.

2. Michigan – 1088 AP Votes – Notable Wins: vs Florida, at Purdue

(4-0, 1-0) Next Game: BYE

Michigan is running a fine-tuned machine through four weeks. The Wolverines lost ten starters from their stellar defense last season, yet haven’t missed a beat. Tallying an astounding 18 sacks in the first four games, this D is lights out.

The real issue is the offensive unit. Inconsistent Wilton Speight left the Purdue contest with an injury and John O’Korn picked up where he left off, throwing for 270 yards, one score and one pick. The season will be decided on the success (or lack thereof) of the offensive side, but the blue and maize look quite impressive through four.

1. Penn State – 1304 AP Votes – Notable Wins: vs Pittsburgh, at Iowa

Winning a night game at Kinnick is no easy feat and it seemed like the Nittany Lions wouldn’t be able to get it done when trailing by four with less than two minutes on the clock. However, Heisman candidate Saquon Barkley’s bulging stat line (305 total yards, one TD) proved too much for the Hawks to handle as Penn State won on the final play.

This team is not only the best team to watch in the Big Ten, but arguably the best to watch in the country. This averted upset proved that Barkley is even better than imaginable and that quarterback Trace McSorley’s stats and game management are for real. Penn State is the all-around most complete team in the Big Ten, hands town.

The post Big Ten Football in Full Swing appeared first on KRUI Radio.

There were many ideas and suggestions from all over the place. Could we see Akrum Wadley and LeShun Daniels on the field at the same time? Would Desmond King see the field on the offensive side of the ball (i.e. Jabrill Peppers at Michigan)? Could C.J. Beathard develop more chemistry with the wide receivers during the bye week?

All of the eyes were on the potential changes that offensive coordinator Greg Davis and company as Iowa stepped onto Beaver Stadium on Saturday night.

Unfortunately, the Hawkeye offense went from anemic to floundering like the catch of the day ready to be deep-fried.

There were subtle changes to the system. Daniels and Wadley did see the field together, and Wadley did score a touchdown late in the second quarter after lining up in the slot. As a whole, it was much of the same we have seen sans the Purdue game.

The 41-14 loss at Beaver Stadium all but makes Iowa path to a repeat B1G West title basically nonexistent as they still have showdowns with ranked Michigan and Nebraska teams on the horizon.

The offense managed a measly 234 yards of total offense compared to 599 total yards for the Nittany Lions.

Coach Kirk Ferentz called this loss and the season so far “unacceptable.”

Ferentz said in his opening statement that his team “capable of responding.”

“Where do you want to start?” he said after being asked to clarify.

There are a lot of different possibilities where one could start.

For a team that prides itself on running the ball effectively, Iowa had a total of 30 rushing yards on 26 carries. That is an average of 1.2 per carry. Let that sink in.

Quarterback C.J. Beathard said that the team had a good two weeks of practice and he felt the team was prepared for coming into a tough road environment.

“I just think we did not play as hard as were expecting,” Beathard said.

Things are going to have to get figured out in a hurry, as Iowa will have the tall task of trying to beat a Michigan Wolverine squad that is coming off a drubbing of Maryland and will be without a doubt the toughest opponent they have played all year.

Whether people have a glass half full or glass half empty philosophy, the only thing to do is move on, fix what you can control, and get ready for the next challenge that lies ahead.

Kickoff for the Hawkeyes and Wolverines will be at 7:00 P.M. from Kinnick Stadium next Saturday night.

The post Iowa Offense Goes From Bad To Worse appeared first on KRUI Radio.

I’ll start by sharing what Kirk Ferentz had to say after the game. “There wasn’t much good out there tonight,” said Ferentz. That seems like an understatement at this point.

The Iowa defense had a simple yet challenging task here tonight. Don’t let Saquon Barkley outside and limit the yards after contact. The Hawkeye defense failed miserably with both of these tasks Saturday night inside Beaver Stadium.

Barkley entered the game as the Big Ten’s leading rusher with 888 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns on just 147 carries. That’s an average of 6.0 yards per carry and if those stats weren’t good enough, he also has 14 receptions for 213 yards and a touchdown.

The Nittany Lion’s running back certainly reminded the Iowa fans of Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey’s dominant Rose Bowl performance back in January of this year. Barkley finished the day with 167 yards on 20 attempts. He exploded for a 57-yard touchdown early in the second quarter and never slowed down.

Iowa had an extra week to prepare for Barkely but it didn’t seem to help at all. The Hawkeyes failed to keep him inside and Barkely beat the Iowa on the outside time and time again. Barkely topped off his night with a 44-yard touchdown reception. He made the it easy on Trace Mcsorley, their quarterback, who only had to throw the ball 18 times all night.

The defense gave up a total of 599 yards and allowed 41 points in there 41-14 meltdown.

It wasn’t comforting to hear what Desmond King had to say after the game. “We felt prepared. We had a great week of practice and really felt prepared for tonight,” said King. When he was asked what went wrong he responded with, “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.” That’s not what you want to hear from you defensive star following an embarrassing loss.

Iowa clearly has defensive problems but one can only assume that a large part of the problem is the inability for the offense to stay on the field. The offense has put their defense in tough spots all year and that continued even after the bye week. Iowa’s was out of energy by the middle of the third quarter. They looked both physically and emotionally drained.

The line continues to provide no push and the secondary is weak aside from the 2015 Thrope Award winner, Desmond King. Even Penn State’s backup quarterback, Tommy Stevens made the Iowa defense look weak. He trounced over multiple Iowa defenders on his way to a 13-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Iowa will have to make quick adjustments before they host Michigan next Saturday in Kinnick Stadium. For a defense that had so much success just a year ago, it is both confusing and frustrating to realize that we will not be seeing the 2015 Iowa defense any time soon. Desmond King said that their preparation will remain the same heading into next week. Again, not exactly what you want to hear.

It’s without a question a frustrating time to be an Iowa fan but you should know what to expect by now. You can always dream and enjoy the ride on those crazy seasons like 2015 but you must also have endure the disappointing seasons like 2016.

Regardless of the outcome, Hawkeye fans will continue to travel thousands of miles to see their beloved team get blown out, but every now and then the Hawkeyes will surprise us all. Tonight was just not one of those nights.

The post Iowa’s Defense Struggles in State College appeared first on KRUI Radio.

On Iowa’s first possession, the Hawkeyes (5-4, 3-3) managed to drive the ball 40 yards, before turning the ball over on downs after failing to pick up a 4^th– and 1. Senior quarterback CJ Beathard tried to leap over the line of scrimmage but had no chance and was stuffed two yards behind the line of scrimmage.

This seemed to be the story of the game for the Hawkeyes.

Before the Iowa could blink, they trailed 21-0 with an offense that was lifeless and a defense that couldn’t wrap up.

“Credit goes to Penn State, they played a great football game right from the start,” Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz said. “We weren’t capable of responding.”

Penn State’s sophomore running back Saquan Barkley tooled with the Hawkeye defense all night, rushing for 167 yards and a touchdown. Barkley was part of a Nittany Lion offense that racked up 599 yards of offense against the Hawkeye defense.

Iowa junior running back Akrum Wadley scored on a 12-yard reception from Beathard to bring the Hawkeyes within 21-7. But that’s as close as the Hawkeyes got. Penn State put up 17 points in the second quarter and another 14 in the fourth to steam roll the Hawkeyes 41-14.

This loss snapped Iowa’s nine game road winning streak dating back to last season.

“I thought we would come in here (Beaver Stadium) and compete well,” Ferentz said. “ We didn’t get it done. We fell well short.”

While the Hawkeye defense didn’t have it’s best day, you could argue the Iowa offense set them up for failure. The Hawkeye offense converted only two third downs all-day and only produced 234 yards and two scores.

“I thought we were as ready as we have ever been in the locker room before hand,” Beathard said. “It’s just sometimes things don’t play out how you would expect.”

The common theme in the post game interview session with the Hawkeyes was that the team was prepared, and expected to compete tonight. Somehow, someway, that didn’t translate from the locker room to the natural grass in Beaver Stadium. Whatever the issue is, they better figure it out, as the Hawks host undefeated Michigan Saturday. A team that crushed Maryland 59-3 today.

The post Penn State Derails Iowa 41-14 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Penn State is coming off a 62-24 drubbing of Purdue last week and is ranked #12 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings released earlier this week. The Nittany Lions still have hopes of winning the Big Ten East if they get a little help and win out the rest of the way. Here are some keys for the Nittany Lions to come out victorious tonight:

Establish their pass rush early and often:

Penn State is among the Big Ten leaders in both total tackles and sacks, and Iowa’s offensive line has struggled at times protecting quarterback C.J. Beathard. The offensive line as a unit has allowed 20 sacks through eight games, while the Penn State defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 27 times so far this year. The Hawkeyes pride themselves on winning the battles in the trenches, so this should be one of the marquis personnel matchups of the evening.

Big plays in special teams:

Both the kickoff and punt return teams for Penn State have been among the worst in the conference when it comes to return yardage. In what should be a close game, getting a big return and winning the field position battle could tip the scales in Penn State’s favor.

Establish Saquon Barkley to open up offense:

Iowa will key in on stopping the big, bruising tailback for the Nittany Lions. Barkley has rushed for 888 yards and 10 touchdowns so far this season. Both of those marks are among the best the Big Ten has to offer. Getting Barkley going will force Iowa to not stuff the box and respect the receivers on the perimeter allowing Barkley to do his thing between the tackles.

Kickoff is less than an hour away from State College. Be sure to check our website krui.fm for more content from tonight’s game. You can also follow our Twitter page @KRUISports.

The post Penn State Looking to Keep Momentum Alive Against Iowa appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Get the run game going early: With the loss of star WR Matt VandeBerg, it’s no surprise that the Hawkeyes go to plan will be running the football. The Hawkeyes will need set the tone early with the run game to help open up the passing game and to keep their defensive fresh.

Take what the defense gives you: Even when there’s nothing there, we’ve seen CJ Beathard try to make a big play happen. With the lack of explosive playmakers, Iowa will need to take any yardage they can get to move the chains. The offense will have to sustain lengthy drives to keep the dynamic Penn State offense off the field.

Force Penn State RB, Saquon Barkely inside: Barkley has 888 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season while averaging 6.0 yards a carry. He is an athletic back who does most of his damage on the outside. Iowa will try to force Barkely back inside where their big body defenders dominate.

Get creative: Iowa has one of the most predictable offensive schemes in college football and they have lacked explosiveness throughout the season. For the first time in 2016, the Hawkeyes will have both LeShun Daniels and Akrum Wadley on the field at the same time. Wadley will line up in the slot in an attempt to give the offense some spark. Simply lining him up in the slot won’t be enough. Offensive coordinator Greg Davis will have to get creative with his offense and play aggressively if he wants to keep up with the Nittany Lions.

Focus on the game… not the environment: The Hawkeyes don’t have any players who have played in front of nearly 107,000 crowd at Beaver Stadium. The hostile and deafening environment helped the Nittany Lions upset the Ohio State Buckeyes just two weeks ago and you can bet that this crowd will bring the same type of energy.

Survive and advance: For those who are hopeful for an Iowa return to Indianapolis, they know this is a must win game. Iowa can’t afford another loss if they realistically want a shot at returning to the Big Ten Championship. The Hawkeyes are currently on a 9-game road-winning streak and will have the opportunity to extend that streak to double digits.

The post Keys to Success: Iowa vs. Penn State appeared first on KRUI Radio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VzEnDN4LQU

The post Iowa – Penn State Football Preview appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The Hawkeyes dominated Penn State at Carver Hawkeye arena earlier this season and look to extend their winning streak Wednesday night.

“Penn State is always a tough place to play but we’ve been there before, we’ll be ready for that one, we’ll be locked in,” Iowa point guard Mike Gesell said.

Iowa allowed the Nittany Lions to shoot 30 percent from the field and forced 10 turnovers in their last matchup. They kept them at 49 points on the game which happens to be a season-high for the Hawkeyes on the defensive end.

Iowa has given up two losses in on the road this season, against Maryland and Indiana who trail right behind them in conference play.

The Nittany Lions are no newcomers to upsets as they recently defeated Indiana 68-63 in the Bryce Jordan Center.

“Top to bottom the Big Ten is one of the best leagues in the country and you definitely cannot take a night off where your going to get beat and you see it every single year,” Gesell said.

The Hawkeyes were taken to the wire Sunday night as they barely escaped the Gophers, 75-71.

Minnesota thrived early and gave Iowa a run for their money as Uthoff struggled to get going offensively in the first half shooting 0-7 from the field before finding his stroke and putting in Iowa’s last nine points headed into halftime.

The Hawkeyes came out in the second half much more aggressive and were able to get to the line twelve times compared to a mere three in the first half.

“It’s our job to make sure we coming in ready and we understand we are going to go through hard fought games. We are just trying to make sure we have our minds mentally right as we go in each and every game,” guard Anthony Clemmons said.

Iowa is put to the test as they have three of their last fives games on the road against Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan.

The Hawkeyes defeated the Nittany Lions on the road last season 81-77 in a close overtime match.

Penn State is going to look to Brandon Taylor and Shep Garner who lead the team in points as well as assists to get them going offensively against a tough Hawkeye defense. The Nittany Lions average 69.2 points when they are at home opposed to 58.6 on the road.

A key factor in this game will be protecting the ball as Iowa averages 13.1 forced turnovers per game.

“We’re coming into their place and they are going to be hyped,” forward Jarrod Uthoff said.

Iowa put themselves one game ahead in the Big Ten with the win against Minnesota and are shooting to create more distance from Maryland and Indiana as the Big Ten race heats up.

“It’s tough to get road wins, especially in this league,” Gesell said.

The game is set to kickoff on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center.

The post Hawkeyes, Nittany Lions Set To Battle Again appeared first on KRUI Radio.