Paul Finebaum, Heather Dinich explain why Penn State is must-win for Michigan

Much has been made of the early season schedule for Michigan and for what should be the first time, there’s a test. Penn State will be in Ann Arbor for a top 10 showdown as severe Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff implications are on the line. While both still have Ohio State remaining on the schedule, Saturday is just the first hurdle.

When asked about the upcoming matchup, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum laid out why this is a big game for Penn State. Not just as a program but also for James Franklin. Finebaum called it a “big moment” for the head coach as he is still looking for a signature win this season.

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“Penn State is a little bit hard to wrap one’s arm around,” Finebaum said. “They have a huge road win at Auburn. Quite frankly, that’s not really a big deal now that we’ve seen Auburn limp around for the last couple of weeks. But they’re still alive and this is a big moment for James Franklin.

“If he can win this game, he’s got Ohio State later in the year at home. So, the opportunities are there. I sense Michigan is going to pull this out though. Although, they are not the most impressive undefeated, No. 4 team in America.”

Finebaum did ultimately pick Michigan to win but not without giving his honest opinion. Jim Harbaugh will have the chance to finally look “impressive” at the Big House come Saturday.

Michigan must win to keep control of their own destiny

A loss would not kill Michigan’s chance of appearing in the Big Ten Championship. There would still be plenty of football to play for every team in the East. But dropping one to Penn State on Saturday sure would make the road tougher for the Wolverines.

ESPN’s Heather Dinich laid out the scenario for Michigan, saying Penn State’s schedule comes into play. She projects Ohio State as the only remaining difficult game remaining for the Nittany Lions and a loss on Saturday could be detrimental for Harbaugh.

“Not necessarily because if they lose this game, technically they can run the table, beat Ohio State, and win the Big Ten,” Dinich said. “But, they would need Penn State to lose twice and I don’t think that’s going to happen. Penn State can certainly lose to Ohio State but I think that’s the only game left on their schedule past this one that they really have a chance to lose.”

Big Ten looking to avoid three-way tie

Tiebreakers is where things can get confusing in the Big Ten East. Especially when you’re looking at a three-way tie potentially between Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State. Dinich said that’s something “everyone” in the Big Ten wants to avoid and in order to do so, the Wolverines most likely need to win vs. the Nittany Lions.

“One thing everyone in the Big Ten wants to avoid is a three-way tie between Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan in the East,” said Dinich. “Because that gets into a tiebreaker scenario that will make everyone’s head explode. So, Michigan is going to have to win in order to remain out of trouble and control their own destiny.”