BIG TEN Penn State line causes concern for Indiana coach

The Hoosiers are trying to patch up their offensive line.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) -- Gerry DiNardo looks at Penn State's defensive line and sees trouble. Lots of trouble.
Then he looks at his offensive line, which he's trying to patch up.
It's not exactly a perfect match, but it is one the Indiana Hoosiers must meet to have any chance of upsetting the No. 16 Nittany Lions today.
"Their front four, I'd say, will be playing on Sundays when this gig's over," DiNardo said. "They're really good."
The problem for the Hoosiers (3-7, 1-5 Big Ten) isn't that their offensive line has struggled, but that it's banged up.
Top two centers are hurt
Indiana's top two centers, Chris Jahnke and Brandon Hatcher, are both hurt. Hatcher is out with a shoulder injury, while Jahnke's been contending with a broken right thumb.
Jahnke's bulky cast has made it difficult to snap, leaving DiNardo with two options -- have Jahnke snap left-handed or mix-and-match a starting unit that has played reasonably well this season.
DiNardo has decided to move right guard Anthony Oakley to center and will start Jahnke at another position along the offensive line.
It's the kind of thing a coach must do when he has fewer than 40 scholarship players available in a test against one of America's best teams -- and best defensive lines.
"They are right up there with the top teams in our conference," DiNardo said. "They are as talented as the most talented teams we've played this year."
Jones will start at QB
Indiana also is making another change with two games left in the season.
DiNardo has benched quarterback Gibran Hamdan and will start Tommy Jones. Hamdan has the unique distinction of leading the Big Ten in passing yards per game (221.0) and interceptions. Jones has not started since Hamdan relieved him the second week of the season.
But even with a makeshift offensive line, Jones isn't concerned about his teammates. He's more concerned with Penn State's defensive line.
"They're huge," Jones said of Penn State's defensive line. "Coach DiNardo said this is the best defensive line we've played all year."
The group has kept the Nittany Lions (7-3, 3-3) in contention for a New Year's Day bowl despite three conference losses.
Jimmy Kennedy, at 316 pounds, could be an early pick in next year's NFL draft. He is flanked by 265-pound John Bronson, 285-pound Anthony Adams and 268-pound Michael Haynes. Together, they form the nucleus of a defense ranked in the nation's top 20 for scoring defense and rush defense. They've produced 27 sacks and a countless amount of headaches for opponents.
But the Nittany Lions still expect a strong challenge.
"It's going to be business as usual," Haynes said.
That would not be good news for Indiana, which has lost five straight since upsetting then-No. 23 Wisconsin 32-29 in Bloomington.
Paterno is 7-0 against Hoosiers
Paterno, whose 334 victories are the most in college football history, is 7-0 against the Hoosiers.
Indiana counters with two receivers, Courtney Roby and Glenn Johnson, who are nearing 1,000 yards and two freshman runners, Yamar Washington and Chris Taylor, who have each rushed for 100 yards in a game.
"They run the ball well," Paterno said. "If they can't run it, they spread you out and give you a lot of the stuff that we saw last week against Virginia."
Penn State handled that offense just fine, winning 35-14.
To avoid a similar fate, DiNardo and the Hoosiers know what must be done. They have to protect the football. They must stabilize a defense that has allowed 142 points to Illinois, Northwestern and Michigan State the last three weeks.
And the Hoosiers' offensive line has to hold up against the Nittany Lions' formidable defensive front.
"They all move well, they're all strong, they're all smart and they get the job done," Jones said. "But you don't worry about how our guys do. I have to go out and play my game."