Penn State vs Michigan State: Prediction roundtable

Penn State gets back on the field after a bye last week to seek revenge on the Michigan State Spartans. 

With an extra week to recover from yet another fourth-quarter collapse against Ohio State, it’s time for Penn State to fully put that loss in the rearview and focus on the rest of the season. On tap this week is a battle with Michigan State — the same Michigan State that staged its own late-game comeback against the Nittany Lions last season.

Despite the loss to Ohio State two weeks ago, things are still trending positively for the Nittany Lions. They moved up three spots in the AP Poll during their bye week and still boast one of the top offenses in the nation.

Senior quarterback Trace McSorley has been putting up monster numbers and should find himself in the Heisman Trophy conversation in a matter of weeks.

Michigan State on the other hand, is heading in the opposite direction. Despite high expectations heading into this season, the Spartans have been plagued by both injuries and inconsistent play.

Already with two losses, both to unranked teams (Arizona State and Northwestern), Michigan State finds itself outside of the top 25. Before those two losses occurred, the Spartans had a scare in Week 1 and had to squeak out a seven-point victory over unranked Utah State.

The Spartans have been let down by their defense this year, particularly through the air, and just gave up 373 passing yards in last week’s loss to Northwestern.

While Penn State is favored, and will have the advantage of a ramped up Homecoming crowd, anything can happen in college football. That’s why they play the games.

Without further ado, it’s time for the weekly VBR staff predictions.