3 Nittany Lions to Watch vs Michigan

Penn State is coming into their home matchup in Happy Valley against Michigan as underdogs. Although it is not technically a "White-Out", Beaver Stadium should be rocking for the Noon kickoff.

The Wolverines are one of the most complete teams in the country, so these three Nittany Lions will have the biggest impact on determining the outcome of the top 10 battle.

Quarterback play in this matchup will be paramount, as always, and sophomore Drew Allar could arguably be the determining factor in the game. Besides a brutal road outing against Ohio State (the toughest defense Allar has faced to date), the first-year starter has been very effective without turning the ball over.

What the Nittany Lions are asking Allar to do is very similar to what Michigan asked J.J. McCarthy to do in 2022. Manage the offense and avoid turnovers. Allar has done just that, throwing for 210 yards per game on a 62.8% completion percentage with 20 touchdowns to just one interception.

His rushing numbers are not impressive, but he is capable of moving outside of the pocket and make throws down field.

Michigan statistically has a better defense than OSU, so if Allar struggles like he did against the Buckeyes it could be a long day for Penn State.

KeAndre Lambert-Smith has been Allar's top target at wide receiver all season long. He leads the team in receptions and receiving yards.

His electric speed, strong hands and good route running will be tough to stop for a Michigan team that has occasionally found themselves getting beat on the deep ball. Having someone who can take the top off of the defense is crucial in Penn State's passing attack, no matter if they take the deep shot or not.

An unrecognized importance of Lambert-Smith's ability is doing just that by opening up underneath routes for tight ends Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren as well as fellow receiver Dante Cephas.

Penn State has had very few explosive plays this season, most of which were from Lambert-Smith, and they will need at least a couple to be able to beat the Wolverines.

Besides the one game that Adisa Isaac missed because of an injury earlier this season, the Nittany Lions' pass rusher has had at least half of a sack in six out of the eight games he has made an appearance in.

With a total of six and a half sacks on the season, Isaac is third in the Big Ten behind Kydran Jenkins and NIc Scourton of Purdue (who both have seven).

It will be paramount for Isaac and Penn State's defense to get pressure on J.J. McCarthy as the Wolverines' signal caller has proven his capability to dice up opponents all season long.

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