Penn State-Michigan matchups: Who will have the edge when the Lions meet the Wolverines?

Penn State will take on Michigan Saturday at ‘the Big House’ in Ann Arbor. The top-10 matchup is the marquee college football game of the weekend and will air on FOX at Noon.

“We got to have an unbelievable week of preparation,” head coach James Franklin said. “We got to make sure that our players are approaching it the right way. I got to make sure that the staff is approaching it the right way to put ourselves in the best position to be successful on Saturday.

“It’s going to be a challenge. But, this is why you come to a place like Penn State, to play in these types of games. But we got to find a way to be successful, there’s no doubt about it.”

Who will have the edge on Saturday at Beaver Stadium? Each week, Blue-White Illustrated breaks down the matchups. Here is this week’s rundown.

When Penn State is on offense

Penn State coach James Franklin made a big deal Tuesday about how well Michigan stays on schedule. This will be what the Lions aim to do against the Wolverines.

Throughout a 5-0 start, Penn State has had limited success on third down. It is 104th in the country with just a 33.85 conversion percentage. That’s due to a 22 for 65 mark. As was the case a year ago, and is the case for almost every offense, Mike Yurcich’s attack functions better when it faces more first downs than third downs.

So, what will prevent that from happening? The Wolverines have a top-five defense in the Big Ten and it is stout against the run. So far, it is allowing just 81.7 rushing yards allowed per game and an average of 2.6 yards per carry. That means quarterback Sean Clifford and the Lions’ passing attack will need to be at its best. It’s not just the fourth-year starter who will have to play his best game, either. For everything to work properly, his receivers, backs, and linemen must perform well, too.

“I think overall the way he has managed our offense, whether it’s the passing game and the protections, whether it’s the run game and getting everybody on the same page in terms of how we’re IDing the front, then it’s making those four to six plays a game that you need your quarterback to make, that the media or the fan or the coach would watch the game and say, ‘That was a critical play in the game that Sean was able to make for us,” Franklin said.

“Him going out and playing well on Saturday, really all of our positions and all of our players, to win on the road against this type of opponent, we’re going to have to play well. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. That also includes our quarterback.”

We’ve gone back and forth on who has the edge here. If the Penn State running game can make a difference then it will be the Lions. But, this is a tough road environment, and we’re concerned about how the attack will function against a top-10 foe with a highly-regarded defense. Thus, we’re giving the edge to the home side.

EDGE: Michigan

When the Wolverines have the ball

As it almost always has under Jim Harbaugh, Michigan is going to run the ball. Throughout a perfect start, the Wolverines have attempted 162 passes compared to 262 rushes. Blake Corum leads the way for Harbaugh’s side. He has 118 totes for 735 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is the bell cow. The next two Michigan backs have just 50 carries between them so far. Corum will test the Penn State front seven, and particularly its linebackers.

“I think the biggest thing for us and the biggest challenge for us is what I’ve been talking about,” Franklin said. “They’ve been great on first down. When you’re able to run the ball and be as efficient as they’ve been on first down, they’re able to stay ahead of the sticks, takes the pressure off of their quarterback, takes the pressure off of their offensive coordinator because they’re in favorable down and distance situations a lot.

“That’s a credit to their players, to their coaches. I think a big part of it is obviously not only Blake Corum but really their running back room. They’ve had a lot of production out of those guys. It will be a real challenge for us.”

Quarterback J.J. McCarthy leads the quarterback room. And, while he’s not asked to do a ton, he has been very effective. He’s completed 78.3 percent of his passes and tossed for 1,152 yards and nine touchdowns to just one interception. McCarthy does not necessarily dazzle but he’s only been sacked four times and receiver Ronnie Bell leads the team with 30 catches for 390 yards and a score.

We like this matchup for the Lions. Manny Diaz’s aggressive defense should take the passing game out of play with its tight man coverage and as we saw at Auburn, the run defense should be up for the challenge.

EDGE: Penn State

Final word

This is a fascinating matchup. Penn State has had past struggles coming out of its bye week and is a touchdown underdog. Is that too many points? The matchups suggest that it is. But, ultimately, this game will come down to which offense can solve the other defense first. A low scoring, physical game should be expected.