Fresh off the win against Wisconsin, the Hawkeyes are heading home to host a team that has hit rock bottom in Penn State. From a fired head coach to their starting QB going out for the year, the Nittany Lions are hitting some major lows for the season.
However, like Kirk Ferentz said, this is still a talented Penn State team. Their defense allows only 329 yards per game and only 21 points per game, both of which are top 30 in the FBS.
While the game could certainly go the Hawkeyes' way, several things need to happen. Here are the keys to victory vs. Penn State.
The rushing attack needs to shine
The biggest flaw in this Nittany Lion defense is their ability to stop the run. They rank 80th in rushing yards per game allowed at 158.8.
Throughout the wins this season, every single one has been due to the offense creating holes for the running backs, allowing them to achieve long runs. If the offensive line can create the gaps, these running backs will run a long way.
Kamari Moulton has improved every single game and played his best game last week, where he rushed for 96 yards and 1 TD. Add on Xavier Williams, who has played great as of late, and this backfield is dangerous for nearly any defense in the country to face.
Look for these two to be the X factors and main contributors to the winning offense.
The defense continues to play disciplined
Although Penn State will be starting a true freshman at quarterback, the top two running backs for Penn State are some of the best in the country.
If we see an Iowa defense like we saw in the second half against Indiana, the Nittany Lions will run all of them. However, if we continue to improve defensively, like we saw against Wisconsin, the Hawkeyes will be in great shape.
The linebacker corps is going to need to play its best game of the season by not allowing the running backs to get to that second level.
If the defensive line can make contact right away, the linebackers will need to finish the play. This is the game of the year for this linebacker corps, so fans should expect big games from Karson Sharar and Jayden Montgomery, to name a few.
Block out the noise
All the talk going into this game is about James Franklin being fired and Drew Allar being out for the year.
This should just come across as news to the Hawkeyes and focus on the road ahead. If the team gets ahead of themselves and thinks all that noise will give them a leg up, they will end up disappointed.
One thing that fans always love about Kirk Ferentz is that he tells the team how it is. There's no doubt in my mind that this is something that he and the coaching staff are going to stress to the players.
Kinnick Stadium is going to be loud and supportive, so that noise is going to be their advantage. However, that unneeded noise and speculation should not matter to the team going into this game.
Final prediction
There are so many factors going into the game that need to go right for the Hawkeyes to win. However, the team's trajectory is impressive, and they should do what it takes to defeat the Nittany Lions under the lights at Kinnick.
Final score: Iowa 17, Penn State 10