Indiana’s redshirt junior quarterback Peyton Ramsey is now the starter for the rest of the season following redshirt freshman Mike Penix Jr.’s season-ending shoulder surgery. Ramsey has appeared in seven games this season while making three starts. He’ll lead the Hoosiers into a tough Big Ten game against No. 9 Penn State.
When the news broke that redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was to miss the remainder of the season due to a surgical procedure on his right sternoclavicular joint, it left redshirt junior Peyton Ramsey to lead the team.
There’s no longer a veil of uncertainty hanging over Indiana’s football program. Opponents can no longer question who will be playing under center. Ramsey is starting for the Hoosiers.
For the entirety of the season, if Penix was ready to go, he was going to play. That mindset for Indiana head coach Tom Allen came while his signal-caller was listed as a game-time decision five times this season, and he finished just four games without an injury.
Through all of this, Ramsey has sat back and prepared for every game as if he were the starting quarterback. In some games he was.
“You put yourself in Peyton’s shoes — him knowing and preparing — he’s had that a couple times, but for the most part he’s had to just be ready in case,” Indiana offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer said Monday. “I know he’s going to do everything, he knows how to prepare. He’s been in these positions before, and he’s prepared in a great way.”
Ramsey has appeared in seven of the Hoosiers’ nine games this season for various reasons. He’s subbed in during blowouts, stepped in for an injured Penix and even started three games in his teammate's absence.
This week, the team will face its biggest challenge since week three when Ohio State rolled into Bloomington and crushed Indiana 51-10 with Ramsey at the helm. However, there’s new energy to the program now that it’s ranked for the first time since 1994.
“Something that our guys do take a lot of pride in, being recognized in that regard,” Allen said. “Also know what comes with that, too: the expectation. That's what we want our program to be. We want to be in the situation, want our guys to be competing, build off of it, move forward. That's what we plan to do.”
No. 24 Indiana will face No. 9 Penn State on Saturday. The Hoosiers had their second bye week of the season to get healthy, practice and prepare for their next opponent in the Nittany Lions. Ramsey has been allotted the vast majority of the first-team reps in practice with Penix being out.
The extra time will help solidify the chemistry Ramsey has with the pass catchers at his disposal.
“It was really helpful, just being able to throw to the number one guys,” Ramsey said. “It’s not like I didn't get any reps with them before, but the added reps, just getting on the same page with them, the timing. Throughout the course of the bye week and then into game week, now we have more specific stuff that we want to practice.”
Ramsey has two wins as a starter and another two coming cold off the bench. His biggest game, though, was arguably the team’s biggest of the season.
The Hoosiers traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska, on Oct. 12 for a matchup against the Cornhuskers. Bowl eligibility was on the line. Ramsey led the team to a 38-31 victory, Indiana’s sixth win of the season.
He hasn’t shied away from the hostile environments this season, and he said he has no added responsibility or pressure now that he’s the full-time starter. He’ll have to endure Happy Valley’s overwhelming fanbase known for filling the stadium to the brim with white clothing.
It presents another opportunity for a signature win under Allen, this time against a top-10 opponent.
“Just going out and continuing to do what I’ve done all year, continuing to prepare the same way,” Ramsey said. “I’ll be getting some more reps with the ones, which is obviously the deal for me. That probably being the difference though, just continue to go out and do what I’ve done all year. Try not to change a whole lot and just keep that same mindset.”
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