5 predictions for Michigan Football against Penn State

Michigan football and Penn State will meet in a battle of undefeated teams in the Big Ten on Saturday and here are five predictions for the Wolverines. 

For the fourth week in a row, Fox Big Noon Kickoff will feature Michigan football, and this week, the Wolverines have a heavyweight coming to Ann Arbor in Penn State.

This was one of the games circled on that calendar at the start of the season. The goal for this Michigan football team is to have the last game against Ohio State be for the Big Ten East championship.

To make that happen, a win over Penn State is needed. The Nittany Lions are unbeaten and have two solid wins on the road against Purdue and Auburn

It’s going to be a test for J.J. McCarthy and the defense. We’ll find out how good they both are and here is our look at Penn State with five predictions and a score.

Michigan football wins battle of strengths

The Wolverines are third in the Big Ten in rushing yards (218 per game) while Penn State is second in rushing yards allowed (79). Michigan football is second in the Big Ten in rushing yards per attempt and Penn State is third in fewest rushing yards per attempt.

To me, this game will be won in the trenches. Penn State has to stop Michigan’s running game and the Nittany Lions also need to keep Sean Clifford upright against the U-M pass rush.

But in terms of the running game, I give the edge to Michigan. I think Blake Corum will rush for over 120 yards again and the offensive line, much as it did against Iowa, will play up to the challenge of a formidable opponent.

Iowa was allowing less than three yards per rushing attempt, just as Penn State does now,  but the Nittany Lions haven’t faced a O-line like Michigan’s or a back like Blake Corum, who can turn nothing into something as well as anyone in college football