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Penn State Football: 3 takeaways from Week 7 bye

By Matty Breisch

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions congratulates Mike Gesicki #88 following a touchdown reception during the second half against the Akron Zips on September 2, 2017 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. Penn State defeats Akron 52-0. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions congratulates Mike Gesicki #88 following a touchdown reception during the second half against the Akron Zips on September 2, 2017 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. Penn State defeats Akron 52-0. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

3. Michigan looks messy

Wow, Michigan looked really bad in Week 7.

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After losing starting quarterback Wilton Speight for the foreseeable future in their Week 4 game against Purdue, Michigan’s John O’Korn has proven exactly why he has been a backup for the vast majority of his college football career.

O’Korn only completed 10 of his 20 pass attempts for a paltry 58 yards in Week 7, easily the worst performance by a Michigan quarterback this season, and right up there with the worst performances of any Jim Harbaugh-coached quarterback of all time.

And O’Korn struggled against a Hoosiers’ secondary that Trace McSorley exploited with surgical precision for 315 passing yards and two touchdowns in the Nittany Lion’s 45-14 victory over Indiana in Week 5.

But hey, fault can’t be solely placed on O’Korn’s shoulders, this was a true team effort.

While Michigan didn’t turn the ball over in Week 7, a sharp contrast to its five-turnover performance against its arch-rival Michigan State in Week 6, the Wolverines didn’t have a single player with more than 40 receiving yards, and only one player, junior running back Karan Higdon, who recorded more than 60 all-purpose yards in the entire game.

Brutal.

This could very well end up being a very good match up for the Nittany Lions’ ninth-ranked defense in Week 8, especially since it’ll be highlighted on ABC for the world to see.

That’s right, ESPN’s College Football Game Day is coming to Happy Valley in Week 8 for the White Out.

For the first time since Sept. 26, 2009, Lee Corso and company will have an opportunity to witness a Big Ten East grudge match between two of the division’s heavyweights in Happy Valley.

And if John O’Korn again finds himself under center for the Wolverines in Week 8, he could be seeing white in Happy Valley.

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