Preview: Iowa Hawkeyes at Penn State Nittany Lions

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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A preview of the Iowa Hawkeyes at Penn State game tonight

Coming off a bye week, the Iowa Hawkeyes face their second ranked opponent of the year. Iowa and Penn State will kick off at 6:30 p.m. tonight on Big Ten Network.

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After a couple of mediocre seasons under James Franklin, Penn State is finally back to being considered one of the better teams in the nation. The Nittany Lions are the 12th ranked team in the College Football Playoff ranking and come into the game 6-2.

The Hawkeyes lost their last game at home against Wisconsin and are 6-3 on the year. This is their first road game since beating Purdue 49-35 and their first road game against a ranked team this season. Iowa won both of their road games against ranked teams in 2015, though.

Penn State owns the 38th ranked scoring offense but will be tested tonight against Iowa. The Hawkeyes come into the game only allowing 18.9 points per game and have held teams to fewer than 20 points in three of their past five games.

On the other hand, Iowa’s offense has had problems finding the end zone this year. Their 28.1 points per game ranks a mere 68th in the nation. The Hawkeyes might find success tonight, though, as Penn State only owns the 68th ranked scoring defense.

Penn State does not own the stifling defense Wisconsin does, therefore Iowa will have a much better chance to find the end zone and put up more than nine points. Penn State will try to stop the run and force Iowa to throw. Therefore, C.J. Beathard needs to play like he did against Wisconsin and make smart plays while not turning the ball over.

It will come down to which team can exploit the opposing team’s weakness first. The Hawkeyes’ defense has given the offense a chance in every game this year, but Iowa’s inability to finish drives on offense has been their Achilles heel.

That being said, Penn State’s defense is significantly better at home. Their two losses both came on the road, as well as the only games that they have given up more than 30 points. It’s not to say that their defense turns into one of the best in the country at home, but it’s evident that the home crowd helps.

Iowa has had problems weathering the storm early in road games this season. Happy Valley is one of the toughest places to play in the nation, and Iowa will get down early, and put themselves in a big hole, if they continue their slow starts on offense. Iowa needs to gain momentum and try to take the crowd out of the game early to have a chance to pull the upset on the road.

Penn State is a six-point favorite at home, and ESPN gives them a 65.9 percent chance to win. It won’t be easy, but the Hawkeyes do have a chance to pull the upset.