No. 5 Michigan and No. 10 Penn State are set to be a huge matchup, as the defenses will be the center of attention. 247Sports analysts Carl Reed and Blake Brockermeyer broke the matchup and the keys to the game.

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Brockermeyer went into detail to talk about the matchups and similarities between the two teams on both sides of the field:

“It’s going to be a battle in the trenches because both teams want to run the football, want to be physical on the line of scrimmage and both defenses are excellent at stopping the run.”

On that side of the field, Michigan and Penn State both possess highly efficient defenses. Michigan ranks 5th in the nation in points allowed per game (11.3) while Penn State ranks 13th in the nation (14.8 points allowed per game).

In terms of running the ball, Michigan ranks 20th in the nation in rushing yards per game (212.3), while Penn State ranks 33rd in the nation (192.6 rushing yards per game).