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The Michigan Wolverines vs. Penn State 2022, Who Has The Advantage?

Michigan Wolverines Vs. Nittany Lions

Ryan: I think what’s gonna kill you is if The Michigan Wolverines do start off slow again, like you did against Indiana again, 10, 10 and a half. I know they pulled away. So if you’re looking at the end score, the Michigan Wolverines won by three touchdowns, I think 31 to 10. But. You can’t play with a team like Penn State like that.

It’s the same thing in Maryland. Like you just, you can’t do that. You can’t be. You can’t be settling for field goals. You can’t have your field goals blocked. JJ can’t miss these guys deep. So it’s going to be the key’s really just gonna be for the Michigan Wolverines not to make any mistakes.

And mistakes aren’t just in the form of turnovers. Again, there was a missed third downplay and a missed tackle, which the Michigan Wolverines certainly have had the propensity to do this year. Especially against his running back, especially against his running back man.

And that’s where I think the key of the game is gonna be for the Michigan Wolverines. Kinda how are their linebackers gonna fair, and how is their defensive line gonna far against the Penn State offensive line? Because if Penn State can, if the running back can get to, what’s the name, single Devin Singletary, I think yeah.

Yeah, Devin Singletary. So if he can get to the second level of the Michigan Wolverines or Singletary there. Sorry, the Buffalo Bills are on my mind. Yeah. Wrong one. 

Matt: But it’s Nick Singleton as their running back? 

Ryan: If Singleton can get to the second level of this, the Michigan Wolverines’ defense, then I think the Michigan Wolverines will have a hard time winning this game. They’re gonna have to do a really good job of the four guys up front containing just containing the run game and not letting him get past that initial line of scrimmage. Because if he gets one on one with the Michigan Wolverines’ linebackers or safeties or corners, then I think it’s it’s trouble in Ann Arbor.

Matt: yeah. It’s gonna be true to see because the Michigan Wolverines have at least faced some tests defensively. Iowa, a very good defense that the Michigan Wolverines really didn’t have too many problems with, was able to move the ball pretty much at will and scored on four of the first five drives. And when you have a tailback like Blake Corum, who’s second nationally with 11 rushing touchdowns, he’s third among all backs with 735 total yards.

It really helps the Michigan Wolverines do what they want to do: control the ball and the clock and just wear down the opponent. Penn State they have a good rushing defense so far this year. They’re ranked number five national leads, with about a little under 80 yards per game that they allow on the ground.

But so did Iowa before the Michigan Wolverines came in, and the Michigan Wolverines just ran all over ’em. So I’m curious to see because Penn State really hasn’t faced it. An offense that can move the ball on the ground the way the Michigan Wolverines can. Yes, they went into Auburn, and in the second half, they were very impressive at Auburn, but Auburn wasn’t moving the ball the way that the Michigan Wolverines were.

Penn State really hasn’t faced that many great offenses. The best offense that Penn State has faced in Ohio, and yet they dismantled Ohio in week two of the season. But Ohio is 28th in offense this year at just a little over six and a half. Per play. The best offense that the Michigan Wolverines’ faced Maryland. They’re 11 in the country, just over seven yards per play.

Meanwhile, defensively, the Michigan Wolverines are fourth in the country, allowing 3.87 yards per play. They beat Iowa, who was third, allowing 3.83 Penn State was 20th at 4.73. Just to show you these numbers, because. Penn State. They haven’t faced an offense like the Michigan Wolverines yet, and the Michigan Wolverines have faced a good offense in Maryland and Maryland gave them some battles.

It really was, but the Michigan Wolverines could still weather the storm and come out with a victory. Penn State hasn’t done that yet against a team that can match them the way that the Michigan Wolverines can. So it’s gonna be interesting to see. I agree with you that the Michigan Wolverines’ front has to be the group that stops the running.

That stopped Singleton. And we talked about it in the chat, and Paul was all over it as well, that he doesn’t believe that the backs, the defensive backs, can really handle the running game of the Nittany Lion. So it’s up to the line to do the job for the Michigan Wolverines. I think they’re up to the task, and I think they’re gonna be dangerous against this Penn State rushing attack.

And I do think the Michigan Wolverines are gonna be able to slow down Penn State enough and be composed enough offensively that they’ll be able to get this win. I don’t know about the spread. I don’t know if they’re covering that seven, that touchdown, but I do think that they are capable and built the right way to beat these Nittany Lions.

Ryan: So Penn State, they also played Purdue, which this pretty, Purdue’s got a pretty good offense. Obviously not as good as the Michigan Wolverines, but Purdue put up just as many points as the Michigan Wolverines did on Maryland, just about Purdue put up 31, and the Michigan Wolverines put up 34. Hence, it’s not like Purdue is starving for playmakers or something.

So Penn State did see that a little bit in week one. They also faced Auburn. Auburn’s certainly not great, but it is a Power Five team that Penn State went in there and beat Auburn at home. Yeah. That second half was 

Matt: Very impressive.

Ryan: I don’t; those teams aren’t as good as the Michigan Wolverines. But it’s not like Penn State has just been out here beating up on the schedule that the Michigan Wolverines’s been beaten up on. Honestly, when you look at some of the teams that they faced, I just don’t think Iowa is any good. I think the defense is pretty good, but. I think Iowa as a whole team is pretty bad.

So I think I would take Penn State’s strength in the schedule now more so than I would the Michigan Wolverines’s, but to that point, too, right? Penn State played some of those games close. They only beat Purdue by four. That was, again, it was on the road that they went in there and did that, but beat them by four, beat Northwestern by 10.

In a game where Penn State’s offense didn’t look impressive. It was right before a bi-week. Maybe they were looking ahead to the Michigan Wolverines game, but only 17-seven in that game against Northwestern. So I think both these teams are pretty hard to read. And for the Michigan Wolverines, I think having the game at home is such a huge boost for them.

I don’t know who I’m picking to win. I do think Penn State I think they beat my pick now. I like some of the playmakers that they have on defense too. Joey Porter Jr. Is amazing. He plays a different position than his dad did, but he’s. He looks just as good in college as his dad did in the NFL.

 He’s a fantastic player. And I know Sean Clifford gets a lot of hate. The Penn State quarterback. I don’t think he’s great, but I think he’s good enough, and he’s been there. I got nine, ten years at this point, and even if he’s not great, usually when you get a quarterback like that in college who’s just been there, who knows the system, who’s been with the same coach the whole time, the offense runs pretty effectively.

Even if this guy doesn’t have. The arm talent that, that JJ McCarthy does. It’s not like Clifford’s going to go in there and make many mistakes, either. And Clifford’s got some mobility to him himself, so I think it’s an interesting game. It should be a really good matchup.

I think the seven-and-a-half is too big of a spread, and I do think Penn State is actually going to win the game. But no matter who wins, I don’t, I don’t think it comes down. Like anything that’s not the last possession, I think it’ll be a really big back-and-forth type of game.

Michigan Wolverines

Because what we’ve seen from both defenses is they have some vulnerabilities. Again, I know Indiana only scored 10 points against the Michigan Wolverines, but no, they were getting busy on some of those wider receiver screens, but they just don’t have the needed talent. And even some of the other games that the Michigan Wolverines were having if you looked at the end.

Are they giving up five yards a rush? No, it seemed like there were times when other teams could get drives going, and they might have had 30 rushing yards on the drive, and no, it ended in a punt or a misfield goal or something. But I don’t know. I think both these defenses are a little more vulnerable than what we’re giving them credit for.

And I think each offense will be able to take advantage of it. So I don’t know what the over is, but I’d probably take the over, 

Matt: So the over is 52. Yeah, I take over. So with the spread being a touchdown, I think it’s gonna be closed in that I think Penn State is gonna be in this game until the very end.

I see a three or four-point victory for the Michigan Wolverines Wolverines, personally. So I do have the Michigan Wolverines with the money line, but I got Penn State covering the spread. I don’t know about the overall, it’s, so to me, it’s close. I think it’s gonna be right around this number as far as a spreadsheet turned 28, 24, or something like that.

That’s 52 right on the. It’s just something I see with these two teams because I understand what you’re saying, but Penn State hasn’t faced a rushing attack like the Michigan Wolverines. They just haven’t. Purdue goes through the air Ohio goes through the air Auburn. At the same time, they have good backs that often, it just isn’t working.

It just hasn’t worked outside of that first half against Penn State. They haven’t done anything outside of that, and that second half Penn State just came back and rolled all over ’em. So I just think the Michigan Wolverines’ ability to ground the football and just run them down their throats, I think that’s what’s gonna be the difference maker against this Penn State defense that hasn’t been tested this way.

The way that the Michigan Wolverines’ gonna bring it to the table, it’s gonna be a good game, and I can really agree with you. It can go any way. That’s why I got Penn State covering the touchdown spread. I just think the Michigan Wolverines are a little bit better, and when it counts, it’s gonna be the Michigan Wolverines. 

Ryan: They’re holding up their hands at the end of the game. Yeah, is that the best recipe for their success, though? Cause even you look at last week against Indiana, when they were running it, they got into a little bit of trouble in the first half and the second half when they opened up the offense. Obviously, they never completely abandoned the run, but they opened up the offense, and that’s when they’re able to pour it.

Indiana really runs away with that game. So I don’t even know that it’s in the Michigan Wolverines’ best entrance and best interest to just ground and pound the game entirely. But I would say I was looking at like a 33-30 type game. So if the spread is 54 or 52, I would take the over pretty comfortably cuz I think even 28 or 27 gets you there.

But I think one of these teams is definitely gonna pass. And I don’t expect the other one again, and I think it’s going to be within a touchdown. Yeah. But within that three to four point range that you do. So the over would be the play for me. 

Matt: There you go, Ryan. With the over. And you’re also picking Penn State to cover the seven touches.

Ryan: The seven cover, yeah. Penn State is definitely to cover, and as I said, I think they’re gonna win, but I feel more comfortable obviously about them covering than, 

Matt: then they winning. So we’re both picking Penn State to cover the touchdown spread. Ryan’s got Penn State winning. I’ve got the Michigan Wolverines winning buddy Ryan’s being comfortable with the over I’m not means nothing. Take it for whatever it is. We’re just giving you what we think about this. It’s, I think it’s gonna be a good one, though. This one should be better. One of the better ones this week, and I think the Michigan Wolverines looked past Indiana a little bit. 

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