Penn State Football: Way too early game-by-game predictions for 2018
By Shane Lunnen
Penn State’s toughest road test awaits them as the last month of the regular season begins. A trip to Ann Arbor is never easy and for Penn State, the Big House has been a house of horrors. They took a shellacking in 2016 and have only won three games at Michigan all-time, the last coming during the 2009 season.
Assuming his transfer is cleared by the NCAA, quarterback Shea Patterson will still be under center for the Wolverines when they face the Lions. There is a ton of talent at the running back and wide receiver positions, but there has been little production. The defense though returns a lot of production and should be even better than last year’s unit which finished third in the nation in total defense.
Not going to lie, this will be a real challenge for Trace McSorley and crew. By this point in the season, the Wolverines will have their offense figured out and producing with Patterson at the helm. They will move the ball consistently against a young Nittany Lion defense. McSorley will be hammered by the Michigan defense, coughing up the ball a few times leading to Wolverine points. Michigan will also benefit from an extra week to prepare for Penn State.
While this will not be as bad as their previous visit to Ann Arbor, the result will be the same. The Lions fall and their slim hopes of a Big Ten East championship go out the window.