No. 14 Penn State (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) will hit the road to Ann Arbor to take on No. 5 Michigan (7-1, 5-0 Big Ten) on Saturday. 

Last season, the then-No. 2 Nittany Lions absolutely ripped Michigan apart in a 42-13 win in front of a White Out crowd. That loss did not sit well with Wolverine cornerback Lavert Hill, who said this week that Penn State “disrespected” his team by running up the score. That’s certainly an interesting take from the guy who flipped off the Penn State student section after the loss.

Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown said he thinks about how his defense got roasted in the game “every morning.” It’s safe to say that Michigan is out for some revenge and will surely play like it. Brown will likely dial up lots of pressure in an attempt to make Trace McSorley as uncomfortable as possible.

Prepare yourselves for a street fight, folks. 

The Team

Michigan is right in the middle of the fight for a College Football Playoff spot. Jim Harbaugh’s program has suffered just one loss on the season at the hands of Notre Dame, which currently sits at No. 4 in the first College Football Playoff ranking.

The Wolverines are coming off a bye week after taking down Wisconsin and Michigan State in consecutive weeks — and they looked good in the process. Michigan seemed to wear down the Badgers throughout the game in Ann Arbor as what was a close game through three quarters was blown open en route to a 38-13 win.

Michigan followed up that performance with a 21-7 win over Michigan State the week after the Spartans upset Penn State. What made the win even more impressive is that the Wolverines took down the Spartans in a hostile East Lansing atmosphere with a weather delay — the same situation the Nittany Lions failed to close a year ago. Don Brown’s defense held Brian Lewerke to a brutal 5-for-25 through the air for just 66 yards and a quarterback rating of 3.3.

Bill Connelly’s S&P+ Rankings have Michigan ranked at No. 1 in defense. Although the offense hasn’t been playing up to the same level, it simply hasn’t had to. There’s no doubt Penn State must break down this stingy defense to stand a chance on Saturday.

Offense

Shea Patterson transferred to Michigan from Ole Miss and has done pretty much what he was supposed to at this point. Patterson has the ability to escape pressure and use his legs if needed, although he doesn’t run the ball all that much. Patterson has rushed the ball 40 times for 145 yards, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry.

Harbaugh likes to use Patterson in designed run plays in which he fakes the handoff and bolts in the opposite direction. Although the offense doesn’t use this tactic particularly often, it has worked for an 81-yard run against Wisconsin and a touchdown against Michigan State. Through the air, Patterson is 123-for-183 for 1,523 yards, 12 touchdowns, and three interceptions.

Karan Higdon is the featured back for the Wolverines. He’s carried the ball 153 times this season, which is 17 more than Miles Sanders. Higdon is averaging 5.4 yards per carry and has been solid by all accounts. He isn’t incredibly explosive or flashy, but he’s been consistent throughout his career and is tough to bring down.

At receiver, Donovan Peoples-Jones is probably the Wolverines’ most obvious threat. Peoples-Jones was a five-star recruit out of high school and packs a whole lot of athleticism into his 6’1″, 208-pound frame. The sophomore from Detroit has 22 catches for 326 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 2018. Patterson’s favorite target has been tight end Zach Gentry, though. The towering tight end has 23 catches for 332 yards this season.

Michigan has allowed 13 sacks, which is good enough for No. 40 in the nation. Penn State, by comparison, has allowed 16. The offense in general hasn’t been particularly great, and the offensive line is just another part of the unit that does just enough to win.

Defense

Michigan’s pass rush is pretty scary. Chase Winovich, Devin Bush, and Rashan Gary are all elite pass-rushers with the collective ability to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks.

Winovich and Gary sit on the defensive line, which has been a major part of stifling opposing offenses. Winovich has 37 total tackles this season, 10 of which were for a loss, as well as three sacks. Rashan Gary has missed the last three games with a shoulder injury, but he has 3.5 tackles-for-loss and two sacks. If he’s healthy this week, he could be an added problem for Penn State’s offensive line.

Devin Bush, a linebacker from Florida, has been the most prolific Michigan defender when it comes to getting to the quarterback. Bush has 39 total tackles and six sacks as a junior. Fellow linebacker Josh Ross has 28 tackles, three of which have been for a loss. 

The Wolverines’ defensive backs have been an exciting aspect on their way to a 7-1 record. Josh Metellus not only has 30 tackles this season, but he’s also picked off opposing quarterbacks three times, averaging more than 34 yards per interception return. Lavert Hill had a one-handed interception on a screen pass against Wisconsin that he returned for a touchdown. Brandon Watson, a senior from Wilmington, Delaware, also has two interceptions and one touchdown to his name.

Still, Penn State will be the biggest conference test of the season for Michigan to this point in the season. The Wolverines took care of business against Wisconsin and Michigan State, two teams that have been shaky at best in 2018 and have worked their respective ways out of the AP Top 25 poll. In any case, this matchup is sure to be an exciting one.