Penn State’s national championship hopes have been all but dashed — but the Nittany Lions can still ruin Iowa’s season. James Franklin’s team rebounded from a two-game losing streak last week when they held off a feisty Indiana team. That 1-2 stretch knocked a top-10 PSU team to the back of the line when it comes to this year’s playoff contenders, and any chance of rebuilding will start Saturday in Happy Valley.

As for the Hawkeyes, Penn State is the last major hurdle standing between them and a potential 11-1 season. Iowa has rolled through an easy early schedule to a 6-1 record whose only blemish came against Wisconsin. But that schedule gets significantly harder thanks to road trips to State College and then to face a rising Purdue team that just smashed Ohio State to dust. If Kirk Ferentz’s team is for real — and if they’ve got any real claim on the Big Ten West title — we’ll know by November 4.

Penn State is looking for its first win over a top-25 opponent. Iowa is looking to keep its slim playoff hopes alive. So who’s going to come out on top?

Iowa vs. Penn State prediction:

The S&P+ ratings slot Penn State in as the nation’s No. 10 team, while Iowa’s relatively weak schedule dropped the Hawkeyes to No. 21 despite a one-loss record. The preseason predictor saw this as a 15.5-point win for the home team, and while it doesn’t seem like it will be that lopsided, Saturday certainly seems like a prime opportunity for Franklin to get his team back on track.

Time, TV channel, and streaming info

Time : 3:30 p.m. ET

: 3:30 p.m. ET Location : Beaver Stadium, State College, PA

: Beaver Stadium, State College, PA TV : ESPN

: ESPN Streaming : WatchESPN

: WatchESPN Odds: Penn State is favored by 6.5 points.

Iowa vs. Penn State news:

Statistically, Penn State and Iowa are pretty similar teams.

Hawkeyes safety Amani Hooker will be tasked with his toughest test of the season: stopping Trace McSorley.

Trace McSorley is the most unique quarterback Iowa has faced so far this season but Phil Parker has shown an ability to limit running quarterbacks of late. In the past three seasons, the only QBs to average more than 5 yards per carry against Iowa are Tommy Armstrong Jr. and Perry Hills. (Tommy Stevens averaged 14 against Iowa in 2016 as a Wildcat QB) McSorley is much better than each of those guys and can hurt opponents with his feet or arm. Amani Hooker has been the rockstar of Iowa’s secondary so far with his versatility and output. For Iowa to come away from State College with a victory, he’ll need to play one of his best games as a Hawkeye.

Iowa can feel confident in its defense after last week’s thrashing of Maryland.

Saturday’s game isn’t just an opportunity for James Franklin to go “1-0” — it’s the start of a vital stretch for Penn State football.

Can Noah Fant carry his offense to its biggest win of the season?

Iowa’s occasionally-explosive offense is led by Nate Stanley’s passing game. While wideout TJ Hockenson has emerged as a field-stretching deep threat, the meat and potatoes of that aerial attack comes from Fant, a 240-pound tight end who creates serious mismatches against Big Ten linebackers.

He leads the team with 26 receptions and six touchdowns — but even his two scores weren’t enough to lead the team to a win over Wisconsin. He’s going to have to be even better to upset the Nittany Lions on the road, but Penn State is vulnerable. Brett Pry’s defense ranks just 66th in the nation in passing yards allowed.