Indiana’s Big Ten Championship Odds in Flux With QB Michael Penix Out for Season
- Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury
- Penix leads the Big Ten with 1,645 passing yards, 14 touchdown passes and a 138.5 passer efficiency rating
- Sophomore Jack Tuttle will take over as the Hoosiers’ starting quarterback; can they still win the Big Ten?
Indiana’s dream season has hit a snag now that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will miss the remainder of the season.
Penix tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Saturday in the Hoosiers’ 27-11 victory over Maryland. It is the second time he has torn the ACL in the same knee in three years.
Indiana was the third choice in Big Ten Championship odds going into last weekend’s action.
2020 Big Ten Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ohio State | -1000 |
| Northwestern | +450 |
| Indiana | +5000 |
| Iowa | +10000 |
| Maryland | +25000 |
| Purdue | +50000 |
| Illinois | +50000 |
| Michigan | +100000 |
| Michigan State | +100000 |
Odds taken Nov. 26th
Penix’s Big Year
Penix was having an outstanding season in leading Indiana to a 5-1 record and the No. 12 spot in the initial College Football Playoff rankings that were released before the Maryland game.
That is quite a lofty status for a program that has won just two Big Ten titles – the last coming in 1967.
While the junior has completed just 56.6% of his passes, he has thrown for 1,645 yards and 14 touchdowns with four interceptions. Penix leads the conference in yards, TDs and passing efficiency (138.5).
MICHAEL PENIX JR🚀🚀🚀
— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 28, 2020
Penix burnished his reputation nationally in Indiana’s 42-35 loss at Ohio State on Nov. 21. He completed 27 of 51 passes for 491 yards and five touchdowns as the Hoosiers almost overcame a 35-7 halftime deficit.
The Tampa native has had three 300-yard passing games, though he struggled against Maryland before being injured. He connected on just six of 19 passes for 84 yards with no TDs.
The torn ACL is just the latest injury for Penix during his time in Bloomington. He originally tore the ligament in the third game of his career in 2018 then was limited to six games last season by a sprained shoulder joint.
Tuttle Time
Backup Jack Tuttle finished out the win over Maryland, completing all five of his passing attempts for 31 yards. Now the sophomore steps into the starting QB role.
Michael Penix Jr. is out for season.
Indiana will now rely on former 4-star QB and Utah transfer Jack Tuttle.
Tuttle was an Elite 11 finalist. He went 5-5 on Saturday against Maryland in relief of Penix.
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) November 30, 2020
Tuttle was a highly touted recruit as a high school player in San Marcos, CA. Some analysts ranked him among the top five pro-style quarterbacks in his recruiting class.
Out of high school, Tuttle signed with Utah and took a redshirt year as a freshman. He then transferred to Indiana, where his father was once a kicker.
Tuttle saw a sparing amount of action last season, appearing in five games but throwing just 11 passes. He had 34 yards and has yet to throw his first collegiate touchdown pass.
Can IU Still Win the Big Ten?
Indiana is seemingly in a tough spot to win the conference title, though the whims of COVID-19 could change its fortunes.
The Hoosiers are in second place in the Big Ten East behind Ohio State, which is 4-0, with just two games remaining. The Buckeyes also hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.
However, there is question if Ohio State will be able to play the minimum six games required to gain a berth in the Big Ten Championship Game.
A COVID-19 outbreak forced the Buckeyes to cancel their scheduled game at Illinois. They also lost a game at Maryland earlier in the season when the Terrapins had issues with the coronavirus.
Breaking: Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has tested positive for COVID-19, the school announced.
He is in isolation and will not travel to Illinois or coach the team this week. pic.twitter.com/WkQyG7dd4C
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 27, 2020
The status of this Saturday’s game at Michigan State is tenuous.
Meanwhile, Indiana is scheduled to finish the regular season by visiting No. 16 Wisconsin (2-1) this Saturday and hosting Purdue (2-3) on Dec. 12 in the Old Oaken Bucket Game.
The only other team in the East with less than three losses is Maryland (2-2) and the Hoosiers hold the tiebreaker in that situation.
We’ll find out how much Penix’s injury will affect Indiana’s Big Ten title hopes once the next set of odds are released. However, the Hoosiers have a talented – albeit untested – backup in Tuttle and the Hoosiers are still worth a longshot wager with Ohio State’s status so uncertain.
With Maryland sports betting launching in November 2022, check out these local sportsbooks to make your bets once legalization launches!
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
