In a traditional year, Penn State might look at that Indiana matchup in Week 1 and think it’s gotten a pretty easy game to open the season. But that’s not the case in 2020, and head coach James Franklin knows it.

Franklin isn’t known to look past any opponent, but he also understands that Indiana is a program on the rise under the leadership of Tom Allen. Last year, IU finished the season with an 8-5 record and nearly upset Penn State in Happy Valley, with the Nittany Lions posting a 34-27 victory.

Speaking with reporters via Zoom on Tuesday, Franklin made a comment about the Hoosiers, knowing just how talented the team is heading into the 2020 season.

“This is the best Indiana football team that we’ve seen, by far,” Franklin said, per Audrey Snyder of The Athletic.

Franklin is a perfect 6-0 against Indiana, and the Hoosiers have beaten the Nittany Lions just one time in history. Penn State currently owns a 22-1 series lead in the head-to-head matchups, with IU’s lone win coming in 2013, one year prior to Franklin’s arrival.

Life got even tougher for Penn State this week, as Franklin said that running back Journey Brown could potentially miss the entire 2020 campaign. He was the leading rusher for the Lions last fall and was considered one of the best ball carriers in the league.

Penn State and Indiana are scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday with the game airing on FS1.