Through four games in 2020 and ten career starts, Indiana quarterback Michael Penix is exactly who coaches expected and he has the Hoosiers exactly where he envisioned they would be.
Penix, who showed promise a season ago before injuries sidelined him, overcame a rusty three quarters in the season opener this year against Penn State to put together a fourth quarter and overtime drive that will be remembered for years, guiding the Hoosiers to their first victory over a top ten program in over three decades.
From there, Penix has guided Indiana to wins over Rutgers, Michigan and Michigan State. In other words, he is backing up what he said would happen in the preseason -- Indiana is shocking the world and shocking Big Ten opponents.
The question is can Penix continue it against an Ohio State team he has not faced as a starter on Saturday when the ninth ranked Hoosiers invade Columbus for a noon showdown against third ranked Ohio State.
Penix told the media this week that he is approaching this week the same as he has all the other opponents.
"I definitely increased the way I prepared for this season. Just make sure we stay confident and execute at a high level, go out and just play football. We all put our shoulder pads on the same, we put our cleats on the same. We don't look at who is this or that, we just go out and play our football and play at a high level," Penix said.
Playing at a high level will go a long ways in Indiana having a chance to knock off Ohio State and remain undefeated in the Big Ten.
Last week against Michigan State, Penix overcame two interceptions, going 25-of-38 for 320 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The performance marked the first time this season he has completed 20 plus passes in consecutive games.
On the season he is 91-of-150 for 1,070 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions.
Penix now owns three 300-yard passing games and has tallied consecutive 300-yard passing games for the first time in his career and for the first time since Nate Sudfeld closed out his career with three-straight 300-yard games in 2015.
Despite the success against the Spartans, Penix noted there is plenty of room for improvement.
"On the offensive side I feel like we left a lot of points on the board," Penix told the media after shutting out Michigan State 24-0.
As for Ohio State, Penix said keeping a 1-0 mindset is vital this week.
"This is the biggest game because it is the next game," Penix said. "As long as we prepare and execute at a high level, we have the team that can do special things. We focus on continuing to play our game."
However, he is aware of the fact that Indiana is doing things it has not done in quite some time, and, as a result, confidence is high for the Hoosiers.
"We have to come out and prepare. We focus on what we can control, going out and playing Indiana football, and that is what we will do each week," Penix said.
That preparation will be key as Indiana faces a strong defensive challenge from the Buckeyes.
"It'll be a good match-up," Penix said.
And about being a 21-point underdog against the Buckeyes?
"It's nothing new to us. We were like this with other teams we played earlier in the season. It gives us a boost," Penix added. "When we see those things, we brush it off. Every week we play like we have something to prove and chip on our shoulder."
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