Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1526526
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 4 41 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M fense was particularly impressive, hold- ing FIU to 182 total yards. Still, anyone interested in getting a read on the Hoosiers' outlook ought to Google their schedule. It serves up con- secutive games against Michigan (Nov. 9) and Ohio State (Nov. 23), but it also omits former East Division nemesis Penn State, as well as Big Ten title con- tenders USC, Oregon and Iowa. As is the case with Rutgers, Indiana has the kind of slate that's tailor-made to put it in a bowl game. 13. Purdue Senior quarterback Hudson Card daz- zled in the Boilermakers' opener, com- pleting 24 of 25 passes for 273 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 49-0 victory over Indi- ana State. Card's 96 percent completion rate tied an FBS single-game record for passers with a minimum of 20 attempts. Purdue faced Notre Dame on Sept. 14 and is set to visit Oregon State after that, so even though the opener was a breeze, the Boilers will be battle-tested when they begin their conference campaign against Nebraska on Sept. 28. If Card is able to improve on a junior season in which he ranked ninth in the league with a 123.0 efficiency rating, Purdue could be ready to take a step forward. 14. Illinois The Illini need junior quarterback Luke Altmyer to step up after tossing 13 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions last season. He did that in the opener, completing 19 of 24 attempts for 213 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 45-0 romp over Eastern Illinois. The challenge is going to get exponen- tially greater in the weeks ahead, though. During a four-week stretch starting Sept. 28, the Illini will face Penn State, Purdue, Michigan and Oregon. The games against the Nittany Lions (Sept. 28) and Ducks (Oct. 26) will take place on the road. The November slate is more forgiv- ing, so even if Illinois staggers into the season's final month, it figures to have a shot at bowl eligibility after missing out on the postseason last year. 15. Michigan State New starting quarterback Aidan Chiles had some advice for anyone question- ing Michigan State's offensive potential ahead of its opener against Florida At- lantic. "If you bet," the sophomore said, "take the over." The over/under on FanDuel Sports- book was 46.5 points. Michigan State won, 16-10, with Chiles completing 10 of 24 passes for 114 yards and throwing 2 interceptions. Chiles tossed 3 more picks against Maryland a week later, but he also threw for 363 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Michigan State rallied for a 27-24 win. Maybe the takeaway here is to avoid betting on Michigan State games for the foreseeable future. It could be a wild ride in coach Jonathan Smith's first season. 16. UCLA The Bruins' offensive line has been banged up, which helps explain why they ran for only 71 yards in a lackluster 16-13 win at Hawai'i in Week 1. Quarterback Ethan Garbers was the team's primary rushing threat, totaling 47 yards on the ground to go with 272 through the air on 19-of-38 passing. That's not going to suffice against a schedule that CBSSports.com has rated as the Big Ten's toughest. The Bruins will have traveled 22,048 miles and crossed 26 time zones by the time they finish up on Nov. 30 with a nonconference game versus Fresno State at the Rose Bowl. That they looked jet-lagged in Week 1 is a worrisome sign. 17. Minnesota The Gophers looked shaky in their opener, a 19-17 loss to visiting North Carolina. Some jitters might have been expected from new quarterback Max Brosmer, a New Hampshire transfer who completed 13 of 21 passes for 165 yards in his first game at the FBS level. But Dra- gan Kesich, the Big Ten Kicker of the Year in 2023, also had a tough night, missing field goal attempts of 27 and 47 yards, the second of which could have been a walk-off winner. The Big Ten schedule makers didn't do coach P.J. Fleck's team any favors. The first three weeks feature games against Iowa (Sept. 21), Michigan (Sept. 28) and USC (Oct. 5). This isn't the Big Ten West anymore. 18. Northwestern The Wildcats muddled through a 13-6 season-opening victory against Miami (Ohio). In addition to completing 18 of 30 passes for 178 yards, Mississippi State transfer Mike Wright was Northwest- ern's leading rusher with 65 yards on the ground. The big story was the defense, which had 4 sacks and 2 interceptions while holding the RedHawks to 40 rush- ing yards. They say defense travels, and North- western will need that aphorism to come true. With Ryan Field being rebuilt, the Wildcats are playing in a temporary on-campus stadium this year and next, and they have only three more games in Evanston the rest of the 2024 season. ■ BWI STAFF PREDICTIONS Championship Game Champion Offensive POY Defensive POY On The Rise On The Decline Nate Bauer, Website Editor Ohio State vs. Penn State Ohio State Nicholas Singleton, PSU Will Johnson, Mich. Nebraska Michigan Thomas Frank Carr, Football Analyst Ohio State vs. USC Ohio State Miller Moss, USC Jack Sawyer, Ohio St. Penn State Washington Sean Fitz, Website Publisher Ohio State vs. Oregon Ohio State Dillon Gabriel, Oregon Will Johnson, Mich. Indiana Washington Matt Herb, Managing Editor Ohio State vs. USC Ohio State Miller Moss, USC Will Johnson, Mich. Nebraska Washington Greg Pickel, Staff Writer Oregon vs. Penn State Oregon Dillon Gabriel, Oregon Kevin Winston Jr., PSU Illinois Michigan Ryan Snyder, Recruiting Reporter Ohio State vs. Penn State Ohio State Jeremiah Smith, Ohio St. Will Johnson, Mich. Penn State Washington