Michigan comes out of its bye week with a clear chance to reset, and the betting line says the Wolverines are expected to take advantage of it. DraftKings Sportsbook has Michigan favored by six points over Penn State heading into Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on CBS.
That number reflects where these two teams are right now. Michigan has lost two straight, while Penn State has dropped three in a row. The Nittany Lions’ skid included a loss to Wisconsin after leading the whole game, a blowout defeat at the hands of Northwestern, and a loss to USC in the White Out on Saturday.
The bye gave Michigan time to get healthy and work on the details that have slipped in recent weeks. Kyle Whittingham pointed out that the Wolverines have moved away from their downhill rushing identity, and that stands out as one of the biggest things to fix. Against a Penn State defense that has struggled badly against the run, that’s the kind of issue Michigan should be able to address right away.
Penn State has the second-worst run defense in the Big Ten, ahead of only Rutgers. The Nittany Lions are giving up 165 rushing yards per game, and Northwestern piled up 413 on them a few weeks ago. They have also allowed at least one rushing touchdown in every game except the opener against Marshall.
That opens the door for Michigan’s ground game to make a statement. The Wolverines have been waiting for Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter to break out, and this matchup looks like the opportunity. If Michigan leans back into the run game the way Whittingham suggested it should, the matchup strongly favors the Wolverines.
Quarterback Bryce Underwood is another major piece of the conversation. Fans and analysts have pushed for Michigan to bench the second-year quarterback in favor of freshman Tommy Carr, though Carr is still more likely to be used in a limited role than take over outright. Underwood is expected to start again Saturday, and the pressure is on him to show more consistency.
He turned in what was arguably the best game of his career against Iowa, then followed it with a rough outing against Minnesota. That kind of swing has to level out soon, or Carr’s chances will only grow. The bye week should have given Michigan a chance to tighten things up around him, and Saturday will say plenty about whether that worked.
Penn State can still cause problems through the air, but USC quarterback Jayden Maiava just carved them up for 301 yards and three touchdowns. With the Nittany Lions already reeling, Michigan has more than one avenue to attack. After a week off, the expectation is simple: this is a game the Wolverines should be ready to control.
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The latest response was a change at punt returner, a move triggered by recent miscues and one the staff could no longer put off. Michigan has lost the turnover margin in four of its past five weeks, and the pattern has lined up too neatly with the losses for anyone around the program to dismiss it as bad luck. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Bye Week Puts Bryce Underwood And The Offense On Notice
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The break does buy the coaching staff some time, and head coach Whittingham is being given that window to sort through the issues and keep building toward a more consistent identity. For Michigan, the week is less about rest than reflection, a chance to step back, make adjustments and figure out whether the offense can start looking like something the rest of the schedule will have to take seriously. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans UCLA Test Suddenly Feels Very Different For One Reason
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For Michigan, the matchup now looks different in a hurry. What had been shaping up as a test against an unbeaten team suddenly comes with a layer of uncertainty, because the Bruins are trying to replace a key piece on the fly while still protecting their perfect record. The Wolverines still have their own goals to chase, but the quarterback situation alone gives this meeting a very different feel than it had just days ago. [Read more 🡒]