The scene couldn’t be much bigger for a Michigan team desperate to declare itself a Big Ten contender.
ESPN College GameDay, nestled into Happy Valley. A whiteout at Beaver Stadium, rocking with leftover hatred from the Lloyd Carr days, when Penn State once lost nine in a row to the Wolverines.
A pair of the biggest names in college football history, scrambling to reestablish themselves among the elite. Two proud programs trying to emerge as the No. 1 challenger to the Evil Empire that has dominated the Big Ten landscape far too long.
The Wolverines and Nittany Lions share plenty in common, including a tough, defense-dominated victory over Iowa. The Hawkeyes represent the only quality Big Ten opponent Penn State has faced. Michigan isn’t looking back at its other one — for good reason.
The biggest difference between James Franklin’s Nittany Lions and Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines, so far? That’s easy, and not good news for the invaders from the west.
