Analyst: Penn State Has the 'Mindset' Advantage Over Michigan

VSiN's Mike Pritchard breaks down the Penn State-Michigan matchup, giving the Lions a few edges.

Mike Pritchard, lead NFL analyst at VSiN, has had the Penn State-Michigan game circled for weeks. Pritchard certainly knows about big college football games.

He played multiple positions on Colorado's 1990 championship team and spent nine years in the NFL. At VSiN, Pritchard scouts the top talent in the NFL and college football. He likes what Penn State and Michigan will showcase Saturday at Michigan Stadium.

Here's how Pritchard views the game, who has the advantage, and the keys to a Penn State or Michigan victory.

Question: Where is Penn State at its strongest entering this game?

Mike Pritchard: Defense is the name of the game when it comes to winning games in the Big Ten. I mean, you have to be able to stop the powerhouses if you can. And I think coach [James] Franklin has loaded up on the defensive side of the ball. Certainly you look at the top-10 recruiting class he's got coming in, and that they had coming in in 2022 as well. I also think to have a come-from-behind victory on the road against Purdue, which was a prolific passing team, was significant. To get that win I thought that was outstanding for the Nittany Lions.

And then to go into the SEC territory — I don't care if Auburn is down or not — and to dominate them was spectacular. So their defense, allowing about 15 points a game, that gives you a chance to win a lot of games in the Big Ten.

Q: What do you like about Penn State's defense?

Pritchard: If you think about turnover margin, they're plus-6 right now. So I think they're opportunistic in the secondary, and you have to play tough at the line of scrimmage as well. And you're going into the Big House against Michigan, which wants to run the ball well. But I think attitude is important. To me, defensive football is more about attitude and confidence. And I see a lot of confidence from time to time with Penn State, certainly in the secondary.

Penn State's defense has forced 12 turnovers this season, tied for second in the Big Ten with Wisconsin :: Matthew O'Haren/USA Today Sports

Q: How about Michigan? What stands out regarding the Wolverines?

Pritchard: Michigan feels like they can run the ball on anybody. When I was at Colorado, that was our mentality, too. And it starts up front. They have a Heisman Trophy-type of running back in Blake Corum. But when you watch him, he's not really getting touched that often until he's through the line of scrimmage. So the surge at the point of attack from the offensive line is very impressive. And coach [Jim] Harbaugh has done a great job implementing that kind of mindset. And they do it really well.

Q: What about each team's weak spots? Let's start with Penn State.

Pritchard: I think Penn State's weak spot is scoring. You know, I don't know how Penn State can be prolific. Running the football and being balanced is one thing, but they have to be able to put up points and be explosive. I think graduation [of players like Jahan Dotson] kind of handcuffs that at times. But in college football a lot of times — and I'm looking forward to seeing this hopefully from Penn State after a bye week— the slot receiver commands attention in the middle of the field to open up some vertical passing down the sideline.

Obviously running the football is important, but if you think about a strength of Michigan, that's the defensive line. So can Penn State be explosive enough and be consistently explosive on the road against Michigan?

Q: What about Michigan's weaknesses?

Pritchard: I think their weakness against Penn State will just be the fact that I don't think Michigan is battle-tested the way that Penn State is. Think about Michigan averaging 43 points a game, but you also have to consider the caliber of their opponents. I mean, Colorado State, Hawai'i, Connecticut, Maryland, Iowa, Indiana. The defense is stout, but there's no offense on Michigan's schedule so far that has really tested them to the limit. So it will be interesting to see what Penn State has in store after a bye week.

Q: Who has the edge at quarterback between Penn State's Sean Clifford and Michigan's JJ McCarthy?

Pritchard: Watching JJ McCarthy last week, he's decent, but it's more of the play-action game. They're going to have designs and they're going to telegraph where they want him to throw the football with the play action. And if you get singled up on the outside, McCarthy's able to get the ball out there, and maybe receivers can make a play. But if he has to go and drop back the majority of the time, like if Penn State is able to get them in unpredictable passing situations, I think McCarthy is challenged that way. And that's something in which, when you have a ball-hawking defense, you look for Penn State to perhaps take advantage of that.

On the other side, Clifford can do some things. But from an explosive nature, I want to see something that Penn State has worked on [during the bye week]. I think he needs to emerge a little bit more that way. From an experience standpoint, and certainly a big-game standpoint, Clifford is ready for this probably more so than McCarthy in my opinion.

Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy leads the nation in completion percentage (78.3 percent) :: Marc Lebryk/USA Today Sports

Q: Michigan wins if...

Pritchard: Michigan wins if they can run the football successfully and dominate the line of scrimmage. I think Corum is unbelievable as a runner. I played with Eric Bieniemy [at Colorado], and Corum reminds me of him. He's like 5-8, 210 pounds, a bowling ball with thick legs, and then with an offensive line that surges and so you have to commit bodies at the line of scrimmage for that. And therefore, you limit McCarthy and him taking chances.

Q: Penn State wins if...

Pritchard: It has to run the football against that defensive line. It's daunting, but again, I look at Michigan's opponents, and its nowhere near where Penn State is in terms of being battle tested. I think mentally Penn State has the advantage. So I think the mindset is advantage Penn State there.

Then it's also just what's in front of them. I mean, this is an incredible opportunity on national TV on the road. So coach Franklin, coming off a bye week, has every advantage. Be physical, win the line of scrimmage up front offensively and then if Clifford can make some throws, just a few big plays to help out that running game, I think Penn State can win.

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.