Michigan Football: Everything you need to know about Penn State

The defense

There are very few defenses in college football better than the one Michigan football will meet in State College. According to the NCAA total defense statistic, there are precisely three: Clemson, Ohio State, and Wisconsin.

Penn State allows less than four yards per play and has surrendered a stingy five total touchdowns in six games. Led by preseason All-Big Ten Yetur Gross-Matos and backed up by Micah Parsons, these Nittany Lions defend their house, not allowing any team more than one TD.

At safety is Lamont Wade, the 43rd best player in the country for the 2017 recruiting class. Wade is an in-state gem for Penn State and is two tackles behind the team leader Parsons.

The Nittany Lions feature two nasty cornerbacks in Tariq Castro-Fields and John Reid. Ried, the fifth-year senior tied at No. 13 for most passes defended at Penn State, is the team leader for interceptions this year. Castro-Fields has been a staple in the Penn State secondary since his true freshman year, where he saw action in a majority of the games.

Just this week, Tariq earned himself a spot on the PFF College Big Ten Defensive Team of the Week as a FLEX, along with four of his teammates.