Iowa Football 2023 schedule breakdown: Penn State

Our schedule breakdown series continues as we shift into Big Ten play with a massive opener at Penn State.

Here we go, folks!

No more nonconference games against the Mountain West and the MAC. No more tune-ups to hopefully give the fans some confidence in this team. It’s time for Big Ten play! This is where the big boys play, and Iowa starts out its slate with a heck of a challenge in Penn State.

Penn State is rarely ever going to be a team to take lightly. A program with a tradition of success on the gridiron, Penn State is always a force in the Big Ten. It may not always feel that way with how much critics deride the Nittany Lions and head coach James Franklin in particular for not beating the top teams. But, Penn State still finished as a top-10 team last year. That’s after everyone declared the sky was falling after a rough two-season stretch for James Franklin’s boys.

Penn State looks back and is possibly better than ever. With some new, exciting faces on offense, there are a lot of reasons for Nittany Lions fans to be excited about their team. Of course, we have been through all this before. Many will be hesitant to trust James Franklin the same way they’d rather not bet on a Brian Ferentz offense. In that way, both of these teams are in similar boats heading into this year, trying to shed that veil of mediocrity and ascend into contenders status.

Here is a look at Iowa’s week four opponent Penn State.

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