#10 Penn State at #17 Iowa - Saturday Night
Penn State plays at Iowa on the ESPN Saturday night game. Should be a really fun and interesting game to watch, especially for Michigan fans, given we just played Iowa and are headed to Happy Valley next week. How Iowa handles Penn State may be a solid benchmark on the strength of the Michigan defense, and perhaps even how far our offense needs to come, as compared to Penn State.
In watching the game – assume the following four scenarios (know there could be several permutations).
A) Penn State beats Iowa in a closely fought game.
B) Iowa beats Penn State in a closely fought game.
C) Penn State blows out or wins convincingly over Iowa.
D) Iowa blows out or wins convincingly over Penn State.
Don’t know how others feel – but in order, I would prefer D), then A), then C) with B) least preferred. D) for sure because it could mess with Penn State’s head and, well, Fuck Penn State. Would put A) over C) slightly for the psyche of Michigan, knowing we are not clicking on all cylinders yet, despite the fact we are "close". Though I want Iowa to win - don’t like the B) scenario much – think it would provide the most danger for Penn State to be pissed and more fired up in front of their home fans - though I am sure they will be at some level anyways, playing Michigan.
Thoughts?
Gotta believe everyone here is rooting for an Iowa blowout ! Go Hawkeyes!
October 10th, 2019 at 11:15 AM ^
An Iowa win would be good for us-dont give two shots about the score.
Candidly I think they will win. Nitetime Iowa is scary Iowa.
October 10th, 2019 at 11:38 AM ^
Murderwolf isn't scared...
October 10th, 2019 at 1:39 PM ^
I love that pic. Too funny. did you create it?
October 10th, 2019 at 2:21 PM ^
Is he carrying a "Man"bag?
October 10th, 2019 at 3:15 PM ^
It's a "Murderwolf Bag" filled with murderous agricultural implements.
October 10th, 2019 at 2:27 PM ^
Hey now. Stay out of my corn field
October 10th, 2019 at 6:02 PM ^
Iowa had them there 2 years ago then Saquon single handedly took the game over
October 10th, 2019 at 11:16 AM ^
I'd also like to see Iowa win big. I won't be able to watch, though, unless we've beaten Illinois. That's not a given.
October 10th, 2019 at 11:25 AM ^
Really? You think the outcome of the Illinois game is in doubt? I suppose you can lose any game, but come on . . .
October 10th, 2019 at 12:58 PM ^
I agree with you, but ESPN FPI only gives us a 91% chance of winning...
October 10th, 2019 at 1:05 PM ^
ESPN FPI? [fart noise] I don't think even ESPN knows what that is.
October 10th, 2019 at 2:19 PM ^
If you wanna base our wins and loses on espn fpi then the season is already a failure since they predict us to lose to penn state Notre dame and ohio state. I wait for the outcome of the games. Those things are very inaccurate in the big games.
October 10th, 2019 at 2:49 PM ^
Technically, we have seldom won a big game as an underdog in the Harbaugh era (and really any time since 2006). I wouldn't be so quick to write off the FPI in games against Penn State at night, Notre Dame and OSU.
October 10th, 2019 at 3:00 PM ^
It predicts we have a 21% chance to beat PSU, 35% to beat ND, and 17% chance to beat OSU. Those number seem about right to me...
October 10th, 2019 at 5:25 PM ^
It actually doesn't predict we'll lose to all three of those teams. It predicts a loss in each one individually, but it gives us a 58% chance (1-0.65*0.79*0.83) of winning at least one of them, i.e. it predicts we'll win one or more those three games.
October 10th, 2019 at 11:41 AM ^
Stupid thing to say, or you obviously haven't watched Illinois this year. Their suckiness is only outdone by Rutgers
October 10th, 2019 at 12:53 PM ^
Shea will get his stats padded so that some people can still believe he is even an average Big Ten QB. Two meaningless TD passes vs. Wis. Three TD passes vs Rutgers . He will get two or three vs Illinois . He had three vs Middle Tennessee. Watch how he plays at Penn St. vs ND vs MSU vs OSU. Michigan 42 Illinois 16.
October 10th, 2019 at 7:05 PM ^
Provided he starts and finishes the game, and plays throughout. D-Caff is my man
October 10th, 2019 at 11:58 AM ^
Illinois lost at home to EMU and Nebraska and that was with Peters. He's almost assuredly not playing on Saturday and even if he does he's been downright dreadful in games against P5 opponents (Nebraska and Minnesota).
October 10th, 2019 at 11:59 AM ^
They looked sooooo bad against Minnesota with the exception of a bobbled pick-six. 99% of the fan base will be on suicide watch if we struggle against Illinois.
Then again, it seemed like 99% of the fan base was pretty much there after the Iowa game. So, whatever.
October 10th, 2019 at 2:05 PM ^
I feel like 97% of the fanbase is there now.
October 10th, 2019 at 1:48 PM ^
I’m as pessimistic as they come, and I don’t think we’ll have any real troubles with Illinois.
October 10th, 2019 at 2:35 PM ^
I hope you're all correct and I'm an idiot.
October 10th, 2019 at 2:40 PM ^
You misspelled your handle.
October 10th, 2019 at 11:18 AM ^
I would really like Iowa to completely stone Penn State's offense just to feel better about us. Otherwise, I'll be watching with no real rooting interest. Should be some good football.
October 10th, 2019 at 11:19 AM ^
Iowa winning would be good for us, although, I don't really do the whole "a + b = c" thing with regard to college football. So much changes week to week, Iowa could beat the hell out of PSU and then PSU turns right back around the next week and beats the dust off of Michigan. Didn't our fanbase think we had a realistic chance of beating OSU last year after the Purdue debacle and the Maryland game......
October 10th, 2019 at 11:53 AM ^
Exactly, transitive theory is a recipe for bad predictions. If anything, up/down theory is better, considering the emotion involved in these games.
Plus, road Iowa =/= Kinnick Iowa. Such common knowledge that there's a Drake meme for it.
October 10th, 2019 at 11:20 AM ^
or if penn state loses, how hard do they take it out at Michigan
October 10th, 2019 at 3:21 PM ^
Is everyone sold on Penn State being good...? They got outgained by Buffalo, and went down to the wire with Pitt. If Narduzzi wasn't an idiot they could've very well lost that game.
Not saying I think we beat them with how we're currently playing, but they are not on Ohio State's or even Wisconsin's level to me...
October 10th, 2019 at 11:21 AM ^
Penn State is looking at a night Kinnick game the same way we're looking at a night game at Happy Valley next week
October 10th, 2019 at 12:44 PM ^
Why, will it be a Corn Out night game???
October 10th, 2019 at 12:54 PM ^
They won at Iowa at night two years ago. That should leave them a bit more confident than us next week.
October 10th, 2019 at 1:29 PM ^
we didn't play @ PSU at night two years ago!
*plugs ears and starts humming loudly*
October 10th, 2019 at 3:16 PM ^
The PSU team that had Saquan Barkley won at Kinnick 2 years ago. And that took some luck.
October 10th, 2019 at 7:50 PM ^
100% accurate, from what I see around here in Happy Valley. Two years ago they had McSorely and Barkley; they're all still waiting to see what Clifford can actually do. I think it will be, as they say, a low-scoring affair; Penn State is a lot more confident in their defense than their offense and God knows Iowa is the same. I look forward to seeing if Franklin pulls a real head-scratcher when crunch time hits.
Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like college football is sort of holding its breath, thinking that the biggest games are all in front of us and 6 weeks in we still don't have a sense of who can really do what, both as individuals and as teams?
October 10th, 2019 at 11:21 AM ^
Kinnick Stadium at night is equivalent to having 2 or 3 extra players on the field every snap.
October 10th, 2019 at 11:46 AM ^
Add in a cold night where wind chill starts to factor in (forecast to be 41* with WC approaching the freezing mark at game time), and it makes for a less-than-desirable situation.
October 10th, 2019 at 11:47 AM ^
And you have those kids in the lit up children's hospital waving to everyone. That place is going to be insane. Have fun, Penn State!
October 10th, 2019 at 12:16 PM ^
I remember going there in 2016. That place is a madhouse at night. The mighty OSU couldn't even handle it in 2017.
October 10th, 2019 at 12:17 PM ^
It's always a bad day for PSU when they have to play someone that respects children rather than enabling their tormentors.
October 10th, 2019 at 11:30 AM ^
I'd like to see Iowa win because that makes our chances of winning the B1G East better. But I don't think it will matter either way for our game against PSU. We need to play much better offensively and keep up the same defensive intensity as we had against Iowa. If both things happen then we'll have a great chance of winning at PSU.
October 10th, 2019 at 11:33 AM ^
OOOOOHHHH IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT
(transitive property isn't a thing)
October 10th, 2019 at 11:33 AM ^
Rooting for a psu blowout so they can come in cocky and shit in our game and then we slap them in the mouth... idk hoping I guess
October 10th, 2019 at 12:56 PM ^
I can't read a sentence with cock, sh!t and mouth in it without needing to brush my teeth.
October 10th, 2019 at 3:10 PM ^
Lol I don't know why I read that as "shit in our mouth".
October 10th, 2019 at 11:33 AM ^
As long as there's plenty of "Kinniking" going on, it should help, that stuff seems to stick in your head for a couple weeks.
October 10th, 2019 at 11:33 AM ^
We should be leery about Franklin's maniacal genius only game planning well enough for a close, nail-biting win to lull us to sleep.
October 10th, 2019 at 11:38 AM ^
First big test for PSU, on the road, night game at Kinnick against a ranked Iowa team ... should be a great game. Doubt Iowa blows out PSU's tough defense. This is more likely a typical Iowa slog fest. Would like to see Iowa win it in an emotional way, deflating a banged-up PSU. Put up some good film on PSU for our coaches to develop an excellent game plan given we just played Iowa.
October 10th, 2019 at 12:26 PM ^
Penn State could draw up the game plan themselves to beat them, and this staff wouldn't use it.
/s (somewhat)