Penn State's next opponent, the Northwestern Wildcats, gave Indiana all they wanted on Friday night.
Penn State got one heck of a warning shot on Friday night from their next opponent, the Northwestern Wildcats.
Northwestern traveled to Indiana to take on the Hoosiers on Friday night in a game where they were three-score underdogs. Fast forward to the final minute of the game, and the football was bouncing around on the ground after a Wildcats onside kick.
Indiana recovered, and a collective sigh of relief went over Memorial Stadium as the Hoosiers' win streak and perfect record stayed alive.
This should have been a major warning to the Nittany Lions, who are opening Big Ten play themselves on Saturday against Wisconsin. Similar to the Hoosiers, Penn State hasn't played anyone in its non-conference schedule, and they go right into a game against a top-half Big Ten program.
Friday night was a lot of things, but it also showed that the level of play in the conference is way more level than it is lopsided.
Certainly, there are teams at the bottom of the conference that are not up to par, but the middle of the pack is closer to the top than it has been in years past.
This isn't to say that there is going to be a total flip in the power structure, but what it does say is that you better have your A-Game every single Saturday within the conference.
For Matt Campbell and Penn State, this couldn't be more true. Saturday is the biggest day so far in Campbell's time as the Nittany Lions head coach. He has cleared every hurdle to this point, but this is by far the toughest test that he will be facing.
If he wins this game, there is going to be great excitement that will overtake the Penn State fanbase.
If it goes sideways, there is going to be an equal amount of concern about the coach that Penn State is tied to for the immediate future. The truth is also the same on the other sideline.
A win for Luke Fickell will cool a lot of the legitimate concern surrounding him at this point in his Wisconsin tenure. A loss will turn the heat on his seat all the way up.
Saturday is an absolute focal point for both coaches and both programs in Happy Valley. If Friday night tells us anything, it is that every team is closer than they are far away, and it is critically important for each of them to get a win.
