Campus Clash
(10) Penn State Nittany Lions at (5) Michigan Wolverines
Penn State: I can admit they’ve been difficult to get a feel for at times. There’ve been seasons when they start off strong, then cool down later in the year when it matters most. When you look at the division they play in, it’s a 2-team race, but entering the year, some experts predict them along with Michigan State to make noise along with the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines. That’s not always the case. So far, they’re off to a perfect beginning. The biggest improvement for the Penn State Nittany Lions has been their offense, without question. My biggest takeaway in watching their offense has been the improved rushing attack. I always say it and I’ll continue to echo my analysis: You can still be a successful football team and run the football. The rushing attack takes enormous amounts of pressure off the Quarterback, Sean Clifford and if you’ve watched him in previous seasons, he’s had to do everything to keep this offense afloat. Running Backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen have been great this year out of the backfield. The Offensive Line has also been great this year compared to a season ago when they were struggling significantly. On the year, they’ve allowed just 7 sacks. I’ve watched more than enough games of Sean Clifford. He’s completing 62 percent of his passes, but what amazes me is how he stays in games despite taking a ton of hits. Under Manny Diaz, the defense is handling their business. They’re 5th in points allowed. Their tough stretch starts on Saturday morning in Ann Arbor.
Michigan: They’ve been cruising this year. I can tell this is a different group now because if this is 5 years ago or so, they lose 1 of those early home games because of playing down to their competition. I remember saying earlier when the season started, I continuously said they won the games they were supposed to win. I understand the Ohio State Buckeyes have been handling their business since the year started, but let’s not forget this is the team that not only won the Big Ten East in 2021, they also won the Big Ten Championship, so it still goes through them if we are being realistic. The star this year has been Blake Corum. He’s been unbelievably strong this year and has become the Wolverines best offensive weapon. Blake is averaging 122 rushing yards per game. On Monday Evening Quarterback, I stated that I needed to see someone else step it up for the Michigan offense outside of Blake. I want to elaborate on the Quarterback now, J.J. McCarthy. Remember the big Quarterback carousel when Jim Harbaugh was going back and forth between Cade McNamara and J.J.? Since J.J. became the starter, he’s been controlling the game, but most importantly he isn’t losing games nor is he turning the football over. Defense will always be the mantra in Ann Arbor and they’re still 1 of the elite units in the country. They’ve been incredible in the secondary and up front, they’re dominant and set the tone. They return to the big house on Saturday morning.
Penn State X-Factor: Brenton Strange– He’s 1 of the veterans of this Penn State offense. Brenton is that reliable weapon that Sean targets when he needs yards or to move the chains. Tight Ends are so much more athletic today. It’s almost as if they’re Wide Receivers stuck in the body of a Tight End. In space, Brenton is such a threat, even without the football. He’s that mismatch that I always bring up with certain players.
Michigan X-Factor: Ronnie Bell– I’m glad he’s been able to get back on the field. The Wolverines use Ronnie in so many ways such as screen passes and of course, wide on the perimeter to get down the field. I like how shifty he is in space with the football in his hands. Ronnie is a possession receiver and with Penn State more than likely loading up the box to limit Blake Corum, Ronnie will see his share of single man coverage opportunities.
Final Thoughts: What a game we could have here! There’s nothing like a game at the Big House. Last year when these 2 met, the Nittany Lions gave Michigan all they could handle, but in the end, Michigan proved to be too much. Both teams this year are a lot more similar than people realize. They each have strong running games and play stingy, physical defense. The matchup that will determine the outcome of this game will be each team’s ground attack against the others defense. Who can be more consistent not only with running the ball, but stopping the run? Sean Clifford will also need to keep Michigan’s defense honest. I can see McCarthy having a big game because so much emphasis will be on stopping Corum. I expect this to be a hard-hitting, physical football game. In the end, I trust Michigan more in the long run on both sides of the ball, especially the offense more so than Penn State’s group.
Prediction: Michigan 20, Penn State 17
