Once again, Penn State football fought hard enough but couldn't make the biggest play at the end against No. 2 Indiana.

ESPN's Paul Finebaum connected USC head coach Lincoln Riley to Penn State after what he's heard in recent days.

Penn State's 27-24 loss to Indiana turned into a high-octane gem, even though the anticipated high stakes of September had been neutralized. The Nittany Lions (3-6) brought the crowd back, flustered the unbeaten Hoosiers and came within a few blades of grass from upsetting the nation's second-ranked team.

There were a couple near upsets in the Big Ten that would've tossed College Football Playoff projections into a jumbled mess, but unbeaten Indiana and one-loss Oregon prevailed on their final possessions against Penn State and Iowa, respectively, away from home to keep pace behind top-ranked Ohio State.

Vaughn Dalzell breaks down his five bets bets for the week including Indiana at Penn State, Oregon traveling to Iowa, and more!

Penn State nearly wrecked the College Football Playoff, but No. 2 Indiana had other plans at Beaver Stadium. The Hoosiers were leading 20-7 midway through the third quarter when momentum completely shifted in the Nittany Lions' favor.

The Hoosiers are 14.5-point favorites in the latest Indiana vs. Penn State odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 49.5, down a point from the opener. Before making any Indiana vs. Penn State picks,

Curt Cignetti has completely flipped the culture of IU football, the win at Penn State the next stamp of approval. Two undefeateds may soon meet, defined differently.