With another win over a ranked team in the Michigan Wolverines, the Penn State Nittany Lions sent a message to the Ohio State Buckeyes that they’re coming.
While one Big Ten contending team looks to be a fraud in the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers after they lost to the Illinois Fighting Illini in Champaign on Saturday afternoon, another team looks to be completely legit after getting another win over a ranked team. The No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions held on to beat the No. 16 Michigan Wolverines 28-21 in Happy Valley to move to 7-0 (4-0).
Penn State got off to a hot start in this game by taking a commanding 21-0 lead over Jim Harbaugh‘s Michigan team. Though the Wolverines would make a game of it in the second half, it would be James Franklin‘s bunch that emerged as the serious contender in the Big Ten East this season.
Simply put, Penn State sent the college football world a message on Saturday night. That message was to the Ohio State Buckeyes that they are for real and that they are coming. In about a month, these two Big Ten East rivals will clash in Columbus for the right to play in the Big Ten Championship. The winner of that game will be the favorite to make the College Football Playoff.
Sure, Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford is not as dynamic as Justin Fields is for Ohio State, but he showed on Saturday, and frankly, last Saturday night versus the Iowa Hawkeyes that he can make big plays in big moments to lead his team to victory.
Clifford completed 14 of 25 passes for 182 yards, three touchdowns and on interceptions. He averaged a solid 7.3 yards per attempt, as well as had 11 carries for 18 yards and a rushing touchdown. Those aren’t Heisman Trophy-winning stats, but the type of stats that it will take to beat a solid defense like that of the Michigan football program.
No, this will not be Franklin’s first rodeo when it comes to contending for Big Ten titles. If you care to remember, his Nittany Lions defeated the Buckeyes in 2016 to represent the Big Ten East in the conference title bout. Penn State won the Big Ten Championship but didn’t get to play in the Playoff because they were a two-loss team.
Guess who got in instead of Penn State? Ohio State. Do you think Franklin remembers that slight from three years ago? Without question, it will fuel his fire until he takes on Ryan Day’s team in The Horseshoe in a few weeks.
Before these rivals meet in Columbus, Penn State will need to take care of two other divisional opponents in the Michigan State Spartans and the Indiana Hoosiers, as well as a still undefeated Minnesota Golden Gophers team in Minneapolis. Let’s just hope Franklin and his squad don’t overlook P.J. Fleck‘s team, as they’re rowing the damn boat. For now, Penn State is for real.
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