Michigan football vs. Penn State once looked like an intriguing matchup, but at the moment in Week 7, it's a battle for who can get out of the Big Ten basement.
Neither team has a conference win, and both new head coaches have been reeling in their new programs after having won all their games in nonconference play. Thus, something's gotta give on Saturday.
In setting up the game, Michigan alum and Mackey Award winner Jake Butt said on Big Ten Network that there's one area for the Wolverines where he has no concerns and another where he does, but would have less if the strategy changes.
"I think I've got no concerns about Michigan's defense," Butt said. "I think that's still an elite, outstanding defense. A lot of this comes down to the offense. And going into the bye week, there were questions of, is it Underwood, is it Carr? What's going to happen? Is Jason Beck going to make any changes to the offense? And it sounds like the plan right now is to stick with Jason Beck's game plan and stick with Bryce Underwood.
"The big thing here is I'm looking at the offensive line because that's been problematic. Andrew Sprague, their starting right tackle, he is out, which means Blake Frazier, the left tackle, has to move to right tackle. Evan Link, who's really a guard, has to move to left tackle. So you're kind of, it's a hodgepodge of an offensive line. I'm most curious here, Rhett, to see what the run game identity is going to be. To me, Michigan's best plays are downhill, especially with Jordan Marshall. Just get the ball in his hands and run in between the tackles. Less jets sweeps with him. Savion Hiter, get him out in space. Use Bryce Underwood's legs. Whatever it is, can they simplify the rushing game plan to get some success in identity downhill against a Penn State rushing defense that has their own issues?"
Rhett Lewis insists that Penn State should try to follow the Iowa defensive playbook, but honestly, Michigan made mistakes (and didn't finish) against Iowa, and those mistakes piled up until the Hawkeyes were able to come back and win the game at the end of regulation.
But ultimately, those mistakes are ones he notes he's not accustomed to seeing Kyle Whittingham teams making, and thus, if the Wolverines can limit the self-inflicted wounds, things could or should turn around.
"Look, obviously it's the Cignetti effect that has made things very difficult for head coaches coming in and trying to instill a culture and a program identity in their first year and find that immediate success," Lewis said. "But those are things that good football teams can do, and that good football teams in Kyle Whittingham's past have done. They have run the football well. They have played really solid defense. They don't beat themselves and turn the football over.
"So if you can instill that mindset in Bryce Underwood in the way that Beck's going to call the game for him, I think you're going to find a way to be competitive in these games. And then it just becomes on players making plays at the end, and you've got enough to do that. It's surprising to me how limited the tailback run game is. And I think just coming into the year, given Jason Beck's history, given the talent they had back there, you would think they'd be able to run the ball far better than they have. You've outlined the offensive line issues, but no one in the top 18 in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game. It just kind of boggles the mind with the talent they've got."
Michigan and Penn State are set to kick off at 3:36 p.m. EDT, with the same set to be broadcast on CBS.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Jake Butt identifies biggest concern for Michigan against Penn State