This Weekend's Matchup Between No. 3 Michigan And No. 10 Penn State Features An Elite Quarterback Battle
Although the ongoing sign-stealing saga with Michigan has taken much of the attention away from this weekends matchup with Penn State, it's hard to overstate just how big of a game this is for both programs.
No. 3 Michigan enters the weekend with a perfect 9-0 record and looks like the most dominant team in the country on both sides of the ball. The Wolverines currently lead the nation in scoring differential at +34.0, nearly 10 points higher than the next team (Oregon, +26.1).
No. 10 Penn State enters the game with an 8-1 record that includes a loss to No. 1 Ohio State. Much like Michigan, the Nittany Lions feature one of the most dominant defensive units in the country. In fact, Michigan is currently ranked No. 1 in total defense, while Penn State is ranked No. 2.
Although there are no shortage of intriguing matchups and storylines heading into this game, one of the most watched battles will be between the two top quarterbacks in the Big Ten conference - JJ McCarthy and Drew Allar.
While McCarthy has an edge in both completion percentage (75.7) and total yards per game (252.3), Allar has the edge in touchdown passes (20) and interceptions (1).
With both teams still very much in the conference championship and playoff hunt, the outcome of Saturday's game will have a huge impact on what that picture ultimately looks like at the end of the regular season. Michigan owns the all-time record with a 16-10 advantage over Penn State, and the Wolverines have won the last two matchups - including a dominant 24-point win in Ann Arbor last season.
For Penn State head coach James Franklin, a win over No. 3 Michigan would go a long way toward changing a not-so-good narrative about how he performs against the best teams in the conference.
No. 3 Michigan and No. 10 Penn State kickoff on Saturday at 12:00 pm ET on FOX.
