Michigan vs. Penn State Prediction

Odds, best bets and analysis for this college football matchup

By Matthew Horner – Oct 11, 2022, 1:19am

It ce rtainly was an uneasy feeling last weekend for Penn State fans when the third quarter ended against the Northwestern Wildcats. The No. 11 Nittany Lions led by just a touchdown against a far inferior 1-4 opponent at home. The pouring rain may have had something to do with that, but nevertheless, it was closer than it probably should have been. The good news for Penn State is that they still came away with a 17-7 victory in a sloppy game, and that keeps their hopes alive for the college football playoff at least for one more week. The team is undefeated at 5-0, but now they will face their toughest challenge yet at the Big House in Ann Arbor.

For the Nittany Lions, defense is the main calling card. Against Northwestern, they put on an absolute clinic in the downpour, holding the Wildcat rushing attack to a crazy-low 31 rushing yards on 28 carries. That type of sturdy defensive play is what has helped vault them to No. 10 in the AP poll. Penn State entered Week 6 ranked ninth in the nation with just 14.8 points allowed per game and fifth with only 82.2 rushing yards surrendered per contest. On offense, the team has its troubles at times, but they can put up some points. The Nittany Lions scored no fewer than 35 points in wins over the Purdue Boilermakers and Auburn Tigers. That is about as good as it gets for a team that had its doubts coming into the 2022 season. Now, that challenge I was talking about.

The defense will certainly be put to its ultimate test against the Wolverines in Week 7. Michigan arguably has the best rushing attack in the nation this season behind superstar Blake Corum. It certainly won't be a walk in the park like it has been up to this point, and we'll see just how good Penn State truly is when they face the Michigan offense.
  
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