Michigan's high-pressure defensive ends are Penn State's latest challenge

Back when he was Michigan’s starting quarterback in the mid-1980s, Jim Harbaugh used to deal with hostile crowds by pretending that they were actually home crowds. In his mind, every stadium was the Big House, full of maize-and-blue faithful eager to see the Wolverines roll to another victory.

It’s been 35 years since he last wore a Michigan uniform, but Harbaugh’s approach hasn’t changed all that much now that he’s the team’s head coach. To the extent that he pays attention to the game-day atmosphere at any stadium, he tries to enjoy the spectacle rather than approaching it as a force that needs to be overcome. With his team set to visit Beaver Stadium on Saturday, he’s hoping that his players follow his lead.   

“It’s a great venue,” Harbaugh said on Monday. “[Penn State] has got a great fan base that’s really into it. Like a lot of football environments across the country, it’s really good. I’d say, don’t fight against it, go with it. Enjoy that stage, enjoy that opportunity. Personally, I tried to pretend like they were cheering for me when I was a player. I see our players have taken that same mindset. Their music is our music. 

“People love football,” he continued. “Can’t fault them for that, you know? You’ve just got to go with it. When it’s all said and done, there are 11 players on each side who are out there on the field and can affect the game, and the officials. Those are the only people actually on the field who, play after play, can affect the down.”

Wolverines start fast

Michigan opened its season with four consecutive home games, beating Western Michigan, Washington, Northern Illinois and Rutgers by a combined margin of 161-47. Having built up some momentum in Ann Arbor, they kept it going on the road, winning at Wisconsin (38-17) and Nebraska (32-29) and adding a 33-7 romp over visiting Northwestern before Michigan State brought an end to their perfect season with a 37-33 comeback win in East Lansing on Oct. 30.

The Wisconsin game changed in an instant on a play early in the second half. The Badgers had rallied late in the first half and trailed by just a field goal when safety Daxton Hill slammed into quarterback Graham Mertz’s ribs, knocking him out of the game. With backup Chase Wolf having to fill in, the Badgers’ offense floundered and Michigan scored the next 25 points to pull away. 

The recap above is likely to dredge up some unpleasant memories for Penn State fans, who remember how the Nittany Lions’ championship hopes faded when fifth-year senior quarterback Sean Clifford was knocked out of the Iowa game, opening the door for a Hawkeyes comeback and a 23-20 loss. 

Given Clifford’s importance, one of the imperatives for PSU this week will be to keep defensive ends Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo out of the backfield as best it can. Hutchinson has seven sacks, while Ojabo has eight and has caused four fumbles. 

A test for PSU’s line

Penn State coach James Franklin said Hutchinson and Ojabo will pose a major challenge for his team on Saturday.

“I think the thing that probably really differentiates them right now is having two defensive ends that can cause real problems for people,” he said. “You watch that Michigan State game, and both of those defensive ends showed up with huge plays. And when you’re able to have a guy on either side, that becomes real challenging. You have to decide how you’re going to deal with both of them.”

Harbaugh said it’s been a combination of size, athletic ability and work ethic that has allowed the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Ojabo to become such a dangerous player coming off the edge.  

“I think the ones who are really good at that, they train themselves to be,” he said. “He’s got long arms, and that length, that wingspan, that athletic ability and balance – there are so many things that are key. It’s coached. He’s trained to do it, and he has a lot of the athletic gifts to get that done.”

Ojabo was in the midst of a redshirt season when Michigan played at Penn State in October 2019, but Hutchinson was a starter, making three tackles and breaking up a pass that night. 

The Nittany Lions jumped all over the Wolverines in a White Out game, building a 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Michigan rallied in the second half, but receiver Ronnie Bell dropped what would have been the tying touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal with about two minutes left, and Penn State ran out the clock for a 28-21 victory. 

This year’s game will kick off at noon, so the atmosphere will be a bit different than it was in 2019. But Franklin is looking to ensure that the stadium is as deafening as usual. Because even though the Wolverines may be as prepared as any team can be, there’s no downside to having a roaring stadium behind you every step of the way.   “We need this place rocking on Saturday,” Franklin said. “Twelve o’clock start. The breakfast and brunch tailgating will be phenomenal. We need everybody into the stadium as early as possible. And then it’s going to create a great opportunity postgame to continue tailgating and enjoying yourself.”