Staff Predictions: Michigan Wolverines Football vs. Penn State

"The reality is, we've gone from an average football team, to a good football team, to a great football team, but we're not an elite team yet," Franklin said. "The work that it's going to take to get to an elite program is going to be just as hard as the ground and the distance that we've already traveled to get there.

"We're going to break through and be an elite program by doing all the little things. We're a great program. We lost to an elite program. And we're that close."

Of course, “not great” took on a whole new meaning when the Nittany Lions lost to an average Michigan State team at home (a game in which they were favored by two scores) and would have lost to Iowa had Hawkeyes quarterback Nate Stanley just been horrible rather than abysmal.

So the reality is, Penn State is … well, just okay. At the same time, PSU has lost 6 games by a combined 15 points since falling 49-10 at U-M two years ago.

So what’s it all mean?

We’ll find out Saturday. We suspect, though, that pissing off defensive coordinator Don Brown by trying to run it up last year was probably a bad move on Franklin’s part.

Congratulations to Austin Fox, who didn’t lose last week due to the bye, but still gets a kick in the groin for his Michigan – MSU pick (the worst in the history of TheWolverine.com staff picks). This week’s winner gets to kick Foxy in the groin again.

The picks:

Chris Balas:James Franklin is the Big Ten’s used car salesman. How PSU won the Big Ten two years ago is still being investigated (not by the NCAA, of course).

U-M is on the rise. PSU … well, is not. Michigan 30, Penn State 14

JOHN BORTON: How fired up is Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown to keep Penn State corralled this season? Put it this way: he makes Devin Bush Jr. in Spartan Stadium look like Mr. Rogers at story time.

How chagrined is Austin Fox that he picked the Spartans two weeks ago? Well, rumor has it he went out and scuffed up the FOX logo on his own front lawn after arriving home. He’ll get it right this time. Michigan 27 Penn State 13

BRANDON BROWN: Since the season opener at Notre Dame, Michigan has been able to answer the bell week after week. The Wolverines are focused and know what needs to be done in order to make the Big Ten title game and potentially the College Football Playoff.

It’s one week at a time and this week it’s Penn State. Jim Harbaugh will have the boys ready to go and Don Brown’s defense will be ready to make Trace McSorley’s day long and rough. Michigan 27, Penn State 13

AUSTIN FOX: Michigan wins a fairly tight game and keeps the good times rolling in Ann Arbor. The Nittany Lions pose the final threat (sorry Rutgers and Indiana) to the Wolverines prior to the monstrous showdown in Columbus at season’s end. Over the last month or so, Michigan just seems like it’s a team on a mission, and it’s hard to envision Penn State — especially with a banged up Trace McSorley — disrupting that. Michigan 28, Penn State 17

Andrew Hussey: Michigan’s offense has found another level and with Trace McSorley coming off an injury, Michigan’s defense will be too much for Penn State to handle. Michigan 24, Penn State 14

Drew Hallett: Karan Higdon dashes through and around PSU's defense in an unforgettable performance as Michigan has another successful stop on its Revenge Tour. Michigan 28, Penn State 17

Adam Ghabour: Donovan Peoples-Jones scores again. Michigan 34, Penn State 17

Doug Skene: Red-letter game three of five will have this team seeing red by kickoff. Look for Michigan to pick up where it left off in East Lansing. Michigan 31, Penn State 14

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