PRE-SNAP READ: Michigan State vs. Penn State
By Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com
EAST LANSING - Penn State is a better team than Michigan State. Better players, excellent speed on defense, a deep cast of emerging running backs, Top 100 recruits on the second string, an untapped fountain of receivers and running backs.
But will the Nittany Lions be a worn-down version of themselves this weekend? And will a rested, eager, angry, desperate Spartan team finally demonstrate a well-oiled version of themselves?
What does a well-oiled version of Michigan State in 2019 look like? Michigan State looked good against Western Michigan and Northwestern. But those teams were bad. Kind of like most of the teams Penn State decimated during four of their seven wins in going 7-0 (save Iowa, Michigan, Pitt).
It’s week eight, and we’re still learning about these teams.
Penn State scored important wins in unsteady fashion in each of the past two weeks. The Lions were out-gained by Iowa and Michigan, two teams that have been offensively-challenged at times this year.
Penn State looks like a million bucks when they get a three-TD lead on you and get into run-up-the-score mode. But last week, they were up 21-0 and things shut down.
As Michigan’s comeback became more tense for Penn State, you could see or sense the PSU culture, its sideline, its fanbase, start to choke down a little bit.
Under James Franklin, PSU has gained a reputation for failing to finish - as witnessed by blowing commanding leads against Ohio State in each of the past two years. It’s in their heads.
Penn State has lost four of the last five against Michigan State. They have lost the last two games against Michigan State despite going into the game as a Top 10 team, as is the case this week.
Is Michigan State also in PSU’s heads? Of course not. Penn State is unrivaled. But if Saturday’s game is close heading into the fourth quarter - or worse, if Michigan State is staging a comeback against PSU - then yes, PSU might need a shrink.
For a third straight year, PSU comes into this game as a Top 10 team. There’s more pressure this time. The Nittany Lions are also unbeaten, but show signs of slowing down.
Michigan State has pressure to avoid a 4-4 start, pressure to get on a run and save the season.
Penn State has the pressure to avoid choking, while playing what is expected to be a third straight head-knocker of a game.
Michigan State may have lost some confidence after getting steamrolled by Wisconsin. But the players were a much different interview on Tuesday of this practice week than they were in the aftermath in Madison. It might not last long, but they believe again.
They’re fresh and juiced again. The Spartans aren’t a great team. They haven’t yet shown they are a good team. But if they put forth an A-version of themselves, and Penn State comes with a worried, worn-down C-plus version of itself, then Michigan State will have a good chance to make it five of six against their unrival.
THE WEARDOWN QUESTION
THE biggest reason Michigan State has a chance in this game is the weardown effect. It’s not who you’re playing, but when you’re playing them and where you’re playing them.
In MSU’s two victories over Penn State in the past two years, Michigan State caught Penn State at the perfect time - the week after they lost to Ohio State.
Two years ago, Penn State had just played Michigan and Ohio State in back-to-back weeks, was nursing the physical and mental wounds of letting the Buckeyes come back to beat them, 39-38.
Former QB Trace McSorley used a ton of gas in those two games in 2017. He taxed his legs, took some hits. He wasn’t nearly the same player in the third week of that three-game run when Michigan State beat him during the lightning-delayed game in 2017.
It was the WHEN. Michigan State caught PSU at the right time.
Michigan State has lost games in that fashion, too, including a pair of losses to Nebraska during Mark Dantonio’s glory years. Nebraska caught Michigan State at the right time, at the end of a long streak of physical games without a bye. Michigan State was out of starch.
Michigan State was also out of starch at Wisconsin two weeks ago, a week after a tank-emptying game at Ohio State.
After Michigan State lost to Wisconsin, I saw some Michigan State fans dismiss the Spartans as being “a bad team.” The 38-0 score was certainly bad, as was MSU’s performance on that day. But Wisconsin had a big edge in the “when” category that day.
I’m not guaranteeing that Michigan State will look great against Penn State, but I would expect Michigan State to look much more like the team that won a lot of plays in the loss at Ohio State three weeks ago.
All that stuff about this team needing a bye week? They certainly did. You could see brighter eyes and more willful determination in their eyes and hear it in their voices when speaking with Joe Bachie and Kenny Willekes on Tuesday. Sound bites don’t mean everything. But if Michigan State plays well this weekend, there were clues to be seen and heard on Tuesday.
That’s only half of the matchup. Michigan State will be rested and pumped for the game - as any college football team SHOULD be. But not all college football teams are able to pump up for each week on a 12-game schedule.
That puts the ball in PSU’s court. They are the better team, the more talented team. Judging by the losses they have endured to Michigan State, the Nittany Lions should have no trouble getting up for this game. But sometimes the fizz doesn’t pop. I’m not predicting that Penn State will be flat and low on fuel, but anyone who has watched college football for the last 40 years knows when a potential letdown could be happening.
In this era of bye weeks (there weren’t bye weeks in the 1970s), the factor of “when” becomes even more pronounced. Michigan State might not be better and sharper than they were two or three weeks ago, but the bye week gives them a chance for a brief resurgence.
“This is a terrible spot for Penn State,” analyst Joel Klatt said on BTN this week. “I’m a bit nervous for Penn State this week. After back-to-back weeks against tough opponents, you’re likely to start running out of some energy. Michigan State, coming off a bye … this is a classic trap game if you’re the Nittany Lions.”
I’m sure they know it, and they are trying to prepare against it. But if the tank is running low, sometimes it’s hard to do anything about it. It’s up to Michigan State to play physical, fast, smart - things they have had trouble harnessing this year.
HERE’S THE CAVEAT
No question, Penn State faces an energy challenge this week.
But this is what I learned when watching PSU closely this week: The Nittany Lions use more second-stringers, and some third-stringers, than any team I’ve seen since I started doing these studies in the late 1990s.
By Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com
EAST LANSING - Penn State is a better team than Michigan State. Better players, excellent speed on defense, a deep cast of emerging running backs, Top 100 recruits on the second string, an untapped fountain of receivers and running backs.
But will the Nittany Lions be a worn-down version of themselves this weekend? And will a rested, eager, angry, desperate Spartan team finally demonstrate a well-oiled version of themselves?
What does a well-oiled version of Michigan State in 2019 look like? Michigan State looked good against Western Michigan and Northwestern. But those teams were bad. Kind of like most of the teams Penn State decimated during four of their seven wins in going 7-0 (save Iowa, Michigan, Pitt).
It’s week eight, and we’re still learning about these teams.
Penn State scored important wins in unsteady fashion in each of the past two weeks. The Lions were out-gained by Iowa and Michigan, two teams that have been offensively-challenged at times this year.
Penn State looks like a million bucks when they get a three-TD lead on you and get into run-up-the-score mode. But last week, they were up 21-0 and things shut down.
As Michigan’s comeback became more tense for Penn State, you could see or sense the PSU culture, its sideline, its fanbase, start to choke down a little bit.
Under James Franklin, PSU has gained a reputation for failing to finish - as witnessed by blowing commanding leads against Ohio State in each of the past two years. It’s in their heads.
Penn State has lost four of the last five against Michigan State. They have lost the last two games against Michigan State despite going into the game as a Top 10 team, as is the case this week.
Is Michigan State also in PSU’s heads? Of course not. Penn State is unrivaled. But if Saturday’s game is close heading into the fourth quarter - or worse, if Michigan State is staging a comeback against PSU - then yes, PSU might need a shrink.
For a third straight year, PSU comes into this game as a Top 10 team. There’s more pressure this time. The Nittany Lions are also unbeaten, but show signs of slowing down.
Michigan State has pressure to avoid a 4-4 start, pressure to get on a run and save the season.
Penn State has the pressure to avoid choking, while playing what is expected to be a third straight head-knocker of a game.
Michigan State may have lost some confidence after getting steamrolled by Wisconsin. But the players were a much different interview on Tuesday of this practice week than they were in the aftermath in Madison. It might not last long, but they believe again.
They’re fresh and juiced again. The Spartans aren’t a great team. They haven’t yet shown they are a good team. But if they put forth an A-version of themselves, and Penn State comes with a worried, worn-down C-plus version of itself, then Michigan State will have a good chance to make it five of six against their unrival.
THE WEARDOWN QUESTION
THE biggest reason Michigan State has a chance in this game is the weardown effect. It’s not who you’re playing, but when you’re playing them and where you’re playing them.
In MSU’s two victories over Penn State in the past two years, Michigan State caught Penn State at the perfect time - the week after they lost to Ohio State.
Two years ago, Penn State had just played Michigan and Ohio State in back-to-back weeks, was nursing the physical and mental wounds of letting the Buckeyes come back to beat them, 39-38.
Former QB Trace McSorley used a ton of gas in those two games in 2017. He taxed his legs, took some hits. He wasn’t nearly the same player in the third week of that three-game run when Michigan State beat him during the lightning-delayed game in 2017.
It was the WHEN. Michigan State caught PSU at the right time.
Michigan State has lost games in that fashion, too, including a pair of losses to Nebraska during Mark Dantonio’s glory years. Nebraska caught Michigan State at the right time, at the end of a long streak of physical games without a bye. Michigan State was out of starch.
Michigan State was also out of starch at Wisconsin two weeks ago, a week after a tank-emptying game at Ohio State.
After Michigan State lost to Wisconsin, I saw some Michigan State fans dismiss the Spartans as being “a bad team.” The 38-0 score was certainly bad, as was MSU’s performance on that day. But Wisconsin had a big edge in the “when” category that day.
I’m not guaranteeing that Michigan State will look great against Penn State, but I would expect Michigan State to look much more like the team that won a lot of plays in the loss at Ohio State three weeks ago.
All that stuff about this team needing a bye week? They certainly did. You could see brighter eyes and more willful determination in their eyes and hear it in their voices when speaking with Joe Bachie and Kenny Willekes on Tuesday. Sound bites don’t mean everything. But if Michigan State plays well this weekend, there were clues to be seen and heard on Tuesday.
That’s only half of the matchup. Michigan State will be rested and pumped for the game - as any college football team SHOULD be. But not all college football teams are able to pump up for each week on a 12-game schedule.
That puts the ball in PSU’s court. They are the better team, the more talented team. Judging by the losses they have endured to Michigan State, the Nittany Lions should have no trouble getting up for this game. But sometimes the fizz doesn’t pop. I’m not predicting that Penn State will be flat and low on fuel, but anyone who has watched college football for the last 40 years knows when a potential letdown could be happening.
In this era of bye weeks (there weren’t bye weeks in the 1970s), the factor of “when” becomes even more pronounced. Michigan State might not be better and sharper than they were two or three weeks ago, but the bye week gives them a chance for a brief resurgence.
“This is a terrible spot for Penn State,” analyst Joel Klatt said on BTN this week. “I’m a bit nervous for Penn State this week. After back-to-back weeks against tough opponents, you’re likely to start running out of some energy. Michigan State, coming off a bye … this is a classic trap game if you’re the Nittany Lions.”
I’m sure they know it, and they are trying to prepare against it. But if the tank is running low, sometimes it’s hard to do anything about it. It’s up to Michigan State to play physical, fast, smart - things they have had trouble harnessing this year.
HERE’S THE CAVEAT
No question, Penn State faces an energy challenge this week.
But this is what I learned when watching PSU closely this week: The Nittany Lions use more second-stringers, and some third-stringers, than any team I’ve seen since I started doing these studies in the late 1990s.
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