5 predictions for Michigan football against Penn State

Regardless of all the distractions, Michigan football will play Penn State on Saturday, and here are five predictions for the Wolverines. 

After the third 9-0 start of the Jim Harbaugh era, Michigan football will take the field for its biggest game of the season up to this point Saturday against Penn State.

The Nittany Lions are ranked 9th in the AP poll and 10th in the College Football Playoff rankings. Michigan football is ranked second and third.

Of course, much of the conversation this week has centered around Jim Harbaugh and the investigation into alleged in-person scouting. Connor Stalions has resigned, but the Big Ten is still weighing punishment.

There is a report that a suspension or whatever punishment, could be handed down on Friday. Will that prevent Harbaugh from coaching? We offer some thoughts on that and five predictions for Michigan football vs. Penn State.

Jim Harbaugh will be on the sidelines

I would hope that the Big Ten would see reason after the letters sent from Michigan and Jim Harbaugh’s lawyers. Allowing the NCAA investigation to play out doesn’t mean the Wolverines won’t get punished.

But there has to be some determination that a rule was even broken. We aren’t even that at that point yet. The sportsmanship policy also doesn’t seem to support a suspension, especially if it’s beyond two games.

However, the Big Ten seems determined to act. If a suspension does come though, my prediction is that Harbaugh gets the injunction, which will likely allow him to finish the season.

It seems like the Big Ten is waiting till Friday, a holiday, to make things as difficult as possible for Michigan football, which is only going to make things even more ugly if the Big Ten takes unprecedented action, which requires an unprecedented response in my opinion.

I still think we see Jim Harbaugh on the Michigan football sidelines Saturday in Happy Valley.