Michigan St. (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten) at Penn St. (10-1, 6-1)
How weird is this weekend for Michigan State fans? They have to root for archrival Michigan to upset Ohio State.
That’s because the No. 15 Spartans can only earn a Rose Bowl berth with an upset of No. 8 Penn State on Saturday and a Buckeyes loss to the Wolverines. Still, it’s a tough task just to win in Happy Valley in what might be Joe Paterno’s last home game, and the Nittany Lions are solid 15.5-point favorites on WagerWeb.com.
Plus there’s this problem: Michigan State has lost seven games in a row against Penn State and 10 in a row against ranked opponents. But it’s clear coach Mark Dantonio has instilled a new attitude in East Lansing, so the chances for an upset are there.
Michigan State will need a big game from its workhorse, RB Javon Ringer. The senior star has 1,548 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns, with two TDs in each of his past three games. But he has struggled big time against Penn State; in three games, including the 2006 contest in which he was hobbled, he has 52 yards on 19 carries. PSU’s run defense is ranked 10th in the nation against the run this season, allowing just 101.5 yards per game.
Yet maybe Spartans QB Brian Hoyer will step up. For some reason, he excels away from home. He completed 46.2 percent of his passes in seven home contests, throwing one touchdown and five interceptions while averaging 142.3 yards per game. On the road, he has completed 52.8 percent of his passes for an average of 258.3 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception in four games.
State also will get a few reinforcements in that top cornerback Chris Rucker is expected to return from a leg injury after sitting out the team’s last game two weeks ago. Mark Dell, the team’s leading receiver, also should be back; he missed the past two games with a knee injury.
PSU’s offense was among the best in the nation earlier this season, but QB Daryll Clark has been very inconsistent lately. The Lions averaged 45.4 points and 482.1 yards in their first eight games, but they are scoring just 23.3 ppg and averaging 337.3 yards over their last three contests.
Clark threw two touchdowns last week against Indiana after not having one in his previous two games, but he also threw an interception and fumbled twice.
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