Michigan Football vs. Penn State Will Reveal Wolverines’ Place In Big Ten
Michigan football is preparing for its first top-10 game of the season against Penn State, and it’s going to reveal a lot about the Wolverines.
For as much doom and gloom that’s been passed around for the last few weeks as Michigan struggles to mount an effective offensive attack, one positive fact remains: The Wolverines are still squarely in the hunt to win the Big Ten East.
Related Story: Updated expectations after beating Indiana
Of course, there has already been one division loss to Michigan State, but if Michigan can catch stride, that loss shouldn’t matter much in the end—unless the Spartans continue winning and make that head-to-head result significant.
Saturday night’s game at Penn State is where we’re going to get maybe our best look yet at what Michigan is actually capable of doing in this conference. Thanks to Syracuse’s upset of Clemson last Friday, the Nittany Lions are the No. 2 team in the country, behind only Alabama. The only real lapse for Penn State has been a narrow 21-19 victory over Iowa, which required last-second heroics from Trace McSorley.
But even with McSorley, who’s plenty capable of making big plays, and receivers Mike Gesicki, DaeSean Hamilton and Juwan Johnson, it’s obviously Saquon Barkley who’s going to demand most of the attention, both from the Michigan defense and media looking forward to the game.
Barkley is the Nittany Lions’ leading rusher (649 yards), receiver (395 yards) and kick returner (32.3 average).
How the Wolverines’ defense does in containing him will go a long way in determining if this is a winnable game. Because let’s not forget, giving Michigan’s offense a chance will likely mean keeping this game in the 20’s. So far this season, Penn State has scored less than 30 points only once (21 against Iowa). If there’s a defense in the Big Ten that can do it, though, it’s a good bet that it’s Michigan’s.
For as much praise as Barkley and the offense as a whole get, there’s even more reason to be worried about what the Wolverines’ offense will be able to do against a defense that’s been playing some really good football through six games.
The Nittany Lions’ opponents aren’t able to create explosive plays, they’re not efficient, and they struggle to finish drives. Does Michigan already struggle in those categories? Check, check and check. On top of that, Penn State gives opponents one of the worst average starting field positions in FBS.
These are some very steep hills to climb, and it’s why many are not giving Michigan a realistic chance of going on the road and upsetting Penn State. There’s way too much working against the Wolverines, even when considering what one of the best defenses in the country might be able to do.
Next: Top 10 running backs in Michigan history
However Michigan wins/loses on Saturday, there’s going to be a lot to extrapolate, giving us a much better idea of where the Wolverines stand in the Big Ten East.