STAFF PREDICTIONS: Penn State Football vs. Michigan
It is almost gameday, which means it's time for another round of predictions from the Nittany Nation staff and guests!
This week the staff offers their latest picks for Penn State Football versus the Michigan Wolverines as the Nittany Lions hope to go 6-0 to start the season.
WHO: Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Michigan Wolverines
WHEN: Saturday at Noon EST || FOX
WHERE: Michigan Stadium (107,601) -- Ann Arbor, Michigan
SPREAD: Michigan -7 || Over/Under 52pts
SERIES RECORD: Michigan leads the series (15-10)
ESPN FPI PREDICTIONS FOR GAME (26.7% CHANCE FOR PENN STATE TO WIN)
Dylan Callaghan-Croley - Nittany Nation beat writer (Penn State: 23 / Michigan: 20)
If you've listened to this week's PSU 365 Podcast, you know my reasoning here. For those who didn't, here it is; I went back-and-forth all week about who would win this game, and honestly, I'm still not sure. That being said, I like Penn State's defensive capabilities more in this game than anything else. I think we're going to see a ton of aggression out of Manny Diaz's unit in order to get J.J McCarthy off his game. McCarthy is a very goo quarterback but he has yet to face a defense of this caliber. If Penn State can slow down Blake Corum, I think they have a great chance to come away with a victory. Sean Clifford has historically played very well against Michigan in his career and the environment shouldn't affect him or the Nittany Lions. Give me Penn State in a close one, 23-20.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Sam Woloson - Nittany Nation Staff Writer (Penn State: 28 / Michigan: 21)
This is Penn State’s biggest test of the season and a game that will tell us a lot about who the Nittany Lions truly are.
The defense has been the strength for Penn State and I expect it to cause Michigan a lot of problems, especially early in the game. The big question mark is if the offense can capitalize on defensive stops and turnovers and get points on the board, which it struggled to do against Northwestern.
Penn State has drastically improved on the ground compared to last year, and that will be its biggest strength. By leaning on the defense and being smart offensively and chewing clock, the Nittany Lions manage a statement win
--------------------------------------------------------------
Richie Schnyderite - Nittany Nation Publisher (Penn State: 23/ Michigan: 21)
Penn State is fresh off a bye week and ready to get back to the gridiron to take on their toughest test yet as they will face off against the nation's No. 4 overall program in Michigan. Now the Wolverines defense ranks among the tops in the nation and they have been very good against the run this season, however they haven't seen a running back room like the one Penn State has yet this season.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Justin Morganstien - Nittany Nation Staff Writer (Michigan: 37 / Penn State: 34 -- OT)
This game has the potential to be one of the most crucial of the James Franklin era as two top 10 teams meet in Ann Arbour on Saturday.
Penn State comes off of an idle week and is relatively healthy after getting past its first five games without much trouble.
The Wolverines meanwhile have been inconsistent against some inferior opponents at times but have managed to turn things on when they’ve needed to, largely thanks to their young quarterback J.J. McCarthy who replaced Cade McNamara.
But with Michigan banged up a bit across the board there are some areas that the Nittany Lions can exploit, particularly the linebacker corps which has struggled without Nikhai Hill-Green.
All in all this has the makings of a classic Big Ten battle which could come down to a big offensive play or stop at the end to decide who comes out on top.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Brandon Justice - Maize & Blue Review Beat Writer (Michigan: 31 / Penn State: 17)
Michigan matches up too well not to pick the Wolverines in this one. The pass rush for the Nittany Lions is excellent and should provide the strong U-M offensive front with its most daunting test yet. But Penn State's offense grades out below 50th in the pass & run game, and its overall grade is 46th. The difference is Michigan's ability to shut down Penn State. On paper, the Wolverines' run defense (3rd-best, PFF) and pass coverage (9th-best) should counter anything Penn State's offense throws at them. While PFF grades aren't ultimate determiners, the mismatches are evident. U-M's pass rush should feast on a struggling PSU O-Line, and the U-M's ninth-best (Power 5) rushing offense should have a field day exposing the 96th-highest-graded Rush D in America. If Michigan can score first, it'll do what it loves to do and play ball control while flipping the field rather than forcing offensive success. McCarthy, Corum & Michigan's methodical offense should be enough to win.
--------------------------------------------------------------
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel