The battle to be the starting quarterback for the Indiana football team is over and redshirt freshman Michael Penix has won the job. Head coach Tom Allen made the announcement today at his game week press conference previewing the season opener against Ball State.

Penix was competing with redshirt junior Peyton Ramsey and fellow redshirt freshman Jack Tuttle, but over the last few weeks the competition was basically down to Ramsey and Penix. Coach Allen said it came down to Penix winning the job and not really anything Ramsey did to lose it.

"Obviously, today is the day that we are going to announce our starting quarterback, and our starting quarterback is going to be Mike Penix for the 2019 season," Allen said. "I know that's been a question that many of you have been asking about. It was a very difficult decision in regards to the competition involved with the young men - Jack Tuttle and Peyton...Peyton is just an awesome kid. He's one of the finest young man I've ever been around. I have so much respect for him, and that was a hard conversation. I love each one of them, and that doesn't change, and none of that has anything to do with it, but those are tough decisions that have to be made by head coaches. It wasn't whaat Peyton didn't do, it was more of what I believe Mike can be."

Going into Fall Camp the number one quarterback spot belonged to Ramsey after he started 12 games last fall, but Penix was able to unseat him. As a true freshman last fall Penix saw action in three games before suffering a season-ending knee injury against Penn State. On the season the Tampa native completed 21-of-34 passes for 219 yards with one touchdown. He also rushed seven times for 45 yards.