Michigan is unblemished this season, keeping it on track for a potential division title and Big Ten championship game appearance. The Wolverines are facing their first truly hostile road environment on Saturday, though, and it’s certainly reasonable to think they won’t get out of State College with their perfect record intact.
How to watch Michigan vs. Penn State: Preview, TV schedule, odds and more
Here’s everything you need to know in order to follow the game between Michigan and Penn State on Saturday.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
If Penn State is going to beat the Wolverines, it first has to sort out all the things that went wrong against Indiana last weekend. The Nittany Lions’ ground game was virtually non-existent in that one and the defense gave up 44 points, including 23 in the fourth quarter. Michigan’s offense has put up 40 points or more three times this season.
Star linebacker Jake Ryan has been cleared to play, but his return is uncertain.
The numbers
Rankings and records: Michigan is 5-0 (1-0) on the season and ranked 18th in the AP Poll and 16th in the Coaches’ Poll. Unranked Penn State comes in at 3-2 (0-1). The Wolverines are 10-6 against the Nittany Lions all-time, though PSU has won the last three meetings.
Vegas: Michigan is a 2.5-point favorite, and the over/under is 54.5 points.
Weather: The high is expected to hit 61, and there is a 30 percent chance of rain.
Three names to know
Devin Gardner -- Gardner is completing 60.2 percent of his throws this season and averages a solid 8.8 yards per attempt. He's also second on the team in rushing yardage with 318 yards. He ran for more than 100 yards in a game earlier this season, and if PSU isn't careful, he could do it again. Interceptions have been a problem for him this season -- he's averaging one pick for every 15 pass attempts.
Christian Hackenberg -- The Nittany Lions have had to rely on the freshman's arm quite a bit, and he's responded pretty well under the circumstances. He's thrown eight touchdowns and four interceptions, though two of those picks came in Penn State's season opener. Hackenberg is completing 59.4 percent of his throws and averages more than 270 passing yards per game.
Allen Robinson -- Hackenberg's favorite target leads the Big Ten in receptions (38) and receiving yardage (621). He's had 100+ receiving yards in four of five games this season.
Two things at stake
Michigan needs this victory in order to keep pace within the Legends Division, where both Michigan State and Nebraska are also off to 1-0 starts. At least one of those two figures to be 2-0 after this weekend. The Wolverines could make up for a loss down the line, of course, but it’s always best not to leave that sort of thing to chance, especially considering some of the road trips still ahead of them.
There are no conference stakes for Penn State, which is once again ineligible for the postseason because of NCAA sanctions. So the Nittany Lions are again playing for pride in 2013, and serving as a potential spoiler of the championship hopes for the teams on its conference slate.
How to witness
TV: ESPN, 5 p.m. ET
Online streaming: WatchESPN. Comcast XFINITY subscribers can watch the game here.
Further reading
For more on his game, be sure to visit Michigan blog Maize n Brew and Penn State blog Black Shoe Diaries.
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