Michigan Football: Penn State win proves Wolverines are elite

Michigan football made Penn State the latest victim of its revenge tour and here’s why it proved more than ever that the Wolverines are elite.

Michigan football is serious about its revenge tour — just look at the way the Wolverines beat Penn State Saturday like a rag doll.

The fourth quarter for the Wolverines was about nothing more than humiliating the Nittany Lions. Penn State tried to do the same last season and did with a 42-13 win at Happy Valley. This year, it was Michigan football’s turn to earn some payback and UM made sure to pay back James Franklin and Penn State in kind thanks to a 42-7 win.

From the opening snap, it was easy to see Penn State wanted no part of Michigan. The Wolverines sacked Trace McSorley twice on the opening drive, then drove 75 yards on nine running plays to take a 7-0 lead when Shea Patterson found the end zone.

Two more Patterson touchdown passes made it 21-0. Then, an interception returned for a touchdown by Brandon Watson made it 28-0, but still, Michigan wasn’t done.

On the first offensive drive of the fourth, Michigan continued to run the ball right down Penn State’s throat until Karan Higdon, who ran 19 times for 128 yards, scored yet another touchdown to make it 35-0. After another interception, Dylan McCaffrey added another score to make it even more laughable at 42-0.

At that point it was clear, this wasn’t just a beat down, it was Michigan sending a message.

That message was directed at Penn State, however, the Wolverines and Jim Harbaugh sent another clear message Saturday: Michigan football is back among the Big Ten’s elite and that doesn’t just mean this season. It means Michigan has caught and passed every team in the Big Ten — with the exception of one — a team the Wolverines will see in three weeks.

Don’t think Harbaugh is an elite coach? Think again. Want to say he can’t win big games? Well after beating Wisconsin, Michigan State and Penn State, all ranked teams by a combined score of 101-20. That’s not an accident, that’s a sea change.

Don’t believe me? Just look at Harbaugh’s record against the rest of the elite programs in the Big Ten. Against Wisconsin, Harbaugh is 2-1, against Michigan State, he is 2-2 and versus Penn State, Harbaugh is 3-1. That’s a mark of 7-4 and considering four of those seven wins came over ranked teams, it’s time to end the can’t-win-big-games narrative forever.

Regardless of what happens against Ohio State, Michigan is going to a major bowl game, as long as it doesn’t lose back-to-back games against Indiana and Rutgers. And, also, no matter what, Michigan (No. 5, 8-1, 6-0) is back among the Big Ten’s elite.

It was clear before Saturday at the Big House but the Wolverines 42-0 domination only reinforced it. Now that Michigan football is back, Harbaugh has just two left things to prove: First, he needs to beat Ohio State and second, he needs to win a Big Ten championship.

Yet, after watching the Wolverines dismantle another ranked opponent with machine-like efficiency, each of those milestones seems well within reach.