Indiana, Indiana, Indiana, Indiana…

At some point in the offseason, that word will repeatedly come from James Franklin’s mouth. He’ll type it out on Twitter. The Penn State coach’s primary goal with putting all his focus on the team’s season opener against the Hoosiers is to prove that the Nittany Lions have no other concerns at this time.

Junior quarterback Sean Clifford has adopted that same mindset. So when he was asked for his thoughts on Penn State playing Ohio State in Week 2 — a showdown that could determine the B1G East — Clifford kind of just shrugged it off.

“To be honest with you, I didn’t even know we had Ohio State in Week 2,” Clifford told reporters via Zoom on Thursday. “All I care about is  Indiana right now. And that’s pretty much my only comment on that.”

Franklin would be proud.

Penn State has been tabbed as the biggest challenger to Ohio State in the B1G East, making the Halloween night showdown between the two programs a significant matchup. But it won’t mean anything unless Penn State defeats Indiana in Week 1.

The Hoosiers are no slouch, after all. Last season, IU finished the year 8-5 and came up a touchdown shy of upsetting the Nittany Lions in Happy Valley. That matchup in Week 1 could set the tone for both programs.

So, for the next three weeks, Clifford’s focus is on one thing: Indiana, Indiana, Indiana…

You get the picture.