The Lions reenter the friendly confines of Beaver Stadium, but have an unfriendly visitor in the #2 Indiana Hoosiers. How does the staff see this one playing out?
Chris
The team has been playing hard the last
few weeks, if nothing else. If they continue to play like they did against Indiana (and the first half against Ohio State), I think this team actually has what it takes to rebound in the last quarter of the season and make a bowl game. That starts with a win over Michigan State.
The Lions prove that they are still a talented team, even if the scoreboards over the last 6 games came up short, and defeat Michigan State in a cathartic win.
Penn State 27, Michigan State 14
Lando
If the last two weeks are to be taken seriously and as a sign of things to come, Penn State fans should be encouraged coming into the matchup with Michigan State. The Spartans, unlike the Nittany Lions, do have a Power Four victory (albeit over Boston College) and will be playing in Spartan Stadium, but the fact that a victory here starts the path to bowl eligibility should provide the motivation the team needs.
Penn State starts slow offensively, but clamps down long enough on the other side of the ball to allow Grunkemeyer, Allen, and Co. to get going.
Penn State 28, Michigan State 17
Bennett
Too many good vibes around an “almost” win that came at home – and in a big spot. Back on the road, in the gloom that is always East Lansing, Penn State gets torched early by MSU’s passing game and a rally falls short.
Michigan State 24, Penn State 20
Tim
Nothing ever comes easy in East Lansing, but this Michigan State team is definitively worse than Penn State and is a major step down in competition from what the Nittany Lions have faced in the previous few weeks. I realize I said similar things about UCLA, but Terry Smith is the head coach now, and the team is once again playing with a purpose. Much like the second half against Indiana, look for a more vertical passing attack against a very suspect Spartans defense and for the run game to get humming as a result in what should finally be PSU’s first Big Ten win of 2025.
Penn State 31, Michigan State 21
Jared
(Originally appearing in the Game Preview)
It’s going to come down to how much fight is left in these Lions. Michigan State has the advantage of coming off a bye week, while Penn State will be going on the road after an emotional loss to the #2 team. This team hasn’t quit yet despite all the things that have continued to go wrong this year. There’s no reason to believe they will start now.
Ethan Grunkemeyer’s progress has been impressive throughout his first three starts, and now he finally faces a secondary that isn’t one of the best in the nation – and far from it. The defensive front also looked like the nasty version we are used to that harassed a Heisman frontrunner and limited the nation’s top scoring offense. Now they can tee of against an offense that has far more trouble protecting the quarterback.
Those two things alone are a recipe for some early big plays that will fire up the team, and allow them to take their anger out on the Spartans. After two long months, the Nittany Lions finally get back in the win column.
Penn State 28, Michigan State 14
