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Tom Allen provides status update on Indiana QB Michael Penix Jr.

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Indiana fans wanting to have an exact answer on Michael Penix Jr.’s status for the Ohio State game on Saturday will have to wait until kickoff to get one.

On Thursday while meeting with the media, head coach Tom Allen said the Penix will be a game-time decision for Saturday’s B1G opener against No. 6 Ohio State. The report comes from Kevin Brockway of CNHI Indiana.

Brockway tweeted out that Allen said Penix is “working through some things,” and a decision won’t be made until around kickoff. Penix has been the starting quarterback for the Hoosiers through the first two weeks of the season, beating out Peyton Ramsey and Jack Tuttle for the job.

Allen did not reveal the nature of the injury, though he does not expect it to be a long-term issue.

Penix left Saturday’s game against Eastern Illinois early, though most chalked that up to Indiana handling the Panthers with ease. But it sounds like there was something behind the early departure.

Through two games, Penix has completed 38-of-60 pass attempts for 523 yards and three touchdowns. He threw two interceptions in the season opener against Ball State, but didn’t throw a pick against Eastern Illinois. Penix has also rushed for 79 yards.

Penix adds a new dimension to the Indiana offense that it didn’t have in previous seasons. If he’s absent, it could seriously hinder Kalen DeBoer’s offensive approach against what has appeared to be one of the B1G’s top defensive teams in Ohio State.

Fortunately, IU still has Ramsey on reserve, and after starting a majority of the last two seasons, he brings plenty of experience to the field. He also played two quarters last week against EIU, so there shouldn’t be too much rust on the gunslinger.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB