Predictably, the quarterback position was the heated topic of conversation at Penn State head coach James Franklin’s press conference this week. As the season has progressed, the notion of Franklin giving five-star recruit Drew Allar more snaps has been widely talked about by both by the fan base and the media, but Franklin has been adamant throughout the first nine weeks of the season that sixth-year signal caller Sean Clifford stood atop the depth chart and gives the Nittany Lions the best chance to win.

After Clifford threw three interceptions and lost a fumble in a 44-31 loss to Ohio State last week, Franklin’s tone somewhat changed - for the first time this season - at this week’s media conference. Although he didn’t go as far as to say a change was coming, he didn’t vehemently pound his fist on the table for Clifford as he has in the past.

Clifford’s inconsistency at the position was on full display against Ohio State and his up and down play as it usually does resulted in some really good plays and some really bad ones. Unfortunately, it’s usually Clifford’s bad ones that have had more of an impact and have resulted in losses as they did against the Buckeyes.

Franklin was asked again this week about whether he was considering taking a longer look at Allar at quarterback the rest of the way.

“First of all, it’s not a decision that I make on my own. When there are big decisions like that, I want to make sure that I’m not too close to it. So, we had a pretty good conversation with Mike Yurcich, obviously. Talked to Manny Diaz about it. Talked to coach [Ken Whisenhunt] about it. Talked to Danny O’Brien,” said Franklin. “ So, I talked to the guys that had either been a college or NFL head coach before. Talked to a guy that played the position as well and got everybody’s thoughts.

“We’ll continue to evaluate it like we always do. I understand the question, I truly do, but it also comes off to me when I’ve got that question multiple times, as if this game this week is not really important. So, for us, we’re going to look at who gives us the best chance to be 1-0 this week and go from there. Whoever that is based on this week’s practice and preparation, we’ll go with. That’s really kind of how it’s been all year long.”

So, while that might not sound all that encouraging for Penn State faithful who want to see Allar play more or even get the start against Indiana, it’s definitely the first time this season where Franklin has left a little bit of a window for Penn State to make a change at quarterback.

One thing that shouldn’t be lost in last week’s setback is that the Nittany Lions’ defense played tough against the Buckeyes, despite the short fields Ohio State was able to possess on the day due to Clifford’s turnovers. Penn State actually held a 21-16 lead in the second half, but two late turnovers by Clifford stifled any type of momentum the Nittany Lions had and the Buckeyes were able to pull away.

The Nittany Lions will face off with Indiana in Bloomington later today (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC). The Hoosiers have been struggling, which makes this a good spot for Penn State to bounce back from last week’s loss. A win would improve the Nittany Lions’ record to a respectable 7-2, and also allow them to improve upon their No. 15 position in the College Football Playoff rankings.

The key here for the Nittany Lions will be for them to get off to a good start. Indiana (3-5) has played teams tough at home this season, so if Penn State can get out to an early lead, that should go a long way towards it getting out of Memorial Stadium with a win.

Right from the get-go, the Nittany Lions should look to establish the run. The Hoosiers rank 83rd in the country in rushing defense giving up close to 155 yards rushing per game. The Indiana defense has struggled overall this season, sitting 13th in the Big Ten in scoring defense (30.6), 12th in total defense (414.1) and 12th in passing defense (259.5). If Penn State can establish the run early, it should setup a very productive day for its offense.

Defensively, it should be all about stopping the Hoosiers’ passing attack. Indiana quarterback Connor Bazelak sits third in the conference with 2,099 passing yards. He also has 12 touchdown passes, while throwing for 262.4 yards per game. The Hoosiers have not been effective running the football this season (80.4 yards per game) and couple that with a Penn State defense that has limited five opponents to less than 100 rushing yards (Purdue, 61; Ohio, 99; Central Michigan, 88; Northwestern, 31; Ohio State, 98) and the recipe for success should be pretty straight forward. Get pressure on Bazelak and let your long and athletic players in the secondary go after the ball.

Penn State is a 13.5-point favorite in this one.

The Nittany Lions have the edge in every key match-up, but will they still be reeling from yet another tough loss to Ohio State? If Penn State comes in and plays physical and the offensive line creates room for freshmen running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, it should result in a “W.” I think both running backs have good days on the ground and I think wide receiver Parker Washington gets loose again after setting career highs with 11 receptions for 179 yards against Ohio State last week.

My pick is Penn State 33, Indiana 17.