2. Michigan Wolverines
Rank: 5 | Opponent: 14 Penn State Nittany Lions | Time: 3:45 p.m. ET
The 2018 college football season didn’t start out according to plan for the Michigan Wolverines. With a ton of hype surrounding Jim Harbaugh’s group given the arrival of quarterback Shea Patterson, the hope was that they could be a stalwart on both sides of the ball this season. Yet, in the season-opener, they didn’t look anywhere close to that as they were pretty routinely handled by Notre Dame, much more so than the final score indicated.
Since that point, however, the Wolverines have turned a switch. It’s been clear that Patterson has not only gotten more comfortable in the Michigan offense, but that his coaches are much more comfortable and confident in him running it. The results have been impressive, most recently with the Wolverines making statement wins against Wisconsin and Michigan State.
Despite having proven themselves a bit, though, Michigan has not yet faced a team the caliber of the Penn State Nittany Lions. We saw the Nittany Lions earlier in the season give the Ohio State Buckeyes quite literally all they could handle, even if they fell short. Trace McSorley and Co. are capable of doing that against any team in the country.
Though this matchup on Saturday will be in Ann Arbor, that should be expected again. Despite the prowess of Michigan’s defense, McSorley will find a way to put up points. What’s more, the Penn State defense can step up. And if all of this causes the Wolverines to lose their mojo and nerve a bit, that could be enough of an opening to lead to an upset.