Michigan’s tilt with Penn State is an important game, that much is obvious, but to Michigan redshirt junior defensive end Chase Winovich, it’s also personal.
“This game is huge,” Winovich said. “It’s a pivotal game for my career, for the team as a whole, for our season, for the future of Michigan football. There’s a lot riding on this game and I don’t think that’s a surprise to anyone.”
Winovich is a Pennsylvania native, and grew up in Jefferson Hills, Pa. and attended Thomas Jefferson High School.
“They won the Big Ten championship last year and they’re a great football team, No. 2 in the country,” Winovich said. “We got bumped down to No. 19 after a win so it’s just one slap in the face after another. We’re 11 point underdogs, I think we’ve only been beaten one time in the Harbaugh era by more than five points. It’s one thing after another.”
In the Harbaugh era, Michigan has lost just seven total games, only one of which was by more than seven points — Michigan’s loss to Ohio State in 2015.
Winovich said he didn’t give Penn State much attention during the recruiting process because he didn’t think coach Bill O’Brian was going to stay at the school long, along with other factors, including the then fresh scandal involving Jerry Sandusky and Joe Paterno.
“For me it was like signing up to be a Penn State football player kind of associated myself with that, and it was something I’d have to live with,” Winovich said. “It was just a personal decision that I didn’t want to put myself in that scenario.”
The game is still extra motivating to Winovich because he said the school didn’t offer his brother.
“That’s a personal thing for me,” Winovich said. “It’s like ‘oh the Winovich’s weren’t good enough’ so we’ll see.”
He said the team was surprised by falling in the AP poll after beating Indiana on the road and is using that along with being big underdogs as fuel for this week’s showdown.
“I was going to tweet something out about that but I decided to reign it back in,” Winovich said. “Nothing crazy, it would’ve just been laugh out loud, because it’s just funny to me that we can win and still move down. I’m just curious as to how often that happens.”
Being from Pennsylvania, Winovich said he knows a lot of players on the Nittany Lions, but is most excited to be playing in front of his friends and relatives.
“It’s more so just the audience that it’s in front of,” Winovich said. “I’ve kind of shifted away in a sense, out here in Michigan five hours away, I’ve been developing and training all these skills and finally I get to go back and I don’t know if it’s my homecoming or how you describe it, but it’s going to be a cool feeling playing in front of all my friends and family.”
Last year, Michigan beat Penn State 49-10. Winovich knows that will be motivating the defending conference champions this time around.
“I was kind of surprised, they really turned things around,” Winovich said. “During the game, I don’t think we had the highest regard for them, but they were able to turn it around so hats off to them. They had a great season after that point. I know they’re going to be coming at us with everything they got.”
Penn State is led by its dynamic quarterback-running back duo of redshirt junior Trace McSorley and junior Saquon Barkley. Barkley is atop most Heisman Trophy lists at this point in the season.
“He’s obviously a great player, but he’s a great player on a great team,” Winovich said. “It’s not like he’s the only good player on that offense. We’re going to key on them all and prepare for all of them. We’re not taking any risks.”
The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC. Penn State will hold its annual whiteout.
“At the end of the day we have a job to do, it doesn’t matter what the stage is or how bright the lights are, what color jersey they’re wearing,” Winovich said. “None of that matters to us. It’s just a matter of getting after them every single play.”
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